Have your say on the future of local bus services

Residents in and around Goole are being asked by East Riding of Yorkshire Council for their opinions on the future of bus services in the area.

An eight-week consultation is running from Wednesday, June 29 until Sunday, August 28, with local people being encouraged to go online and complete a questionnaire at www.eastriding.gov.uk

It follows the unveiling of the Council’s proposal for the future of public transport services in the area. Since 2010 the council has made savings of £118million across the whole of its budget, due to a significant reduction in Government funding, but it still needs to save a further £60million over the next four years.

The council is therefore proposing to reduce the financial support it gives to some bus journeys by £600,000, although the vast majority of bus services will be unaffected. For journeys that may be lost, the council is working closely with community transport groups and bus operators to make sure alternatives will be available.

On a positive note the proposed changes include journey planning help, where anyone who has trouble accessing public transport to travel to their job will be offered personal journey-planning assistance from the council. The service will also be available to people who rely on public transport because of a disability.

‘Dial-a-ride’ bus services will play a greater role under the proposed changes, providing door-to-door journeys for residents who may find it difficult to use conventional buses, or where no service exists. Goole GoFar is one of three local dial-a-ride bus services in the East Riding area which together carry 121,000 passengers each year.

The council also runs Medibus services at various locations including Goole, transporting people to local hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics and dentists. Passengers can also use the service to visit friends and relatives in hospital.

Paul Bellotti of ERYC, told us: “We want to hear from the public how the proposed changes may affect them before any decisions are made. I would urge anyone who cares about public transport to take part in our consultation and let us know their views, so we can secure the best outcome for residents for the future.”

The questionnaire, together with the full proposal, is available on the council’s website www.eastriding.gov.uk and also via email and post on request.