We, the undersigned, call on you to urgently improve local bus services across the Aire and Wharfe valleys.

For too long, our towns and villages have suffered from unreliable, infrequent and expensive bus services, making it harder for people to get to work, school, health appointments or simply visit friends and family.

Many routes have been cut, evening and weekend services are poor or almost non-existent, and the lack of coordination between buses and trains leaves many without a realistic alternative to driving.

Connections between the two valleys are particularly poor, making it extremely difficult for people in the Wharfe Valley to reach key destinations such as Airedale Hospital. In many cases, there is no direct route and journey times by public transport can take more than twice as long as by car — leaving residents in places like Ilkley and Addingham without a practical alternative to driving.

This has serious consequences for our communities, our economy and our environment.

Better buses mean better access to jobs and services. They help tackle social isolation, cut congestion, and reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. And they are essential if we want to build a fairer, greener West Yorkshire.

We call on you to:

• Make buses more frequent and reliable, especially in the evenings and at weekends;
• Improve routes and timetables so they properly link up with trains on both the Aire and Wharfe Valley lines;
• Speed up the transition to public control, so that routes serve our communities, not private profit.

It’s time for better buses in our area, and we urge you to act now.