I used the most “unsafe” bus station in Huddersfield – it was a grim day

Residents in Emley have claimed their local bus service is ‘the worst in Huddersfield’ after a petition was launched to establish a reliable service – so I went to see for myself.

Emley is currently served by the hourly Arriva 232 bus, which runs between Huddersfield and Wakefield. In the afternoon, residents described the bus service as “sporadic”, with some claiming they were left waiting for a bus for hours.

And those wishing to travel from Emley to neighboring villages such as Scissett and Skelmanthorpe need to take two buses – one to Waterloo, then the second to their chosen destination.

Access to facilities such as doctors’ surgeries, pharmacies and leisure centers is considered problematic for people living in Emley. As a result, a petition was launched by local resident Nicola Higginbottom earlier this year, she said: “As a resident of Emley, I have recently experienced first-hand the challenges of navigating our local area without the ability to drive.

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“For a short time I was unable to drive and found it difficult to get to work and my children to activities such as gym sessions, swimming lessons and sports clubs. My daughter has expressed an interest in finding work when she is 16, however unless it is in Wakefield or Huddersfield her choices are limited due to unreliable transport.

“This personal experience made me think about the wider implications for our community. With no reliable bus services linking Emley with neighboring villages in HD8 such as Skelmanthorpe and Denby Dale, residents of all ages find it difficult to access local services and amenities.

“Not only does this hinder employment and educational opportunities, it also isolates young individuals and families who rely on public transport.” Other residents described the current service as “shocking” and said better access was “long overdue”. The petition has now reached 1,479 signatures, with all this in mind I decided to see what it was really like for myself and headed to Emley.

I arrived at the bus stop on Upper Lane at Emley Cross to take the 232 to Wakefield, I opted to go for the afternoon so I could really understand the complaints of the residents. I arrived at 2.15pm and was disappointed to find that I had just missed a bus four minutes early, well, according to the schedule that is.

I knew the bus only came to Emley once an hour so I expected to wait for the next one probably at 3.15pm. However, it got to 3.30pm and the bus still hadn’t arrived, looking at the timetable things seem a bit confusing and inconsistent.

The bus is not on time every hour, the schedule is random and confusing, the bus is expected to arrive at 14.11 then 15.14 then 15.31 followed by 17.05 and 18.05 so I can see why residents are frustrated. .

I waited until 15.30 but 15.14 had not yet arrived, in total I waited 1 hour and 15 minutes, at this moment I decided to find an alternative method of transport, unable to wait any longer.

I’m not sure if the bus scheduled to arrive at 3.15pm turned up or if it was running late, but I completely understand why the locals are frustrated with the service, as if I had waited any longer I would have been late.

Yorkshire Live has contacted Arriva for comment.

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