Bus Service Improvement Plan

• Our vision for bus services in North Yorkshire
• Overview
• Current bus offer to passengers
• Headline targets
• Delivery
• Customer Charter
• Reporting
• Overview Table
• Appendix A: Network Maps
• Appendix B: Financially Supported Services
• Appendix C: BSIP Personas

Our Vision for Bus Services in North Yorkshire

An efficient and optimised bus network in North Yorkshire that:

• meets the needs of our local communities
• enables people to remain active and independent
• provides excellent customer service
• offers simple payment and ticketing options

Customers will have bus services which encourage and enable sustainable, cleaner and healthier travel choices. We expect that this will result in fewer car journeys, thereby helping to lower emissions in North Yorkshire.

Through our bus services, we will raise the profile of North Yorkshire as a place to live, visit, work and invest in.

This Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) will form part of our integrated decarbonisation strategy.

North Yorkshire Council welcomes the Government’s National Bus Strategy and its aims to transform bus services across the country by making buses:

• more frequent
• more reliable
• easier to understand and use
• better co-ordinated
• Cheaper to use  

In response to the National Bus Strategy, the council’s Executive approved a recommendation to create an Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators. The development of this BSIP is the first step in the Enhanced Partnership process.

Headline Aims, Objectives and Targets

The North Yorkshire BSIP has the following objectives:

• A High Quality, Coordinated and Integrated Bus Network: Develop a network of punctual and reliable services to give customers confidence that the bus will turn up and get them to their intended destination in the time expected. Address the needs of passengers in areas which struggle to support commercial bus services; ensuring this is integrated with our financially supported services.
• Simple Payment and Ticketing Options: Develop simple, convenient and easy to use payment options by providing a network of sustainable and reasonably priced services for customers.
• Simple, clear, and freely available information: Promote bus routes as a single network and provide easily accessible and reliable travel information.
• Excellent Customer Service: Provide consistent and excellent customer service across North Yorkshire

Specific targets to measure progress towards achieving this BSIP’s objectives are detailed in the Headline Targets section.

Overview

Areas covered by this BSIP

This single BSIP will cover the whole of the council area and will be updated annually, aligning with the authority’s Local Transport Plan (LTP) for 2016 – 2045.

Although the LTP is currently undergoing a review, it is our view that the BSIP will support the vision and aspirations set out in the LTP. The intention is that this BSIP will cover a period to 2030 depending upon funding allocations, with a commitment to undertake annual reviews of the BSIP.

We considered submitting a joint BSIP with the City of York Council.  However, due to different development priorities, we have taken the decision at this time not to submit a joint BSIP.  However, we have a long standing partnership with the City of York Council and have historically administered much of the York concessionary fare schemes. As part of the BSIP development, we held regular meetings with the City of York Council to work on certain aspects of the BSIP including ticketing, furthermore, we have considered the effect of congestion and delays on services in the respective areas and those operating cross boundary.

The submission of separate BSIPs to the Department of Transport (DfT) now does not preclude the future development of a joint BSIP as decisions are made regarding the combined authority.   

North Yorkshire is the largest county in England and one of the most rural. It is located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region and extends into North East England, stretching from Selby in the south to the fringes of Middlesbrough in the north and Cumbria to the west. The county covers an area of 8,654km2, has a population of 602,300 (ONS mid-2015 estimate) and has an average density of 69 people/km2. North Yorkshire Council local authority for the county and has overall highway responsibility, including public transport. In North Yorkshire, there were seven former district councils: Selby, Harrogate, Craven, Richmondshire, Hambleton, Ryedale and Scarborough, and two national parks; North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Figure 1 below shows North Yorkshire’s boundary and the former districts referred to throughout this BSIP.

Policy Context

Development of this BSIP has closely considered all identified relevant national, regional and local policies and strategies, including:

• National Bus Strategy
• Bus Services Act (2017): DfT Guidance on planning improvements to bus services
• Future of Mobility Urban Strategy
• Future of Mobility Rural Strategy consultation
• Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution
• Transport Decarbonisation Plan
• Sixth Carbon Budget
• Transport for the North Strategic Transport Plan
• North Yorkshire Local Transport Plan 2016-2045 (current policy)
• Strategic Transport Prospectus for North Yorkshire
• North Yorkshire Council – Council Plan
• North Yorkshire Rural Commission

In a first of its kind in the UK, the North Yorkshire Rural Commission was established by us in 2019. Bringing together a panel of eight independent experts with a strong understanding and subject expertise in rural issues and a deep commitment to a thriving future for North Yorkshire, the Commission examined the challenges faced by the county’s rural communities. The Commission’s report, ‘Rural North Yorkshire: The Way Forward’ was published in July 2021. This landmark report made a series of recommendations for local, regional and national policymakers on how to ensure North Yorkshire’s most rural communities can grow and prosper. The important findings from the report highlight key challenges including the missing generations of young people who are unable to live and work in the area, a need for energy security and green energy transition and digital connectivity, which the commission believes must be understood as a basic human right.

Interrogation of the transport theme by Commissioners was the most complex topic to investigate, with most of the major challenges reflecting national, structural issues and not regional or local failings. The commission is strongly of the view that devolution is a priority for North Yorkshire and that transport for super sparse and rural areas raises issues of accessibility, affordability and environmental impact for people.

The commission was supportive of the recently launched YorBus demand responsive bus service and recommended that we use the opportunity presented by the National Bus Strategy to provide more innovative passenger transport (such as demand-responsive transport) across the county, opening up the travel choice options of rural and remote areas.

The next important step, after the publication of the Commission’s report, is the establishment of a new Advisory Task Force, to support and monitor progress on the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, with proposed membership of the task force to include the Director of the council’s Business & Environmental Services Directorate. The council accepts the commission’s recommendations and, as such, will seek funding for innovative passenger transport solutions through on-demand responsive transport as part of the BSIP.

Current bus offer to passengers

The North Yorkshire BSIP is an ambitious plan that seeks to stimulate and drive significant improvements to local bus services across the local authority area. This section provides an overview of the current North Yorkshire bus network and considers performance against the aims of the National Bus Strategy.

Current Bus Network

This section describes the operation and structure of the current North Yorkshire bus network, detailing the key commercial areas, regional and interurban connectivity and the role of demand responsive and community transport services.

Overview

North Yorkshire has three distinct bus markets and commercial networks broadly aligning to the three largest towns and their respective former districts; Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby. Each of these three commercial networks interface with neighbouring towns and cities outside of North Yorkshire;

• Leeds in West Yorkshire for the Harrogate network
• the City of York, Leeds and Pontefract for the Selby network
• Middlesbrough and Bridlington for the Scarborough network

Richmondshire, in the north of the county, also interfaces with Darlington and Middlesbrough in neighbouring Tees Valley.

The remaining former districts of Craven, Hambleton and Ryedale are more self-contained and lack any significant commercial network. Bus services in these former districts are largely tendered by us, along with DRT and community transport services. Limited cross-boundary commercial services provide the following links

• Craven with Keighley
• Hambleton with Middlesbrough and York
• Ryedale with York

North Yorkshire also has a strong seasonal tourism market with many bus operators providing additional services in the key tourism locations.

As a predominantly rural county, North Yorkshire does not suffer from widespread congestion. However, localised congestion occurs in Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby and Malton, as well as at many schools around start and finish times (where air quality can also be a concern). Seasonal tourist traffic can add pressures to the road network in the summer months, particularly in popular visitor destinations such as Scarborough and Whitby, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales.

Key commercial networks

The most frequent services in the county are found in Harrogate. These include   

• Service group 1 between Knaresborough and Harrogate running every 7-8 minutes
• Harrogate town services branded as ‘Harrogate Electrics’, running up to every 15 minutes using zero emission buses
• The ‘high profile’ service 36, running at very high frequencies between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds using high specification luxury double deck buses.

Scarborough also benefits from a number of frequent services including

• Service group 7 between Scarborough and Seamer, running every 15 minutes
• Service 12/13 between Scarborough and Bridlington, running every 20 minutes

Selby is linked to York by Service 415 running every 15 minutes under Arriva’s Sapphire premium service brand.

Interurban and regional services

Regional connectivity is provided by a number of longer distance and interurban services that play a crucial role in linking networks together.  These services also provide the potential for multi-modal journeys with links to rail stations. These include

• Service X26/X27, running up to every 30 minutes between Catterick, Richmond and Darlington (Darlington Rail Station)
• Services X4 and X93/X94 between Whitby, Scarborough and Middlesbrough, running up to every 30 minutes and passing the rail stations in each of these three towns

Coastliner service 843, is the longest bus route in North Yorkshire, running hourly between Leeds, Tadcaster, York, Malton and Scarborough.  It provides important cross-boundary links using specially branded high specification double-deck buses, making the route popular with tourists.

