Letter: Bus link at Skipton Railway Station is vital

Like many ‘updale’ friends of all ages, I have frequently transferred with luggage from bus to train in Skipton for destinations north, south, east or west in UK, Europe and beyond, and returned.

The good transport links were a key factor in choosing Grassington as our retirement home. If it is realigning the elbow-sharp bridge back over the rail track to Carleton New Road, improvement is long overdue. This would make a neat one way loop connecting rail and bus stations and lessen congestion over Belmont bridge.

So please Keighley Bus Company, can you reassure us that your cut of the link with the rail station be only temporary while this major improvement takes place?

If cuts to government transport subsidies are the cause, we need to know so that we can register our disapproval at the next election. Rumour has it that both central government and our new county area (authority) cuts to subsidies are the cause to our local bus services and that our present government spends ten times as much on subsidising London buses as it does up here on transport.

The national park and local tourist industry’s stated aim is to encourage access by bus and bike to minimise clogging of narrow and winding stone walled roads. I’ve often shared bus journeys with walkers from Britain, Europe and beyond who appreciate this policy.

Pavement and cycle connection of the Carleton Road sports facilities via Aireville Park to the three big secondary schools also makes good sense; so does planting more pavement trees to absorb the diesel pollution with which the Skipton High Street lime trees struggle, until battery vehicles supersede diesel.

Anne Marsden

Grassington