A Bradford councillor has criticised a bus company after he says a bus driver drove straight past him while he waited at a stop, ironically, when he on his way home from a transport authority meeting.

Councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said he broke his journey home from the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority meeting in Leeds to stop at the post office in Busy Lane, Shipley, intending to catch the 12.39pm 660 service to Idle.

He said he clearly signalled to the driver as the bus came round the corner at the bottom of High Busy Lane, but was “amazed” as the driver “waved his hands as if to say not this one”. The bus continued down Busy Lane without stopping.

His difficult journey continued when he boarded a Transdev bus which went on to break down, he said.

The 660 service was transferred last weekend from First to Bradford-based TLC Travel – it was one of a number of services tendered as part of a Metro review which aimed at ensuring value for money for council tax payers.

Coun Reid said: “This is a disastrous end to First Bus’s stewardship of the 660 which they handed over to TLC this weekend.

“The last time I used the 660 the passengers had to tell the driver which way to go and at one point in High Royd I had to guide him backwards when he took a wrong turning.

“This caused panic at First Bus but I declined to make the incident public because the driver had clearly not been properly trained for the route.

“However my patience has run out and I feel people should realise the contempt with which passengers have been treated on this route. I hope TLC will set much higher standards. I have every sympathy with the Transdev driver at Thackley corner whose gears packed in. Simply ignoring a passenger because you think they want a different bus is unforgivable.”

Coun Reid said he had spoken to Metro about his previous experience of the 660 and was planning to contact the authority about his concerns over the events of last Friday.

A First spokesman said: “We will investigate Coun Reid’s comments.”

The 660 service now operates between Bradford and Shipley only. The section of route between Shipley and Saltaire is served by new service 679.

The route in the West Royd Estate has also been revised, operating from West Royd Crescent via West Royd Road and Wrose Brow Road to and from Leeds Road, replacing the service 610.