Rural transport service moves to bigger home

By [jscottow]

A service that provides a lifeline for thousands of East Yorkshire people is a facing a bright future.

Holderness Area Rural Transport (Hart) has secured a new operating centre after expanding and outgrowing previous premises.

The community transport service, which carried more than 16,000 passengers in 2008, has moved to Northorpe Farm in Atwick Road, Hornsea.

Local businesses stepped in to aid the voluntary group in what could have been an expensive move if it had not won their support.

Hart runs buses to take people from areas including Hornsea, Withernsea and Bridlington, to hospital, shopping and on excursions.

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, who has shown an interest in the group since it started seven years ago, officially opened the premises.

He said: "Transport is one of the biggest challenges for people living in rural areas, especially if they don't have a vehicle of their own or can't get to a bus stop.

"Hart has been a fantastic success and is a community project that I support with pride because it supports so many people in my constituency.

"It depends on volunteer drivers who are also very modest people but make a big difference to so many lives in a rural part of the county."

Business Premiere Interlink, based at Catfoss, near Brandesburton, donated a portable building to be used as offices by Hart at Northorpe Farm.

Another Catfoss business, Skeltons Transport, transported and sited the building free of charge.

East Riding councillor Jane Evison, Hart chairman, said: "We are delighted with our new premises and it is going to make life much easier with everything on one site.

"The group also appreciates the tremendous help we have received from local businesses.

"Hart has come so far since we operated a service just three days a week with one bus, but it gives us a great deal of pride and satisfaction to know we are now helping so many people ."

Cllr Evison said they owed a great deal to the group's staff and team of volunteers, local businesses and town and parish councils.

"In this new move we are indebted to Premiere Interlink and Skelton Transport, but would also like to thank Hornsea School for allowing us to park our buses on their site for so many years," she said

Hart now operates six vehicles, including medibuses for hospital and doctor's visits, and a dial-a-ride service for shopping trips.

Caroline Wegrzyn, Hart co-ordinator, said "I'm very grateful to everyone who has been involved right through the process from planning applications to delivery."