24 March 2009

'School Travel', the Transport Select Committee's latest report published on Sunday 22 March tells education and transport ministers they must do more to produce a modal shift away from cars towards public transport, through dedicated school transport including 'Yellow Buses'.

"If they came to West Yorkshire, the Select Committee members would be able to see the widespread measures Metro has already implemented to achieve encourage young people to use public transport," said Councillor Greaves.

"Over 10,000 pupils now travel to and from 133 West Yorkshire schools, on purpose-built Mybus yellow buses and our work with schools on SAFEMark has resulted in improved behaviour and raised pupil awareness of sustainable transport," he said.

"Also Metro's concessions schemes mean that most young people can travel on buses or trains throughout West Yorkshire for free or half-price until they are 18 years old."

Metro is now in the process of building on these successes by beginning to extend the benefits of the Mybus yellow bus scheme to regular school transport and is developing a strategy which takes a comprehensive approach to transport for young people.

"We would be happy to discuss all aspects of our groundbreaking work with the Select Committee to help it find nationwide solutions," added Councillor Greaves.

Read the Executive Summary of Metro's Mybus report.