Call for re-think on bus diversion
Lib Dem councillors are calling on Labour’s council bosses and First Bus to reverse a decision which has left bus passengers in the west of York unable to easily get to York railway station.
First Bus posted a surprise message on X (formerly Twitter) on 15th October announcing that the number 4, which connects Acomb, Foxwood and Dringhouses with the city centre, and the number 3 Askham Bar Park & Ride service, would no longer stop at York station until further notice. The move is apparently an attempt to reduce the number of buses stopping at the station whilst the station frontage works are underway.
Many passengers getting the number 4 bus into town this morning (16th October) got an unwelcome surprise when the bus, rather than turning left from Blossom Street towards the station, turned right into Nunnery Lane. One resident contacted the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Lib Dem councillors to tell of how he had to run to get his train, getting wet in the process. The councillors have asked officers for an explanation and also why there has been so little publicity other than on social media.
Dringhouses & Woodthorpe councillor Paula Widdowson commented:
“We were as surprised as many local residents when we heard about this – the communications have been non-existent, with no information on the First York website or the council’s iTravel website. I hope that the council and First Bus reverse this decision.
Tadcaster Road resident Glenn Sargent said “The decision to divert these very popular bus services away from the station makes no sense. We want more people to use the bus to get to the station, rather than use a car, so I don’t understand the logic behind this decision. It will just make it more difficult for people to get to where they need to be using public transport.”
Cllr Andrew Waller has highlighted the impact that the diversion will have on residents in his Westfield ward:
“For residents in the Foxwood and Cornlands Road areas of the ward, the number 4 bus is crucial in enabling them to access services and onward connections in the city centre. This diversion will cause real issues for many residents for whom the bus is their only means of getting around. There needs to be an urgent re-think.”