NEWS that three quarters of Bradford’s bus fleet meet greener emission standards has been welcomed, but some Councillors fear neighbouring areas are being left behind.

New figures show that 75 per cent of buses in Bradford are Euro 6 standard - which means they would not be charged to enter the Clean Air Zone that is due to be introduced in the city in January.

Although the District is still behind Leeds - 83 per cent of their buses are Euro 6 standard, Bradford is now far ahead of its other West Yorkshire neighbours. Just 43 per cent of Kirklees buses are Euro 6, while 53 per cent of Calderdale’s buses meet the standard.

64 per cent of Wakefield’s buses are Euro 6.

One Kirklees Councillor described the discrepancy between neighbouring Councils “appalling” and said it seemed that Kirklees and Calderdale were the “poor relation” to Leeds and Bradford.

The details were included in a report on the work being done in West Yorkshire to cut down on carbon emissions.

It went to a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee last week.

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The Combined Authority’s target is to be net zero carbon by 2038 at the latest, with significant progress by 2030, and members were told this will be “extremely challenging and will require significant, swift, and collaborative action to decarbonise all sectors.”

The report said that as of June, 63 per cent of buses in West Yorkshire now met Euro 6 emission standards - a rise of three per cent on the previous quarter. Bradford in particular saw a rise of nine per cent in just three months.

However, just one per cent of the entire bus fleet are zero emission vehicles.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council and Chris of the Committee, said: “It is good to see the increase in the green fleet. Some districts are not as advanced as others but that is not the fault of Councils - it is something the operators need to do.”

Councillor Eric Firth (Lab, Kirklees) said: “I’m delighted that Leeds has 83 per cent Euro 6 buses, I really am. But you look at Kirkless with 43 per cent and Calderdale with 53 per cent and you realise we are very much the poor relation. It’s not good enough, and I want to know what we are going to do about these appalling statistics.”

Referring to the fact that Bradford was so far ahead of Kirklees and Calderdale, Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “These changes need government money. In Bradford the Clean Air Zone has seen money come in to bus providers.”

Leeds Councillor Kim Groves said although a planned trolley bus scheme on the city never went ahead, it had led to an investment in the city’s public transport network.

Dave Pearson, Director of Transport Services, said: “Leeds and Bradford both had Clean Air Zone aspirations and this attracted funding that was used to retrofit mid-life buses to Euro 6 standards. We have prioritised Clean Air Zone areas because that is part of the terms and conditions of the funding we got.”

Once the Clean Air Zone is introduced in Bradford, buses that don’t meet the minimum Euro 6 standard will be charged £50 a day.