A ground-breaking partnership between bus companies, City of York Council, the business community and passengers to improve bus services in York has been expanded.

The York Quality Bus Partnership now has four operators onboard with Yorkshire Coastliner, Arriva Yorkshire and Top Line Travel joining First York as operators supporting the initiative.

A key role of the partnership is to set targets aimed at increasing bus use and making it easier for people to get around the city by bus.

The partnership is chaired by Roland Harris, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Of Commerce, and comprises elected members of the council, a local representative of the National Federation Of Bus Passengers and senior managers of the local bus companies.

Members of the public are also allowed to attend meetings of the partnership and to raise issues for the board to discuss.

At the last meeting on Thursday (March 14) the companies signed up to action plans aimed at improving reliability and attracting more passengers onto their services.

Mr Harris said, "Partnership is the way forward in improving public transport in York. We will all work together to increase bus use and to develop a service which meets the needs of the City."

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