North Yorkshire County Council has been working urgently over the last two days to secure alternative providers of taxi and bus services in the Ripon and Harrogate areas after the sudden death of one of the council’s valued and long-standing contractors.
Shaun McGowan held over 30 contracts with the council which consisted of two local bus services and a combination of special educational needs and mainstream school transport.
His company, which traded as SP McGowan (taxi and minibus hire) with the council, is not in a position to continue to provide the services. The county council has therefore been making every to work with alternative providers to run the services from Monday for the start of the autumn school term.
County Councillor Patrick Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Schools, said:
Our sympathy and thoughts are with Shaun’s family at this very sad time. We are also mindful that the new school year begins next week and we have been making every effort to work with other providers to secure services. We have also contacted parents and schools about the situation as a matter of urgency and will keep all interested parties updated with further detail of arrangements.
County council officers have worked with alternative providers to cover most of the contracts, with only six outstanding. These will be finalised on Monday for a Tuesday start. However officers are confident that all pupils affected will have the means to get to school on Monday.
Officers have made contact with all schools as well as all families of children with special educational means affected by the new contracts, explaining the changes.
The two local bus services will be operational from Monday morning but no contractor has yet come forward to take on the Ripon Town service, run on a wholly commercial basis.
Parents and other interested parties seeking updates about alternative provision for affected services can go to the county council’s website at: www.northyorks.gov.uk/transportnews
The following arrangements have been made as replacement services for the transport contracts previously operated by S P Mcgown:
NYCC supported Local Bus Services
From Monday 4 September 2017
Service 153: Thirsk – Northallerton will be operated by Hodgson Coach Operators Ltd
Service 147: Ripon – Thirsk will be operated by Dales & District
There are no changes to either timetable or route on both services
Commercial Ripon Town Service
At the present time no operators have expressed an interest in taking this service over. This service was previously operated on commercial basis without financial support from the Council. This service will not operate until further notice.
Home to School Transport Services
For any queries relating to the home to school contracts listed below please contact IPT on 01609 532363 from Monday 5th September.
| Contract Number | Route Description | New contractor | New contractors contact details |
| 623H | Fountains Village – Markington – Harrogate Grammar School | Abbotts of Leeming | 01677 422858 |
| 640H | Ripon Bus Station To Ripley (Feeder) | P&P Cars | 01765 608532 |
| 655H | Skelton On Ure & Littlethorpe To Outwood Academy | Abbotts of Leeming | 01677 422858 |
| 665H | Hutton Conyers – Outwood Academy | Abbotts of Leeming | 01677 422858 |
| 666H | Mickley To Grewelthorpe Primary School | Ladybird Private Hire | 01765 688688 |
| 703H | Galphay / Winksley – Fountains C E School (Grantley) | Procters Coaches | 01677 425203 |
| 716H | Dallowgill – Grantley (Feeder) & Dallowgill – Kirkby Malzeard Ce School | Atkinsons of Ripon | 01765 650043 |
| 736H | Sharow – Ripon – Nidderdale High School | Harrogate Coach Travel | 01423 339600 |
| 791H | Winksley-Ripon Grammar | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| 707H | Ripon – Boroughbridge | Harrogate Coach Travel | 01423 339600 |
| SP03706 | Harrogate To St Aidans School | Lee Pearce | IPT 01609 532363 |
| SP03734 | Ripon To Outwood Academy | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| SP03772 | Harrogate To King James School | Any Destination Private Hire | 01423 528301 |
| SP033997 | Melmerby To King James School | Toms Minibuses | 01423 322251 |
| SP04032 | Harrogate To Outwood Academy | Elite Taxis | 01423 538509 |
| SPF0126 | Langthorpe / Scotton To The Forest School | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| SPF0131 | Ripley To The Forest School | Procters Coaches | 01677 425203 |
| SPF0134 | Selby To The Forest School | 21 Taxis | 07944 067704 |
| SPF0137 | Harrogate To The Forest School | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| SPF0141 | Dacre Bank, Darley, Knaresborough To The Forest School | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| SPMB003 | Harrogate To Marchbank School | ANB Cars | 01765 603020 |
| SPMY014 | Healey & Swinton To Mowbray School | NYTCL | 01748 832569 |
| SPMY019 | Knaresborough & Boroughbridge To Mowbray School | NYTCL | 01748 832569 |
| SPMY020 | Melmerby, Ripon & West Tanfield To Mowbray School | NYTCL | 01748 832569 |
| SPMY025 | Ripon To Mowbray School | Procters Coaches | 01677 425203 |
| SPMY164 | Ripon To Mowbray School | NYTCL | 01748 832569 |
| SPNT034 | Pateley Bridge To Evolve, Ripon | Elite Taxis | 01423 538509 |
| SPSJ002 | Milby, Boroughbridge To St John School For The Deaf | 21 Taxis | 07944 067704 |
| SPSW065 | Harrogate To Springwater School | NYCC Fleet | 01609 532363 |
| SPSW074 | Birstwith To Springwater School | NYCC Fleet
|
01609 532363 |
| SPSW078 | Harrogate To Springwater School | TBC | Contact IPT 01609 532363 for further information |
| SPWE001 | Harrogate To West Oaks School | Station Taxis | 01653 696969 |
| SSEA037 | Easingwold/Thirsk To Jenny Ruth/Ripon Walled Garden | NYTCL | 01748 832569 |
| SSRN087 | Masham To Ripon Community Link | ANB Cars | 01765 603020 |
