Bus company says growing financial pressures are to blame for reducing Harrogate bus service to Harlow Hill

In the middle of tough times for bus operators, Harrogate Bus Company has set out a long list of reasons why it has been forced to reduce the frequency of its services on route 6 (Harrogate to Pannal Ash) from Sunday, February 19.

The firm says it has been compelled to make changes to timetables to ensure it can continue to offer an affordable level of service without the need to cut bus services altogether.

It says financial and practical actors impacting on its ability to provide its previous services in full include:

The failure of passenger numbers to revive sufficiently after the Covid pandemic.

Growing operating costs because of the cost of living crisis.

The impact of the Ukraine war on energy prices and the economy.

Harrogate charity Supporting Older People says they remain concerned about the potential impact on some of their clients on the bus timetable changes.

Founded in 1982 with the aim of helping to alleviate loneliness and isolation often experienced by older people living on their own,

SOP runs a couple of groups at the Green Hut on Harlow Hill, including an exercise class every Tuesday at 10am led by a qualified instructor and supported by volunteers.

Until now there has been a bus stop directly outside this important community hub served by the No. 6 bus.

But this is set to be withdrawn as part of the imminent shake-up to the timetable.

It’s a situation which Harrogate Bus Company says it regrets and, adds, it is trying its best to do the right thing.

The Harrogate Bus Company's General Manager Steve Ottley told the Harrogate Advertiser: "We are currently carrying only 70 per cent of concessionary customers compared with 2019, prior to the pandemic.

"We've lowered frequency on two routes to keep them sustainable; meanwhile worsening road congestion in Harrogate, which has no bus priority measures, means extra resources are needed to maintain service levels.

"We have managed to protect the frequency of route 6 at every 30 minutes with a slightly quicker route, so the Green Hut stop is no longer used.

"On average, eight customers per day catch a bus from there, six of whom use concessionary passes - and the majority travel between 9am and 11am, suggesting they're not Green Hut users.

"While we appreciate that a small number of residents will be inconvenienced, this change protects the timetable and speeds up journeys for the vast majority, protecting the busier stops along the route."

But registered charity Supporting Older People says the timetable changes will be more than an inconvenience to some of the older people it helps.

In its view, although a 200-yard and three-minute walk to the nearest stop may sound like a reasonable proposition to younger people, it is a very different proposition to a 90-year-old with a walking frame.

With the Government’s remaining grant funding for bus operators introduced during Covid scheduled to end in March, the financial struggles of bus companies look unlikely to ease quickly despite support from North Yorkshire County Council.

Despite everyone’s efforts this is a story which may well be repeated in the future.