Following campaigns run by local councillors and Bolster Moor Community Association, officers at METRO have confirmed that they have revised their proposals to cut services from rural areas of the Colne Valley.

As part of its Bus Network Review in South Kirklees, METRO had proposed to remove evening and weekend services running to Scapegoat Hill/Bolster Moor (303) and Wilberlee/Welhouse (346) which would have affectively left residents, including many young and older people, without public transport in some of the most challenging terrain in the district. 

Colne Valley Councillors Nicola Turner and David Ridgway ran a successful petition gathering 500 signatures opposing the proposals submitting their own submission detailing their and residents’ objections to the changes.  Bolster Community Association also ran a petition in the same vein which was also presented to METRO.

Councillors Nicola Turner and David Ridgway have now been informed by METRO that, in light of the feedback, they have now amended their proposals and will retain both services.

The councillors are continuing their discussions with METRO about changing existing services so that public transport visits the Two Gates/Blakestones area of Slaithwaite.  A further petition on this matter containing 50 names was also presented by the councillors.

Cllr Nicola Turner said:

“We are very pleased that the campaigns run by ourselves and Bolster Moor Community Association have been listened to by METRO.  Cutting these services would have left people facing real difficulties if they didn’t own a car which is totally unacceptable.  The terrain in these areas is challenging to the majority of people while the pavements – if there are pavements – are narrow and poorly lit which would have increased the risk of a tragic accident.”

“We are aware that METRO has to look to save money at this moment in time, but they have to choose wisely which, in this case, they have, following a massive effort from local people to get their points of view across.  Thank you to everyone who has got involved in bringing about this change in their thinking.”

The Councillors are continuing to press METRO to improve services in the area and increase passenger numbers by

–       having a single operator working on the routes so people can make use of return tickets, bringing down the cost of travel for them

–       equalising the fares so one service isn’t cheaper than the other allowing people to travel on any bus at the same price

–       ensuring that drivers stop deviating from the planned routes as happens at with the 303 service where it sometimes misses out Bolster Moor altogether

–       ensuring the continuity of service by taking a driver off a more frequent route elsewhere to cover for the 303 or 346 services in the event of staff absence

–       introducing a rural service that connects rural communities to Slaithwaite and Golcar so that people can disembark and catch connecting buses to Huddersfield, Oldham or Manchester from these central points.