Campaigners are to fight on to try and save bus services.
And hopes remain that the free town buses in both Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres will continue despite budget cuts.
Kirklees councillors last week agreed to axe the funding it gives to Metro to keep the two buses running in the town centres.
It came as they had to agree £69m cuts in light of a reduction in government grant, and budget reports show the loss of £198,000 by 2017/18.
The Huddersfield service is used extensively by shoppers, many of them elderly, but also by students at both the University of Huddersfield and Kirklees College.
It runs a circular route through the town centre and down to the two campuses.
Clr Eric Firth, Dewsbury East Labour councillor and deputy chair of Metro, said “opportunities” exist to continue the free buses.
He said: “It would have been remiss of me as deputy chair of the transport committee not to explore other opportunities of keeping the free town bus.
“I’ve done this, officers are working now with our colleagues in education and business.
“ I do know that Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman has had talks with business in Huddersfield.
“But there are opportunities, I assure you, to keep the free bus.
“The money from Kirklees will still be there until September 1 next year, so there is no panic. There is lots of work to be done but I’m sure one way or another we can keep the free bus, it may be a reduced service but we’re working with colleagues in Metro to keep the free town bus.”
Liberal Democrat councillors had proposed a 50p charge for some users, which a consultation of users had suggested could be a way of saving the bus service.
Clr David Ridgway said: “Free at the point of delivery does not mean something is free. It (the town buses) don’t come as a donation from some entrepreneur.”
