FRIENDS of the Dales welcomes the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s ambition for a “significant increase” in the provision of public transport and the call for NYC to fully embrace this ambition (We Need Better Public Transport, March 23). We are especially pleased since through Dales & Bowland CIC we operate Dalesbus, the only way on a Sunday when visitors and locals can use public transport in the Dales.

The ambition, it should go without saying, needs to be commensurate with climate and ecological emergency; an emergency recognised by both authorities.

In the Climate Change Strategy 2023-2030, which is out for consultation, NYC states that: “We will work with partners to achieve the ambition to be a carbon negative region by 2040 and encourage residents, businesses and visitors to take climate responsible actions.”

One of the ways to do this is by reducing emissions via “easy, accessible and affordable transport to enable active travel, public transport, and electric vehicles”. The policy is to “support people to choose multi person travel options such as public transport, car share and car clubs”. This will also help deliver York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s goal of reducing private car usage by 48% by 2030.

If this is to go beyond stirring rhetoric NYC must present a long-term, well-funded strategy to provide a sustainable, coordinated pubic transport system so that the public can really choose how to travel. Without a significant shift in current transport budget priorities to retain, significantly improve and properly market currently threatened local bus services in areas like the Yorkshire Dales, talk of becoming carbon negative and achieving radical reduction in emissions is so much hot air.

Better local bus services, including at weekends, for local communities and visitors, will also be a major boost to the Dales economy. 

Bruce McLeod,

Chair, Friends of the Dales