By John Baron
The number 9 Horsforth to White Rose Centre bus service WILL be axed, bosses at FirstBus have confirmed.
WLD reported earlier this week that a number of services across West Yorkshire were facing being cut completely or operating on revised timetables.
There will also be new timetable on the X11 Leeds – Pudsey – Bradford route with some early and late journeys being cut completely, and an hourly service on the number 14 service between Pudsey and Leeds.
An e-mail from bosses at Firstbus in Leeds – shared on social media by Pudsey councillor Simon Seary (Cons) – confirmed some of the cuts leaked earlier this week and said a formal announcement was due shortly.
The email said: “I would also like to stress that we have worked closely with the Combined Authority to try to maintain connectivity where possible on the impacted services.
“The changes commencing 2 April (registration deadline today) do include the withdrawal of the Horsforth – White Rose Centre 9 service. We have registered a journey 9S to cover an early morning journey used by students.
“Please note the 9A evening contract operated on behalf of WY Combined Authority, which expires at the end of April, will be revised to operate between Seacroft & White Rose only.
“From the same date we will be introducing a new timetable on the X11 Leeds – Pudsey – Bradford including the withdrawal of some under-used early and late journeys.
“I do appreciate the challenges around such changes but these actions are necessary now to ensure we move towards a sustainable network going forward.
“Please note communication to customers with further detail is planned for early next week.
“Also for the Pudsey constituents this includes some changes to the 14 service which will be revised to operate between Pudsey and Leeds only with a new hourly timetable. Customers wishing to travel to Logic Business Park will be able to connect with the PR2 ‘Temple Green’ service which will now observe stops along Pontefract Lane.”
WLD reported leaked plans could see the numbers 87, 64, 47,48, 9 and 9A be permanently withdrawn by the company. A further seven West Yorkshire services are at risk of having their frequencies slashed.
The move would also be in spite of the Department of Transport (DfT) extending emergency funding for bus operators from the end of March until June.
One Leeds councillor, whose residents would be affected by the proposed changes, said on Turesday “whole communities are at risk of being cut off” from repeated cuts.
First did not comment when repeatedly approached for comment last week. last Monday, the company said on Twitter it was “continuing to work closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to finalise details”, ahead of a March 3 deadline for announcing the changes.
Possible changes in full, according to the leaked plans
Services which could be withdrawn:
9 – White Rose Centre-Pudsey-Farsley-Horsforth
9A – Seacroft-Colton-Swillington-Rothwell-Middleton-White Rose Centre-Pudsey-Farsley-Horsforth
47 – Leeds-Hunslet-Middleton-Morley-White Rose Centre
48 – Wigton Moor-Moortown-Chapeltown-Leeds-Hunslet-Middleton-Morley-White Rose Centre
64 – Leeds-Cross Gates-Barwick-in-Elmet-Aberford
87 – St James’ Hospital-East End Park-Hunslet-Holbeck-Armley-Bramley
Services which could have their frequency cut:
14 – Pudsey-Armley-Leeds-Logic Business Park
X11 – Leeds-Armley-Pudsey
508 – Halifax-Shelf-Thornbury-Leeds
181 – Huddersfield-Cowlersley-Slaithwaite-Wilberlee
183 – Huddersfield-Cowlersley-Slaithwaite-Wilberlee-Marsden
184 – Huddersfield-Cowlersley-Slaithwaite-Wilberlee-Marsden-Lees-Oldham
185 – Huddersfield-Cowlersley-Slaithwaite-Wilberlee-Marsden
WLD readers have already reacted with anger and concern to the proposals.
Cllr Simon Seary is urging Pudsey bus users to e-mail him on Simon.Seary@Leeds.gov.uk with their concerns.
Re No.9 bus route..Looking forward to shelling out £20 in taxi fare to visit my parents who live on the Ring Road!! As a non driver you have now cut us off from going to White Rose , Rodley Canal and Horsforth. In effect the only destination people in Pudsey can get to now is Leeds . You advocate getting about on a bus but then takeaway the only route that we can use as an alternative to going into Leeds shopping. Thanks for nothing. Don’t bother giving me a bus pass in 2 years , because their won’t be any buses to get on.
I feel exactly the same way Steve. What they’ve done to the 9 service is absolutely disgusting. I feel very angry and frustrated about it. I rely on this service to get to and from my workplace in Pudsey. It’s about the only first bus service that I could call reliable at the moment. This is just going to continue isolating communities, especially the elderly. It will make people even lonelier. The privatised bus companies are just completely heartless. All they care about is how much money they’re making. The sooner buses are brought back into public ownership the better.
Is this the same #9 that goes to Rothwell?
Yes the 9A and 9 to rothwell is getting axed.
This is not acceptable. Who is standing up and fighting for bus users (and social connection) in West Leeds?
