'More stick, less carrot' call as councillors call for Calderdale's axed bus services to be restored, saying people are struggling to get to work

Coun Paul Bellenger told a Calderdale Council meeting that his Greetland and Stainland constituents asked him on a daily basis what was being done to get back bus services.

He said the removal or reduction of some services in the area meant they could not get to work or to a doctor’s appointment.

Coun Regan Dickenson (Con, Rastrick) had earlier asked leader of the council, Councillor Jane Scullion, how the loss of bus services could be tackled at West Yorkshire level.

She said both made valuable points. Reduced services meant reducing people’s choice how they travelled and loss particularly of early morning and late evening services was causing particular problems for shift workers, including key workers in health and care.

Coun Scullion (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said two paths were being followed, working with bus companies along Government-requested lines in an “enhanced partnership” – but also looking at franchising agreements which would mean more direct control as an alternative.

Bus companies had the money from the fare boxes and commercial services that were very popular and needed to treat West Yorkshire Combined Authority and its transport committee fairly over some of the less popular services, she said.

“We could use that money to subsidise some of those less popular early morning and late evening services,” she added.

Coun Bellenger (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) said his ward had been badly hit, losing one service and seeing another reduced.

Better communication was needed with constituents who asked what was being done about bus services on a daily basis.

“From what I am hearing, there seems to be more of a carrot than a stick and I think we really need to be saying you should be doing something for us, otherwise we will be looking elsewhere,” he said.

Coun Scullion said she was very angry about the cuts bus companies had made because they were declaring profits. Companies argued they struggled to recruit drivers, which had been an issue, she added.

“But it is no excuse – they bid for these contracts and the difficulty is, as the bus companies withdraw from the contracts that they consider to be unprofitable, then the burden falls on the West Yorkshire council taxpayer,” she said.

Coun Scullion said West Yorkshire could also not afford to subsidise every route the bus companies began to withdraw.

In talks there was a lot of fighting to get them to restore services, or seeing if at least part of a service could be subsidised.

“In the enhanced partnership we’ve engaged in lots and lots of negotiation with the bus companies – which, I will be frank with you, is not going fantastically well,” Coun Scullion told councillors.

Eyes were being kept on how franchising was working in Greater Manchester, where moves are further down the line, and in West Yorkshire the position should be clearer towards the end of the year, she said.