These interurban services, along with the local networks within Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby, form the backbone of the North Yorkshire bus network and account for the vast majority of journeys made. Pre-COVID, these services were all commercially operated and have benefited from operator investment in recent years, including new vehicles, improved payment facilities and ticketing options, marketing and branding initiatives and enhanced customer amenities such as free on-board Wifi, USB charging and audio-visual stop announcements.

Areas with limited bus service provision

Outside of the three most populous former districts of Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby and away from the key interurban corridors, bus service provision is much less extensive, with services generally operating no more than two-hourly and with very limited evening and weekend services.

In the former Craven district, the bus network is sparse outside of the main town of Skipton. The former Hambleton district has a very infrequent bus network, with almost all services operating with a frequency of less than 1 bus per hour during weekday daytime. Across the former district, there are two bus routes with a slightly higher service frequency: Service 28A between Stokesley and Middlesbrough, operating hourly, and Service 73, which provides an hourly connection between Bedale and Northallerton. The former Richmondshire district also has very limited bus coverage outside of the principal town of Richmond, with the most frequent services provided on service X26/X27 to Darlington. Service 34 runs two-hourly between the same two points, and calls at intermediate villages along the route. The former Ryedale district benefits by hourly, long distance services 128/X28 and Coastliner to the coast, but elsewhere in the former district has infrequent bus services.

As the former districts of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale are the most rural in North Yorkshire, with low population density and significant distances between settlements, under the existing wholly deregulated service model, they are not attractive locations for bus operators to provide services. Richmondshire has a population density of 40 people/km2, while in Hambleton the population density is only 25 people/km2. Travel by car is the dominant mode in these former districts and 82.2% of households have access to at least one car against the national average of 74.3%.

The geographical spread of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale presents challenges in operating a public transport network. Bus services in these areas are heavily dependent on our funding to operate, and, with limited budgets available, services are generally specified to operate no more than two-hourly, with (in most cases) no evening or Sunday services. The need to contract services over such a large geographical area places a significant financial burden on the council. For example, in 2018/2019, the Supported Bus Services allocation in the former Richmondshire and Hambleton districts amounted to £847,787.33. Of the 215,799 passenger journeys made, only 38% were fare-payers, with 62% made on an England National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) card.

The North Yorkshire Rural Commission (referred to earlier in this document) heard evidence of the impact of the bus network’s distribution and the lived realities of rural residents in very sparse areas of the county. For residents in the most rural parts of the county, due to inadequate rural public transport connections, journeys often have to begin by car, even if connecting to public transport elsewhere such as a rail station. A secondary impact of poor bus connections to rail stations was heard by the Commission where residents have to drive beyond their nearest station due to lack of parking.  This additional travel (to the next nearest station) resulted in additional emissions, miles driven and cost to the individual. The Commission noted the pressing need to reduce reliance on cars in rural communities in order to meet emissions reduction requirements. 

Maps showing the bus networks and frequencies within each former district are shown in Appendix A, with a list of financially supported bus services given in Appendix B.

Demand responsive and community transport services

As discussed above, there is limited commercial service provision in the most rural parts of the county, and community transport services play a vital role in fulfilling the transport needs of local residents. Working in partnership with local communities to establish community-operated, timetabled bus services, we have had considerable success over the last ten years where commercial services have no longer been financially viable. In the Upper Dales area of the former Richmondshire district, which is one of the most rural areas in North Yorkshire, 49% of public transport journeys in 2018/2019 were made using community transport, meaning the area is highly dependent on this type of transport provision.

As highlighted by the Community Transport Association, community transport is typically:

• small-scale
• dependent on subsidies
• is only made viable through continued volunteer involvement
• on a not-for-profit basis

Community transport is often the only public transport option where bus services have been withdrawn due to not being profitable. We also directly operate a number of community transport services itself under a Section 22 community bus permit when an operator cannot be secured to run contracted socially necessary bus services.

North Yorkshire has an established network of community transport operators under the Go Local brand, defining consistent safety and service standards across providers. Go Local services include dial-a-ride, wheels to work, community minibuses and car/lift share.

Where commercial bus services are least extensive, community transport services (including some limited demand responsive transport) are concentrated. These are in the most rural former districts of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale and include

• The Upper Wharfedale Venturer
  • a community operated scheduled bus service in the former Craven district which runs between Buckden and Grassington, with buses timed to connect with Keighley Bus Company 72 services to Skipton
• Wensleydale Flyer 856 in the former Hambleton district
  • connects Hambleton’s principal town of Northallerton with the more rural settlement of Gayle, via Bedale, Leyburn and Hawes
• Four scheduled services are run by The Little White Bus,
  • includes limited bookable DRT elements in Richmondshire, providing east-west connectivity
• A summer service connecting Hawes with Sedbergh in Cumbria, run by Western Dales Bus
• Ryedale Community Transport (commissioned by us as timetabled local bus services and operated under a section 22 community bus permit)
  • services 173, 174, 175, 176W, 176S, 182, 184 and 185 (these are not DRT)

Community bus services provide an important contribution to meeting overall bus transport needs. These services are a crucial part of the overall public transport network in North Yorkshire and we want to build on the success of these existing community transport services. This will include greater use of digitally enabled Demand Responsive Transport operating models, or Dynamic Demand Responsive Transport.

As detailed in the following case study, we have recently begun to explore the potential for Dynamic Demand Responsive Transport in North Yorkshire, using digitally enabled booking solutions and live routing of services in response to passenger requests.

YorBus Case Study

YorBus, introduced in July 2021, is a digitally enabled Demand Responsive Transport service which covers the area between Bedale, Ripon and Masham. This service allows users to book a trip, on demand, anywhere within the operating area.

The YorBus project introduces a major change in the provision of rural bus services in our county. It offers residents the opportunity to book a journey when and where they require it, whether for work, shopping, attending medical appointments or accessing other services. Users can choose when and where they want to travel.  This is done via a dedicated app which has been created by Via, a mobile technology company.

Once a desired pick-up and drop-off location has been selected, passengers are directed to a nearby bus stop. The mobile app allows passengers to plan and track their bus journey, even when on board. The service runs from 6.55am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays. There is a low flat fare for using the service; £1.20 for adults and 65p for children between the ages of 5-17. Customers can choose to pay with card or cash on the bus. Children under five can travel for free and concessionary bus passes can be used on the service. YorBus vehicles are fully accessible, with low floor access and a ramp access for users of wheelchairs, pushchairs and those with mobility difficulties.

Since its launch, over 1,300 user accounts have been created, with an average ride rating of 4.9 stars out of 5. Of the passengers, 63% are repeat users and 66% of users are adult fare payers. In July, 500 passengers were welcomed on board, rising steadily to more than 900 in August. The high proportion of fare-paying passengers suggests some modal shift is likely taking place by those with access to a car, with the convenience of smartphone app booking likely increasing the appeal of the service to economically active persons.

Initial feedback from users has been encouraging:

 “It’s made life a lot easier, because living in a village you don’t get many buses coming through. The stop is right outside my house and it takes me to the [Ripon] city centre bus station, so it couldn’t be more convenient. I either had to walk a mile and a half or get a taxi, so I’m saving a lot of money and time. As we are getting closer to winter it means I can get on a nice warm bus. I can now go to other villages I couldn’t get to unless I could drive. The app is useful as it means you can book without having to ring up. You can also track how long the bus takes to get to you. It’s a very reliable service, which I would definitely promote to others who would benefit from good public transport links.”

-YorBus service user feedback, August 2021

“YorBus service is fantastic and I hope that it can become a regular feature of life in North Yorkshire – the flexibility and options it makes possible are really life-enhancing particularly for those whose mobility choices were previously limited.”

-YorBus service user feedback, August 2021

“The launch of YorBus has been a huge benefit to staff living on site as many don’t have a car. Before YorBus, there was no form of public transport, so it has made the local area more accessible for them to explore the beautiful sights of North Yorkshire on their days off. Many staff from the surrounding area have also made use of YorBus. Again, there’s a number of my colleagues, particularly apprentices, who don’t have cars.”

-Ripon-based employer feedback, August 2021

YorBus is delivering on the council’s commitment to support and connect rural communities in the region. The pilot will be regularly reviewed and will help inform a decision to wider roll out within the county.

Local Bus Operators

North Yorkshire has a large number of bus operators with generally a single dominant operator in urban areas.

There are 22 operators with registered local bus services in North Yorkshire, operating from 32 sites. The three largest operators broadly align with the three main commercial bus networks described earlier in this section, Arriva in Selby, East Yorkshire in Scarborough and Transdev in Harrogate. Arriva also operates in the north of the county as part of its Arriva North East division, and Transdev covers several parts of the county in addition to operations in Harrogate, including services in Skipton and the interurban Coastliner service between Leeds and Scarborough via Tadcaster and Malton.  Medium-sized operators in North Yorkshire include Connexions, Reliance and Dales & District.