Absolutely disgusting, the number 9 is a valuable bus route for all in Horsforth, not everyone drives, so we are left with just the 50/50A fine if you want to go to Leeds or Seacroft and a 20 minute journey to Pudsey will soon take over an hour and 2 buses, I use this bus regularly to get to dentist/ opticians/ butchers etc in Pudsey, this will certainly isolate me and many others
It’s disgusting…these changes are made by people who don’t need to use public transport. We pay towards the bus service through our Council tax so maybe should get a refund. After over 60 years of service they took our beloved 38 service off as it wasn’t ‘financially viable’…this ran once an hour and connected White Rose center via Armley.Kirkstall.Headingley and onwards to Roundhay and across town…We are now told the number 14 (my local service) is to be cut to once an hour. Further down the line l can see it being withdrawn altogether like many more. Public transport is supposed to be a service for the public but is now a business whose only aim is for profit. It makes my blood boil when l am in Pudsey bus station and see the number 4 service every few minutes. A big shake up is needed. All l can advise is for everyone to get in touch with their local councilor and to get their family and friends to also..
Greedy first bus is just continuing to cherry-pick all the most profitable services and turn them into so-called ‘high-frequency’ routes (but even these are notoriously unreliable). Then it’s axing the rest, basically because all they really care about is making lots of money for their shareholders. It’s just terrible arrangement and local communities that rely on public transport are really starting to suffer the consequences from a gradual erosion of connectivity.
So now only one bus goes through Rodley, there used to be 3 buses that went to Leeds plus the no.9 to Pusey and beyond.
You will not get people out of cars by keep cutting buses.
If you are not a driver don’t move to Rodley.
Public transport is appalling at the moment and doest look like it’s going to get better anytime soon
We have created an online petition to save the Pudsey buses.
Please follow this link
https://forms.gle/nudrr3jBNfNTo8Nm8
We will contact the West Yorkshire Mayor’s office with the survey information and will be pressing First Group to reinstate the services
They are planning to cut the 184 which runs to Oldham in Greater Manchester, the whole lot needs renationalising.
It is very disappointing that the 14 is being reduced to an hourly service, as I use it as the start of all of my journeys from Kent Rd. I use crutches, so having to walk up, or back, from Lowtown is an extra burden, particularly when it’s wet. Also, the 4 does not go to the courts or art gallery, so it means having to walk further to LGI.
This is a direct result of deregulation back in 1986. The private monopolies that have since developed in areas like Leeds mean that companies like First Group can hold the area to ransom. Some people think local buses operate under a franchising system that the local council can withdraw. Not true; this only happens in London, which was excluded from the original plans to deregulate the rest of mainland Britain, and the subsequent plans to deregulate London separately were quietly shelved, presumably when the government realised what a shambles it had become. The result of this is that the rest of the country suffers an appalling service while London has a fully-funded network that allows cross-subsidy from profitable routes to sustain lighter-used routes in order to create a bus ‘system’ which is further helped by the ability to change buses on the same ticket to complete your journey if you need to, something that has been common practice on mainland Europe and elsewhere for decades. This can only be solved by an end to deregulation and the introduction of a sustainable funding model which puts passengers at the centre of transport planning instead of shareholders.
Does thus apply to the 9 that takes pupils to Garforth Academy from Woodlesford?
Message to greedy first bus: I have to say the 9a service is pretty reliable and well-used. I travel on it regularly to get to and from work. If you’re going to axe this service, can you please make improvements to the 16 reliability which at the moment is poor. After finishing work I regularly end up being left stranded in Pudsey Bus Station, sometimes for over half an hour. This is not acceptable on cold dark nights. On top of the £68.20 a pay for a monthly bus pass, I wonder if would you like to pay my taxi fares? I don’t have access to a car – but I can drive. Now I’m considering buying a vehicle because the bus services are in such a poor state.
Whoever has imposed these cuts – you are heartless and have let a lot of people down. This is just going isolate even more people and communities that rely on public transport.
The sooner we get a proper reliable public transport system to meet the public’s needs, not a greedy private bus company and it’s shareholders, the better.
These proposed cuts and service changes are total unacceptable. Since I have lived in Rodley for nearly 28 years, we have lost no fewer than 5 Bus services. There were 3 Bus Services to Leeds i.e 6/670/760, now reduced to just the 60 from Keighley when it runs.Also we had the 81/82 from Pudsey to Holt Park, then to add the icing on the cake , we are now faced with losing the 9/9A.Do the powers that be think Rodley is uninhabited, yet our neighbouring village in Farsley has a 10 minute service to Leeds, as well as connections to Halifax and Pudsey.The way things are going, I may have to think about relocating,when i’ m eligible for my Bus Pass in 8 years time, as there will be no Buses left to use it.
It’s disgusting that these buses are being axed Pudsey bus station is a joke you can only go to Leeds or Bradford the number 9 bus was the only one to the White Rose centre no wonder that so many shops are closing and people loosing there jobs people rely on so many of these buses to get too and fro to work visiting relatives etc not everyone drives
It’s a joke, my vets in Horsforth, so now I will have to go to kirkstall then Horsforth, .
If bus fares go back to normal that’s extra cost.
Why can’t we have a decent bus service.
It’s going to leave a lot of people isolated.
We all don’t have funds for taxis.
Instead of running empty double decker bus during the day 86, why not put a smaller bus on routes , just as the Yorkshire Dales .
1 bus into Leeds every 30 minutes isn’t exactly a service, that’s if it’s not cancelled or crowded you can’t get on
It Will mean a taxi for me there and back to the doctors at77 I cant walk there money I can not afford it cost me £7 each way so thats more than i spend on my heating