A CAMPAIGN by a Cottingley commuter against changes to local bus services at peak times has been victorious because a replacement service has just been announced.

Building society worker Andrew Thorlby's Save Our Bus Link petition has prompted West Yorkshire Combined Authority to commission a new early bus to join his village with the rail network.

He also had support from local councillors and MP Philip Davies after complaining to transport firm First Bus about any cancellation of the early morning 675 service.

A Bradford Council spokesman explained WYCA's decision:

"Bus users had started a petition in protest after learning that the company First Bus was to withdraw its 675 service.

"The main concern was a lack of services between Cottingley and Shipley, between 6.40am and 8.05am.

"They were worried that a vital link in the chain of public transport services to Bradford, Leeds and beyond was being removed.

"Because of these concerns, the Combined Authority has commissioned bus company TLC Travel to provide a new service from 7 December."

Service 678 will run from Cottingley to Shipley along Manor Road, Cottingley New Road, Bradford Old Road, Cottingley Cliffe Road, Nab Wood Drive, Nab Wood Grove, Ashfield Road, Moorhead Lane, Bingley Road, Saltaire Road, Commercial Street, Briggate, Otley Road, Market Street and Shipley Market Square.

It will run a Monday to Friday service leaving Cottingley village shops at 7.30am to Nab Wood Drive at 7.34am and arriving at the Market Square at 7.46am.

The new service is in addition to the WYCA’s new service 676 that started from Sunday, October 25 to provide an off peak service from the ‘West End’ of Cottingley hourly to Shipley and Bradford via Five Lane Ends and Wrose.

Delighted Mr Thorlby said: "This is great news and many thanks to local councillors, Philip Davies and to the Telegraph & Argus for publicising the issue.

"This should enable people to get a train at a reasonable commuter time.

"Now it's up to people in Cottingley to step up to the plate and use these buses," Mr Thorlby said.

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford’s Executive Member for Transport and WYCA member, said: "Local councillors and WYCA representatives raised this issue with the Combined Authority as soon as it was brought to their attention.

"We are pleased that the WYCA has acted so swiftly to help commuters and officers will be monitoring the new travel arrangements to see if they meet the service users’ needs in the future.

"Our aim is to encourage more people to use public transport so it’s only right that we make sure that they have the opportunity.”