Out of a fleet of approximately 270 vehicles based in the county, there are currently eight zero emission buses operating in Harrogate. The vehicles were introduced in 2018 with funding from the Government’s Low Emission Bus Scheme. Harrogate is also the focus of a successful Expression of Interest application to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund which we are now in the process of developing to a full business case.

Analysis of existing bus services compared to BSIP outcomes

This section considers the performance of the current network against the overarching themes of the National Bus Strategy which are:

• greater network coverage
• better modal integration
• lower fares
• simpler ticketing
• clearer bus information
• improved customer service

Network coverage and integration

Outside the largest towns of Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby (and their linking corridors), coverage is generally poor and frequencies are limited to no more than two-hourly. The former districts of Craven, Hambleton and Ryedale have particularly poor coverage with very few commercial services.  Tendered services are limited to two-hourly. Evening services in these most rural parts of the county are not generally available. A combination of low population density, significant distances between small settlements and low numbers of fare-payers means that it is expensive to provide socially necessary supported bus services in these areas.   

The provision of bus services and the routes operated in North Yorkshire are driven by the commercial needs of the bus operators. We provide financial support to other areas in line with its LTP commitments. Evening services are generally not available or provided at a reduced frequency on key corridors. Primarily services on Sundays are available only where these are commercially sustainable. However, DalesBus and MoorsBus, both community interest companies, commission bus services which are in the main dependent upon fundraising or donations, of which many are seasonal Sunday services though some services do operate all year round.

The council has recently introduced a DDRT pilot, YorBus as highlighted earlier in this section, the pilot explores a different way of delivering local bus services in areas that do not currently have a commercial bus service.

Payment and Ticketing

There are currently a number of different bus ticket types on sale in North Yorkshire. These differ depending on the operator from:

• single day tickets and bundled discounted day tickets for services in specific towns or on a specific route
• weekly, monthly and longer-term tickets, for various passenger classes (adult, child, under-19)

Provision of discounted fares for younger people is especially variable with no consistent qualifying age or discount offered across all operators.  Under-19’s discounts are offered on only some services.

There is little in the way of multi-operator or multi-modal ticketing. PLUSBUS is available for bus and train travel from selected rail stations, and can only be bought from train operating companies. Travelling by more than one operator or mode generally requires the purchase of separate tickets.

The cost of single and return tickets are not routinely advertised except for some high profile services such as service 36 between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds. Basic fares and ticket information are not readily available for many services, especially those provided by smaller operators.

Daily fare capping is not currently widely available in North Yorkshire.

Bus Information

The availability and quality of bus service information varies considerably across the county. The three largest operators have their own websites, apps and produce their own publicity; including wayside publicity on some major routes. Information provision from the other operators in the county is varied and comes in a range of sources. We know that the BSIP is a good opportunity to reform the provision of information and ensure an agreed and consistent approach to the provision of information across all operators and areas of the county.  

Operators are responsible for providing wayside publicity. However, exceptions arise on certain stops with multiple operators. In these instances, the responsibility is with us.

The Traveline website provides information for all scheduled bus timetables nationally but does not provide other important information such as fares, tickets, current diversions or information on local attractions. Information on demand responsive and community transport services is not typically provided through the journey planner.

Some bus operators are working directly with other businesses and agencies to promote bus travel in the area. However, this currently covers specific destinations in a relatively small part of the county, rather than the bus network as a whole.

In contrast with the majority of the country, North Yorkshire has a number of strong local bus brands. This approach, as encouraged by the National Bus Strategy, means that the identity of the owning group is secondary. These brands relate to services focussed in Harrogate, Ripon, Malton and Scarborough. However, outside of these areas, many bus services lack any overarching network brand or identity.

Customer Service

Customer service varies considerably depending on the operator. Some operators offer multiple methods of contact including telephone, email, and through social media. Others whilst having an online presence, do not use this for customer service purposes. There are also some operators offering telephone based enquiries only. Complaints handling procedures are provided individually by the separate operating companies.

There are variable levels of amenities on-board buses. Audio/visual information is more common in North Yorkshire than in other regions but is not universal. Some buses provide additional features such as USB power points and free Wifi. Cleaning regimes have been substantially overhauled in response to the COVID pandemic and operators now place a much greater emphasis on cleanliness as part of overall vehicle presentation. In the 2020 National Highways and Transport Network (NHT) satisfaction survey, North Yorkshire was 1st for bus quality and cleanliness satisfaction amongst comparator authorities.

Following an extensive programme and investment in recent years the on-street environment for passengers is significantly improved with increased numbers of dropped kerbs, raised kerbs at all stops on urban key corridors and shelters with seating at key locations. There remain, however many rural bus stops in North Yorkshire which lack these important features.

Service changes take place as and when commercial operators deem them necessary. As there is no requirement for public consultation on service, these occur without any prior coordination nor are they linked to any specific pre-arranged dates. The council has no control over the dates operators may choose to implement service changes. While these challenges are not unique to North Yorkshire, the size of the county, and the number of bus operators, can make coordination difficult to manage. Whilst changes are often only minor, multiple changes each year can result in an unreliable service for passengers.

Barriers to bus use and growth in North Yorkshire

In addition to some of the problems faced by users of the current bus network described in the previous section, there are a number of specific barriers to bus use in North Yorkshire. Listed below, these will need to be addressed as the Enhanced Partnership is developed:

‘First Mile, Last Mile’ connectivity

The Current Bus Network section describes some of the key regional and interurban bus services operating across North Yorkshire. These journeys can be over significant distances.

Some of these services, serving larger towns and villages, operate along A roads.  As a result, accessing them from surrounding smaller villages and hamlets, for example, settlements off the A61 between Ripon and Harrogate (service 36), the A64 between Malton and Scarborough (Coastliner), and the A171 between Scarborough and Whitby (service X93/X94), can often be a challenge, as connecting service times may not suit, or there may be no connecting service at all. The first or last leg of a journey can, therefore, present as a barrier to using bus services in North Yorkshire.

Limited rural services and limited evening services in more urban areas

Commercially operated bus services are more limited in the more rural former districts of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire and Ryedale. Where the limited commercial offering results in gaps in service that are deemed socially necessary, we procure a service. Due to budget constraints, the council has determined not to financially support evening services or more than two hourly daytime frequencies. The larger towns, such as Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby, where many commercial services operate, have greater daytime frequencies, with limited or no evening services.

Parking in town centres

Management of parking in North Yorkshire is complex. Public car parks in North Yorkshire are owned and operated by the former district councils, commercial providers and employers, who set parking rates and tariffs. On-street parking is often operated by us.

It is acknowledged that low cost or free parking can present a barrier to public transport use. This is a complex issue facing many local authorities across the country.  Further work will be required around this issue as North Yorkshire completes Local Government Reorganisation, when public parking will become the responsibility of the new unitary authority.

Areas of Opportunity

North Yorkshire Council is well placed to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the National Bus Strategy and realise our vision of an efficient and optimised bus network. These opportunities include:

North Yorkshire’s status as a leading tourism destination in England

North Yorkshire is one of England’s most popular tourist destinations, for the following reasons:

• two national parks
• The North York Moors National Park attracts over 8 million visitors annually, generating over £730 million for the local economy, while the Yorkshire Dales National Park receives over 4 million visitors annually. the popular seaside town of Scarborough
• picturesque coastal towns and villages such as Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay and Filey
• walking, hiking and rambling are popular activities for tourists and day-trippers

Building on existing good practice and innovation by North Yorkshire’s bus operators

Across a sizeable part of the network, North Yorkshire already meets, or exceeds, several of the good practice examples given in the National Bus Strategy. These include:

• the use of strong recognisable local brands such as the Harrogate Bus Company, East Yorkshire and Coastliner, with the owning group’s identity secondary
• the provision of on-board audio and visual announcements on key services such as Transdev’s service 36 between Harrogate and Leeds, the Coastliner service 843 between Leeds and Scarborough, Scarborough 7’s from Eastfield and Arriva’s service 415 between Selby and York
• the latest smart ticketing and payment options

We will build on these positive aspects and ensure they become standard across the North Yorkshire bus network.

Strong track record of successful community transport services

Scheduled community transport, including some limited traditional DRT services, provides a lifeline for residents in some of North Yorkshire’s most rural communities. The rapid development in recent years of digitally enabled Dynamic DRT (or ‘DDRT’) services presents opportunities to further expand the reach of community transport services to more users and to make them more flexible, including for younger age groups more accustomed to smartphone apps and digital transactions, and the council is already exploring this through the recently launched YorBus DDRT service.

