Leeds

First Bus Chief Claims Metro Statement is Misleading

Dave Alexander MD for West and North Yorkshire comments on statement by Metro.

FIRST has acted swiftly to clarify its position on unsubstantiated statements that 6% of its West Yorkshire bus network will be withdrawn in July.

Dave Alexander Managing Director of First West & North Yorkshire has stopped short of criticising Metro Chairman Cllr Greaves but said: "I am sure that Cllr Greaves's statement was made with the best of intentions but there is a real danger that it will stimulate a further decline in bus customer confidence at these already unsettled times"

Statements that some 6% of Firsts total network in West Yorkshire would be withdrawn in July are inaccurate " the figure is provisionally 3.7%, significantly less than is currently being reported.

First will still cater for some 3 million-bus journeys per week demonstrating that West Yorkshires biggest bus operator is still committed to providing a first-class bus service.
Alexander said: "Services or journeys are only being withdrawn where there are just too few people to justify them and it is neither economically nor environmentally wise to consume resources and produce emissions from empty buses.

"Bus services are always adjusted to meet demand and in the current economic climate where there are fewer people travelling to work and for shopping then services have to follow suit."

First understands that Metro is currently looking at the planned withdrawals and is considering whether it is necessary to procure a level of replacement service. Alexander said that "any suggestion that First have proposed these changes in order to secure financial support from Metro is quite wrong. Metro are simply executing their responsibilities by evaluating the outcomes of our decisions and it will be for them to decide what level of replacement service if any is appropriate".

Alexander expressed complete surprise at the statements made by Cllr Greaves. He said "First has invested £35 million in its business in West Yorkshire during the last 12 months and has recently confirmed a further £12 million in the current year. These levels of investment are significant and demonstrate our commitment to bus services and the wider community in West Yorkshire.

"We are very much focused on the future. We have examined the efficiency of our business and made changes where necessary. We have taken the responsible decision to match resource levels with demand and are currently working on plans which will see the expansion of the network and some services as the economy stabilises and demand grows.

" We have clearly demonstrated both our ability and appetite to develop the network by stimulating greater demand and when the time is right we will again demonstrate our flexibility by expanding services and increasing frequencies. This is the responsible position to take and not the poorly planned and unimaginative one previously referred to by Cllr Greaves"

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