New bus service connects Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales
A new bus service connecting villages across the Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales enters service on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Operated by 21 Transport, the new Service 11 Bus is jointly funded by Lancashire County Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council, providing a welcome boost to public transport to the rural communities on both sides of the Lancashire-Yorkshire Border.
Service 11 buses will operate Monday to Saturday, running every two hours between Clitheroe Interchange and Horton in Ribblesdale – connecting with rail services at either end of the route.
As well as providing vital links to villages along the route, the new service will deliver a boost for sustainable tourism, opening up car-free access to some of the most popular visitor attractions and walking routes in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Stopping at villages like Dunsop Bridge, Slaidburn and Newton, the route also incorporates Clitheroe and Settle. With single fares capped at £2, the new bus service will become the most cost-effective way to visit the tourist attractions of the Forest of Bowland, Yorkshire Dales and Ribble Valley, where parking charges alone make travelling by car quite expensive.
Forest of Bowland National Landscape sustainable tourism officer Hetty Byrne said: ‘This is great news for residents and tourists who want to explore the amazing landscapes of the Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland and Yorkshire Dales.
“The Forest of Bowland National Landscape straddles both counties and this new bus service will be a significant boost for sustainable tourism across the beautiful Lancashire-Yorkshire border country.
“We launched our Eco Escapes initiative to promote sustainable travel and tourism across the Forest of Bowland and the new bus will significantly expand the opportunities for car-free tourism in the National Landscape.
County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “We’re very pleased that we have been able to join forces with North Yorkshire Council to launch this new cross boundary bus service.
“Having met with residents in the Hodder Valley, we think that this has the best chance to provide a vital and sustainable public transport solution for our residents, and it also gives visitors to the Ribble Valley access to some of the most beautiful countryside in the country, without the need to take the car.”
Posted
5th April 2024
in News