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We've been asked to share this information by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Executive:
As you are aware, bus companies in South Yorkshire are free to decide where and when they will run services. South Yorkshire’s bus network has seen significant reductions in the last year due to a reduction in government funding and reduced passenger demand.
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South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has had feedback about the bus network from hundreds of South Yorkshire’s residents, through his Fair Deal campaign and correspondence. The Mayor held over 30 public meetings and replied to hundreds of emails and letters following recent rounds of changes.
The Mayor has recognised the bus network isn’t working and wants to work with the new government to plug the gap in funding to bring South Yorkshire’s funding per head in line with other regions. He has also been clear about his ambition to bring the region’s bus network under public control, and the MCA is currently undertaking a franchising assessment process. Without these measures, which would allow services to be restored and the network stabilised, the bus network will fall short of what residents of South Yorkshire need.
Through the Enhanced Partnership Forum, the Combined Authority has fed residents’ concerns to the operators, local authority representatives and employers, and the operators have identified changes that they feel would improve specific local services and address some of the more acute needs that residents have raised.
Through consultation, the operators are seeking views and feedback on the following proposed changes to the local bus network from Friday 5 July to Tuesday 16 July. The Combined Authority is supporting on this consultation.The proposals include:
- Route specific public engagement
- Minor timetable changes to address punctuality issues
- some improvements in service frequency and routes
- improved access to employment and local amenities.
Customers views are important, and the operators will consider and review all feedback to agree any changes needed before the final network plan is implemented from Sunday 1 September 2024.