Simon Lightwood MP, Member of Parliament for Wakefield, has written to Arriva following complaints about service standards on the 231 and 232 bus routes, serving communities in the rural villages of south-west Wakefield.
In recent weeks, Mr Lightwood has been inundated with emails from residents of Middlestown, Netherton and Overton who depend on the service to travel to Wakefield and Huddersfield. They have described how services have been cancelled or delayed at short notice, and how this has affected their trust in Wakefield’s bus system.
Mr Lightwood has now written to Arriva to hold them to account for the shockingly poor service that passengers are facing in these areas. In his letter, he highlights the issue being faced by constituents and has requested an urgent meeting to call for improvements to the key route.
Simon Lightwood MP, Member of Parliament for Wakefield, added:
“Thousands of bus routes have been axed nationally over the past decade, leaving many communities without the buses that connect communities to work, school and hospital appointments. Services have already been cut in this area – leaving residents with an hourly service, which is increasingly not showing up. I will do whatever I can to urge Arriva to restore the service that our passengers deserve.”
“The Labour Party has called for the biggest reform to bus services in 40 years with areas offered the opportunity to take back control of their buses. The Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire is now consulting on bus franchising for West Yorkshire with a final decision expected in spring 2024.”
You can share your experiences of buses in Wakefield at www.simonlightwood.org.uk/bus