Transport chiefs 'shocked' by fall in bus use

A report said the number of people using the region's buses was 8% down on the same time last year

A big decline in the number of people using buses in West Yorkshire has shocked the region's transport bosses.

The number of passengers this summer was 8% lower than during the summer of 2024, meaning there were 2.3m fewer bus journeys during the three-month period, a West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) meeting heard.

It was told "a range of factors" had contributed to the drop-off in bus use, with service cuts appearing to be "a significant element".

Simon Warburton, from WYCA, said the drop "came as quite a shock", but Councillor Peter Carlill said: "It is no surprise with Wakefield, as the area has seen incredibly poor service that has only just returned to being a bit more reliable."

Commenting on the role played by service reductions, Councillor Matthew McLoughlin, said: "It turns out if you cut bus services, then people don't use them. Funny that."

'Decline is of concern'

A report to the authority's transport committee on Wednesday said: "This is the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline since 2024.

"Before this, patronage had been growing, or had remained relatively stable."

Wakefield saw the steepest decline, with the number of people using buses in the district falling by more than 13% in one year.

During the discussion members said the decline highlighted the need to bring bus services under public control, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A new franchised network will see bus fares, routes and timetables set by the WYCA which has started a process for selecting operators to run services on its behalf from April 2027.

Councillor Carlill told the meeting the franchising assessment had highlighted a potential period of decline, which he said had "been more pronounced this year".

In spring 2025, the number of scheduled vehicle journeys fell by 3% compared with spring 2024, equivalent to approximately 37,800 fewer journeys.

Councillors heard other factors included the timing of the national and regional fare cap change at the end of March 2025, with 10% of people who responded to a bus use survey reporting they used the bus less since the fare changes.

The report added: "We recognise that this rate of decline is of concern, so we will undertake more analysis of the regional and national picture to understand the causal factors."

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