A SERIES OF transport initiatives have been developed to make catching a bus in rural areas of North Yorkshire much easier.

More than £30,000 is to be ploughed into public transport across the Ryedale district.

Money from the Rural Community Transport Grant will be spent on six projects set out by the district council and Ryedale and North East Yorkshire Rural Transport Partnership, during the financial year.

Development of the Ryedale Community Transport scheme has been prioritised, with £20,000 provided to take it through its early planning stages.

The scheme has been proposed by Ryedale Voluntary Action to help provide transport for people in rural areas and encourage people to share journeys and use public transport.

Similar community transport enterprises exist in Whitby, known as Good Neighbours Community Transport, and in Scarborough, where it operates as Dial-A-Ride.

Other projects include spending £5,000 to assess transport needs in the parishes, £1,500 to train new volunteer minibus drivers, and £1,500 to promote public transport.

Members of the council's community services and licensing committee are also likely to agree to fund a pilot scheme for after-school transport, at the meeting on Thursday.

Joscelin Holmes, the council's cultural services manager, said: "Travel from school to home for children in rural areas is funded by North Yorkshire County Council.

"However, these children find it difficult to stay for after- school activities such as sports clubs, drama groups and computer workshops, because they miss the school bus provided."

The scheme will look at the feasibility of providing school transport to children's homes after activities have taken place.