UPDATE: Bring back “dial and ride” say councillors.

Update 20th June 2024

Report extract

A report (click) has been prepared which responds to the loss of the City’s “dial and ride” service last year.

The report charts the history of the service

“York Wheels advise that demand for the volunteer car service has increased since Dial & Ride ended, which has further highlighted the need to recruit more drivers. But for many residents, the independence that the Dial & Ride service offered has not been replaced”

“Age UK works closely with CYC Local Area Co-ordinators who are able to identify individuals who would benefit from these services. Age UK have identified that getting to the nearest bus stop is the biggest obstacle that many older or disabled people face”.

The all party group of Councillors make the following recommendations

• . Recommendation 1 – CYC should as soon as possible take steps to ensure the provision of a Community Transport service for York residents which would fulfil the need that has been unmet since the cessation of the Dial & Ride service operated by York Wheels. This could be a service that is commissioned or run in-house
•  Recommendation 2 – CYC should ensure that funding is available – either from internal or external sources – to enable a Community Transport service to be provided. This should include (but not be limited to) looking in the round at all transport-related expenditure, such as revenue support for specific schemes, Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding and potential financial contributions from supermarkets which benefit from custom generated by Dial & Ride trips
•  Recommendation 3 – CYC should engage with neighbouring local authorities, the Combined Authority, other public bodies and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to identify opportunities for joint-working and potentially joint commissioning in the field of Community Transport
•  Recommendation 4 – In drawing up the specification for a new Community Transport service, consideration should be given to broadening the passenger eligibility criteria beyond the clientgroups previously served by Dial & Ride (older people and disabled people). Consideration should also be given to reviewing the destinations to be served by a reinstated service
•  Recommendation 5 – In drawing up the specification for a new Community Transport service, the CYC adult social care team, the CYC ‘Age Friendly York’ team and advocacy groups for older and disabled people must be consulted to ensure that the service will meet identified needs and be entirely accessible
•  Recommendation 6 – In drawing up the contract for a new Community Transport service, the needs of service users must be explicitly prioritised in the event of any service delivery issues or contract failure, and bureaucracy associated with the operation of the contract should be minimised wherever possible
•  Recommendation 7 – A strategy should be developed to effectively promote a reinstated Community Transport service among key potential client groups.

Cllr Stephen Fenton
Cllr Jane Burton
Cllr Chris Steward

The recomendations will be considered by the Councils executive

Earlier 13th March 2024

York Council facing huge loss as faulty Dial and Ride buses to be sold off to highest bidder.

The York Council has admitted that its £190,000 investment in two dial and ride buses in March 2023 has been a financial flop

Purchase reported in March 2023

A new report – presented to a private meeting – reveals that “one of the 2 new vehicles has been off the road awaiting replacement parts since spring 2023”.

The problems relate to the vehicle supplier Mellor/WN V-Tach going into administration with its coach-building assets sold off to a Belgian-owned company in December.

“The new business entity appears to hold no liability for products manufactured under the previous ownership, severely hampering the ability of York Wheels or the City of York Council to get them back in roadworthy condition or claim restitution for any resultant financial losses”

The chassis/engine manufacturer, Fiat, is liable for any warranty repairs to the engine, chassis and running gear. “However, they have been unable to provide a clear date by which the required replacement parts might be available”.

This uncertainty brought about the downfall of the Dial and Ride service in York.

The report rather begs the question of what due diligence was undertaken before the order for the new vehicles was placed.

Now the two (still relatively new) vehicles are to be sold at auction on an “as seen” basis.

There is likely to be a limited market for faulty and unreliable vehicles.

The Council may therefore recover only a small proportion of its investment.