The petition by Nicola Higginbottom has over 200 signatures, a pressing concern from the community in Emley who have to take two buses to access facilities in other villages, such as Skelmanthorpe.
A 232 Arriva bus service runs between Huddersfield and Wakefield and calls at the village every hour; however, people want a bus service that links to neighbouring villages around Emley instead of having to wait over an hour for buses.
Ms. Higginbottom states in her petition that she struggles to drop her children off ‘at swim lessons, sports clubs, and other activities’. People feel isolated in Emley and feel like they cannot seek employment opportunities outside of their village.
Cllr. Timothy Bamford, a representative for Denby Dale, the district from where Emley is, said: ‘Although this is concerning, the solution is to create a viable link with an existing bus that diverts to Emley, as creating a direct link wouldn’t make sense as it wouldn’t attract enough attention’.
He continues: ‘There are plans for a meeting with Tracy Brabin to pour money into this as people in Emley are having to get to the bus station for 7am instead of 8am for a 9 a.m. train because there’s a good chance they’ll miss it’.
On March 14, 2024, the mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, announced the decision to franchise buses, which means taking control of the buses, routes, and frequencies to increase public transport. This means buses will not be privately run but will be part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The Combined Authorities decision to franchise buses will result in higher taxes, but a better customer experience and better journey times.
This is in response to the public’s concern about the unreliable transportation in the area. This would mean that buses won’t be able to skip villages such as Emley due to less attraction.
Link to petition:https://chng.it/VZv6kgMp7x