PEOPLE across West Yorkshire are being urged not to use public transport unless their journey is essential.

The plea has been issued by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which says people should consider whether their journey is necessary and follow Government guidelines to stay at home.

Bus and rail operators are running emergency timetables during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those who do need to use public transport for essential journeys are being encouraged to regularly check wymetro.com and @metrotravelnews on Twitter for the latest information before travelling.

All West Yorkshire bus station travel centres have been closed until further notice.

MCard customers can still add travel tickets to their MCard via other methods.

The combined authority says that working with other operators, it will keep public transport provision under review to ensure it is meeting the needs of key workers.

Councillor Kim Groves, chairman of the authority's transport committee, said: "We are urging everyone to stay at home and avoid non-essential use of the public transport network to help slow the spread of coronavirus, protect the NHS and save lives.

“This is vital to protect key workers who depend on these vital bus and rail services. It is also important that school bus services remain available for those children who will continue to attend.

“Customers should always check for the latest updates before they travel.”