Calls for better public transport links for the region

• Video report by ITV's Chris Kiddey

Leeds and Sheffield's council leaders have appealed to Ministers to build the eastern leg of HS2 in full to connect our region's major cities.

This comes after research revealed Bradford has the worst rail connections of any British city and the Centre for Cities think tank warned that the added money for infrastructure announced in the Budget won't be enough to improve cities like Leeds' public transport system.

Covid may have cut the number of cars but for those relying on public transport, buses in particular, there are still problems.

Lilly Coombs-Berry, 24, who lives just a couple of miles from the city centre is a regular bus user. She now works from home for the Royal College of Nursing but working in a previous job as a waitress she struggled to get around by public transport.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak promised £5.7b in extra spending to level up urban transport across the country, but it won't be enough says a new report from the Centre for Cities think tank. They claim poor public transport links to the centre of Leeds are costing the UK economy £2.8b a year.

The Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We've announced a comprehensive package to boost investment in places in need and improve people's everyday lives, as we continue to level up across the country.

We will be investing billions to improve transport in eight City Regions, with further funding specifically for vital new infrastructure and public services around the country."