Customers of North Yorkshire’s pilot on-demand bus service will soon be able to pre-book their journeys a day in advance at no extra cost.
A recent survey carried out by North Yorkshire County Council of its YorBus service highlighted how popular a pre-booking function would be.
From August 1 customers of YorBus – which operates in the Ripon, Bedale and Masham area – can use the app to enter the time of arrival and destination.
Executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:
YorBus has proved incredibly popular since its launch in July 2021, with extremely positive feedback from users.
As part of our decision to extend the pilot service for at least another year, we’ve listened to feedback and we’re very pleased to now be offering advance booking.
The new facility will increase the service’s reliability, hopefully meaning even more people will use YorBus to get around – particularly over the busy summer season.
We will continue to review this demand-responsive service to help us explore rolling out YorBus to other parts of the county.
Customers can pre-book using the app, which will ask for a destination and arrival time. A text will be sent the evening before your trip with a 30 minute slot. Shortly before the slot you will be provided with an estimated pick up time within your slot.
Pre-booking can also be made over the phone by calling the county council on 01609 780780.
The service runs from 6.55am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays. From August 1, the fares will increase; £1.20 to £2 for adults and 65p to £1 for children between the ages of 5-17.
For locations within the operating area that do not have a bus stop nearby, a ’virtual bus stop’ can be requested using the ‘contact us’ feature in the YorBus app.
Customers can choose to pay with card or cash on the bus. Children under 5 can travel for free and concessionary bus passes can be used on the service, subject to existing Terms and Conditions.
YorBus is fully accessible, with low floor access and a ramp access for users of wheelchairs, pushchairs and those with mobility difficulties.
For more information on YorBus, visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/yorbus
