Dales buses helping to keep cars of the road, survey finds (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Dales buses helping to keep cars of the road, survey finds

11:29am Saturday 23rd February 2013 in News

AN INNOVATIVE Dales bus project is keeping a significant number of cars of the national park’s roads, a survey has found.

Around a third bus travellers who use the services run by the Dales Integrated Transport Alliance (DITA) say they chose to do so instead of travelling by car.

DITA carried out a detailed survey between August and September last year to gauge the travel habits of visitors. It followed an earlier survey into the travel habits of residents and now the findings have been pulled together to help DITA improve access within and to the Dales.

Of the bus users who responded to the survey, 37 per cent were Dales residents, 44 per cent were day trippers and 16 per cent were visitors staying overnight. Around a third of all those surveyed said they could have travelled by car.

DITA chairman Helen Flynn said: “Buses make a significant contribution to the local economy. More than half of bus users would not visit the Dales without the bus service, and Dales businesses would lose their spending of at least £2.8 million per year if the buses were to cease.

“The visitor survey results show that the bus network plays an important part in Dales life, indeed it is a lifeline for young people who are without independent means of transport and for people who do not own, or have had to give up ownership of a car.”