Commuters are set to face rush hour misery this afternoon as only 15 out of 177 First Bradford bus services are operating today

A total of 380 bus drivers went on strike in Bradford this morning.

The 48-hour walkout started at 1.30am after crunch talks broke down on Saturday.

Unite union members says the primary reason for the action is the transfer of part of the 576 bus service from Bradford to Halifax which it says has cost eight jobs. But First deny this allegation.

Mohammed Taj, Unite branch secretary, said more than 200 people had joined the picket lane at the First Bradford depot in Bowling Back Lane today, including Bradford West parliamentary candidate George Galloway.

"It is going well," said Mr Taj. "As far as we are concerned we are absolutely rock solid.

"There is a lot of support, lots of people are backing us. People are pipping their horns."

A spokesman for First said the company was running skeleton service of 15 buses in Bradford, covering main routes.

He said the strike action was causing "massive disruption", and added: "We would like to bring the dispute to a close as quickly as possible."

Bus services which WILL NOT be running:

School services which WILL NOT be running:

  • 964 Heaton - Beckfoot School
  • 965 Beckfoot School - Bradford Interchange
  • 992 Clayton Fields Works - Thornton Grammar School
  • 994 Odsal - Thornton Grammar School
  • 995 Clayton Fields Works - Thornton Grammar School
  • 997 Clayton Fields Works - Thornton Grammar School
  • 998 Clayton The Avenue - Thornton Grammar School
  • A2 Great Horton Road - Belle Vue Boys Sch. 
  • A4 Bradford Westgate - Belle Vue Boys Upper School
  • A6 Contract
  • A7 West Bowling Parkside Road - Belle Vue Girls Sch.
  • A8 Bradford Westgate - Belle Vue Girls Upper School
  • A9 Clayton Fields Works - Belle Vue Girls Sch.
  • A17 Bradford Interchange - St. Bedes R C Upper School
  • A41 Oakenshaw New Works Road - Tong Upper School
  • A42 Laisterdyke Leeds Road - Tong Upper School
  • A43 Horton Grange Road Legrams Ln - Tong Upper Sch
  • A44 Springmill Street Ripley Street - Tong Upper School
  • A46 Bradford Interchange - Tong Upper School
  • A47 Barkerend Road bottom - Tong Upper School
  • A48 Tong Upper School - Bradford Interchange
  • A49 Smiddles Lane - Tong Upper School
  • A52 The Samuel Lister Academy - Manningham Lane
  • A56 Bradford Westgate - The Samuel Lister Academy
  • A60 Greengates - Beckfoot School
  • A61 Wrose Westfield Lane - Beckfoot School
  • A63 Toller Lane - Beckfoot School
  • A66 Manningham Lane Oak Lane - Beckfoot School
  • A67 Wrose Westfield Lane - Beckfoot School
  • A80 Clayton Fields Works - Dixons Allerton Academy
  • A81 Dixons Allerton Academy - Toller Lane Fairbank Road
  • A86 Appleton Academy - Bradford Interchange
  • B1 Thornton Grammar School - St. Bede's R C School
  • B2 Odsal - St. Bedes R C Upper School
  • B4 Killinghall Road Leeds Old Road - St. Bede's School
  • B5 Cottingley - St. Bede's R C Upper School
  • B6 Greengates Ashfield Road - St. Bede's R C School
  • B7 Thornton Grammar School - St. Josephs College
  • B8 Huddersfield Road - St. Josephs R. C. College
  • B12 Odsal - St. Bede's R C Upper School
  • B14 Greengates Ashfield Road - St. Josephs College
  • B15 Killinghall Road Leeds Old Rd - St. Josephs College
  • B18 Wibsey St. Helena Road - St. Josephs College
  • B22 Buttershaw - St. Bedes R C Upper School
  • B23 Clayton - St. Josephs R C College
  • B25 Buttershaw - St. Josephs R C College
  • B48 Wilsden Main Street - Beckfoot Upper School

Any service which is run by a dedicated Yellow school bus will go ahead.

Bradford depot also run some services into neighbouring areas, and these services WILL NOT be running:

• In Halifax & Calderdale services 625, 626, 627, 681 and 682
• In Huddersfield service X6
• In Leeds services 670, 671 and X6

Services not affected by the bus strike include:

72 (run by Leeds Bramley depot), 363 (run by Huddersfield depot), 508, 571 and 576 (all run by Halifax depot), X63 (run by Huddersfield depot).

First also hope to run a limited service on key corridors in Bradford, including Bradford Interchange to Bradford Royal Infirmary and Manningham Lane.