A lot of concerns have been raised with me following the changes to the former X84 bus service being replaced with the numbers 25 and 26 and no longer being an express service. I have taken these up with First Bus, and set out below is the response received:
"As you are aware, we introduced this replacement of the X84 with our newly numbered 25 and 26 services. This was done in the firm belief that they would improve punctuality and reliability, creating regular frequency and easing capacity pressure along this extensive travel corridor.
This was a complex exercise, integrating with multiple bus services operating from Leeds city centre to Headingley and beyond to Otley and Ilkley.
Following our thorough review we accept that implementation has fallen short of the high standards we set ourselves in delivering a quality service to customers.
Immediate action we are taking to rectify this from w/c 25 November includes duplicate buses to operate on services immediately preceding the 25 and 26 during the peak period from approximately 4pm-6:30pm Monday-Friday. This will alleviate capacity pressure and spread the pick-up of customers. An extra bus will also be introduced on the Headingley corridor to support the wider network.
We anticipate this will resolve difficulties and quickly improve connections and the journey experience for customers travelling between Ilkley and Otley to Leeds.
In the longer term, we are aware of new roadworks to begin on the Headingley corridor from January 2025 (including a cycle lane at the university). The additional buses and resource we are introducing now will need to manage this impact on available road space while we plot a revised timetable. This will be based on a new journey point during the day to better reflect the impact of congestion and road traffic conditions. Due to the notice required by the Traffic Commissioner this cannot be implemented until February 2025.
I hope this helps to update you on the current situation and provide reassurance that time has been spent to address the concerns raised and observed."
