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

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

Now members are appealing for as many groups - which must be non-profit making - to take advantage of the low-cost travel it provides.

Owen Peel, committee chairman, said: "This situation could be very serious if it is allowed to drift, if there is no redress.

"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 is available to all kinds of organisations and costs just £2 per hour, plus 35 pence a mile. It can be hired for a maximum of ten hours each day.

All the committee must ensure is that running costs are covered and that enough surplus income is made each year towards buying a new vehicle in around five years' time.

However, this would be unlikely if the current situation was to continue. Mr Peel said: "We need to be making around £5,000 surplus income each year towards that."

But from April 1997-98, just £2,472 was raised.

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

"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 was raised by Otley Lions Club, providing it with a wheelchair lift and fittings.

"Even people who can't get out of their wheelchairs can still travel because the chairs can be fixed to the floor. 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.

He was keen to stress the service was not only for the benefit of Otley groups but organisations district-wide.

And he was quick to dispel the image of the bus as only for elderly people. "It's available to anyone providing they are non-profit making and have their own driver.

"Really the message we are putting across is 'use it or lose it'," he said.

l Any organisations wanting to be affiliated to the Otley Community Transport group can contact Mr Peel on (0113) 2505265.

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