Leeds buses: Green Party co-leader concerned Boston Spa service cuts will force locals back into cars

Green Party co-leader, Carla Denyerwith met up with local campaigner Penny Stables, as they discussed how essential services were becoming increasingly ‘unaffordable and less useful’.

For those living in Boston Spa & Villages, the number seven bus is the only service connecting Leeds and Harrogate. The weekday services on this route are being cut in half from November 6, from two buses an hour to one, something that has already happened to the Saturday timetable.

The timetable says that journey times from Boston Spa to Leeds take between 45 minutes and just over an hour but that’s on a good day – it can be much longer in practice. Going in the other direction a return ticket from Boston Spa to Harrogate now costs in excess of £9.

Speaking at the event local campaigner Penny Stables said:

“While a temporary £2 cap on single bus fares is hugely welcome within West Yorkshire, fewer routes and less frequent services are making it harder for people to get around at a time when we need to make travel more environmentally friendly.

“We need a genuine bus revolution, with an expanded, high frequency and sustainable bus network. Those with cars should have an incentive to leave them at home; those without deserve improvements so that they can rely on buses for their essential needs for work, social and health.”

There is growing concern among locals that problems getting to and from work, knock on effects on child care, difficulties meeting appointments and other consequences depending on their circumstances will force many within the local community back into their cars.

In addition, despite local mental health services being provided from York, there are no direct bus services available from Boston Spa and villages and only a very limited service from Wetherby.

The visit by Carla Denyer coincided with the Green Party Autumn Conference in Harrogate. Ms Denyer said:

“Buses are vital to creating fairer, greener communities. We have to accept that not everyone drives. In places like Wetherby and Boston Spa, buses help tackle congestion and air pollution – and are especially important to the elderly, the young and the disabled.

“When Greens get elected they bring much needed new ideas to the table – in Scotland Greens successfully pushed for free bus travel for all those under 22 and in Herefordshire, Greens on the Council ensured that Covid recovery funds were used to provide free weekend buses.

“The Green Party will continue to push for a genuine affordable bus revolution in England and believe this can be best delivered when buses are a public service not run for private profit, and where local authorities set routes and fares.”

It comes after 13 bus routes serving Leeds were cancelled completely at the start of the month, as part of a radical shake-up of timetables in the region, a decision which led to an outcry from YEP readers.