A not-for-profit company supporting bus links in North Yorkshire communities has spent its surplus funds in an effort to bolster services hit by council funding cuts.

The Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company (CIC) says it has used up all of its cash reserves to maintain and expand the DalesBus network this summer.

Winter timetable services and the future of DalesBus in 2012 now depends on continued passenger growth and new sources of funding, says the company.

The CIC largely funds Sunday and Bank Holiday bus services, linking major centres including Leeds, Otley, Ilkley, Skipton and Harrogate with rural Dales visitor spots.

Funding for Sunday and evening services was cut by North Yorkshire County Council as part of the authority’s cost-cutting measures.

The services improve Dales transport links, assist the rural economy and help drive down the numbers of cars on the roads, claim those behind the scheme.

The Dales and Bowland CIC built up a surplus of ten of thousands of pounds last year thanks to increased passenger numbers, but has now put all of this money back into an extended network for 2011.

Future services now depend largely on a joint funding bid submitted to the Government and continuing growth in the number of passengers.

Managing director Colin Speakman said: “We’re going to have to keep our fingers crossed.”

The bid – led by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and West Yorkshire Passenger Trans-port Executive – has now been submitted to the Department for Transport and a decision is expected at the end of June.

Mr Speakman says this year’s summer bus network has already benefited from the financial support of the national ark authority and Metro, as well as Yorkshire Dales Public Transport Users’ Group, Wensleydale CPRE, the Yorkshire Dales Society and National Trust.

Most summer services began at the weekend.

Full details of the services are available online at dalesbus.org, wymetro.com, or by calling Metro-line on 0113 245 7676.