Old thread ... and many arguments and much water under the bridge since, but perhaps in Facebook Bus groups rather than here? I was reminded by a letter in
the York Press (about York)
As bus operators we are keen to see bus services given the prominence they deserve within the city. However, a bus station is not the answer to how people use bus services. The key attractions and shops in the city are dispersed and many services operate across the city, which gives customers a choice of where they get on and off, which is far better.
York bus operators welcome the proposal to maintain the bus interchange lay-out at York Station which provides great connectivity for bus users while retaining vital cross-city bus links and improving journey times.
York has many interchange points which have benefitted from investment in shelters and information provision in recent years which we feel is the best solution for the city.
Marc Bichtemann, on behalf of York Quality Bus Partnership,
First Bus Limited, York
And public comment from deep in the armchair of the local press - how Jo Public feels ...
I don't know who the bus bosses are but they are not looking at the bigger picture. The main question is who is this terminal for? Local people or to attract tourists to the City by coaches. Victoria Coach Station in London is a beacon example of how this works. A similar bus / coach station would attract more visitors to York and also serve as a central point for locals coming into York. With plans for York to become a World Heritage City this basic travel infrastructure is a much needed asset.
Why not take the train?
The bus bosses may not want a bus station but the majority of bus users would be happy to see one
What a huge missed opportunity for York. The plans for the station look good so let's get on with that, however nearly every major town and city has its own bus/coach station with facilities for passengers eg. toilets and travel/tourist information etc. Together with the station, a coach/bus station are key requirements for all travellers arriving or departing from our city.
Our bus - the number 10 - used to stop outside the front of the rail station and was great for anyone needing to connect to the trains for commuting, business, or leisure. A few years it got re-routed to run via Leeming Road. The bus stops are dark, uncovered, and isolated. The bus company's response was to tell people - including mobility impaired - to transfer to another bus at one of the wonderful interchages - costing the traveller more and introducing another point at which there could be delays and potential to miss ongoing connections. Honestly, they make it really hard to use public transport!
It's not about a bus station for the use of First York, it's about making travel easier for citizens and visitors.
The city needs an integrated transport hub at the station linking facilities for national coach travel, local bus services, taxis and rail travel. Travel in York is incomprehensible to anyone visiting the city. We need a clean, under-cover area for passengers to make connections instead standing in the cold and rain at street bus-stop. There should be toilet facilities and arrangements for drivers to take meal breaks and change shifts meal breaks and change shifts. Travel in the city is still in the 1950s.
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