OPPOSITE our house in Haworth are bus stops in both directions, to and from Keighley.

I see buses every 20 minutes in the daytime, ie six every hour. Most of them carry no one – ie zero passengers! Some carry maybe two or three, usually no more. These buses I think seat about 40. It is commendable that Transdev maintains the scheduled and advertised service – but I see it as a colossal waste. I realise that there are essential workers relying on the buses to get them to work (and social distancing is very easy!) but is it beyond common sense for the bus schedulers, their regular passengers and their employers or bosses to sit down together and agree on times because I suggest the service should be cut to a quarter at least and tailored to fit essential users.

These empty – or near-empty – buses are draining the diesel lake, adding to the carbon in the atmosphere and contributing to traffic congestion. Oh, they are also being driven by salaried staff – some of whom might be glad of being furloughed.

I asked a friend of mine who drives for Transdev about this who told me that the full service is being run because of Government contracts. Is this not the same Government that is telling us to stay at home and also advising us not to use public transport? There seems to be some addled thinking here.

Jens Hislop, Haworth

* Alan Isherwood, general manager of Keighley Bus Company, responds: "Our buses continue to provide a much-valued community service, as we have throughout the pandemic. Key workers and those who rely on our buses as their only transport to reach essential shops and services depend on us to be able to travel at times which reflect their own commitments.

"The safety of our customers and staff is always our highest priority, as we ensure our buses remain clean, safe and ready to go. We provide additional space on board for our customers to socially distance, in line with Government advice.

"Even though fewer customers are currently travelling due to Government restrictions, we believe it is right to continue providing essential bus services for those who need to use them safely throughout the day.

"The Government contributes towards the cost of providing essential journeys by bus, as it has also done on the nation's railways throughout the pandemic. We also operate some journeys in West Yorkshire in partnership with Metro, to maintain services for those who depend on them. As a responsible bus operator, we frequently review our network and where we can safely do so, have revised timetables to reflect currently-reduced numbers travelling.

"Our buses continue to be among the most fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles on the road, as we continue to invest in new and upgraded buses to make the bus a place people are proud to be seen in. We look forward to welcoming customers back to our buses as soon as restrictions are lifted, as the bus will have a vitally important role in maintaining the benefits of reduced congestion and air pollution which we have all seen in the last year."