‘Fighting with one hand tied behind our backs’: Senior councillor blasts latest Arriva cuts and calls for bus services to be returned to public control

The operator has confirmed more routes will be axed or reduced from the beginning of October.

Matthew Morley, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet member for planning and highways, says many people in rural areas will now be left ‘cut off’.

Coun Morley also backed calls for bus services in West Yorkshire to be returned to public control, describing the current operator model as “unsustainable”.

The additional cuts come after a turbulent year for the district’s bus users, with services being reduced or withdrawn.

Coun Morley said: ”I don’t see other bus companies making the same cuts that Arriva have done.

“Wakefield has faced cuts worse than anywhere else in West Yorkshire.

“The bus companies aren’t playing ball with us.

“It is so frustrating for us as politicians.

“Myself and my colleagues get constant e-mails from local residents about cuts in services.

“Some areas have been cut off altogether.

“In rural areas where we have minimal bus routes, you can’t get out in the evening now. But we don’t have the answers.”

Coun Morley is now calling for urgent Government intervention as residents struggle with the cost of living crisis.

He said the axing of more services is also harming the local economy and goes against policies to encourage people to use public transport

He added: “We are building bus lanes everywhere.

“But what is the point in doing this if there is not going to be a bus network there at the end of it?

“We are fighting with one hand behind our backs.

“It is clear that the operator model isn’t working.

“The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has been fantastic in plugging gaps.

“But I don’t think they can plug any more gaps.

“It is not a sustainable way of working.”

Figures show one in four households across the Wakefield district, around 80,000 people, do not own a car and rely completely on public transport.

Around two-thirds of the district’s population live outside of the City of Wakefield.

Transport chiefs fear the cuts will impact most on residents in rural areas and towns to the south-east of the district.

The latest cuts come despite the extension of funding, until March 2023, through the government’s Bus Recovery Grant which offers some financial help to bus companies.

In April, Arriva announced plans to temporarily reduce its Saturday services on the majority of its routes to a Sunday timetable.Read more: Wakefield Council looking to spend £11m on electric cars and vans but keep bin wagons and gritters diesel-powered

Coun Morley added: “It’s clear that, despite the recent extended Government support for bus companies, the current way bus services in our district are run is simply not working.

“In recent years, we have seen cut, after cut, after cut.

“A long-term solution is urgently needed.

“These latest cuts will impact further on many people’s lives and it is unacceptable.

“We need the Government to offer much greater support, to get services back on track. It’s what people need and deserve.

Coun Morley added: “Wakefield Council continues to support (West Yorkshire) Mayor Tracy Brabin’s ambition for the return of full public control of buses across West Yorkshire.

“This cannot come soon enough before our services are completely decimated.”

“We also support and welcome the Mayor’s recent actions in capping fares.

“However, this is of little comfort to those communities across the Wakefield district who lack decent services to begin with.”

A spokesperson for Arriva said: “We know how important our bus network is to communities in West Yorkshire and the decision to make changes to services is not one we take lightly.

“Unfortunately, a combination of reduced passenger numbers since the pandemic and higher operational costs mean that some of our services are no longer economically viable and have been run at a loss for some time despite government recovery funding.

“After a detailed review carried out in partnership with colleagues at WYCA, which was a condition of receiving government funding, we have taken the tough decision to make alterations to our timetable.

“This will help ensure our network is sustainable and that it can continue to serve our customers in West Yorkshire for the long-term.

“We will continue to work with our colleagues at WYCA to minimise the impact of these changes and will keep our customers updated on what this means for their journeys.”

The latest Arriva bus service changes include:

148/149 Wakefield – Pontefract – Knottingley. No longer running through several residential estates, which means that some passengers have further to walk to the main road. Will no longer serve Priory Estate, Featherstone, Wentcliffe Estate, Ferrybridge and England Estate in Knottingley. All services will run via Ferrybridge, leaving the main Knottingley/ Pontefract Road served only by infrequent services.

107 Wakefield – Thornes – Durkar – Asda- Newmillerdam – Kettlethorpe. Service will terminate at Asda. This will mean there will be no Arriva service to Newmillerdam.

108 Wakefield – Durkar – Crigglestone – West Bretton – Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Service will be withdrawn. The changes mean a loss of service to Durkar Low Lane and Hollin Lane in Crigglestone.

408/409 Pontefract – Doncaster. Withdrawing this service severs the cross-boundary link. It leaves the communities of Darrington and Wentbridge unserved and Thorpe Audlin with a greatly reduced service. West Yorkshire Combined Authority is exploring alternatives for connecting those communities to Pontefract, during off-peak hours only.

118 Wakefield – White Rose Centre – Leeds. Service to no longer operate through to Leeds and will terminate at White Rose. This will restrict access to Leeds for residents of Wrenthorpe and other communities along the route.

111 Pinderfields Hospital Shuttle. There will be a frequency reduction from 20 to 30 minutes .

195 Wakefield – Crofton – Ryhill – South Hiendley – Hemsworth. Reduction to some evening 195 journeys and reduction on Sundays with the 195 only operating every two hours. This will leave no service to South Heindley from the later part of the afternoon peak and throughout the evening.

147 Wakefield – Altofts – Normanton – Old Snydale – Featherstone – Pontefract. All journeys will be withdrawn from the mid-afternoon peak onwards. There will be no service after that time to Old Snydale and parts of Normanton

163/166 Leeds – Garforth – Kippax – Castleford.

Evening service frequencies will reduce from 30 to 60 minutes.

231/232 Wakefield – Horbury – Netherton/Middlestown – Huddersfield

Reduction in the combined evening frequency from the later part of the afternoon peak. This will result in the communities of Netherton and Middlestown each having a two-hourly frequency after this time.

268 Wakefield – Flushdyke – Dewsbury – Bradford. Significant reduction in frequency from the later part of the afternoon peak.