LOCALs who used York’s defunct Dial and Ride bus service are being urged to get in touch with a cross-party working group of councillors looking at whether some kind of replacement scheme needs to be set up.

The council ‘task and finish’ group was set up last month to look into what happened with the Dial and Ride service previously operated by charity York Wheels.

It also wants to speak to York people who used the service to establish whether there is a need for a replacement - and then come up with some costed options.

The group’s three members – Lib Dem Stephen Fenton, Labour’s Jane Burton and Conservative Chris Steward - have already met with various organisations, including York Wheels, the York Bus Forum and the York CVS.

But they are now keen to hear from more people who used to use Dial and Ride to find out if there is demand for a replacement service – and if so, what form it should take.

Cllr Fenton said: “We know that the service was valued by many, but we want to better understand how Dial and Ride supported people to live independent lives and what the impact has been since its withdrawal.

“This will be key in enabling us to draft recommendations on possible next steps.”

Former Dial and Ride users are being asked to get in touch with Cllr Fenton on 07751 963215 or at cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk to share their views.

Cllr Fenton’s colleague on the new task group, Cllr Chris Steward, said his gut feeling was that there was definitely a demand for a replacement service.

He said his task group would ‘love to make something happen’ - but he said it was vital former users got in touch to help make the case for why a replacement service was needed.

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- £190,000 council grant buys two new Dial & Ride buses

York Wheels confirmed in December that its popular door-to-door bus service for elderly or disabled passengers who had no other means of getting about would come to an end on December 31.

The charity's chair of trustees Rob Atkinson said at the time  it was a decision that had been taken with 'deep regret'.

But he added: "The Dial and Ride service has become unsustainable.

“We have reached the point at which as a result of problems with maintenance and third-party suppliers, our fleet is not up to the standards required to maintain the quality or reliability of the service."

The decision came as a particular shock because it was less than a year since York Wheels had bought two new Dial and Ride buses, with the help of a £190,000 city council grant.

Dial and Ride was described as 'the bus service which takes over where public transport stops.. for York residents who are elderly or disabled'.

The ending of the service was greeted with dismay by members of York’s disabled community. York disability rights activist Flick Williams said it was ‘devastating’.

Questioned about whether she thought there was a need for a replacement, she said the previous service had often been booked up, with people unable to get a seat because it was already full.

The service run by York Wheels had not been perfect, she said. But she said there was ‘absolutely a need’ for a replacement service to enable those with mobility problems to get to supermarkets, shopping centres and the city centre.