Worried bus passengers in Clifton Moor were today given assurances from transport chiefs that there would continue to be a service into the centre of York.

The Clifton Moor Park & Ride service, which many residents of Clifton Moor use to get to work, is to move to the new Rawcliffe Bar Park & Ride site off Shipton Road when it opens on February 14.

Resident Caroline Kett, of Deer Hill Grove, said she was very concerned about the loss of the service to the community.

She said: "This regular, clean, safe service, which is quite obviously exceptionally popular, as anyone who has ever seen the queues at the Museum Gardens stop will testify, is to be closed down in one of the coldest moments of the year."

Dave Pearson, principal transport planner for City of York Council, said the Park & Ride service would be replaced on January 31 by a new service for Clifton Moor residents, the X19.

"We do recognise the Park & Ride service is used by people who live and work in Clifton Moor and have liaised very closely with the bus company on the new service."

John Fletcher, commercial manager with First York, said the new service would take the same route as the current one, through Leeman Road and Station Road to Museum Gardens. He said there would be an introductory price for a return ticket into York of £1.

Mr Pearson said the new Rawcliffe Bar Park & Ride service, formerly known as the Northern Gateway during its protracted planning stages, would start on February 14.

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