UPPER Wharfedale’s community bus service reached a milestone on Saturday when it carried its 10,000th passenger since starting in April last year.

Doug McLellan of Kettlewell, who became passenger number 10,000 on the Upper Wharfedale Venturer when he caught the 9.35 bus from Kettlewell to Buckden, said: “That’s made my day.”

The Venturer service was launched on April 11, 2016, following last year’s transport budget cuts, when it became clear that the only way to maintain a bus service between Grassington and Buckden was to establish a community service.

Villagers from Buckden and Kettlewell set up the Upper Wharfedale Bus Community Interest Company, working closely with North Yorkshire County Council and Pride of the Dales.

The Venturer now runs three times a day up and down the dale on school days, and five times a day on Saturdays and school holidays.

Peter Vetch, one of the directors of Upper Wharfedale Bus, said: “When we first heard about the bus service cuts back in 2015, we knew we had to do something as the bus service is a lifeline for rural communities like ours.

“We're delighted with how well it’s going. When we started, although we had done a lot of planning, as we didn’t know if we could make the community bus model work in Wharfedale.

“Ten months on, the service is meeting our targets for passenger numbers and has demonstrated that it is financially sustainable for the long term.

“Our thanks must go to our staff and volunteers for their commitment to making the service work, and of course to our passengers.”