"Last week Metro's web site provided 464,281 page views which was up 93% on the week before and 125% on the same week last year," reported the Metro Chairman.

"Along with other transport web sites, we had a few problems on Monday because usage was five times its normal level," he continued. "We were able to make some technical changes to ensure the site, which was being updated from 6am onwards each day, was available to passengers.

"Our telephone call centre MetroLine dealt with 4,000 calls on Monday and 3,000 on Tuesday compared with around 1,500 that they would normally expect on a weekday and our Education Transport call centre was extremely busy.

"Over Monday and Tuesday, Metro's yournextbus real-time service delivered almost 21,000 texts providing information about bus services, an average 58% increase over the two days.

"And we sent out email updates through our Metro Messenger subscription service, which we know 10,000 people opened and read."

Councillor Greaves said that although there were some short delays, most local train services had run as normal and the worst delays were on long-distance services to London, caused by problems in Hertfordshire.

Bus operators, he said, had sent out their fleets to provide the best service they could.

"I know some services were restricted at times to main roads, unable to serve minor routes and estates but bus drivers were out there dealing with some very difficult conditions," he said. "Some people will have been inconvenienced but decisions were taken with passengers' and other road users' safety in mind."

"There has been a lot of talk about the country grinding to a halt, but I am proud to say that in West Yorkshire this certainly wasn't the case," added Councillor Greaves.

"There are times when there is criticism directed at our local transport operators and sometimes it's me directing it, so I wanted to take this opportunity to praise them and our own staff, for the 'grit' they have shown."

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