Strong working relationships with our neighbouring authorities

The County has good working relationships with many of the neighbouring authorities including Tees Valley Combined Authority, East Riding, City of York, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and South Yorkshire. Throughout the development of the BSIP contact has been made on a regular basis with neighbouring authorities to ensure any cross-boundary services have been considered as part of the respective BSIP. As mentioned earlier in the document, the council has a strong working relationship with the City of York and this is where the majority of North Yorkshire’s cross-boundary services interface. North Yorkshire is also part of the ‘Yorkshire Partnership’ which many of the above authorities are also part of. Benefits of the partnership include access to procurement services and journey planning.

Other factors that affect the use of bus services

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions have affected bus services in North Yorkshire. North Yorkshire Council has been monitoring the impact on bus patronage, Figure 2 below shows current patronage relative to pre-Covid levels. The graph highlights patronage levels are recovering strongly with average patronage as of October 2021 at circa 80% of pre-Covid levels.

Figure 2: North Yorkshire Bus Patronage trend

Over the last 12 months, North Yorkshire Council has been working with bus operators to better understand the challenges they foresee and identify any at-risk services. Approximately 20 services have been identified as at risk of reduction, curtailment or withdrawal should passenger numbers remain suppressed at the end of emergency temporary funding through the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant and subsequent recovery funding.

Some of these services include those providing long distance and interurban links.  This work has subsequently informed the development of the key commercial corridors which will be prioritised for intervention in order to recover and grow these at risk services

How North Yorkshire compares to the best in England

There are already several examples of good practice and industry-leading innovation among North Yorkshire’s bus operators, one of the best known of which is the premium service 36 linking Ripon and Harrogate with Leeds, operated by the Harrogate Bus Company, part of Transdev.

Riding Refined: Service 36 Case Study

Service 36 operates between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds. Ripon was served by rail until the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, and since 1967 bus services have been the only public transport mode serving the city.

In 2003, the Harrogate Bus Company relaunched service 36 with the aim of revolutionising the route and tempting drivers away from their cars onto buses. The relaunch saw the introduction of 14 brand new double-deck buses fitted to some of the highest specifications seen in the UK bus industry at the time, including luxury leather seats and a coach-style interior, along with a new premium look and brand for the service. The improvements led to double-digit increases in passenger numbers and a modal shift from cars to public transport, helping to tackle congestion and improve air quality along the busy A61 corridor into Leeds.

In 2010, the dedicated vehicles for the service received an extensive mid-life refurbishment which included the introduction of a 2+1 seating configuration on the upper deck, giving enhanced space and comfort for commuters, as well as free onboard Wi-Fi.

Today, the service runs every 10 minutes and boasts features including USB power outlets, superfast Wifi, tables at some seats and a panoramic glazed roof on the upper deck. A team of dedicated drivers with bespoke service 36 uniforms adds to the premium look and feel of the service. The service provides ‘First Class’ train levels of comfort and Bus Rapid Transit levels of convenience and frequency, with live bus tracking, contactless payment and daily fare capping available. “The 36” has become a well-known recognisable brand in Harrogate, doubling passenger numbers in 15 years, and the service achieves customer satisfaction levels in excess of 97%.

Local Branding and Identity: East Yorkshire Case Study

East Yorkshire (and is predecessor EYMS) has served Scarborough and the former district and its coastal communities for nearly 100 years, providing bus services within the town and links to neighbouring settlements, as well as operating into East Riding. The company’s well-known burgundy and cream livery has been a familiar sight around Scarborough for decades.

In 2018, EYMS was acquired by the Go-Ahead Group, through its Go North East subsidiary, and rebranded to East Yorkshire. The new owning group has retained the well-known livery and updated it with a new logo that includes the white rose of Yorkshire within the company name.

The strong local brand of East Yorkshire is complemented by route-specific branding on high profile routes, including ‘Scarborough Locals’ on services within the town and ‘Coaster’ on services 12 and 13 between Scarborough and Bridlington via the North Yorkshire coast. This focus on retaining and developing local brands for bus services, with the owning group’s identity secondary, is encouraged by the National Bus Strategy and something in which North Yorkshire’s bus operators are continuing to set an example.

Stakeholder engagement and views of passengers

North Yorkshire Council has carried out a level of stakeholder engagement to inform the development of this BSIP, seeking the views of a number of organisations and individuals on their priority areas for intervention and desired outcomes. Stakeholders included:

• Bus and community transport operators
• Surrounding Local authorities
• North Yorkshire Parish Councils
• North Yorkshire Elected representatives
• NHS and Emergency services
• Business groups
• Voluntary sector organisations
• Bus user groups

The council also engaged with the North Yorkshire Council's citizens’ panel, a group of 2,000 residents who share views and ideas to understand local priorities.

This engagement found that the top priorities for bus users in North Yorkshire (and their representatives) are:

• More frequent services (for instance, hourly or better)
• More evening and Sunday services
• Simpler ticketing e.g. contactless card payment, flat fare, capped day travel ticket price
• Good value adult fares
• Clean, safe, accessible buses and waiting facilities

The engagement also highlighted the need for more widely available ticketing offers such as discounted travel for young people and group travel discounts for two or more people travelling together; ticket acceptance by any operator on common routes; more availability of live bus information available on smartphone apps; faster and more punctual services; and more demand responsive services.

When asked about the factors that would influence the respondents to use bus services in North Yorkshire, or use them more often, better service reliability, better service frequency and more evening and Sunday services were the three most important factors cited. Live bus information available on smartphones and Clean, safe, accessible buses were also cited as important factors. Having a reliable consistent service throughout the day was also considered more important than having high frequencies at busy times such as 3-4 buses per hour. Bus lanes in locations where traffic congestion occurs were seen by respondents as more attractive than reduced on-street parking or making town centre parking more expensive.

The feedback also highlighted some of the lived experiences and wishes of bus users in North Yorkshire:

“On demand service rather than current system. I cannot get to work in Mirfield for 5am from Sherburn and never will be able to. It is not designed for modern living.”

“Significant improvement to availability of evening & weekend services allowing people to return home on public transport. This would encourage less car use and benefit the night-time economy.”

“It would be good to have a frequent and reliable bus service. Just one bus an hour would be sufficient if you knew it would turn up on time. Need to be accessible buses for the elderly and those with wheelchairs and pushchairs. Also need accessible waiting facilities.”

“More frequent direct services to ALL local towns for instance, Northallerton, Bedale, Leyburn, Catterick Village & Garrison (Princes Gate Shopping Centre), Richmond, Darlington, Masham, Ripon, Thirsk, Easingwold, York and especially Middlesborough via James Cook Hospital, aided by realistic Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) to connect to  these main services.”

Headline Targets

North Yorkshire Council has worked closely with bus operators to develop a series of ambitious targets for improvements to the overall bus passenger offer, covering customer satisfaction, passenger growth, punctuality improvements and fleet decarbonisation.

These targets will be used to measure progress towards achieving the BSIP’s aims and objectives and will form part of the future annual reviews and updates to the North Yorkshire BSIP.

These targets have been set and agreed with operators on the assumption that the full BSIP funding ask is received. If the full funding ask is not received, the targets will be amended accordingly.

Customer Satisfaction Targets

Financial Year	Overall customer satisfaction with:
		Local bus services	Public transport information	Bus Fares	Quality of bus stops
2018/19 Baseline	57%	42%	51%	63%
2025	65%	70%	60%	75%
2030	80%	85%	75%	85%

Customer satisfaction targets have been set using data from the National Highways and Transport Network public satisfaction survey. This survey is carried out annually and data is therefore comparable year on year. North Yorkshire Council will monitor this data for trend analysis of local performance, together with relative performance of comparator authorities.  For more in-depth targeted analysis we will explore the use of the Bus Passenger Transport survey carried out by Transport Focus. Operators also carry out their own surveys on services and this information is important, it too will be monitored where available.

Passenger Growth Targets

Year	% Growth from baseline
		Countywide	Harrogate	Scarborough	Selby
Baseline (April 2018 – March 2019)	12,100,000	3,813,340	2,710,816	934,580
Current (August 2020 – July 2021)	6,400,000	1,267,158	1,294,179 Figure August 2020 – May 2021	420,034
Patronage to return to pre-COVID levels April 2022 – March 2023	12,100,000	3,813,340	2,710,816	934,580
2025 (3%)	13,221,997	3,927,740	2,792,140	1,214,954
2030 (1.5%)	14,302,713	3,986,656	2,834,022	1,397,197

The medium term trend for bus usage in North Yorkshire is one of reducing patronage over the last decade.  From a high of 17.3m in 2011/12 usage dropped by 32% to a low of 11.7m in 2017/18 from where patronage has stabilised and recovered slightly to the pre-pandemic baseline value of 12.1m. Figure 3 below shows total bus patronage between the years 2011/12 and 2020/21.

