Imagine a free bus service taking you around the heart of the city.

Such a service is a reality in Leeds, Huddersfield and Wakefield, but Bradford looks set to miss out.

Bradford Council is considering whether to stump up its half of the running costs - around £100,000. But unlike its neighbours, this Council looks set to say "No" - at least for the time being.

We are, it is argued, caught in a chicken and egg situation, where the city centre regeneration programme is not advanced enough to ensure the success of the service. Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, executive member for environment and culture, says the scheme is not dead and would be reviewed in a year when regeneration projects are well under way.

There are real, if frustrating, reasons for the pace of some regeneration initiatives but this does not mean other schemes should be put on hold. Introducing such a bus service now would be a big show of faith in the regeneration projects and a slap in the face for the doom-mongers.

Rather than dismiss the idea of a pilot scheme on the basis that regeneration is not far enough advanced, surely it would be better to test that theory by measuring the results of just such a scheme? Then there are the traders who have stuck with Bradford during the lean years - do they not deserve this support?

The Council has contacted Metro about keeping the offer open for another 12 months. It is on the table now and should be taken now.