Over 3,600 passengers used the new Wakefield MetroConnect FreeCityBus in its first week of operation.

Developed by Metro, in partnership with Wakefield Council, Wakefield FreeCityBus was launched on Monday 23 April. .

Running every ten minutes from 7.30am to 7.00pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am to 5.00pm on Saturdays the 2.7 mile route’s 12 stops will link key locations around Wakefield City Centre including the city's Westgate and Kirkgate train stations, the bus station, shops and retail parks, the Ridings Centre, Ings Road and the Cathedral and Westgate Retail and Leisure Parks.

Three, clearly branded, low-floor 29-seat single-deck buses with CCTV coverage have been acquired for the service, which will reach parts of Wakefield not currently accessible by public transport, operating initially operate on a six month trial basis.

“This trial service has been set up with Wakefield Council following the success of Metro’s hugely popular Leeds FreeCityBus, which has carried well over one million people and the Huddersfield FreeTownBus which just last week carried its 100,000th passenger,” said Metro Chairman, Cllr Stanley King.

“I’m sure it will quickly become a highly popular and recognisable feature of the Wakefield Cityscape.

“FreeCityBus is one of several exciting transport opportunities in the pipeline for Wakefield District,” continued Councillor King. “Our £14.5m Castleford Interchange, which will bring together the town’s bus and rail stations in a state-of-the-art facility, is in the detailed planning stage. And Network Rail recently announced that it has earmarked a £1.4m contribution to the redevelopment of Wakefield Westgate Rail Station.

At the service’s official civic launch, which was attended by The Bishop of Wakefield, and the Deputy Mayor of Wakefield, breakfast was followed by speeches from Cllr Stanley King, Chairman of Metro, Cllr Phil Dobson, Deputy Leader of Wakefield Council and Margaret Wood, Chairman of First Wakefield, who then went for a trip around the new service.

Guests heard how FreeCityBus will provide an ideal, free link to key parts of the City centre for local people and visitors arriving in or travelling through Wakefield by train, bus or coach, reducing the need for them to bring their cars into the City centre.

During the lead up to the launch date of Monday 23 April, Metro was out and about in Wakefield City centre providing information about the new service and distributing leaflets about the FreeCityBus.

More details of the new service, including a downloadable map of the route.