Bus users will be able to ‘catch the bus’ from this week using a new-look bus timetable, as part of a city wide makeover to improve bus services and waiting facilities in and around York.

New-look timetables will be installed at all stops throughout the city during this week’s Catch the Bus Week (28 April – 4 May) a national campaign lead by Green Journeys.

Following a successful two-month trial along the Hull Road to Dunnington route (number 10 service) last year the new timetables provide a much more accessible format for bus users, compared to the existing timetables which are currently provided by both the council and individual operators in a variety of different designs, shapes and sizes.

The roll out is funded through part of the £3.5 million government Better Bus Area Fund awarded by the coalition government to York in 2012.

The campaign aims to increase the value of bus and coach travel in stimulating economic growth, reducing congestion and CO2 emissions and enabling access to jobs, retail, leisure and vital services.

Every bus stop in the York area will be replaced with a new timetable, which will use a single consistent design showing all departures from the stop in time order. As well as making the timetables clearer and easier for people to read they are equipped with QR codes and ‘Near Field Communications’ so that users can access real time information at a touch of a button through their phones or tablets.

Routes across the city are already being transformed through the funding. Real time information screens have been installed at busy stops in York’s city centre, and at other locations, such as stops at York Hospital and at York St John University. The screens will show the arrival times of buses as they approach the stops, based on real time information, which tracks the bus as it travels across the city.

Alongside the new screens, noticeable improvements are also being made to stops outside the city centre – and include upgrades to bus stops and shelters across the city. All the timetable cases and bus stop flags have recently been replaced on all routes in York with more than one bus per hour..

In addition to this, the roadway at some bus stops has been resurfaced, including outside the Rail Station, and yellow lines have been repainted on some roads and pavements and repaired where they were in a worn condition.

York has also hired its first ever Bus Wardens last year, who assist passengers with enquiries on-street. The wardens work alongside with the council’s Parking Services, and North Yorkshire Police to clear vehicles blocking bus stops and bus routes, assist at any incidents and work with street services to keep bus stops in the city centre clean, tidy and in good repair. The cost of the Warden is funded entirely by the Department for Transport through the BBAF.

Other improvements around the city in the coming months will include replacing bus stops and shelters at the Rail Station, Piccadilly and Rougier Street .

York’s bus operators are also undertaking their own improvements and special offers during “Catch the Bus” week, including:

• First are introducing five hybrid double decker buses with low emission engines onto route 4 between Acomb and the University. The hybrid buses, which have new, Euro 5 compliant diesel engines, will improve air quality in the city centre by replacing older buses in York’s fleet
• Transdev is giving all staff at the University of York the chance to try the Unibus for free throughout Catch The Bus Week
• Arriva is providing free day saver tickets to tempt people to experience the bus and understand the benefits, ease and convenience of public transport;
• East Yorkshire Motor Services has just launched a new Go Card for 16-18 year olds, a stored value smartcard which gives them 20 per cent off all their single/return bus fares.

In addition to the new-look timetables, bus users can also plan their route around York with the i-Travel York online journey planner. For more information visit http://www.itravelyork.info/ follow @itravelyork on Twitter or like www.facebook.com/itravelyork on Facebook.