Boxing days buses could come to end

That was the warning from Metro bosses as they prepare for cuts in the wake of the Government’s comprehensive spending review.

Metro, West Yorkshire’s publicly-funded passenger transport authority, gets a significant share of its income from Kirklees, Wakefield, Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale councils.

It means cuts in council budgets could have a significant impact on bus services across the county.

Last year, nearly 54,000 people in West Yorkshire used the December 26 services which were introduced in 2007 in response to the growing number of shops, restaurants and leisure destinations re-opening straight after Christmas Day.

Metro has confirmed the services will run this year but warned Boxing Day buses were among the services that could suffer if funding falls.

Metro chairman, Coun Chris Greaves, said: “We appreciate that councils are facing stringent cuts and that the retail and entertainment sectors may be facing hard times but it would be a shame if these popular and successful services were allowed to disappear.

“The Government seems confident the private sector will step in to fill the gap where there are public sector cuts, but in previous years our requests for support to the retailers and other companies that are benefiting from Boxing Day services have been politely turned down.”

Meanwhile, Metro is holding roadshows in West Yorkshire this month to find out what people want from their bus services in the future.

It plans to introduce a Quality Contract Scheme which would make it responsible for setting routes, fares, timetables and quality standards. Bus companies would then be contracted to work for Metro.

Among the changes it would like to bring in are simple fares and smartcard-based tickets for all public transport in West Yorkshire similar to the Oyster card in London.

A roadshow will be held at Dewsbury Bus Station on Friday 12 November. More information can also be found at www.wymetro.com/qualitycontracts.