A LOCAL Councillor says he is hopeful that the Government will soon announce funding for local bus services that have seen passenger numbers plummet.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority – made up of the five Councils in the region, has recently written to Government to ask for more permanent funding for bus companies that have seen a massive downturn in income due to lockdown.
Although there have been one off funding announcements for bus services, there had been fears that if more permanent funding is not found, some services could disappear.
At a meeting of the Authority on Thursday morning, Leeds Councillor Kim Groves said a bus recovery partnership had been set up. But she added: “We haven’t had any confirmation from the Government in terms of funding, which is causing pressure on budgets going forward.”
Concerns over pandemic's impact on future of West Yorkshire's bus services
However, a Conservative Councillor who sites on the Authority told members that he had recently received a letter from the Government on the issue that seemed positive.
Cllr Steven Leigh, Leader of Conservative Group on Calderdale Council, said he had recently received a letter from the Government that seemed positive.
He said: “The reply we’ve got gives me no reason for pessimism. We’re not expecting it to be something horrible when we get official notification from the Government.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel