Yorkshire villagers’ protest and petition over ‘random, diminishing bus services’
Villagers in West Yorkshire have staged a protest about poor bus services in their area.
Residents of Portsmouth, near Todmorden, say the unreliable services are putting them at risk of loneliness, as well as causing them to miss medical appointments and affecting those who need to go to college or university.
The village is on the border between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire and sits within the Calderdale Council district.
Its isolated position causes problems for people who rely on the hourly service run by First Bus between Halifax and Burnley, which some villagers claim often does not turn up on time, or at all on some days.
Todmorden town councillor Tyler Hanley has started a petition about bus services, which also affects Cornholme, after the 592 bus was replaced with a reduced hourly bus service outside peak times. More than 2,000 people have signed the petition.
Resident Caroline Pinder said the bus service’s unreliability means villagers are often faced with difficult decisions.
She told The Yorkshire Post: "We’re on the very edge of Todmorden, which is on the edge of Calderdale, which is the smallest local authority in West Yorkshire, which is on the edge of Yorkshire and Humberside, on the edge of the barbarian lands.
“A few metres up the road you are in Lancashire, then along the second valley towards Rochdale we see Mayor Burnham's lovely yellow trams buzzing about.
"So because we are in this lump of Yorkshire that is surrounded by Lancashire and Greater Manchester we feel neglected by our own West Yorkshire authority.
“We are absolutely beyond fed up with our increasingly random and diminishing bus services. We’re right on the edge of Greater Manchester. We see Mayor Andy Burnham with wonderful policies, and it’s so frustrating for us.
“There’s a number of buses that go around the estates to Todmorden, so why can’t we have one to fill the gaps?
“It’s both the infrequency and the unreliability (of the services). Because they’re infrequent, they get full.
“I was at the bus stop talking to a friend and she was saying ‘it’s going to be different this winter as I won’t be seeing so much of my friends’.
“Loneliness has a big impact. People should be able to go and have a coffee with their friends once or twice a week.”
Ms Pinder also said she was concerned about the impact of an unreliable bus service on teenagers. She said: “It’s a big step going to further education. If buses are another barrier, we know that kids who don’t make a successful transition (to further education) are at risk of not getting a job.”
Coun Hanley said: “We started a petition to demonstrate the strength of feeling across Todmorden that the revised bus service is totally unacceptable.
"Within weeks, we achieved more than 2,000 signatures and caught the attention of West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council.
“Ordinary people came together to make their voices heard. I'm immensely proud of everybody that has taken action. We are simply asking the powers that be to find a resolution now to bring our buses back."
The petition, started by Mr Hanley, reads: “Cornholme and Portsmouth are reliant on buses more than most. A lack of a train station combined with increases in planned housing developments proves that better buses are needed to serve our community.
“Without a car, the only real alternative is a reliable service that enables people in these villages to reach their destinations in Todmorden and beyond.
"The decision to replace the 592 with a reduced hourly bus service outside peak times is unacceptable.”
It comes weeks after the West Yorkshire Combined Authority started a process for potential operators.
This sets out strict criteria for any bus companies wanting to bid to run services in the region, to raise standards and ensure value for money.
A new West Yorkshire-wide, franchised network will see bus fares, routes and timetables set by the authority, with bus operators accepted and registered onto the dynamic market invited to bid for contracts to run services.
First Bus was contacted for comment.