'Night out' buses to continue

The bus routes connect Harrogate with a number of rural communities

Late night bus services to take people home after a Saturday night out in Harrogate have been saved, at least for the time being.

The services had been funded by a grant from the Countryside Agency to the Harrogate Rural Locality Partnership (HRLP).

But that money ran out earlier this month.

Now North Yorkshire County Council has stepped in so that three of the five services can be retained until the end of August.

The services which will continue to run are from Harrogate to Ripon, Boroughbridge and Pateley Bridge by way of a number of small villages.

We have received lots of requests to keep the services running

Paul Andrews
Harrogate Rural Locality Partnership

It has not been possible to continue the Friday evening service from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge or the service from Harrogate to Boroughbridge which left at 0205 BST on Sunday.

Over the past three years, about 6,500 people have used the services to return home safely after visits to the theatre, cinema, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs.

Paul Andrews from HRLP welcomed the grant from the county council.

He said: "The services have helped people living in some of the remoter communities to have a night out they would not contemplate without public transport.

"We've received lots of requests to keep the services running."

Mr Andrews is trying to find alternative funding to enable the services to continue past the end of August.