Campaigners call for publicly owned bus service for West Yorkshire ahead of fare increase in March

We Own It, which runs the Better Buses for West Yorkshire group, welcomed Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin’s plans to franchise the West Yorkshire bus network in a statement, but said the increase in bus fares could be “the straw that breaks the camel's back.”

Matthew Topham, Lead Campaigner at We Own It for the Better Buses for West Yorkshire group, said: “This 25 per cent increase in single fares could be the straw that breaks the camel's back: April will see our water, energy, and council tax bills all rise.

“More expensive journeys will cut young people off from education, workers off from good jobs, and all of us from healthcare, family, and friends.

“I don't drive, there's no convenient train, I rely on the bus every week.

“Mayor Brabin has thankfully stepped in to keep the fares lower than the £3 national cap, but we all deserve more.

“Franchising will be a good first step to halve the level of profit that leaks out of your fares, but operators will still be allowed to take out over 7p in every £1 they get from the public.

“The best bus services in the country are not only franchised, so the private companies can only run services with the Mayor's say-so, but they actually use a publicly owned bus company.

"It means places like Edinburgh can keep fares lower as they reinvest every penny of profit into the service.

It's a simple principle: buses should work for people, not profit. We need to see the same brought in here."

In response, a spokesperson for West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) said: "We've led the way in ensuring fares are more affordable as part of our vision for a greener, better-connected region that works for all.

"By capping single bus trips at no more than £2.50 and £6 a day from the end of March, we're keeping fares amongst the lowest in the country for our passengers alongside our investment in protecting and enhancing bus routes.

"Our plans to bring buses back under public control will give us the ability locally to set bus fares, routes and timetables based on what we know our passengers need."

WYCA said three quarters of people in a recent survey said the price cap made it easier for them to take multiple journeys in one day.

Respondents also said it saved them money and improved access to job opportunities.

Speaking about the Mayor’s Fares scheme, Tracy Brabin said: “Our Mayor’s Fares have had such a positive impact on people using buses across the region.

“We have worked hard to keep fares low so that people have access to affordable bus travel across the region.

“Improving our bus network and bringing it back under public control is central to our plan to build a greener, better-connected region that works for all.”

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “It’s great that we’ve been able to use our powers as a combined authority to keep fares low.

"Improving transport services while keeping fares affordable is key to our growth ambitions for West Yorkshire.”