Dugher demands answers over bus firm collapse

Tates Travel ceased trading on Monday with the immediate end of services on ten routes serving Barnsley, Wakefield and Normanton and other towns and villages in South and West Yorkshire.

Passengers were given no notice that the services were about to disappear.

Mr Dugher, a former Shadow Transport Secretary, has written to the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive asking it to put in place alternative services.

He said: “With the shock collapse of Tates Travel, we need to make sure that local people are not left high and dry, and cut off in their communities.

“It is appallingly shoddy treatment that Tates have given less than 24 hours’ notice of all their bus routes ending when passengers depend on their services in Barnsley and South Yorkshire.

“I’m contacting the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive to demand that urgent action is taken so that other bus providers can step in to run vital local bus services.

“Tates’ collapse also shows everything that is wrong with the deregulated bus system, which is why I led Labour’s Passenger Power campaign calling for local authorities to be given the power to set routes and fares, and why I campaigned for more services to be run by local not-for-profit community operators to break the local monopolies of the private bus firms.”

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has said it is looking at finding alternative operators to take up the routes left vacant by Tates Travel.

People looking for alternative travel options can call MetroLine on 0113 245 7676