Cityzap bus: Scrapping York to Leeds service 'disaster for disabled people'

The scrapping of a bus service between York and Leeds is a "potential disaster" for people with disabilities, a campaigner has warned.

Operator Transdev said the fast Cityzap service was not sustainable as passenger numbers had not recovered from Covid.

The service will cease on 19 November.

Disability campaigner Flick Williams said: "Every bus taken off disproportionately affects disabled people."

She added: "The ending of the Zap service between York and Leeds is disappointing for many. For disabled people, it is a potential disaster."

Ms Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service cancelled services meant "longer waits for people with pain, stamina and fatigue issues".

The service, launched in 2016, was designed to offer a cheaper alternative to the train and tempt car users onto public transport.

In 2020, Transdev introduced five "Sky Class" buses to the route, featuring spacious seating, tables and free Wi-Fi, at a cost of £1.4m.

Transport for the North has warned more than one in five people are at risk of transport-related social exclusion.

A decline in bus service provision has exacerbated the problem by reducing travel choices for the most vulnerable, according to the transport body's analysis.

Councillor Ashley Mason, who represents the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward on City of York Council, said Cityzap was a convenient and affordable travel option.

He added: "With this unfortunate decision, users of the Cityzap will be faced with more expensive and less convenient train journeys, or using a car, which from an environmental perspective is the worst possible outcome.

"I fear that unless the government takes seriously the warnings about cliff-edge cuts to services when current funding streams run out, and provides investment that allows operators to plan ahead, there may be more bad news coming."

Transdev said Cityzap passenger numbers had slumped by as much as half since 2019.

A spokesman said: "This trend can't continue. The combined impact of the Covid pandemic and sharply rising energy costs are being felt by every bus operator in the country."

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