Bradford MP Gerry Sutcliffe today hit out at the district's biggest bus operator for putting profits before passengers by cutting services over the festive period.

And he says the decision by First Bradford not to operate a skeleton service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day is a hammer blow to drink-drive campaigners.

Mr Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, said it was a sad fact of privatisation that operators like First Bradford were "more concerned with profit than public service".

He added: "For a company that is supposed to put its customers first, First Bradford is not setting a very good example.

"Apart from it being a blow to the Government's drink-drive campaign, this decision will cause hardship to customers who rely on this form of transport."

First Bradford has also confirmed a lack of sponsorship means its pioneering Pub Hop-per service - carrying passengers free around the city's pubs - will also be out of action.

The hopper service, the first of its kind in Britain when it was launched 12 months ago, was sponsored last year by Carlsberg-Tetley. But the operator has been unable to attract a new backer.

A spokesman for First Bradford said: "We will be operating a similar service to last year with buses finishing at 7.30pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. At the end of the day we need to make sure the services we operate are commercially viable.

"In the past when we have run services on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day they have been sparsely used."

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority said subsidising the services with taxpayers' money would cost more per head than paying for passengers to take taxis.

Odsal Police Community Safety officer, Inspector Paul Jeffrey, said: "It is important at this time of year that people can go out safely, have a pleasant evening socialising and get a safe form of transport home."

Christmas timetables

Timetables for bus and train services being run over the festive period have been published by Metro.

Metro Travel Centres, staffed bus and rail stations, tourist information offices and libraries have been stocked with leaflets outlining services and information telephone lines.

First Bradford buses will stop running between 7pm and 9pm on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Eve. No services will run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Sunday, December 27 or New Year's Day. A Saturday service will be run from Monday December 28 to December 30.

Local train services will stop on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (Saturday) but normal services will resume thereafter.

For more details contact Metro's information telephone line on (0113) 2457676.

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