People across South Yorkshire are being urged to have their say on taking back control of the buses as a major consultation launches into how buses should be run in the region.
From 9am today, (Wednesday 23 October), a 12-week public consultation launches, which aims to get the views of people, businesses and organisations in South Yorkshire on proposals to introduce bus franchising.
Under bus franchising, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) would take control of the bus network including depots, bus fleets, routes, timetables, service standards, tickets and fares.
Buses are the most used mode of public transport in South Yorkshire. Since 1986 bus services in the region have been deregulated, meaning private bus companies are currently responsible for the bus network and are mostly running buses commercially to make a profit.
However, some bus services in South Yorkshire need to be funded by SYMCA, such as evening and weekend services, which do not make a profit but are vital to the communities they serve. SYMCA pays nearly £24m a year in subsidy for these bus services.
There are currently 23 bus companies operating in the region and over 100 types of tickets available, which can be confusing for passengers.
Over 60 percent of respondents to a survey said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the reliability of bus services in South Yorkshire, with around 1 in 5 buses arriving late.
Also, in recent years, there have been significant cuts to the bus network. In 2007 the bus network in South Yorkshire operated 43 million miles but this has now more than halved.
SYMCA has the power to reform bus services to make sure they work better for the public and under a bus franchising scheme, SYMCA can reinvest any profit back into improving the system for the public.
The government set out a number of steps SYMCA must follow before it can introduce bus franchising which included a Franchising Assessment looking at different options to run bus services. The Assessment concluded that SYMCA taking control of the depots and bus fleet under franchising was the preferred option.
At the SYMCA Board meeting on Tuesday 8 October, the Mayor and South Yorkshire leaders agreed to proceed to the next stage of the process which is a 12-week public consultation on the proposed franchising scheme.
Chief Executive of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Martin Swales OBE, said: “We’re at a pivotal stage in our journey towards reforming our bus network in South Yorkshire.
“Before any changes are made to how we run buses, it is vital that we hear from the public, businesses and a range of organisations about what they think of our proposals to take back control of our buses.
“We want as many people as possible to have their say so we can decide the best way forward to a better-connected region that works for everyone who lives and works here.
“We will listen and consider all opinions before a final decision is made on the future of how bus services are operated.”
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has been committed to improving buses in South Yorkshire since his election, with feedback from over 30 public meetings on bus services across all four boroughs in South Yorkshire making clear that the current system is not working for them.
Once the consultation has concluded Mayor Coppard will listen to and consider the responses before making a final decision.
PIC-SYCA
