AMERICAN-style yellow school buses are a big hit with Huddersfield children.

They have been introduced at six more Kirklees schools.

The yellow buses have started carrying passengers to and from King James's School in Almondbury, Dalton Junior, Infant and Nursery School, Kirkheaton Primary School, Lepton C of E Junior, Infant and Nursery School, Rowley Lane Junior, Infant and Nursery School at Lepton and Moldgreen Community Primary School.

Children at Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School celebrated the launch of the new buses with a special assembly, with local dignitaries.

Clr Stanley King, chairman of West Yorkshire transport management body Metro, and Metro's Kirklees representatives Clr Khizar Iqbal, Clr Marie Bower and Clr Peter McBride were at the event.

They explained the key features of the yellow bus scheme and took a trip along part of the Lepton yellow bus route.

Clr King said: "The buses are extremely popular with pupils, parents and teacher and have been highly successful at reducing congestion, especially around the school gates.

"Busy parents place great importance on knowing their child is travelling in the care of a specially trained driver."

The yellow bus scheme aims to make school bus travel easier and safer for children, to encourage parents to leave their cars at home.

In Brighouse, the yellow bus scheme has led to 91% less parents driving their children to school.

The routes are planned to suit the needs of the pupils - collecting and dropping them as close to home as possible.

Each bus has its own regular driver who is specially trained and checked to work with children. The driver takes a register to ensure that all pupils are on board that should be.

The buses' colour alerts other road users that children are on board. Each bus is single deck and has extra safety features.

Each child has their own guaranteed seat with a seatbelt.

Each bus also has a radio/CD player, on-board CCTV and a mobile phone to allow the driver to ring the yellow bus call centre on 0113 348 1122.

The call centre informs a driver if a child registered to take the bus is not expected that day.

Metro is hoping to extend the yellow bus fleet to more schools as a result of its £18.7m grant from the Department of Transport.

The fleet will be introduced gradually over three years.