YEP Says: Let us make our bus services in Leeds fit for service

Road congestion is one of the main reasons. We are told that services struggle to cope with a “phenomenal” increase in congestion in recent years.

So, what is the solution? Leeds’s biggest bus company says radical and potentially unpopular solutions to improve bus travel around Leeds are needed.

First Bus says outline plans for bus priority systems which would reduce delays and speed up journeys in the city are being drawn up by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and are due to go out for consultation later this year.

These measures may not be popular with car users but we believe they are necessary. Only when we have a reliable and convenient bus service, will more people be prepared to leave the car at home and take the bus.

Many are discouraged from doing so at the moment because they cannot rely on buses to get them to work conveniently and on time.

First Bus say some of the measures will be politically unpopular and some businesses might object, but they will need to be radical to deal with congestion. Measures such as bus priority schemes do not have to be expensive but they make a difference. We hope the consultation will be quick and thorough and that all Leeds commuters will benefit.