A £3.5 million boost for North Yorkshire buses will see timetables expanded and £1 fares introduced for under-19s under a new one-year pilot.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive accepted temporary funding yesterday (Tuesday, March 19) from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Network North Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) 3.

Under the time-limited scheme, more than 20 routes will be enhanced with earlier, later and extra weekend services introduced.

The public is being asked to get on board with the pilot and support these services so that they can continue beyond 2025.

In addition to expanded routes, bus travel will be made more affordable for younger people, with a £1 fare cap introduced for those aged under 19.

There is also planned investment in marketing, bus stops, signage and extra customer service staff at busy stations.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “As a result of our efforts, bus services in North Yorkshire have seen a significant reversal of fortune since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Passenger numbers are up and we’ve protected at-risk services. Now, I am pleased we can go further.

“With £3.5 million of extra funding, we are able to introduce lower fares for under-19s, invest in bus stops and fund expanded routes in all corners of the county.

“This is very welcome news for passengers, but it is of course vital that services are supported so they can continue in the longer term.”

The extra money has been allocated to local authorities in the Midlands and the North for 2024/25, following the decision not to proceed with the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project.

North Yorkshire Council has been working with bus operators Transdev, Arriva and Go-Ahead to identify routes which they feel may have commercial prospects if the funds were used to support starting them.

The proposals need to be submitted to the DfT by the end of March.

The commercial director from Transdev, Paul Turner, said: “We welcome the use of this funding to help support growth of the bus network. If we can prove additional services are popular this may encourage longer-term support to help the network expand further.”

The managing director of Go-Ahead, which owns East Yorkshire buses, Ben Gilligan, also welcomes the funding. He added: "Buses are an excellent way for North Yorkshire's residents and visitors to get around the county in a sustainable and cost-effective way.”

The Arriva UK bus area director for North East and Yorkshire, Kim Cain, said: “We look forward to supporting colleagues at the council in identifying how this funding can be best used to help deliver the high-performing and reliable public transport network that North Yorkshire deserves.”

North Yorkshire Council is working closely with City of York Council following the establishment of the York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) in February to ensure their BSIP plans align.

City of York Council received a £1.15 million BSIP3 allocation, on top of £16 million of original financial support. Future BSIP funding for both authorities will go via the MCA.