Buses in West Yorkshire: Some Wakefield bus routes to double in frequency and a new service starting

The move is part of a wider boost to bus services across West Yorkshire funded by an investment from West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Wakefield is set to see eight evening services to increase from one bus an hour to one every 30 minutes, starting in mid-February.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority said that after the pandemic, reduced travel patterns dealt a blow to the industry’s revenues, leading to bus operators cutting back on frequencies and routes.

Last September, the authority launched a scheme of new, cheaper, and more regular services between Shipley, Leeds and Keighley which saw passenger numbers increase by 30 per cent.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s transport committee, said that investing in the bus network “yields results”.

“We know there is still work to do but we’re committed to making the bus a reliable, affordable and convenient way of getting around West Yorkshire”, she added.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “I’m delighted that these new and improved services will be hitting our streets next month – connecting communities, reducing reliance on cars and getting people where they need to go.”

This boost to the region’s bus services will be heard by the transport committee next week. They will be asked to release a further £3.2m of funding, some of which will support the delivery of a new service in Wakefield, expected to launch later in 2024.