During this period, a number of commercial operators ceased trading, putting additional pressure on North Yorkshire Council to procure services for transport that is socially necessary. At this time also, Local Government throughout England was responding to austerity and reducing central Government funding; in North Yorkshire, during this time passenger transport budget was reduced from £6m to £1.5m.

Punctuality Improvement Targets

% of buses on time
Financial Year	Harrogate	Scarborough	Selby
2018/19 Baseline	78%	84%	77%
2025	87%	91%	85%
2030	90%	96%	95%

Punctuality is monitored in the urban areas of North Yorkshire where bus service provision is stronger and where factors affecting punctuality, including higher traffic volumes, reduced and restricted road space, and a greater number of junctions are more pronounced. 

This approach will be taken when monitoring punctuality targets in the BSIP. Network compliance will be measured using the approved methodology in the Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby areas. The pandemic over the past 20 months has impacted bus passenger transport in a number of ways, not least in reduced patronage, from which this BSIP will support recovery, but also with improving levels of punctuality.

It is acknowledged that punctuality performance in urban centres can carry over into longer inter-urban services and impact neighbouring authorities where these services are cross-boundary. North Yorkshire Council will continue to work with neighbouring authorities to mitigate any negative impacts.

Reliability Targets

Financial Year	County Wide Reliability
2018/19 Baseline	>99.5%
2025	>99.5%
2030	>99.5%

Through the analysis of data provided by the operators, it was evident that services were already operating with a high level of reliability. Working with the operators it has been agreed to maintain the current >99.5% reliability level across all services.

Journey time target

Journey time targets will be developed in line with specific schemes, it is difficult to set journey time targets at this stage until the network studies and interventions have been agreed. As part of the delivery of specific schemes which will be identified through the Enhanced Partnership Plan journey time targets will be set accordingly.

Fleet Emission Targets

Financial Year	% Fleet operated in North Yorkshire by vehicles of at least
		Lower than IV standard	Euro IV standard	Euro V standard	Euro VI standard or better	Zero Emissions
2021	12%	0%	32%	52 %	4%
2025<	0%	0%	15%	60%	25%
2030	0%	0%	0%	40%	60%

The fleet emission data has been provided by the operators based on the fleet they are currently operating. North Yorkshire Council is committed to carbon reduction and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030 and in conjunction with a Mayoral Combined Authority to become carbon negative by 2040. It is encouraging to see the steps that operators have taken to move to electric bus operations to date, and the combined ambition to significantly decarbonise bus operations over the next 10 years. North Yorkshire Council are in the final stages of developing the business case for a ZEBRA bid and will pursue all available funding opportunities to support zero fleet operations.

Delivery

This section details how North Yorkshire Council will deliver on its objectives (shown in the section entitled ‘Headline BSIP Aims, Objectives and Targets’).

We will use specific and measurable outcomes that relate to the overall aims of the National Bus Strategy, which are listed below:

• intensive service and investment on key corridors and routes that are easier to understand
• significant increases in bus priority
• fares that are lower and simpler
• seamless, integrated local ticketing between operators and across all types of transport
• service patterns that are integrated with other modes
• the local bus network is presented as a single system that works together with clear passenger information
• modern buses and decarbonisation
• give bus passengers more of a voice and say
• bus services that are safe and perceived to be safe by all
• more demand-response services and ‘socially necessary’ transport
• longer term transformation of networks through Bus Rapid Transit and other measures

The commitments, actions and proposed interventions (detailed below) have been developed in collaboration with North Yorkshire’s bus operators through a BSIP working group. They have been developed in response to the problems and opportunities described in the previous section. The interventions have been developed without the knowledge of what funding is going to be made available to the Council. Once North Yorkshire's funding allocation is known, if funding is not available to deliver all the measures identified in this BSIP, a prioritisation exercise will be undertaken to understand what can be delivered with the allocated funds.

Appendix C contains a series of personas which outline what the delivery of the BSIP will mean for the residents of North Yorkshire.

Intensive service and investment on key corridors and routes that are easier to understand

North Yorkshire currently has three key networks operating a number of highly successful commercial bus services. Through the North Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership, we want to build on this success focused on high patronage movement in line with changing market needs. This network will develop and evolve through collaboration with the Enhanced Partnership and appropriate key stakeholders.

Through the BSIP we will offer support to identified commercial services through pump-priming, offering support for improvements for a 2-3 year period until services become sustainable. The pump-priming funding will be available to operators with existing services looking to increase the frequency of services and offer evening and weekend services.

We will work with operators to specify defined service level frequencies (including minimum and maximum, as necessary). Through this process, if appropriate, we will identify opportunities to reallocate resources to give a better level of service outside of these main towns in line with National Bus Strategy ambitions. We will continue to support profitable commercial services operating along the identified key corridors.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver a core comprehensive, commercial and sustainable network, operating at times that are needed and providing connections to places that people want to go to.
• Support a core comprehensive commercial network by building on the successful development model of the ‘Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme’, where North Yorkshire took an evidence based approach on several key corridors in order to understand how the greatest benefits from interventions and improvements could be delivered. This took into account multiple modes, including rail, bus, cycling and walking.  As part of the process, bus operators were key stakeholders in developing options, including:
  • better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians
  • enhanced bus priority for buses, park and ride schemes
  • improvements at key junctions

• Implement a ‘placed-based approach’ similar to the ‘Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme’ working with our commercial bus operators, to identify highway improvements for buses in key towns in North Yorkshire including Scarborough and Selby.

• Further support the core commercial network by using the funding to pump-prime a series of improvements to existing services. In partnership with our operators, we will increase existing service frequencies, providing evening services, weekend services and implementing route extensions. We will financially support these services in the period where patronage needs to build, over 2-3 years, so they become financially sustainable.
• Support services to respond to, new markets as a result of the pandemic (resulting in a change to service user’s travel patterns). Working in partnership with our operators, we have identified a series of new markets. Until the patronage builds to a sustainable commercial level of growth, we will provide the required level of funding support.  We will financially support these services in the period where patronage needs to build, over 2-3 years, so they become financially sustainable.
• Financially support services were adversely impacted as a result of the pandemic. 
• Continue to support bus services that are not financially sustainable through our bus service revenue support budget, (detailed in the section ‘More Demand-Responsive Services and ‘Socially Necessary’ Transport’).
• Work in partnership with our bus operators to improve information and marketing of the whole network.
• Carry out a detailed review of parking policies. Following local government re-organisation, as parking policy becomes the responsibility of the new authority, we will review which areas have the potential to detract from bus passenger usage.  Availability and low cost of parking are areas that can impact on people’s decisions on whether to travel by bus or other means. We will, for example, include an assessment comparing car parking charges to bus fares in key areas.
• We will continue to work in partnership to make improvements to the customer environment, following the work we have done with our operators to identify key corridors and interchanges (Figure 4). This will include delivering improved bus shelters and provision of improved information about bus services.
• Consider further park and ride sites that can be sited alongside existing commercial bus routes to further increase patronage on these routes and ensure the long term sustainability of the park and ride service. Whilst there are Park and Ride in operation in Whitby and Scarborough, there is the opportunity for us to consider further sites through our placed based Transport Improvement Plan approach. 
• Reinvest in resources for items such as increased frequency; targeted fares initiatives or enhancement of other services/corridors. Operators have committed to reinvesting saved resources achieved through journey time savings from our placed based Transport Improvement Plan approach. 
• Work with colleagues in highways, to establish a minimum set period of notice for non-emergency roadworks on bus routes.

Key corridors and interchanges, which will be prioritised for investment, are shown in Figure 4 below:

Significant increases in bus priority

As a predominantly rural county, North Yorkshire does not have the frequency of bus services, levels of congestion or the necessary road infrastructure to justify and enable the deployment of bus priority on a significant scale. Where possible, we will introduce targeted and proportionate bus priority measures at identified congestion hotspots which will be identified through the placed based approach.

As mentioned in the case study below ‘taking a place based approach’, in 2019 North Yorkshire Council carried out a large scale congestion study in Harrogate, as part of the study a large scale public consultation exercise was carried out which generated over 15,000 responses. This covered all transport modes and explored a possible relief road option. The results of the consultation highlighted the following in relation to bus use:

• 59% of respondents outlined that North Yorkshire Council should improve bus priority in order to reduce congestion in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
• 41% of respondents outlined they would often, or always, use quicker and more reliable buses in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Backed by the evidence from the extensive work carried out as part of the congestion study, work has been ongoing and has focused more on a corridor type approach. As part of the BSIP, we would use a similar approach for other key towns in the county. The operators support this approach and see value in the holistic approach that also has the potential to integrate other modes including rail and cycling.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver previously identified highway improvements from the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme. These measures include bus priority signals, segregated bus lanes and improved junctions and roundabouts for buses.
• We will build on the successful Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme model, where we took a place based evidence approach on several key corridors in order to understand where the greatest benefits from interventions and improvements could be delivered.  We will roll out this placed-based approach with our commercial bus operators, in order to identify bus improvements in our other key towns, including Scarborough and Selby.

