DalesBus

DalesBus is a network of bus services, which operate in and around the Yorkshire Dales, England. The network is managed by Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company – a volunteer-run subsidiary of the Yorkshire Dales Society.

DalesBus
HeadquartersGargrave, North Yorkshire
England
Service area
Service typeBus and coach
Websitewww.dalesbus.org

History

Dales and Bowland Community Interest Company has managed the DalesBus network of bus services since 2007. Initially, the company managed the operation of a single service between Ilkley and Skipton via Bolton Abbey, but has since grown significantly.[1][2]

Services are funded by a number of organisations, including the National Trust, West Yorkshire Metro and Yorkshire Dales National Park, with additional support and funding from local community groups. These popular services carry increasing numbers of passengers, with over 30,000 passengers using the network in 2019/20.[3]

Most services operate at weekends and on bank holidays, from Easter until late October, with some services operating year-round. Operated by low-floor single or double-deck buses, the network links major centres of population, such as Harrogate and York, with the Yorkshire Dales, allowing for walking or enjoyment without the need for a car.[4]

Services and operators

As of 2022, the following services are operated under the DalesBus brand.[5]

OperatorService(s)
Arriva (North East) 831
Dales & District 138, 138A, 139, 144, 159 & 856
East Yorkshire 822 & 875[lower-alpha 1]
Transdev (Harrogate and Keighley) 24, 59, 72, 821, 873 & 884
Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire 75, 81, 82, 580, 581, 583, 830 & 881
Little White Bus 30, 113 Garsdale Station Shuttle & 156
North Yorkshire County Council 11, 72A, 155 & 210
Reliance Motor Services 74, 825 & 875[lower-alpha 2]
Upper Wharfedale Venturer 72B
Western Dales Community Bus S1, S3, S4, S5 & S6
York Pullman 874

Controversy

In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council withdrew English National Concessionary Travel Scheme payments for some of these services, regarding them as only for "tourist use" and therefore outside of statutory provision.[6] In the following year, Lancashire County Council made the decision to follow suit, citing similar reasons to do so.[7]

DalesBus Ramblers

DalesBus Ramblers organise a varied programme of free guided walks in the Yorkshire Dales. All of the walks are accessible by bus or train, and are open to the general public.

In August 2016, route 830 (operated by Arriva North East), which runs between Richmond and Ingleton via Hawes, was the subject of an episode of television series BBC Four Goes Slow entitled All Aboard! The Country Bus.[8][9][10] The episode saw a series record average audience of 800,000.[11][12][13][14]

Notes
  1. Service operated jointly by East Yorkshire and Reliance Motor Services.
  2. Service operated jointly by East Yorkshire and Reliance Motor Services.

References
  1. "DalesBus service shortlisted in National Transport Awards". Craven Herald. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  2. "Letters: We need more aboard to keep our Dales bus going". The Guardian. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. "Annual Report and Statement of Community Interest Delivery 2019–20" (PDF). Dales & Bowland CIC. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  4. "Why the value of rural bus services cannot be overstated in our National Parks". Yorkshire Post. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  5. "DalesBus Timetable Booklet". DalesBus. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  6. "Colin Speakman: Devolution key to transport's brighter future". Yorkshire Post. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  7. "OAP bus pass ban 'could lead to end of scheme'". Lancaster Guardian. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  8. "All Aboard! The Country Bus". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  9. "BBC Four - All Aboard! The Country Bus". BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  10. Jeffries, Stuart (6 February 2023). "Spring Walks review – not even a trampolining goat can save this feelbad TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  11. Foster, Patrick (30 August 2016). "'Slow TV' bus tour of Yorkshire Dales drives nearly a million viewers to BBC Four". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. Ellis, James (3 October 2017). "Is this the most beautiful bus route in Britain?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  13. "Country Bus: How a two-hour bus trip tour of the Yorkshire Dales caused a social media stir". The Yorkshire Post. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  14. Chapman, Hannah (29 August 2016). "Dales bus route to be televised in new BBC 4 programme". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
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