I am a resident of Ryedale studying at Sheffield Hallam University.

I have made proposals to deal with Ryedale’s transport problems without spending £500 million to add extra lanes to the A64 trunk road.

The railway line isn’t used to its full potential, and could form a big part of the cheaper solution.

First, there would be a doubling of both the railway and the bus services between York, Malton and Scarborough. There would be two trains per hour and four buses per hour. In addition, they would be integrated.

This would allow passengers travelling from villages or suburbs of the towns on or near the A64 to take a bus to the nearest station and use the train for most of the journey. It would create a fast but door-to-door service. Passengers would use only one ticket for the whole journey. Changing modes need not be inconvenient and expensive.

Second, in the long term, I am petitioning for the Rillington Junction to Pickering railway line (north of Malton) to be reopened to give Whitby and Pickering a direct and fast link to York, using the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The NYMR would get an extra track to increase capacity, and would be used by both heritage and modern trains. This would cut traffic on the A169, as well as the A64. Buses using the A170 would also connect with the trains at Pickering.

I ask everyone in York, Ryedale, Scarborough and Whitby who wants better public transport to sign the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/malton-pickering/

Ben Hughes
Wombleton