A community transport group offering cheap travel is urging people to make more use of its service or face losing it.

The trustee committee of Otley Community Transport fears for the future of its £24,000 bus after numbers using it dropped drastically during the past year.

Now members are appealing for non-profit-making groups in the area to take advantage of the low-cost service.

Owen Peel, committee chairman, said: "This situation could be serious if it is allowed to drift.

"We don't really know why there has been less use, because it is certainly the cheapest form of transport any group can get."

The bus costs just £2 an hour plus 35p a mile to hire. It can be taken for a maximum of 10 hours each day.

All the trustee committee must ensure is that running costs of the vehicle are covered and that there is enough surplus revenue to go towards buying a new vehicle in about five years.

But income is not meeting targets. "We need to be making around £5,000 surplus income each year towards that," Mr Peel said. Only £2,472 was raised in the 1997-98 financial year.

The figures reflect a considerable drop in use from one year to the next. Despite 30 groups being affiliated to Otley Community Transport, just 542 miles were covered in April 1998 compared with 1,525 in the same month a year earlier.

"The use of the bus was very active at the start of the year but just fell away during the course of the 12 months," said Mr Peel.

"Currently it is only covering around 8,000 miles a year. That really needs to be 12,000 to maintain its viability."

Two-thirds of the cost of the new bus, which is equipped to take wheelchairs, was provided by Otley Lions Club.

"It's very user-friendly and it would be a shame, a great loss for the community, if it didn't continue," said Mr Peel.

The bus can be hired by any non-profit group in the district which can supply its own driver.

Any organisation wishing to join the scheme can contact Mr Peel on (0113) 250 5265.

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