Case Study: Taking a Placed-Based Approach

Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme (HTIP) is an evolution of the Harrogate Congestion Study (HCS). The HCS evolved from an initial review of historical road building options proposed in the mid-1990s for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

After an extensive public engagement exercise in 2019, to which more than 15,000 responses were received, HTIP was agreed as the way forward on key corridors in Harrogate.  It was based around the principles of the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme (LPTIP), developed and delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The 2019 consultation revealed public support for improved cycling and walking facilities, a Harrogate park and ride and encouraging people to change their travel habits, alongside the rejection of a northern relief road.

The approach taken through HTIP was to study several key corridors in order to understand where the greatest benefits from interventions and improvements could be delivered. This took into account multiple modes, including car, bus, park and ride, walking and cycling, and also looked at the potential for travel behaviours to be influenced. The approach used visual observations from site visits, traffic data, responses from the public engagement, DfT approved approaches and best practice examples to develop a suite of options which could form a cohesive package.

The study found that the A61 Leeds Road presented the greatest opportunity to reduce congestion and make improvements to travel options including bus and cycling, including the potential for a park & ride scheme. Assessment of the feasibility of a park and ride has shown that the area to the south of Harrogate, near the A61, has the greatest potential for success. If park and ride are developed further, officers will hold further discussions with bus operators as proximity to existing bus services is crucial to a scheme’s financial viability and sustainability. For park and ride to be sustainable and attractive to users, experience shows that parking charges and the availability of parking spaces in the town centre will need to be reviewed.

The next stage of HTIP, currently in the process of being commissioned, will see a multimodal corridor approach for the A61 being further developed, with a view to having sufficient evidence base to form a major scheme business case. This will develop options in a number of areas, including better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, enhanced priority for buses, a park and ride scheme and improvements at key junctions. As work progresses, the council aims to deliver long-lasting benefits in a consistent, coordinated way to realise fully the benefits of these schemes.

With the experience gained through HTIP, North Yorkshire Council intends to pursue a similar placed-based approach to identify bus improvements in our other key towns, including Scarborough and Selby.

Fares that are lower and simpler

Fares and ticketing information go hand-in-hand with journey planning information and allows passengers to plan their journey in advance, as journey choices may be influenced by the cost and availability of suitable tickets. Users need to be presented with prices and ticket options at the point of planning their journey.

Through the forthcoming North Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership, we will work with operators to review and rationalise their fares and ticket ranges to reduce the number of different tickets on offer. Through this process, we will seek to agree a minimum set of 'Must Have' tickets that will be expected to be available.  For example, a day ticket, a 7-day ticket, a flexible 10 journey ticket, etc. Operators will be expected to lead this process based on their knowledge of the local bus market and passenger needs.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver lower fares for younger people. Improve and simplified fares for younger people will be delivered by introducing a consistent under-19 qualifying age across the whole of North Yorkshire on all bus services. We will also offer a 50% discount on fares to passengers in this age group.
• Deliver flat fares. Currently, our DDRT YorBus service offers low flat fares for both adults and children regardless of the distance travelled within the zone or time of day the service is used. We will continue this approach across the initial wider roll-out of DDRT services and look at how we can provide low, flat fares elsewhere.
• Deliver day fare capping. Operators have committed to providing a daily fare cap once the technology and back office function support is available.  We will work with our operators on how we can deliver this sustainably.
• Deliver promotion and fare incentives. To encourage increased patronage of services, we will work jointly with operators to explore and implement fare initiatives to attract and retain passengers, particularly in off-peak periods and from new markets.
• Deliver support for job seekers and apprentices. A 50% on single and return fares for job seekers and apprentices on single and return fares.

Seamless, integrated local ticketing between operators and across all types of transport

We will support operators in working together to develop multi-operator ticketing, including combined single trip journeys. We will expand existing collaborations with local businesses and tourist attractions to include all bus operators and further collaboration with industry to develop new business-to-business ticket offers for employers, attractions and major businesses.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Develop a ticketing working group in North Yorkshire with operators. This group will:
  • promote existing multi-operator ticketing products
  • work with operators to fill identified gaps
  • explore new areas of opportunity for joint ticketing initiatives on common sections of routes or through routes (subject to CMA compliance and bilateral agreements)
• Mandate operators on common sections of the route to accept all operators’ valid return and day tickets.
• Use the ticketing working group to explore innovative ticketing products focusing on areas such as tourism.
• Use the ticketing group to explore multi operator ticking products and opportunities, relevant to the geography of North Yorkshire, and with reference to needs.  The aim is to ensure the product is both affordable and attractive.

Service patterns that are integrated with other modes

All modes of transport contribute to the local economy and people’s enjoyment of their community. Rail is important to North Yorkshire and we will continue to commit resources and work with the rail industry to deliver improvements. North Yorkshire Council are pleased that the conclusion of a £10m+ investment in the line between Harrogate and York will soon yield a doubling of the service frequency to two trains per hour.  In addition, our work to drive enhancement along the Esk Valley line has seen additional services operating.

Enabling rail travel’s integration with other modes in North Yorkshire is as much about the infrastructure as services and ticketing. In this respect, we are currently developing proposals for improved access to stations at Skipton, Seamer, Selby, Thirsk and Malton. These are being developed with local rail operators and will be submitted to Government for funding.

We are in the process of developing a series of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for the principal towns in the county including Harrogate, Selby and Scarborough. The aim of these is to identify the main cycle and walking improvements in a town to enable the council to bid for government funding and/or to secure funding contributions from developers. The LCWIPs in development cover the following towns which broadly align to the key commercial bus markets and corridors in the county. Each LCWIP for North Yorkshire has been developed in line with the LCWIP guidance but taking account of the rural nature of North Yorkshire.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver cycling facilities at identified locations along the key corridors. These will include bike racks and bike storage infrastructure at key locations such as bus stations to encourage integrated travel. We will, where possible, link measures identified in the respective LCWIPs with the BSIP.
• Deliver new, and enhance existing, park and ride operations where these are required and can be operated sustainably.
• The current YorBus pilot operates on a ‘hub’ model, with Ripon as the main hub. Passengers can connect with other wider reaching services, including service 36 which offers connections to Harrogate and Leeds. This ‘hub’ approach will be replicated in the rollout of the DDRT services, through the BSIP.  It will contribute towards the sustainability of the connecting services and ensure passengers can connect to the wider public transport network.
• Through the wider rollout of YorBus, and where logistically feasible, we will ensure that zones incorporate key rail stations to ensure multimodal integration.

The local bus network is presented as a single system that works together with clear passenger information

North Yorkshire has a number of strong local bus brands across its different operators and this is something that will be encouraged across the wider bus network (including support infrastructure such as bus stops). A branded stop is a simple basic mechanism for raising awareness amongst non-bus users, through raising awareness of the availability of bus services and giving confidence to both bus users and non-bus users in using the service. Through the North Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership, we will agree on which local brands should be adopted, taking into account of the distinct local bus markets in North Yorkshire. In order to show unified local identities across all parts of the bus system, we will work with operators to expand branding across all information mediums (including at bus stops, in printed timetables, at bus stations and across ticket ranges).

Through the development of the BSIP, the North Yorkshire Council has worked closely with the operators to begin developing a draft information strategy. A final copy of the information strategy, once available, will be included in an updated version of the BSIP.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver a new website which will include information on all services operating in North Yorkshire including cross boundary services. The website will contain information on timetables, fares and service updates.
• Deliver e-Ink digital signs at bus stops along identified key corridors. These displays will provide a modern approach to traditional roadside bus information together with both fares and real time information. 
• For other bus stops, deliver a programme of timetable display upgrades to enable the presentation of clear and easy to understand information.
• Develop a standard approach for producing, updating and maintaining publicity. This will include design standards and clarity on responsibilities for both operators and North Yorkshire Council.
• Working with operators, seek to provide funding to retrofit older vehicles to include next stop audio / visual announcements. Any new vehicles purchased by operators will provide this technology as standard.
• In partnership with our key operators, develop a marketing strategy covering the whole of North Yorkshire. This will consider all marketing formats, a programme of marketing activity (refreshed regularly) including fares promotion, development of a local brand and key marketing opportunities to attract new users to our bus network. An initial key strand of the marketing strategy will consider and implement COVID recovery promotions, for example, ‘Back to Bus’ and how to attract passengers back to bus services. We will ensure tourism is considered as part of the marketing strategy and consider how we can promote the area to those outside of North Yorkshire.
• Reduce service disruption for any passengers by making timetable changes only where necessary and no more than once a year. In areas where services rely heavily on seasonal demand, operators will coordinate any seasonal changes.

