CRAVEN communities are being called on to run public transport in areas which are likely to see bus services vastly reduced or disappear entirely.

North Yorkshire County Council is proposing to reduce the amount it spends on subsidising public transport by a quarter to £1.5 million from April next year and down from £4.5 million just two years ago.

And it is calling on communities in Bolton Abbey, Grassington, and Kettlewell to consider community car share and use of the council's own minibuses.

It says initiatives where volunteers use their own cars to provide community transport and are reimbursed by the passengers have proved successful in other parts of the county.

It is also one of the only authorities in the country to use its own minibus fleet as a solution to bus subsidy reductions.

County councillor Chris Metcalfe, executive member for integrated passenger transport, said the authority had been forced to think about how it could deliver services differently and with partners in the public and voluntary sector.

"We know many people are upset by proposals to reduce bus subsidies and we understand their concerns for maintaining access to essential services and maintaining social contact.

"We too have these concerns and that is why we are putting forward innovative solutions for people to consider. We will listen carefully to people's views during the consultation and we hope to be able to respond positively where possible."

Cllr Richard Foster, leader of Craven District Council, said the proposals were likely to hit his Grassington ward.

At Monday's annual council meeting he acknowledged Craven also faced increased pressures on its ability to maintain services and would have to continue to seek savings .

After the meeting, he said: “We expect more cuts in the forthcoming Budget, but thanks to our sound financial management we are in a position to withstand all but the most severe additional cuts.

“We are continuing to look at new ways of delivering services without reducing them. However, you don't have to look far to see services continuing to be reduced with the proposed bus service cuts that the county council are making in our area. Rebalancing the urban-rural spend would be a massive help.”

North Yorkshire County Council is consulting on the proposals to reduce bus subsidies until August 14. Drop-in sessions are due to take place on Tuesday at Bolton Abbey Village Hall from 10.30am to 12.30pm, at Grassington Town Hall from 2pm to 4pm, and at Kettlewell Village Hall from 5pm to 7pm.