Green Party councillors have welcomed the announcement that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has stepped in to fund vital school bus services – but have demanded answers over how proposals to cut them were made without alternatives being looked at first.
Councillor Matt Edwards (Green Party – Tong Ward), who has been speaking out against these proposals, joined campaigners in celebrating the announcement of a year’s extra funding for buses. However, he said questions needed to be answered about how proposals were brought forward to cut services when alternatives clearly hadn’t been looked at.
“It’s fantastic to see the West Yorkshire Combined Authority stepping in to fund these crucial buses for another year,” said Councillor Edwards – who is leader of the Green Party councillors in Bradford.
“This is a huge win for parents, students and teachers who have successfully pressured the Council to reverse these short-sighted proposals. They should take great pride in what they’ve achieved.”
However, Councillor Edwards emphasised that the situation raised serious questions about Bradford Council’s decision-making process. “The Labour administration tried to take a shortcut that would have left hundreds of families across Bradford District struggling. Back in November, I pointed out there were alternative ways to fund these services that should have been looked at before the consultation started, and yesterday’s announcement proves I was right.”
The councillor also questioned why Bradford Council did not engage with the Combined Authority before launching the consultation process. “If the Council had made the effort to contact the Combined Authority earlier, we could have avoided the unnecessary stress and confusion faced by parents and students,” he said.
“The consultation report revealed strong opposition to the proposals, with not a single participant supporting the cuts, and hundreds voicing their opposition.
“No one is in any doubt about the financial situation Labour has left our council in, but they need to get their priorities sorted. Green councillors will continue to work with the schools and the amazing campaigners to save these school buses for good.”
Green councillors brought a motion to the December Council meeting calling on the administration to protect school bus services.