Modern buses and decarbonisation

We want bus services across North Yorkshire to be zero emission, using modern, comfortable and high specification vehicles.

To support the development of this BSIP, in March 2021, North Yorkshire Council commissioned consultants to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study into the deployment of Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) and now has a clear roadmap for fleet decarbonisation across the county.

Bus operator engagement took place to understand the fleet investment plans, technical and operational constraints and current attitudes to ZEB deployment among North Yorkshire’s bus operators. The three largest operators (Arriva, East Yorkshire, and Transdev) were consulted, as well as three smaller operators and our fleet operations team.

We will explore opportunities for ZEB funding through future rounds of Zero Emission Bus Regional Area and All Electric Bus Town grant awards; engaging bus operators to seek their support for future applications. We want to agree a coordinated approach with Tees Valley Combined Authority and City of York Council for the services and operators focussed on their authority areas, for instance, Arriva North East services operating from Whitby, Redcar and Darlington depots, and Reliance services operating from Sutton-on-the-Forest.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Support bus operators in identifying further opportunities for funding and accelerated fleet decarbonisation, including exploring alternative fleet procurement and ownership models.
• Deliver the North Yorkshire Zero Emission Bus Roadmap, set out in more detail below. Work has already started with the submission of a bid to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund focussed on Harrogate along with Arriva’s proposed upgrade to Zero Emission buses on the 415 service, which forms part of the City of York ZEBRA fund bid.
• We will work with our neighbouring authorities in the City of York and Tees Valley to achieve zero emission operation on cross-boundary services operated from depots outside of North Yorkshire, including the potential for hydrogen powered bus operation on some longer interurban routes.
• Commit to the decarbonisation of the council’s own in-house fleet of community and demand responsive transport minibuses (as and when suitable models and funding opportunities become available) that support this segment of the public service vehicle market.

The North Yorkshire Zero Emission Bus Roadmap has been developed in consultation with bus operators and sets out the preferred phasing for future zero emission fleet deployment across the county. Third-party funding will be required for full delivery of the roadmap. In addition, funding support through the BSIP will follow the DfT ZEBRA contribution principles. (75% of the cost difference between a zero emission bus and a standard conventional diesel bus equivalent of the same total passenger capacity.)  Prior to preparing any funding applications or investment, we will re-assess the suitability of this phasing to check for any planned changes in long-term use, significant foreseen variations in fleet size or changes to supporting third finance contributions. Should any significant changes in fleet size, uncertainties over the long-term use of operational depots or lack of supporting finance be identified, the council reserves the option to deviate from the preferred order of phasing outlined below.

Table 1: North Yorkshire Zero Emission Bus Roadmap Phasing

Phase	Area	Main Operators	No of Buses
1	Harrogate Harrogate is currently the subject of an application to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area fund which includes Transdev operations in their application.	Transdev, Connexions	93
2	Selby	Arriva	28
3	Scarborough & Ryedale	East Yorkshire, Transdev	74
4	Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire	Dales & District, our in-house fleet	33
		Total	228

This roadmap will be phased to enable the greatest improvement in air quality improvements, we will continue to support all operators, including community transport operators, transition to zero emission vehicles. One example of this could be by assisting the operators with applications for funding.

We are also aware of the problems some operators have in securing a suitable electrical supply for electric vehicles to their depots; largely due to their rural location. In order to provide potential solutions for these operators, we will (for example) investigate whether solar panels can be installed at the operator’s rural depot.

Give bus passengers more of a voice and a say

North Yorkshire Council’s proposition for a Unitary Council for the area was approved by Government in July 2021.  All councils in North Yorkshire are now working to implement the proposal and transition to a new council from April 2023. Central to the proposition is new powers and money for local people across communities, market towns and parishes to drive local change, local enterprise and local solutions.

Around 25 community networks, initially based around market town areas, will be established to decide local priorities. These networks will see communities work with business and public sector agencies to have a louder voice for people to get things done in their local area. Priorities, including transport, will be determined locally and these community networks will act as local agents for economic and social change.

A North Yorkshire Bus Passengers' Charter is being developed and a working version of the document can be found on page 35. The charter will set out commonly agreed standards applicable to all operators covering customer service methods of contact; complaints handling procedure, including timescales for response, resolution, and rights of redress; and minimum standards applying to all operators regarding vehicle accessibility and cleanliness; and the customer service role of drivers so customers know what they can expect.

Through the North Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership, we will agree minimum standards for stakeholder consultation on future service changes covering the notification period, information to be provided and which stakeholders will be consulted.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver a fully developed North Yorkshire Bus Passenger’s Charter, building on the working version included in this BSIP which will explore mechanisms for redress in more detail.
• See a public consultation exercise carried out as part of the Enhanced Partnership plan.
• Ensure, as mentioned above, operators make one set of timetable changes per year, reducing service disruption for passengers.  Furthermore, changes will only be made to timetables where necessary. In areas where services rely heavily on seasonal demand, operators will coordinate any seasonal changes.
• Deliver an agreed set of quality standards covering vehicle standards, complaints process and driver training that are easy to understand and widely promoted.

Bus services that are safe and perceived to be safe by all

We want buses in North Yorkshire to be clean, comfortable and reliable, offering a safe environment accessible to all. Through the engagement process, it was identified that one of the top priorities for passengers was ‘clean, safe, accessible buses and waiting facilities’. It is, therefore, important that through the BSIP we address this and understand what the associated issues are.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Complete a study to understand the key issues around passenger safety in both urban and rural areas, for example, over-crowding at bus stops or poor lighting at more remote bus stops. This study will put forward a series of recommendations for improving safety and what measures could be implemented to improve passenger safety.
• We also need to understand passenger perceptions of cleanliness.  As a result of COVID, cleaning processes on services are now extremely thorough, and we need to understand if buses or stations/waiting areas are still perceived as unclean so we will work with operators on this and establish ways to change customer perceptions and highlight the clean and modern buses available on the network.
• Deliver improvements to bus stops and waiting areas including bus shelter upgrades, improved seating and waiting areas, lighting and accessibility. These improvements will focus on the key corridors initially before rolling the improvements out across the rest of the county.
• A common standard for driver training to promote customer service with enhanced diversity and equalities appreciation ensuring a consistent offer across the county regardless of operator.

More demand-responsive services and ‘socially necessary’ transport

As previously detailed, we have a core network of highly successful and sustainable commercial services. We have also highlighted that North Yorkshire is a predominantly rural county and does not lend itself to the delivery of significant increases in frequent fixed route bus services.

Through our BSIP we will:

• Deliver more digitally enabled on-demand services, both to expand the market for existing community transport services and to extend the coverage of flexible services where fixed route supported bus services with low usage are currently provided. The rollout of on-demand services is likely to happen in three phases to cover the rest of the county. Figure 5 below outlines the phases of the proposed delivery.
• Provide continued support for the YorBus DDRT pilot in Bedale, Ripon and Masham referenced in the case study earlier in this BSIP.
• Work with mobility technology providers to investigate alternative and innovative funding and delivery models for the expansion of DDRT in North Yorkshire.
• We will continue to support fixed route and timetabled bus services that are not financially sustainable through our bus service revenue support budget. Support provided for these services will be aligned to our LTP policies and priorities.

Figure 5: Digitally enabled DRT rollout proposed phasing

Longer term transformation of networks through Bus Rapid Transit and other measures

Due to the geography and rurality of North Yorkshire, and the limited scale of urban areas in the county, it is considered that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) schemes involving significant new infrastructure would not be suitable for delivery within this BSIP, as there are not the high patronage numbers in North Yorkshire required to support BRT schemes.

However, we recognise that there is no set definition of BRT and many of the principles, such as high frequency services, fast and direct routes, high specification vehicles and enhanced customer amenities, can be applied to conventional bus services without the need for dedicated infrastructure.

As highlighted in the earlier ‘Riding Refined: Service 36’ case study in this BSIP and in the National Bus Strategy itself, North Yorkshire has one of the best examples of this in Service 36 between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, which provides BRT levels of service using existing public roads.

Through the BSIP we will:

• Deliver a supported core commercial network by building on the successful development model of the ‘Harrogate transport improvement programme’ where we took an evidenced based approach on several key corridors in order to understand how the greatest benefits from interventions and improvements could be delivered as detailed in the ‘Intensive service and investment on key corridors and routes that are easier to understand’ section.

