Approval for an extra £200,000 to look at improving public transport is being sought from the West Yorkshire’s Integrated Transport Authority.

A report by the Passenger Transport Executive going before the authority on Friday is asking for the cash from the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan.

The report also said that Metro want to continue to engage with operators in refining the details of a partnership approach to improve local bus services.

It comes 12 months after Metro had announced it would recommend councillors approve the introduction of a Bus Quality Contract Scheme, arguing that it was the best way to provide significant benefits to passengers including integrated ticketing, a more stable network and pricing structures and better local accountability for service standards.

But the bus operators, who have formed the Association of Bus Operators of West Yorkshire, have developed another approach in the form of the partnership agreement because of their concerns about the contract scheme, which they view as a serious threat to their businesses.

Now both the partnership agreement and the Bus Quality Contract Scheme are being developed at the same time.

Metro chairman, Councillor James Lewis, has said that the previous partnership offer made was a strong one, but it did not offer a common integrated ticketing system.

Yesterday he said: “While we recognise investment and their role in protecting services during a period of reduced funding, we do not have sufficient clarity about how a partnership approach would reverse decline and benefit passengers.

“If the full ITA meeting approves the recommendation on Friday, we will continue to develop the case for greater direct accountability.”

Now the report is asking for the authority to support the urgent development of detail in the agreement by early autumn.

Recommendations by the Passenger Transport Executive said the partnership agreement still does not contain “sufficient clarity, ticketing, integration or certainty”.

It states: “The authority continue to recognise the need to respond to further operator proposals and note that further development of the memorandum of understanding and progress in respect of key outcomes (such as patronage growth, value for money for all customer groups and the roll-out of smart ticketing) would be significant factors should the WYITA revise its approach to the strategy and the development of a Bus Quality Contract Scheme.”

The new developments come after it was revealed that the number of bus journeys in West Yorkshire have reduced from 235 million in 1995-96 to an estimated 180 million in 2011-12.

The report also recommends the complete development of the contract scheme to be available for consultation in the autumn.