Bradford Interchange bus station: Councillor demands answers

It was announced on Thursday, January 5, that the bus station would shut “following some damage believed to be linked to the recent extreme weather”.

Contractors started work on January 12 to establish the extent of the damage and what remedial works are required.

Matt Edwards, leader of the Green Group on Bradford Council, has now written to senior officers at Bradford Council as well as West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA). 

He said: “Bradford Interchange is one of the busiest public transport hubs in the North of England.

“We need to know much more about why it is closed, why it took a week for WYCA to get contractors in to start assessing the damage, and how long this is going to last.

“If we are talking about weeks - or worse, months - then we need to know what the Mayor and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority are going to do to keep the city accessible for bus users. 

“This is especially important because there are a lot of roadworks in the city centre at the moment and we know there is a lot of disruption because of this.”

He added: “Bus users need assurances from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority that this is going to be dealt with as a priority but at the moment I am not convinced. 

“Would it be taking this long if it was Leeds Bus Station that was closed?”

When approached for comment, WYCA did not say anything further but issued a similar statement to those released previously. 

In a statement, a WYCA spokesperson said: “As the organisation responsible, we took the decision to close Bradford Interchange bus station on January 4 after some damage was discovered.

“Contractors have started work onsite to establish the extent of the damage and what remedial works are required before it can be safely reopened. It is anticipated that these surveys could take several weeks to complete and the bus station will remain closed throughout this period.

“We are developing plans for a temporary bus station solution to limit disruption for passengers, operators and the city centre during this time. Bradford Council is supporting us with this to help minimise disruption to transformation work that is happening in the city centre.

“We have taken this precautionary measure because public safety is our top priority and we want to thank passengers and bus operators for their understanding.”

Bradford Council did not respond to the Telegraph & Argus when asked about Cllr Edwards' comments, but in a previous statement, Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport on Bradford Council, said: “The closure of the Interchange bus station is causing a huge amount of disruption in the city centre when we’re already undertaking major regeneration works.

"Our highways staff have been working to support WYCA and minimise disruption but it’s imperative that we understand what has happened at the station and how quickly we can get it back up and running.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Aneela Ahmed has submitted the following question to be answered at a Full Council meeting next week. 

"Can I have an update on when the works will be carried out to get the Interchange fixed and back to normal operations?"

What's open at Bradford Interchange?

A list of alternative bus stops during the station's closure can be found on the Telegraph & Argus website here.

Train services have not been affected and that part of Bradford Interchange remains open.

The concourse below the bus station - which includes food company Greggs, coffee shop Java Joe, and WHSmith - is closed to the public.