"We do a lot of services to York from Market Weighton and Beverley, they're always busy. But I want to drive our economy towards Hull. I want people in the region to spend in the region. I don't want to drive people out of the region to go spend in York, Sheffield, Leeds, or Manchester."
The logic is here is economic, wanting to boost the local economy rather than see local residents spend their money in other areas. That is probably not so controversial in Hull itself, nor in places like Withernsea which would naturally gravitate towards Hull as their nearest 'big city'. Although many people undoubtedly want or need to go somewhere different from time to time.
However the reality is that not everywhere in the East Riding of Yorkshire naturally looks towards Hull. Areas around Pocklington have strong connections to York, it's much closer than Hull. Goole arguably sits in the middle of Hull, York, Leeds and Doncaster and also links to Scunthorpe for further education and hospital care. Last year East Riding of Yorkshire Council commissioned a study into improving links between Goole and Leeds. I'm pretty sure that would be a bigger priority for most Goole residents than improving the links between Goole and Hull.
So if the Mayor's comments are reflected in action, it will be interesting to see what approach is taken. He could support and invest in cross border connections into neighbouring areas, just to a lesser extent than improving connections into Hull. More carrot than stick. That could satisfy everyone, although would need to be financed. He could simply leave cross border transport links as they are and invest solely within Hull and East Yorkshire. Where strong cross-border public transport connectivity already exists, that might not be a big issue, but where improvements are needed, say between Goole and Leeds, it might not be popular. Or he could seek to cut cross border public transport links back in favour of improving links into Hull. The stick rather than the carrot. Lets hope the latter path isn't chosen, and it would carry significant political risk for the Mayor in 'boundary areas'. We don't want a situation whereby devolution means administrative borders become practical borders with different devolved regions becoming increasingly balkanised.
It is worth noting that Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, who are currently in the process of transferring their public transport responsibilities to the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, showed with their Bus Service Improvement Plan spending an appreciation of improving cross border bus services. Hull funded the 111 to Beverley, which takes city residents into the East Riding to spend money. The East Riding similarly funded improvements to service into Hull and to both Scunthorpe and York, taking residents out of the East Riding into neighbouring authorities. Hopefully they can influence the Mayor's thinking.
I'm watching on 'from the other side of the fence' as a Barton resident regularly travelling to Hull. That hopefully generates another reminder, cross border public transport can bring people into your area as well as taking them out.
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