Discounted MetroCard rail season ticket on tracks for Knaresborough
23 June 2009
KNARESBOROUGH RAIL CARD ON THE RIGHT TRACKS
Harrogate Council's lobbying for the inclusion of Starbeck and Knaresborough into the discounted West Yorkshire Metrocard season ticket has paid off in short order.
The season ticket was launched in May this year in Skipton and Harrogate and is set to be extended to Knaresborough by the end of the year.
There has been some misunderstanding in Knaresborough about why it was not included in the May extension of the MetroCard and the suggestion that the council needs to have a 'rethink'.
In fact, the council is not directly responsible for providing this service and can only persuade Metro and the rail operators to make the changes residents want.
To extend the MetroCard to Knaresborough and Starbeck, Metro and the Rail operators needed to alter their pricing structure to make the MetroCard cheaper than current season tickets.
Successful lobbying by the council has given the green light to this new extension to the scheme.
Councillor Don Mackenzie, Harrogate Council's Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport, said:
"The council has always supported the inclusion of Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough in the MetroCard scheme.
Our persistence paid off first with the extension of the MetroCard to Harrogate and now with the forthcoming extension to Knaresborough."
Councillor Mackenzie continued: "Although this is good news we still have more work to do.
We are asking for buses to be included in the scheme and also want to see more frequent trains and better rolling stock." ENDS
Further information:
Councillor Don Mackenzie is available for comment on 01423 872211 or 07957 304109.