Rachel Reeves: Why are we waiting for a bus transport system that actually serves the public?

A bus finally arrived and collected the dozen or so of us who were now waiting in the cold.

This is a service that is due at 10-minute intervals. The journey was very slow, as we were stopping at every bus stop to pick up large groups of people who had endured similarly long waits, many of whom who would now be late for work. The bus became so full that it began to miss out stops, leaving disgruntled passengers waiting even longer.

This is not an isolated occurrence. Every week since I became an MP, in May 2010, I have received correspondence from constituents of all ages across Leeds West complaining about the state of local bus services.

Within a few months of my election to Parliament I had already received a significant amount of correspondence specifically about the lack of service between Rodley and Bramley, which left many elderly people essentially stranded in Rodley.

With no access to a supermarket, bank, Post Office or GPs surgery, and no service through the heart of Rodley at peak morning times for people wanting to get to work, it was no surprise. Along with local residents I launched a petition calling on First Bus to improve the frequency of services in the area, which was soon signed by hundreds of local residents, which I sent to First, making it clear that local people wanted specific changes to their services.

This was in December 2010. After another long wait, in August 2011, following continuous campaigning by myself and local residents, First did implement an increased service between Rodley and Bramley during a small portion of the day. This victory was welcomed as a step in the right direction.

In the meantime, I was receiving more and more complaints regarding bus services across Leeds. Frustrated by lack of progress, I arranged to meet with the Head of First Bus UK in November 2011 to bring our local issues to his attention in the hopes that changes would rapidly follow and services would improve for local people and although First did acknowledge all concerns that were raised, there were no plans to actually make the changes and improvements my constituents were asking for. 

Then, First announced fare increases to begin in January 2012.

Local residents contacted me in outrage and I launched an online bus survey to gather their views. The results were clear – people were not happy about the fare increases and the poor levels of service across the city.

First justified fare increases by highlighting the government’s cut to the Bus Service Operators Grant. Though this has caused problems, First must be willing to take responsibility for their poor levels of service, an issue that long proceeded the changes.

Fare increases are undoubtedly linked to the Conservative-led Government’s decision to cut the bus service operators’ grant and increase VAT on fuel, while cutting local transport funding by 28 per cent (down from £473m in 2010-11 to £378m in 2011-12, a cut of £95m in one year), not to mention raiding of the funds that local authorities receive to deliver the concessionary fares scheme for older people (a £223m cut in 2011/12).

These changes have had a devastating impact on local bus services with fares forced up, at a time when ordinary people are already feeling the biggest squeeze on their finances in a generation. I look forward with hope to the Quality Contracts scheme in Leeds which would allow the local authority, and hence local people, to have a greater say on how buses operate.

In addition the potential for Oyster-style smart card ticketing across all buses operators and rail too could also offer big improvements. This is all part of a bigger picture, aimed at a more efficient, better value service that connects our city effectively.

I will continue to fight for a bus service that people across Leeds can rely on to get them to work on time, for a service that is affordable and effective. I have a chorus of constituents calling for that, people across the city who stand waiting for buses day in day out, people who walk massive distances instead of waiting, people who turn to their cars when it really shouldn’t be necessary. 

That’s why I am hosting a public meeting on local bus services on Monday from 5.30pm at Leeds West Academy in Bramley.

Representatives from First Bus will be in attendance and everyone is welcome to join and share their views. I will be telling them about my wait last week, and also the poor service and high fares that my constituents face every day.