Boost for Leeds commuters as bus firms pull out stops with ticket deal

First, Centrebus and Transdev are now accepting each others’ tickets for journeys on the A65 Kirkstall Road bus corridor in Leeds.

Passengers using a First, Centrebus or Transdev service on the route have previously had to buy tickets specific to the operator.

The firms say that, if successful, the arrangement could be rolled out to other parts of the county.

Simon Pearson, commercial director for First in West and North Yorkshire, said: “This is an important step by bus companies in Leeds.

“We will monitor the success of this scheme in terms of encouraging more people to use buses between Kirkstall and Leeds and, if successful, will consider rolling this out to other parts of the bus network in Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire area.”

Centrebus commercial director David Shelley said: “This is a great example of how bus companies are working together when they can to deliver more flexibility for existing customers, and make buses a better travel choice generally.”

The A65 corridor’s main feature is four kilometres of new bus lane between Kirkstall Lane and the Leeds Inner Ring Road slip.

More than £20m was spent on the scheme, designed to ease congestion on one of the busiest commuter routes in and out of Leeds.

The operator link-up has been hailed by Coun Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy and development.

Coun Lewis said: “I welcome this ticketing initiative by bus operators in Leeds to allow customers to have a choice of buses on the A65 corridor. [The corridor] is undoubtedly one of the most significant transport improvements in Leeds in recent years.”

The new ticketing arrangement applies to the following services on the A65:

First 33/33A and Centrebus 757 between the city centre and Commercial Road/ Bridge Road;

First 5 between the city centre and Burley Place/Viaduct Road;

First 508/670/671 and Transdev 760 between the city centre and Savins Mill Way/Morrisons supermarket.