Metro has described the £192k of community bus service funding for West Yorkshire announced by Transport Minister Norman Baker on Wednesday 9 March as an inadequate plug for the hole left by the Government's cuts the Rural Bus Grant.

"Although this money will help Metro work with partners to develop local services such as successful CT1 service launched last year in Todmorden, it is significantly less than the £400k West Yorkshire will lose through the reduction of the Rural Bus Grant," said Metro Chairman Cllr Chris Greaves.

Core

"As part of our work to improve West Yorkshire's bus services through Quality Contracts or Partnerships, Metro foresees a core, county-wide network of express, high frequency routes," continued Cllr Greaves.

"We also need to develop more, local community-based services like the CT1 which will feed into that core network and link with local rail services

"This net reduction in funding for these types of services, which improve access to employment, health, education and leisure activities for people living in rural and remote communities, will make that task more difficult."

Residents of rural communities

CT1 is a Monday to Friday minibus service operating from Todmorden Railway Station, collecting residents of rural communities in Jack Bridge, Blackshawhead and Cross Stone.

Metro worked with local charity Community Transport Calderdale (CTC) to develop CT1. Services are timed to meet local people's requirements and provide integrated transport links with existing bus and rail networks.

Certain sections of route are run on a Hail and Ride basis which means the bus, which is fully accessible, will stop anywhere providing it is safe to do so. The service uses voluntary drivers providing local people with practical work experience and improving their employment opportunities.