Changes to the timetable of a bus service which is the only public transport link for some areas in the west of York have been approved following delays.
The timetable of service 16, which runs between Ascot Way in Acomb and Piccadilly in York city centre, is set to change following calls for frequency and punctuality improvements.
Cllr Andrew Waller, whose Westfield ward covers much of the route, said confidence needed to be restored in the service which many rely on to avoid it being axed.
City of York Council’s transport lead Cllr Kate Ravilious said delays in the service caused by a lane closure on the A64 showed the city’s road network was running close to capacity.
Cllr Ravilious’ decision to adopt the revised timetable from January follows the petition lodged with the council in September raising concerns about the service’s reliability.
A council report stated it came as the re-routing of traffic away from the A64 into York caused delays on a number of bus routes, particularly on Tadcaster Road.
Service 16 faced delays on mornings and on Fridays, when the final trip was between 18 and 30 minutes late according to council monitoring.
The Hamilton Drive, Holly Bank Road, Stephen’s Road and Windsor Garth areas have no bus services other than service 16.
The service, which is popular with elderly people, has also faced capacity problems because roads on the route mean that only a smaller bus can be used.
Reliable service needed
The transport decision session heard it faced issues with getting walkers and buggies on and off the bus and people falling over at busier times.
The changes approved on Thursday are set to see the first service leave Green Lane, Acomb, at 7.45am as normal.
But it is now due to arrive at Piccadilly at 8.11am rather than 8.04am.
The current 8.31am trip from Ascot Way will leave at 8.44am to allow bus pass holders in the Hamilton Drive area to catch it when it arrives after 9am.
Pass holders in the Ascot Way area will have to take the bus a 9.54am, 19 minutes later than current timings.
The 4.35pm service from Ascot Way has also been removed to allow the 5.10pm trip from Piccadilly to run.
The service will leave Piccadilly at 29 past the hour from 10am to until the last bus which will run from 6.19pm from Monday to Saturday.
Buses from Ascot Way will leave at six minutes to the hour from 9.54am until 3.54pm, with no service the following hour and the final one leaving at 5.46pm.
The changes are set to be monitored in the run up to the service’s re-tendering with operator Connexions which is set for April.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Waller said delays in the service had resulted in people using the service less, despite its popularity.
The ward councillor said: “Since the demise of Dial & Ride this bus has been a lifeline for people getting to the shops, appointments and the city centre.
“To have a viable service you need to have a reliable service, we need to get this right.”
Transport executive member Coun Ravilious said the revised timetable attempted to address the issues.
Coun Ravilious said: “There have been a lot of changes to bus in the city in the last four months, September was bad and now that we’ve got the Christmas Market it causes even more disruption.
“When we have such massive disruption from a small change like the A64 lane closure it shows how close our city is to capacity.”