Bus

A modern, integrated, and innovative bus system, which puts customers first.

Aim

A modern, integrated, and innovative bus system which puts customers first.

What success will look like

  • A bus network that puts customers first
  • Improved connectivity to areas of economic opportunity
  • Significantly reduced local emissions
  • Improved access to health services, education, employment, leisure and retail destinations for our communities

Strengths

  • Biggest mover of people by public transport in West Yorkshire
  • Provides connectivity across the region
  • Operators are working with the Combined Authority through an established Bus Alliance
  • Increasing low carbon fleets in West Yorkshire –over half of the buses are Euro VI or better

Challenges

  • Declining patronage
  • Reduction in miles operated commercially by the bus operators
  • Increasing operational conditions due to highway congestion

Policies and strategies

  • West Yorkshire Bus Strategy (2017-2027) – a daughter document of the West Yorkshire Transport Strategy

Who’s helping make this happen

  • The bus operators of West Yorkshire through the West Yorkshire Bus Alliance
  • Local Authority partners

What we are doing to make this happen

Operators are working with the Combined Authority through an established Bus Alliance, which is a voluntary partnership agreement. As part of the Devolution Deal and through the Bus Services Act 2017, the Combined Authority is also reviewing options and models to understand how best to deliver bus services across West Yorkshire.

How this will meet our priorities

Boosting productivity

  • The bus is vitally important to ensure accessibility for employment and training opportunities.

Tackling the climate emergency

  • Maximising the bus network will encourage modal shift towards public transport, reducing the impact of transport on the environment and contributing towards the regional carbon reduction target.
  • The bus fleet is also moving towards Euro VI diesel or low emission alternatives, which significantly reduces the impact on air quality.

Enabling inclusive growth

  • The bus is vitally important to ensure accessibility for employment and training opportunities.

Delivering 21st century transport

  • The bus is the biggest mover of people by public transport in West Yorkshire. It is part of a modern transport system that enables the movement of significant numbers of people in a sustainable way.

Securing money and powers

  • Through the Devolution Deal West Yorkshire is able to explore alternative options for delivering bus services across the region. The Bus Services Act 2017 provides Local Transport Authorities the opporunity to have greater control over their bus network and services. Mayoral Combined Authorities can access powers for franchising.
  • Through a business case, the Combined Authority will explore all option for delivering bus services in West Yorkshire. Following consultation and audit, the outcome of the business case will determine the level of control that the Combined Authority has on the bus service and network offer.
  • The Combined Authority currently operates a tendered services network to the value of £15m per year. It is likely that additional budget will be required if the commercial network shrinks due to the impact of Covid-19.

Page last updated: 26/08/20