Eleventh-hour plans have been revealed to replace the “Post Bus,” which provided a lifeline for the elderly travelling between Malham and Skipton.

North Yorkshire County Council is launching a new service on Monday following a decision by Royal Mail to cease its twice-daily service due to “commercial reasons”.

The new service will come as welcome news to regular users such as 87-year-old Rob Foster, who is registered blind.

Mr Foster told the Herald in February that the twice-daily post bus was “a lifeline for the fragile and feeble and other Dales residents who do not have a car”.

The replacement service will be provided by Little Red Bus in Craven as part of its involvement in the council’s Craven Hubs project.

The service aims to cater for local people as well as enabling day-trippers from West Yorkshire to get to and from Malham by public transport.

The service will operate three days each week – Monday Wednesday and Friday – with a Tuesday service between Malham and Settle.

County Councillor Clare Wood, executive member with responsibility for public transport, said: “I am delighted we have been able to keep a public transport service from Malham.

“Access to services for people in rural areas is a high priority for us. The Post Bus was a valuable service and I am disappointed it has been withdrawn. However, our investment in community transport in Craven has created the capacity to deal with this service.”

Arrangements with the Royal Mail, which have existed for more than 15 years, ceased after it revealed it wished to significantly increase the amount of money in subsidies it received from North Yorkshire County Council.

It told the Herald: “Royal Mail is first and foremost a postal operator, not a transport company and our top priority is the collection and delivery of mail.

“The Skipton-to-Malham service has very low passenger numbers, averaging around one per journey, and the subsidy from the local authority does not make it financially viable. As a result the service will cease as of April 4.”

Copies of the new timetable will be available at shops and other outlets in Malham.