Pupils from Sandal Primary in Baildon told Shadow Education Minister David Willetts they couldn't think of anything that could make their 'My bus' yellow bus better when he visited the school on Thursday 25 January.

"I asked them what could be done to improve their yellow bus and they told me 'nothing'," said Mr Willetts. "They obviously love it."

Mr Willetts said he had made time during a visit to West Yorkshire to see for himself how the My bus scheme is providing an efficient way of transporting pupils to and from school and how the scheme ties in with the environmental agenda which David Cameron is keen to pursue.

As well as pupils Alice, Lewis, Liam and Sophie, Mr Willetts discussed the scheme with Sandal Primary headteacher Paul Richardson, who told him the My bus scheme also helped give young children the confidence to travel on public transport.

Mr Willetts also spoke with the driver Yusef and some mums whose children use the bus, one of whom, Rebecca Wilkinson, said, "It's a very good project. It's handy, clean, reliable and is very safe.".

Metro Vice Chairman Councillor Ryk Downes told Mr Willetts that around one million journeys a year were now being made on bio-diesel-fuelled My bus yellow buses. Before the scheme was introduced, Councillor Downes explained, over 60% of those journeys would have been made by car, which shows just how much My bus is cutting congestions and improving school gate safety.

"By the end of this academic year, there will be 150 My bus buses serving over 250 of the county's schools," said Councillor Downes. "Metro is now keen to extend the benefits of the scheme to pupils right across West Yorkshire."

Mr Willetts said: "My bus has got a national reputation and is the type of project I would like to see rolled out across the country."