Bus boss at ‘end of his tether’ over traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby RoadTory transport chief’s warning of bus ‘catastrophe’ avertedHarrogate bus company introduces £1 fare for young peopleUncertain future surrounds £2 fare cap on North Yorkshire’s busesFree transport restricted to nearest school in North YorkshireTransport chief warns of 600% bus fare hikes in North YorkshireTransdev announces 15 new buses for airport Flyer busHarrogate Bus Company apologises for Jennyfields and Bilton cancellations

The Harrogate Bus Company has apologised after a number of bus journeys in the Harrogate area were cancelled this morning.

Passengers in the Jennyfields and Bilton areas faced delays and cancellations, especially around the morning rush hour.

The number 2, Harrogate to Bilton, and number 3, Harrogate to Jennyfield, buses were among those affected.

Sylvia Young got in touch to say she and many others were “sick of the bus service”. Ms Young sent this photo of this morning’s cancellations.

She added:

“It’s not now and again it is nearly every day the buses people need for work are cancelled. Two hours of no buses in or out of Jennyfield. It’s a disgrace.”

The cancellations attracted numerous social media comments, with some people claiming the problems were due to problems with the company’s new electric buses, including charging the batteries.

The Stray Ferret put these claims to the Harrogate Bus Company, which is owned by French firm Transdev.

We also asked if services would continue to be affected.

A spokesperson for the company said:

“We are aware of a small number of journeys to Jennyfield and Bilton which were unable to run this morning due to a vehicle-related issue.

“We apologise to any customers affected and remind our customers that they can track their buses in real time using the free Transdev Go app.”

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Readers’ Letters: Of course the Lib Dems won the Harrogate by-election – the candidate wore a tie!

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

This letter followed news of the Liberal Democrats winning the Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone by-election in Harrogate earlier this month.

It is not surprising that the Lib Dems won the local by-election.

Their candidate was the only person dressed smartly, despite being a bit inarticulate when thanking everyone. The shock I suppose.

The Conservative candidate looked very sour. Who would want to vote for someone like that?

Let the lesson be learnt by everyone: dress smartly with a tie if you want to be seen as a good candidate, no matter which party you represent.

Who wants to vote for someone who looks as if they are just going down to the pub?

Valerie Cooke, Harrogate

Could Harrogate’s Conference Centre house spa facilities instead?

This letter responds to uncertainty over the future of Harrogate’s Convention Centre. In an exclusive, the Stray Ferret recently revealed North Yorkshire Council spent £1.9 million on consultants for now-scrapped plans for the site. 

The fate of the conference centre is too important for there to be any discord.

What do you think of the idea of Harrogate having spa facilities based in the conference centre? We were once so important as a spa town.

In 2024 we are losing our way – what are we now? What do we have to offer visitors?

In 1984 I set up Friends of the Valley Gardens to save the Sun Pavilion and Colonnade from being demolished. I knew Geoffrey Smith, James Herriot and David Bellamy and asked them to be presidents, to which they agreed.

We have the Valley Gardens and all it contains, as well as the Royal Hall, the Turkish Baths and the Royal Baths. Could the conference centre be used to house spa facilities, plus hairdressers, beauticians, physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths etc? Essentially, everything to do with wellbeing all under the one roof, with easy parking too.

I am a golfer and walker and have often heard ladies saying it would be nice to have somewhere easy to park to go and be “pampered”. Not forgetting the gentlemen and all their needs.

It could also have a nice tea rooms with staff in uniform. I have lived here 60 years and can remember how genteel Harrogate was. As I said, now what is it?

It has really lost its way with thousands of houses being built – it seems that’s all the “powers that be” can think of.  They may as well hand it over to the developers and just build with no infrastructure.

Please no one give them the idea of turning the conference centre into flats – they would love that.

Anne Smith, Pannal

It’s ‘potluck’ if a Knaresborough bus actually turns up

This letter is in response to a story about North Yorkshire Council accepting £3.5 million of additional funding from the Department of Transport. The money, which is being used to support a one-year pilot scheme, will go towards expanding timetables, £1 bus fares for young people and improvements to bus shelters.

I read with interest your article about money to improve bus services in the Harrogate district, especially about the number 1 service from Harrogate to Knaresborough via Starbeck.

You mentioned buses to Aspin, Carmires and the Pastures, but there was no mention of the 1B to Aldi and Eastfield.

Sadly, since the X1B Connections bus ceased running, it is now potluck if – and when – a bus turns up at the Eastfield stop.

Are there any plans to improve the 1B service?

Paul Smith, Knaresborough

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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Summer Sunday buses across Nidderdale and Ripon to begin this weekend

Summer Sunday buses around Nidderdale will resume this weekend on Easter Sunday.

The Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company, which operates the DalesBus, has regular all-year bus services which are supplemented by additional weekend routes into and around Nidderdale National Landscape and the Yorkshire Dales in the summer months.

The services take people to popular locations for days out, including Fountains Abbey, Pateley Bridge and Fewston.

The extra services usually run between May and October but this year they will start early on March 31 and operate until October 20.

All single fares for bus journeys are £2 and £1 for under-19s as part of a national initiative, as reported by the Stray Ferret last week.

The Sunday and Bank Holiday DalesBus services restarting on Easter Sunday, March 31 are:

From Easter weekend there will also be revised summer timetables introduced on the following services:

Other Sunday services are set to begin in May with the 831 and 832 on Sunday, May 5. Details of other services restarting in May are not yet available.

Much of the Sunday DalesBus network is dependent on voluntary ​fundraising by the Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company.

Details of the Summer Sunday services are available here.

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