Mr Forest said: “In London and in the rest of Europe, buses have two or three sets of doors and this speeds up boarding and makes it safer and easier for everyone.
“Public control of our buses is our opportunity to change that, but the mayor is squandering that opportunity by ordering a fleet of 500 single-door buses.”
Easier boarding would also mean “quicker journeys for everyone” as there would be more space and it would be quicker to get people on and off buses, Mr Forest said.
He also suggested bringing back conductors so drivers did not have to do everything.
“Drivers are expected to drive the bus, take the fares, make sure everyone’s getting on board and make sure there’s safety on the bus. That’s just not fair,” he said.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Combined Authority said taking buses back under public control “takes time, and that includes upgrading the existing infrastructure in West Yorkshire on a repair-and-replace basis as part of our new integrated Weaver Network”.
“We understand the benefits that double doors bring, but path widths, existing bus station design and bus stops can make it difficult for customers exiting from a second centre door,” the spokesperson said.
“We will consider feedback as we work towards a better-connected region that works for all.”