First Bradford

Infobox Company
company_name = First Bradford
company_
company_type = Public
foundation = 1998, formerly Bradford Traveller (Yorkshire Rider)
location = Bowling Back Lane, Bradford
area_served = Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Harrogate
homepage = [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/bradford www.firstgroup.com]
footnotes =

First Bradford is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup. The company operates the majority of services in the Bradford area, covered by Metro, a public body responsible for helping to co-ordinate public transport services in the West Yorkshire area.

History

First Bradford originally formed part of the Yorkshire Rider company in the 1980s and 1990s, which operated most of the services in the West Yorkshire area, the company was formed in 1986 at the time of deregulation with the town suffix at the end of the name. Yorkshire Rider continued operation of services until 1994 when the company was purchased by Badgerline Group, who would merge with Grampian Regional Transport in 1995 to form the First Group, the services were re-named Bradford Traveller.

In 1996, the First logo started to appear on services and was given their own individual livery, changing from the green and white of Yorkshire Rider to a two-tone blue with red livery. In 1998, the 'First' prefix was adapted to the names of the companies, with the company taking on its current name, First Bradford and would incorporate First Group's standard livery now seen on the majority of First services in the country by 2000.

Service

First Bradford operates services mainly in the Bradford areas but also run services into Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leeds and Bradford Airport and North Yorkshire.

Service changes

Service run by First Bradford will mainly change during Metro's pre-designated dates. There are 6 dates during the year in which buses may change. They are in the final weekend of January, the 3rd weekend of April, the final weekend of July, the 1st weekend of September, the final weekend of October and the 1st or 2nd weekend of December. Occasionally, some services may change outside of these dates but the majority of changes will take place in any of the 6 dates mentioned. The changes are listed around 3 weeks in advance on their website [ cite web|url=http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/ChangingTimes/|title=Metro: Changing Times|publisher=Metro|accessdate=2007-10-01]

The following services will change from the 27th January 2008: [ cite web|url=http://www.wymetro.com/NR/rdonlyres/2E583717-5DC8-4E78-8F82-4BA73F95F213/0/CT33_webver.pdf|title=Metro: Changing Times|publisher=Metro|accessdate=2008-01-03]
* 72 - Times changed.
* 570 (Run by First Calderdale & Huddersfield) - Route and times changed with buses now operating via Rastrick Common instead of Thornhill Road.
* 619 - Times slightly changed.
* 620/621 - Times slightly changed.
* 629 - New hourly Monday-Saturday daytime service introduced running between Shipley and Bradford Royal Infirmary via Crag Road and Heaton.
* 747 - Route and times changed. Monday-Saturday daytime journeys between Bolton Junction and Bradford will run via Bolton Road instead of Bradford Forster Square railway station, Valley Road and Queens Road. Sunday journeys will run between Airport and Otley via Otley Old Road and East Chevin Road instead of via Pool.

Overground

In the last few years, First has introduced overground services on services with a frequent daytime service. The overground is now a prominent fixture on all First bus companies in the UK and is based on the London Underground network with each service having its own colour line. The standard frequency of services is 10 minutes. However, some services have Overground frequencies of 12, 15 or 20 minutes.

Fares & Tickets

In addition to pay-as you go and season tickets, there are also the following other methods to pay for travel

FirstCard

FirstCard is a debit card for First Bradford services which allows customers to pay without cash, it contains a micro-chip, which is used to log pre-paid credit and is used by placing the card on the ticket machine to check if the card is valid and then used to purchase the ticket in a similar manner to the Oyster card system in London.

FirstDay

FirstDay is a day ticket which can be used on First services in West Yorkshire and is available on the bus.

FirstDay Bradford

FirstDay Bradford is a day ticket which can be used on First services in the Bradford area until midnight and can be bought on the bus with the FirstCard. It can also be used on some First Leeds and First Calderdale & Huddersfield services in the Bradford area:
* 14 - Leeds-Armley-Pudsey-Thornbury-Bradford
* 88 - Halton Moor-Leeds-Armley-Pudsey-Thornbury-Bradford
* 363 - Huddersfield-Brighouse-Bradford
* 508 - Halifax-Shelf-Stanningley-Leeds
* 570/1 - Halifax - Elland (570) - Southowram (571) - Brighouse - Bradford
* 576 - Halifax-Boothtown-Bradford

FirstDayOut

FirstDayOut is a day ticket aimed at children and young teenagers which can be used on First services in West Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire DayRover

DayRover is a day ticket which can be used on all services in West Yorkshire, with no restrictions in how many times it can be used during the day but only is valid until midnight and cannot be used before 9.30am on weekdays.

FirstWeek

FirstWeek is a weekly ticket which can be used on First services in West Yorkshire.

FirstMonth Bradford

FirstMonth is a monthly ticket which can be used on First services in Bradford, it is valid for the day of purchase and the following 30 days but a FirstCard is required. It cannot be used or bought on services 14, 88, 97, 363, 508, 570, 571 and 576.

Students

Student Term Tickets is a 3-monthly ticket (or one term at college/university) which can be used on First services in West Yorkshire. The tickets can only be bought from the First For Students website.

References

External links

* [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/yorkhumber/bradford/home/index.php First in Bradford]