Summary

The following figure shows the relationship between the objectives of this Bus Service Improvement Plan and the National Bus Strategy objectives:

Figure 6: BSIP and NBS objectives relationship

North Yorkshire BSIP objectives	High quality, coordinated and integrated bus network	Simple payment and ticketing options	Simple, clear and freely available information	Excellent customer services
National Bus Strategy objectives	Intensive service and investment in key corridors	Fares that are lower and simpler	The local bus network is presented as a single system	Modern buses and decarbonisation
	Significant increase in bus priority	Seamless, integrated local ticketing between operations and modes		Give bus passengers more of a voice and say
	Service patterns that are integrated with other modes			Bus services that are safe and perceived to be safe
	More demand responsive and socially necessary transport

Customer Charter – Draft

All passengers have legal rights when travelling by bus, these rights are not affected by this customer charter (provide links to relevant legal docs)

We commit to providing the following for all passengers:

1. To provide services which are accessible and inclusive. Buses that operate North Yorkshire’s regular bus services are accessible for wheelchair users or for customers who find walking difficult. Our drivers will kneel the bus upon request to reduce the stepping distance from the kerbside to the bus, or they will lower the ramp. All North Yorkshire bus drivers are trained to recognise Journey Assistance Cards which help customers with disabilities to discretely alert our drivers to their individual needs.
2. To create a clean, safe and secure travelling environment secure. We want you to feel safe whilst travelling with us on North Yorkshire’s buses, and whilst waiting for our services at North Yorkshire’s bus stations and stops. We’ll work closely with industry partners and the police, and we’ll have CCTV on all our buses and at bus stations. All bus stations, stops and buses will be cleaned regularly.
3. To help you plan your journey with us. We’ll provide up to date and accurate information about North Yorkshire’s buses. We’ll ensure all timetables are available through a dedicated area wide North Yorkshire website as well as Traveline by telephoning 0871 200 2233 and online at Travel Line with at least two weeks’ notice in advance of any changes.
4. To provide up to date information. We’ll have timetables in cases at most bus stations and stops as well as having timetable information online in a printable format. Each operator will have details of their Day, Week and longer period tickets on their websites. High frequency bus stops will also benefit from the provision of E-INK technology and information provision.
5. To help you along your journey. We’ll have clearly labelled stops with bus stop flags, information at these stops to show which services depart from them, and real-time information at bus stations and key stops along each route. When a service is delayed, individual operators will communicate this on their social media feeds. On North Yorkshire’s buses, we’ll have route numbers and destinations clearly displayed.
6. To provide a reliable service you can trust. We’ll endeavour to run all services on time, and where external factors affect our performance, we’ll mitigate any delays and minimise disruption to our customers wherever possible. We’ll monitor how punctual our services are, and when we find a journey is routinely delayed, we’ll adjust the timetable with at least two weeks’ notice.
7. To provide excellent customer service. Our team will warmly welcome you on board our services and help you with any queries you may have. They are approachable and will be on hand to assist you with any enquiries.
8. To listen and improve our services where required. If customers wish to submit feedback or a formal complaint, customers can contact TBC by post, email or via social medal channels. TBC will aim to respond to complaints within 14 days. Details of the complaints procedure can be found online through the dedicated North Yorkshire area website.

Reporting

Following DfT guidance, performance against the BSIP targets will be updated on a six monthly basis. The BSIP targets will be published on our bus service improvement plan page.

We understand that BSIPs are designed to be living documents. As such they can be altered and republished if as a partnership with our local bus operators, we feel that this is necessary.  In any event, as a partnership, we will review and where necessary revise this document on an annual basis to ensure that it remains relevant and working as intended or we will amend it to ensure that there is greater success for the following period. Where the document has been reviewed and revised, the revisions as an updated BSIP document will be resubmitted to the DfT.

Overview Table

Name of Authority or Authorities:			North Yorkshire Council
Franchising or Enhanced Partnership (or both):			North Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership
Date of Publication:			29/10/2021
Date of next annual update:			29/10/2022
URL of the published report:			Bus service improvement plan
Targets	2018/19	2019/20		Target for 2024/25	Description of how each will be measured (max 50 words)
Journey time	*see below	*see below		*see below	*see below
Reliability	>99.5%	>99.5%		>99.5%	>99.5%
Passenger numbers	12,100,000	6,400,000		13,221,997	We are aiming to restore passenger numbers to the 2018/2019 baseline and then achieve 3% growth by 2025. This will be measured by passenger boarding data provided by bus operators through ticket machines and ticket sales data.
Average passenger satisfaction	57%	65%		80%	Customer satisfaction data based on results of NHT survey. we will also explore the use of the Bus Passenger Transport survey carried out by Transport Focus

*Journey time targets will be developed in line with specific schemes, it is difficult to set journey time targets at this stage until the network studies and interventions have been agreed. As part of the delivery of specific schemes, a journey time target will be set accordingly.

Delivery – Does your BSIP detail policies to:	Yes/No	Explanation (max 50 words)
More frequent and reliable services
Review service frequency	Yes	Develop a realistic and achievable hierarchy of service provision working with operators based on existing evidence, whilst continuing to support the core commercial network and explore pump priming funding with operators for additional and new services.
Increase bus priority measures	Yes	Deliver bus priority measures identified through the Harrogate Transport Improvement programme. Replicate the approach carried out in Harrogate for other key towns in the North Yorkshire area, including Selby and Scarborough.
Increase demand for responsive services	Yes	Expand on the current DDRT pilot. Phase 1 area identified for next area of delivery. BSIP will continue to provide support for the existing DDRT pilot.
Consideration of bus rapid transport networks	No	BRT networks are not considered appropriate for delivery in North Yorkshire at this time.
Improvements to planning/integration with other modes
Integrate services with other transport modes	Yes	Delivery of cycling facilities along the identified key corridors. Explore enhancement to existing park and ride sites. Build on the DDRT ‘hub’ model and offer services that serve rail stations.
Simplify services	Yes	Continue to support a core comprehensive commercial network. Limit timetable changes to one per year.
Review socially necessary services	Yes	We will continue to support fixed route and timetabled bus services that are not financially sustainable through our bus service revenue support budget. Support provided for these services will be aligned to our LTP policies and priorities.
Invest in Superbus networks	No	Superbus networks are not considered appropriate for delivery in North Yorkshire at this time.
Improvements to fares and ticketing
Lower fares	Yes	Through the BSIP we will continue this across the wider roll-out of DDRT services and look at how we can provide low, flat fares elsewhere. We will deliver a 50% fare for job seekers and apprentices on single and return fares.
Simplify fares	Yes	Operators have committed to providing a daily fare cap once the technology and back office function support is available. We will simplify fares for younger people by introducing a consistent under-19 qualifying age across all services and offering a 50% discount on fares. To encourage increased patronage on services, we will work jointly with operators to explore and implement fare initiatives.
Integrate ticketing between operators and transport	Yes	The setting up of a ticketing working group with operators. This group will promote existing multi-operator ticketing products, work with operators to fill identified gaps and explore new areas of opportunity for joint ticketing on common sections of routes or through routes, subject to CMA compliance and bilateral agreements.
Make improvements to the bus passenger experience
Invest in improved bus specifications	Yes	Working with operators, we will seek to provide funding to retrofit older vehicles to include next stop audio / visual announcements and for new vehicles this technology should be provided as standard.
Invest in accessible and inclusive bus services	Yes	Improvements will be made to bus stops and waiting areas including bus shelters, seating, lighting and ensuring stops are accessible. These improvements will focus on the key corridors initially before rolling out across the rest of the county.
Protect the personal safety of bus passengers	Yes	A study to understand the key issues around safety in both urban and rural areas. This study will put forward a series of recommendations for improving safety and what measures could be implemented. A common standard for driver training to promote customer service.
Improve buses for tourists	Yes	Develop a coherent marketing strategy covering the whole of North Yorkshire, ensuring tourism is considered as part of the marketing strategy and how we can promote the area to those outside of North Yorkshire. A key strand of the marketing strategy initially will be considering and implementing COVID recovery promotions and how to attract passengers back to bus services.
Invest in decarbonisation	Yes	Delivery of the North Yorkshire Zero Emission Bus Roadmap, which has already started with the submission of a bid to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund focussed on Harrogate. Support bus operators in identifying further opportunities for funding and accelerated fleet decarbonisation, including exploring alternative fleet procurement and ownership models.
Passenger charter	Yes	A fully developed North Yorkshire Bus Passenger’s Charter, building on the draft version included in this BSIP will explore mechanisms for redress in more detail.
Strengthen network identity	Yes	A new website will include information on all services operating in North Yorkshire including services that operate cross boundaries. The website will also contain information on timetables, fares and service updates. Working with key operators and stakeholders, develop a coherent marketing strategy covering the whole of North Yorkshire.
Improve bus information	Yes	Deliver a new website for all information relating to bus services, timetables and fares for North Yorkshire. Delivery of improved information at bus stops through e-Ink digital signs on key corridors and improved standard information and remaining bus stops.