Bus changes Yorkshire: Anger as First bus announces major route changes in Leeds - including cutting off town from shopping centre

Many residents rely on the number 9 and 9a services to get to work each morning.

The usual route takes commuters from Pudsey bus station to the White Rose Shopping Centre.

However, from April 2 the route will be scrapped – announced alongside many other changes by First on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Pudsey councillor Simon Seary slammed the changes.

He said: “It’s leaving many parts of our community without a direct service.

“You can’t expect people to catch two buses to go to work or school.

“They’ve spent millions on cycle routes and bus lanes but the service has been too unreliable for the last year and people have given up on them.”

Mr Seary also claimed he had been approached by a resident who had just purchased a yearly bus pass at nearly £818 just days before the announced changes – directly affecting his route to work.

Other changes include the number 14 service not going to Logic Business Park, the 48 bus service being withdrawn in Morley and the 87 service which operates between west Leeds and St James’s hospital being scrapped.

The new changes will come into effect from April 2, First said.

The 9A and 87 services are contracts with WYCA which it has decided not to continue and so not commercial decisions.

First said the 51/52 split is designed to overcome delays on what is a long route and has also been welcomed by customer feedback.

Announcing the changes, Kayleigh Ingham, Commercial Director of First West Yorkshire, said: “We appreciate that some amendments will be disappointing for customers affected. First West Yorkshire has carefully reviewed these together with WYCA in order to limit changes.

"This action is necessary now to ensure we build a sustainable network into the future and that we balance customer demand with available resources, where there is a clear need for additional capacity.

“It would not be prudent for any organisation, private or public, to continue to operate the same services knowing that the demand across the bus network has changed.”

For the full list of changes, click here.