Frequency and delays; call for action over buses in Yorkshire market town of Otley
Concerns have been raised over a market town’s bus services with warnings over frequency and delays.
A survey of nearly 900 people in Otley found that over 70 per cent were dissatisfied with the frequency of services. Now, as as the town council warns over the impact on footfall and social exclusion, there are calls for change.
Coun Paul Carter is chair of Otley Town Council transport committee, which commissioned the survey.
“Unreliable bus services mean longer working days, missed shifts, missed classes and missed medical appointments,” he warned. "With some of the highest rates of transport-related social exclusion in West Yorkshire, and just under half of passengers saying they have no alternative means of transport, we need short-term measures to address the state of bus services in our town."
Chair of Otley BID Katie Burnett said: "Getting frequency and punctuality right isn’t just a transport issue; it affects the whole town economy."
The survey of 895 people was carried out by People & Places Insight Ltd in May and June, with findings released this week.
Key issues were around the frequency of bus services, with 71 per cent of respondents stating they were dissatisfied with provision. Other challenges included reliability and punctuality. Just a quarter were satisfied with services overall.
Passengers were asked how they felt about the X84 in particular — re-instated with a reduced frequency in February after a community campaign.
Half said its services were worse since then, with one in five saying they were now much worse. Villagers in Pool also highlighted the loss of a direct link to Leeds.
The survey did highlight positives - most notably value for money with a £3 cap on fares, as well as safety, cleanliness and comfort.
Now First Bus, responding, stressed the survey findings were from a period on the network six months ago. Network head Michael Moore said punctuality on the X84 had improved 42 per cent in a year, with 80 per cent of trips on time in the three months to October.
"We are making every effort to continue improving this performance," he said. “The travel corridor from Otley to Leeds is a long route which regularly suffers heavy traffic congestion, and we work hard to manage road conditions and unexpected situations.
“The majority of users surveyed said our bus services give value for money," he added. "We continuously assess our services for potential improvements, to attract more people to travel by bus.”
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) funds a number of journeys around Otley, run by commercial services such as First Bus. It has no plans to further services but intends to set up a system called the Weaver Network, bringing buses under public control from 2027.
"The government is in charge of the rules setting out how long this process takes, but in the meantime we continue to meet regularly with operators to discuss poor performance and make clear expectations for those wanting to be part of the future network," a spokesperson said.