Coach operator hits out at 'unfair' removal from Leeds bus station
Coach operator FlixBus has been told to stop operating from Leeds Bus Station, just weeks before it was due to expand services in the city.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which owns the station, said the move followed “a number of safety issues” related to the company’s compliance with its conditions of use.
The operator has been running services from the bus station since 2024 and had been planning to increase departures from Leeds by 50 per cent from April, adding new connections to destinations including Heathrow, Gatwick, Nottingham and York.
A FlixBus spokesperson said the decision was “unfair” and claimed the issues raised were largely due to limited capacity at the station.
They said: “WYCA is accusing FlixBus of ‘breaches of use’, which mostly relate to a lack of capacity for services that WYCA approved and accepted last year.
“WYCA has not allowed FlixBus to use any additional bays at the station, which would be the most practical way to address the situation.
“We believe this response raises serious questions about whether adequate planning was in place for FlixBus services at Leeds Bus Station. The decision restricts passenger choice by a combined authority that claims to champion public transport.”
The company said it had repeatedly asked for additional space and that WYCA had been aware of its planned network growth since 2025.
Despite the decision, FlixBus said it would go ahead with its planned expansion and continue operating services from an alternative roadside stop.
WYCA said all operators using its facilities are subject to the same safety and compliance checks.
A spokesperson said: “We treat all bus and coach companies equally, with regular performance and compliance monitoring of each operator using our facilities to ensure they operate with safety as their primary focus.
“Unfortunately, a number of safety issues have arisen in recent months at Leeds Bus Station related to FlixBus’s compliance with our conditions of use, which has led us to serve notice on their usage of the bus station.
“We will now discuss with them how and when we best transfer their existing services to a suitable alternative location.
“Our priority as always is the safety of our staff and passengers using our bus stations.”
WYCA added that Leeds Bus Station has only one bay suitable for coaches, meaning additional provision is not possible, and said alternative on-street space is available nearby for services to continue operating.