A new bus service linking Boroughbridge with Knaresborough and Harrogate will start next Monday, running every hour Monday to Saturday.
The 1A, run by Transdev Harrogate, will serve stops at Kirby Hill, St James Square, Aldborough, Minskip and the town’s Morrisons store before running non-stop along the A1(M) and A59 and serving St James Retail Park, Knaresborough, Starbeck and the District Hospital on its way to Harrogate town centre.
The news has been praised by councillors and business leaders who are confident it will provide a boost to the town’s economy.
Chief Executive at Transdev, Alex Hornby, said:
We have done our research, and the message received loud and clear from the people of Boroughbridge was quicker buses to Harrogate and Knaresborough.
That’s exactly what our new regular bus service will offer, and we’re sure it will bring more prosperity to the town.
As well as being attractive for residents to reach other local town centres, it will bring more visitors and shoppers to Boroughbridge – and what better timing than being established ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Launching the service at the town’s market square last week, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Andrew Jones said:
This is a great new service from Transdev that will really help connect Boroughbridge to surrounding areas and on to Knaresborough and Harrogate.
Boroughbridge residents regularly tell me that they want to see improved bus services to Harrogate and that Boroughbridge has been the poor relation in terms of public transport.
Thanks to Transdev this is clearly no longer the case. Now that we have this fantastic hourly service I would encourage local people to take full advantage of it.
Councillor Iain Maltby from Boroughbridge Town Council said :
We are encouraged by Transdev taking a commercial decision to run a new, regular bus service between Boroughbridge and Harrogate whilst proposals made elsewhere appear to be reducing bus services to the locality.
The council would encourage local residents to make use of the new service and make it a success. We wish Transdev a long and successful relationship with Boroughbridge.
The positive news for Boroughbridge residents comes just a month after Transdev stepped in to save the critical ‘Cathedral Connection’ bus linking Ripon, Boroughbridge and York.
The popular 142/143 service was in danger of being reduced after a reduction in public funding. However, it will now be maintained in full after Transdev committed itself to providing the best possible service to its passengers.
The 142/143 will work alongside the new fully commercial route 1A bringing an increased service to Boroughbridge at a time when other areas are facing cuts.
Alex added:
We have worked hard to avoid reductions by investing in local commercial services at a time when public funding is being reduced. The travelling public can now enjoy a better network, with more buses to more places than there was previously. It is great news for the local economy and local people.
This is great news and long-needed. As well as giving the people of Boroughbridge the opportunity to visit Harrogate, it gives non-car owners of Kirby Hill, Langthorpe and Aldborough to means to do their shopping in Morrisons.