Transport bosses have revealed they are working with bus chiefs to address timetable changes that have “wrecked” the bus network in North Kirklees.

But whilst they are seeking a solution to the issues around key services – some of which have been re-jigged and others cut entirely – they have warned that one particularly contentious decision will not be altered.

Passengers reacted angrily to the decision by Arriva to withdraw the 253 service which covers Dewsbury, Mirfield, Roberttown, Hightown, Cleckheaton, Gomersal and Bradford.

The decision led to a petition headed ‘Save the 253’ objecting to the change.

Arriva said it cut the 253 and made other changes to focus on routes “with greater commercial potential”.

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which works in conjunction with bus companies and subsidises some services, said: “The initial proposals resulted in some communities losing their bus service.

“The Combined Authority invited tenders to fill those gaps and have awarded Arriva a contract to do so at a marginal cost, partly offset by savings in evening service contracts with Arriva arising from the company’s service changes.”

He added: “The Combined Authority is unable to provide a replacement of service 253.”

At a meeting of WYCA’s Transport Committee Dave Pearson, Director, Transport Services, said the authority had “taken steps” with Arriva to ensure that areas previously serviced by the 253 were covered.

“We are looking at the issues,” he added.

A suggestion by Kirklees councillor Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield) to subsidise a commercial service rather than fund a tendered service to support schoolchildren and older students, was defeated by a 5-3 vote.

He said: “It needs to be reviewed before we turn it down.”

Chair of the committee, Leeds’s Clr Kim Groves (Lab, Middleton Park) commented: “I do feel from the public’s point of view that this has not been handled well by the operators. I’m not going to shy away from that statement.

“We are doing everything we can to resolve it. It’s not the type of situation that we like to have as we’re entering into a partnership.”

She added that budget cuts prevented WYCA from offering subsidies as it had in the past.

Clr Bolt, who sits on Kirklees Council and Mirfield Town Council, said the changes pointed to a wider problem around WYCA and its partnership with bus companies.

“WYCA is a voluntary partnership. It’s weak. It’s not a fair partnership so the bus companies will do what they want to do.”

He also questioned the logic of WYCA giving an estimated £3m in subsidies to bus operators to clean up exhaust emissions when services were being axed.

“The authority is subsiding services to make them cleaner but it’s not being reciprocated by the bus companies running services when and where people need them.

“Clearly it’s a very uneven partnership. If you’re paying £3m into cleaning up buses but you aren’t getting the bus services that you need then you’re not getting consideration.

“Instead of having a voluntary partnership we should go to a more forceful one.”

At a recent public meeting hosted by Batley & Spen MP Tracy Brabin one woman told transport bosses they had “wrecked the North Kirklees bus service”.

Dwayne Wells, Head of Commercial for Arriva Yorkshire, said the company had made several changes to its bus network in North Kirklees and that the overhaul was designed to grow bus usage in the area.

He added: “We do recognise that a small number of our customers will lose a direct link to their ultimate destination.”