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|---|---|
 The Huddersfield FreeTownBus |
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| Parent | West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive |
| Founded | January 2006 |
| Service area | West Yorkshire |
| Destinations | Leeds Bradford Wakefield Huddersfield |
| Web site | www.wymetro.com |
FreeCityBus or FreeTownBus is a family of zero-fare bus services which are operated in the centres of several cities and towns in the English county of West Yorkshire. The services operate as FreeCityBus in the cities of Leeds, Bradford, and Wakefield and as FreeTownBus in the town of Huddersfield. The service is run under contract to Metro Connect.
Contents |
Services
Leeds
The Leeds service began on 30 January 2006 and was the first bus service in West Yorkshire to use this format.[1] The service currently runs on a fleet of six buses.
Route
The service runs in a circle, linking key nodes in the city centre:
- Stop 1 - Railway Station
- Stop 2 - King Street
- Stop 3 - Headrow/Town Hall
- Stop 4 - Westgate/Courts
- Stop 5 - Park Lane College
- Stop 6 - Clarendon Road/Maternity Hospital
- Stop 7 - Dental Hospital
- Stop 8 - Leeds University
- Stop 9 - LGI - (Leeds General Infirmary)
- Stop 10 - Leeds Metropolitan University
- Stop 11 - Merrion Centre
- Stop 12 - St John's Centre
- Stop 13 - The Headrow
- Stop 14 - Eastgate
- Stop 15 - Bus & Coach Station
- Stop 16 - The Markets
- Stop 17 - Duncan Street
Huddersfield
This service began on 30 October 2006, after the success of the Leeds service earlier that year.[2] In under six months the Huddersfield FreeTownBus had carried over 100,000 passengers.[3] This service was originally introduced on the basis of a nine month trial with two buses. The contract was later extended until 2011 depending on funding.[4]
A Boxing Day service is to be introduced in 2007, following funding from Metro.[5]
Route
Unlike the Leeds and Wakefield services, the service makes a complete circle without backtracking, and runs in an anti-clockwise direction.
- Stop 1 - Rail Station
- Stop 2 - John William Street
- Stop 3 - Market Place
- Stop 4 - Market Street
- Stop 5 - Bus Station
- Stop 6 - High Street
- Stop 7 - Indoor Market
- Stop 8 - The University of Huddersfield (Queen Street)
- Stop 9 - Kingsgate
- Stop 10 - Cross Church Street
- Stop 11 - Parish Church
- Stop 12 - Lord Street
- Stop 13 - Outdoor Market
Wakefield
The Wakefield service was announced early 2007 to begin at the end of April,[6] and began at the planned time, the first run being around 7:30am on Monday 23 April 2007. Four hundred and fifty passengers used the service on its first running day.[7] The service currently runs on a fleet of three buses.
Route
The service is the first bus to connect both train stations, also the first to connect The Ridings, Market and main shopping area to the retail parks.
- Stop 1 - Bus & Coach Station - Stand 1 in Wakefield bus station at :00, :10, :20, etc
- Stop 2 - Cathedral/The Springs - (Main shopping area, Market and The Ridings) Stops on Westmoreland Street
- Stop 3 - Kirkgate/Ridings Centre - (Main shopping area and The Ridings) Stops on Kirkgate
- Stop 4 - Kirkgate Rail Station - Stops at bus stop in car park
- Stop 5 - Ings Road Retail Park - Stops on Ings Road
- Stop 6 - Sainsbury's - Stops on Ings Road
- Stop 7 - Charlesworth Way - Stops on Charlesworth Way, outside the Dixon car sales garage
- Stop 8 - Cineworld - Stops on Charlesworth Way
- Stop 9 - Westgate Retail & Leisure Park - Stops on Ings Road
- Stop 10 - Westgate Rail Station - Stops at bus stop in car park
- Stop 11 - Westgate - (Main shopping area) Stops across the road from Argos
- Stop 12 - Bull Ring/Union Street (alighting only) - Stops about 100 metres before bus station
Bradford
Proposals for a service in Bradford were first drawn up in 2007 after the successes elsewhere in West Yorkshire[8] but the a decision on the scheme was put on hold until December 2007 and then February 2008 by Bradford Council[9]. In June 2008, a start date was finally announced[10] with the first bus running on September 29 2008[10]. Initially the scheme was run as a 6-month trial, but in April 2009 it was announced that the service would become permanent having attracted more than 4 times the expected number of passengers[11]. Bradford Council and Metro are each providing 50% of the funding and have committed to the service until 2013[11].
There are 3 Optare Solo buses which run the service Monday to Saturday. Each bus is sponsored; one by the University of Bradford, one by Bradford College and one by Sovereign Healthcare.
Route
The service runs every 10 minutes and connects Bradford's two railway stations with the main shopping area and the National Media Museum[12].
- Stop 1 - Bradford Interchange - Stand W
- Stop 2 - Market Street
- Stop 3 - Canal Road / Bradford Cathedral
- Stop 4 - Forster Square station
- Stop 5 - Forster Square Shopping Park
- Stop 6 - Manor Row / Register Office
- Stop 7 - Oastler Centre / Rawson Square
- Stop 8 - Kirkgate Centre
- Stop 9 - City Hall / Centenary Square
- Stop 10 - National Media Museum / Ice Rink / Central Library
- Stop 11 - Bradford College
- Stop 12 - University of Bradford
- Stop 13 - Morley Street Resource Centre
- Stop 14 - Alhambra Theatre / West End
See also
- West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
- Leeds
- Wakefield
- Huddersfield
- Bradford
- Zero-fare public transport
- List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
References
- ^ "Leeds FreeCityBus Service". West Yorkshire Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/FCB.htm.
- ^ "Huddersfield FreeTownBus Service". West Yorkshire Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/HDFTB.htm.
- ^ "Huddersfield FreeTownBus carries over 100,000 in six months". West Yorkshire Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/News/070420-2.htm.
- ^ "West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority meeting minutes" (pdf). 2007-05-14. http://www.wypta.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F6B9DC05-8568-4473-85DB-5D8C17BCCA3C/0/TSWG14MAY2007.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ^ "Metro: Boxing Day buses". Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/News/071025-1.htm.
- ^ "Wakefield FreeCityBus Service". West Yorkshire Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/070207.htm.
- ^ "Four hundred and fifty passengers used Wakefield FreeCityBus on first day". West Yorkshire Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/News/0704020-1.htm.
- ^ Killner, Will (2007-07-06). "Campaigners push for free bus shuttle pilot". Telegraph & Argus. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/1524430.Campaigners_push_for_free_bus_shuttle_pilot/. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ Killner, Will (2007-12-07). "'Free bus' decision is delayed". Telegraph & Argus. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/bradford/1887821._Free_bus__decision_is_delayed/. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ a b Winrow, Jo (2008-06-10). "Start date for free city shuttle bus". Telegraph & Argus. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/campaigns/campaigns_brilliant/campaigns_brilliant_news/2332682.Start_date_for_free_city_shuttle_bus/. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ a b Winrow, Jo (2009-04-09). "Bradford's city centre service is permanent". Telegraph & Argus. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/search/4279130.Free_city_bus_will_become_a_fixture/. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ^ "Bradford FreeCityBus Timetable". Metro. http://www.wymetro.com/NR/rdonlyres/00316634-B566-4A33-A1E9-3B2E48F43548/0/Free_bfdbustimetable.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
External links
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