Councillors have agreed to a radical rethink on how they support rural bus services as North Yorkshire County Council faces a further reduction in its bus subsidy.

North Yorkshire County Council bosses have agreed to a series of recommendations on how to improve access to buses serving the countryside.

It follows the work of a special group tasked to look at the "access needs of communities and how these might best be met using a range of transport options."

Senior members of the county have already agreed to slash bus subsidies from £4.4m to £2.4 million and are expecting more cuts to come..

The findings of the report are aimed at guiding the county council when it comes to considering how to invest in bus services in the future.

The series of eleven recommendations were drawn up by the Transport, Economy and Environment overview committee.

Broadly, County Hall wants to see an increase in people using buses and a review of the community transport grants programme.

Councillors also want to investigate, along with health partners, the possibility of providing a centrally co-ordinated volunteer car scheme for non emergency patient journeys.

They would also like to see bus operators explore funding to introduce on-board audio and visual next stop announcements to increase customer numbers and to improve information about the availability of passenger transport options.

And on a national level, the urge that the Government to reform the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme.

It could lead to concessionary pass holders contributing to the fare when using a pass.

Councillor Robert Heseltine, who has spearheaded the "task force", said: "Without a reasonable rural transport network, rural isolation and loneliness can only deteriorate, the decline of the rural economy will accelerate and the downward spiral of the rural quality of life will continue unabated."

He blamed the Government for undervaluing the rural economy and criticised the tens of billions to be spent on the propose new rail track between Leeds and Manchester.

"There is something obscene about this concentration of billions on the cities but not a mention of the dire needs of the rural economy," he said.

At present about 20 percent of bus services in North Yorkshire are subsidised.