£3.5m is to be spent boosting bus service in North Yorkshire but councillors say bus passengers need to get on board.
Attempts to keep some of North Yorkshire's rural bus services running need to be supported by passengers.
That's the message from North Yorkshire Councillors after the authority was given government cash to support some services for the next 12 months.
Executive Member for Managing the Environment - Councillor Greg White - says the extra services could also help to reduce carbon emissions, but only if people use them.
A plan to expand some North Yorkshire bus services has been approved. It will see £3.5m of extra funding made available for the next 12 months to subsidise some early morning, late night and weekend services.
Bus passengers in North Yorkshire are being told to use them or lose them.
The council has won the government grant to help support some additional services over the next 12 months, but council Leader - Councillor Carl Les - says the longer term prospects for the bus services will depend on how well used they are.
Additional buses being launched on more than 20 routes from Scarborough to the Dales.
As part of an updated bus improvement plan approved at the executive meeting to get the funding signed off, there will also be a £1 single flat-rate fare for teenagers, run separately from the £2 flat rate for all passengers which is available across the whole country.
The plan has been criticised by North Yorkshire opposition leaders, who believe the short-term funding is likely to fail to achieve long-term change.
Around a third of bus services in North Yorkshire have seen timetable reductions or have needed extra financial support since the pandemic, partly due to rising operating costs and difficulties recruiting drivers.
Future funding to boost bus services will go to the mayoral combined authority.
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