Go-Ahead will enter the West Yorkshire bus market on 23 February. From that date it will operate three vehicles on tendered service 571 between Halifax and Shelf, with the group having indicated that it expects to bid for franchise contracts in the region in due course.
A spokesperson says that the initial undertaking will be based at the Fourway Coaches site at Cleckheaton. That business is one of four coach operators purchased by Go-Ahead in May 2024.
Commencement of the 571 tender comes ahead of franchising rollout in West Yorkshire. It is one of several tendered routes to be relinquished by current operator Arriva Yorkshire, which has cited driver shortages for a need to introduce “targeted changes” to its network.
A recently created social media account for Go-Ahead West Yorkshire displays a rendering of a single-deck bus in a blue and white livery with branding for route 571. No further bus work is yet in hand, the spokesperson says.
They note that Go-Ahead has a “strong track record of working with local authorities to help connect customers and communities, and we are particularly proud of our leadership in the transition to zero-emission buses.”
In a bullish comment about the future rollout of bus franchising in West Yorkshire, they add that Go-Ahead would “welcome the opportunity to deliver more bus services in the region,” including via a regulated marketplace.
Procurement of franchise contracts there is yet to start, but in March 2024 Mayor Tracy Brabin decided that reregulation would progress as the method of service delivery reform. The first franchised services in West Yorkshire are expected to commence in March 2027.
“We have a strong track record of working with local authorities to support them achieving their transport objectives,” the spokesperson continues. “For example, we have recently partnered with Transport for Greater Manchester with the mobilisation and operation of the Bee Network, which has been a great success.”
