A BLISTERING attack has been made on Otley's much-heralded £963,000 bus package.

Promises of 'yellow' school buses, hopper buses and improvements to services throughout Otley and the surrounding villages have been vastly overblown, it has been claimed.

Meanwhile, the reality is just one glorified community bus, an on site co-ordinator and a handful of new bus shelters.

Following a meeting last week between ward councillors and Metro, councillors have slammed the project as a waste of money with little rewards to the vast majority of people.

Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) said: "I don't want to denigrate the scheme and I welcome any input, but what worries me is the reality is so very far from what we hoped.

"We were led to believe that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but what it actually boils down to is just one bus and some indifferent services."

When the government's Rural Bus Challenge award was announced in January this year, it was said that the almost £963,000 - including £80,000 from the Market Towns Initiative and a further £80,000 from Metro - would transform public transport in Otley and the surrounding villages.

It was supposed to provide school buses, evening bus services, improved bus information and more shelters, and a door to door dial-a-ride evening service.

Coun Fox said a large proportion of the money - around ten per cent - would be swallowed up in administration, including the employment of a co-ordinator to be based at Otley Cross Green Community Centre.

"What we've been told is that £75,000 has been allocated to buy a 20 seater bus, but because of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), four seats will be removed for every wheelchair or buggy.

"If the bus is available for school transport, bearing in mind schools are pitched at every corner of the town, it won't be able to do much."

Coun Fox added that community groups wanting to use the bus would prevent it from being used for regular routes.

Money will also be swallowed up on the building of raised kerbs - to allow wheelchairs and buggies to be driven straight onto the bus.

He said: "All this great scheme boils down to is one bus which will have less than 20 seats, and no one seems to know where it will go.

"The co-ordinator will be talking to groups and organisations about how they want to make use of the bus, but we already have community buses.

"I can see this one staying in a garage somewhere for most of the time."

Coun Nigel Francis (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) added: "We were led to believe there would be at least two school buses and also hopper buses going everywhere

"We were also led to believe that there would be a big improvement on bus services for Otley and the outlying villages, but what we will actually get is just one community bus.

"I think it's all been a big con.

" I feel totally disappointed and I'm sure the people of Otley will too.

"The whole Rural Bus Challenge has been totally overblown and over inflated, for the majority of people, there will be nothing."