A DALES transport meeting has collected customer complaints to feed back to bus operators.

The meeting at St Matthew's Church in Leyburn was attended by more than 30 residents as well as MP Rishi Sunak, and chairman Colin Speakman said he would inform operators about concerns including lack of connectivity and confusing timetables.

An off duty bus driver told those present that even he found the bus timetables complicated; he stated at busy times he was unable to collect all waiting passengers and often forced to leave them at the bus stop.

Shelia Simms told the meeting many Middleham residents felt isolated and she had witnessed passengers ending up by the door next to the driver when he jammed on his brakes at a junction because he was going too fast.

She said: “ The drivers are under pressure to comply with an impossible timetable. There is no way they can drive safely, pick up and drop off passengers and stick to the 159 timetable.”

Richard Owens, assistant director of integrated passenger transport for North Yorkshire County Council, said although parts of the timetable seemed complicated others were straightforward. He regretted the inconvenience but feared it would continue being difficult due to a lack of government funding.