The University is introducing a brand new shuttle bus service this week, linking the Heslington West and Heslington East campuses.
The route will see students ferried between the campus south car park in James College to the Goodricke College bus stop, via Heslington Hall. There will now be three free bus services operating between the two campuses.
Two weeks ago, the University switched allegiances from First York’s No. 4 ftr bus, to York Pullman’s service 44, as their preferred transport for students and staff. Both run from the train station. The value of the new deal is unknown, but pro-vice-chancellor for estates and strategic projects, Elizabeth Heaps, confirmed to Vision that the subsidisation of York Pullman’s “Unibus” will be considerably less than what the university were paying First York to extend their no. 6 route to Heslington East during the last academic year.
The arrangement will see the Unibis run from the train station to Heslington East, with a return ticket costing £2. Users will also be able to travel in between Wentworth college and Hes East for free.
Two days after this announcement, First York slashed the price of their return ticket from £2.50 to £2, and matched the Unibus’s free campus hopper. The regional managing director for First UK Bus in the north of England went on to criticise the University’s decision:
“We are the only bus company running commercially on this route and it is interesting, in these times of tightening the purse strings in higher education, that the university has decided to pay a subsidy to another bus operator.”
The University’s senior press officer, David Garner, hit back at Britain’s largest bus operator, stating:
“We spent more than two years in negotiation with First York with a view to their extending the No. 4 service to Heslington East. First York consistently declined to do so despite the University’s willingness to discuss financial support for the extended service.
“The extension of the ftr service was always our preferred position. But in view of First York’s continued refusal to follow that course, we entered into very positive discussions with York Pullman which resulted in the agreement to provide Unibus.
“It is interesting that First York’s extension to the No. 4 service, with substantially discounted fares, only materialised after our discussions with York Pullman became public and Unibus began operating.”
Although competition between bus companies will be good for students in the short term, many fear that First York’s aggressive pricing will lead to York Pullman withdrawing the Unibis next year. Currently First York offer cheaper long term tickets on a far more extensive network. The No. 4 service also runs more frequently, with six buses every hour during weekdays as oppose to four for Unibus.