A DOOR-TO-DOOR bus service for elderly and disabled people in York is to be put out for tender.

City of York Council's executive member for city strategy, Coun Steve Galloway, has approved plans to invite bids for the running of the Dial & Ride bus initiative, which is currently delivered by the York Wheels charity.

The aim of the process is to find out whether a private company might provide better value for money.

But Coun Galloway said he was keen the voluntary sector would not be excluded from the bidding process.

He said: “I am asking officers to ensure that there is a level playing field which will enable the voluntary sector to put forward their proposals for running the new services, should they wish to.”

The Dial & Ride service provides older residents with transport to shopping centres and leisure facilities and earlier this year the council ploughed £170,000 into providing two new buses.

A report on the service said it cost the council £110,000 in 2009/10 and that outsourcing it would bring it into line with other contracted local bus services.

“By establishing a formal contract, the council will be able to better control price rises,” it said.

“The contract could also have in place clauses which give incentives to the supplier to drive out inefficiencies.”

Geoff Mayne, transport co-ordinator at York Wheels, said they had concerns a private company might not offer the same level of passenger help as York Wheels did.

He said the charity would almost certainly be bidding for the contract and he wanted to reassure their clients that although Dial & Ride might be run by a different operator in the future, the service would definitely continue.