BUS REVIEW
Buses across South Yorkshire are an essential lifeline for many – but, over the last decade, the number of people using them has fallen by 18 per cent.
Former Mayor of South Yorkshire, Dan Jarvis announced a review into the bus network across South Yorkshire to see what improvements could be made.
Mayor Jarvis selected Clive Betts to undertake the review, who in turn appointed a panel of commissioners to support him in his review.
The Bus Review Report, which was concluded before the Coronavirus pandemic, took into consideration the experiences and feedback from 5,900 members of the public, bus users, community groups, businesses and interest groups, of the impact poor and unreliable bus services have had on their lives.
This evidence, as well as evidence from bus operators, local authorities, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) and others, has contributed towards the findings and a number of recommendations aimed at providing passengers with a bus service that meets their needs.
Work is now progressing on the development of a 7 Point Plan to take forward the recommendations for delivery.
Read the Bus Review report (PDF, 2Mb)
Bus Review Commissioners
Clive Betts
Clive Betts began his political career in 1973 and in 1976 was elected as a member of Sheffield City Council. He became Leader of the Council in 1987, having served on the Housing and Finance committees for several years. He remained on the Council until his election as Labour Member of Parliament for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1992 until 2010. From 2010 he was the Labour MP for the renamed Sheffield South East constituency and was re-elected in May 2015 and June 2017.
Clive was appointed a Government Whip in 1997 and held the post until 2001. In June 2010 he was elected as Chair of the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee and re-elected for a second and third term following the 2015 and 2017 General Elections.
Clive has been a key member on several Select Committees (Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Communities and Local Government.) His political interests include economic policy, local and regional government and housing. He was chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arms Length Management Organisations, the All Party Football Group and was also chair of the Netherlands Group in Parliament and Joint Chair of the Somali and Somaliland APPG.
Kristine Beuret OBE – Director of Social Research Associates (SRA)
Kris Beuret is the Director of Social Research Associates (SRA) a company which specialises in public involvement and research into social aspects of transport. Kris has advised Government, the House of Commons Transport Committee, TfL and the DfT on equality issues. She has also served on the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) and is currently a Commissioner of the Independent Transport Commission.
Stephen Joseph – Former CEO of Campaign for Better Transport
Stephen Joseph is a transport policy consultant, specialising in urban and local issues and in smart transport. He has worked for a series of non-governmental organisations and charities, including the Council for Environmental Conservation Youth Unit, the British Youth Council, the Civic Trust and the Town & Country Planning Association. He was Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000) from 1988 to 2018. During that period, he led campaigns to reduce major road building, to increase rail investment including in new/ reopened lines and stations, and to highlight the importance of buses and the impact of cuts in bus services.
Stephen was a member of the Commission for Integrated Transport from 1999-2005, having been one of the panel of external advisers on the Transport White Paper 1997-8, and was a member of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment (SACTRA) during its inquiry on transport and the economy. He was also on the steering group for the Government’s road user charging feasibility study 2003-4 and was a member of challenge panels or advisory groups for Government plans on high-speed rail, eco-towns, transport appraisal and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
He was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1996 for services to transport and the environment. He was appointed a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire in December 2018, having received an honorary doctorate from the University in November 2010.
At present, Stephen is a trustee of the Foundation for Integrated Transport and is on the steering group of the Foundation’s Transport for New Homes project. He chairs the Smart Transport board for Bauer Media and is an adviser to the Rail Devolution Network. He is also chair of the Liverpool City Region Bus Alliance Board.
Peter Kennan – Chair of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry Transport Forum and Local Enterprise Partnership Board member.
Peter is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor. He became a specialist Tax Partner in accountancy and tax practices with offices in Sheffield and Doncaster in 1989 and had 27 years in that role until retiring in 2016. Peter has chaired Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Transport Forum since 2012. He is a trustee of three charities in the areas of health and education.
Chair of Sheffield Chamber Transport Forum. Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership – Private Sector Board Member. Transport for the North – Board Representative for Sheffield City Region LEP. Charity Trustee. Railway Enthusiast.
Martin Mayer – Secretary Sheffield TUC, UNITE the UNION and retired bus driver
Martin Mayer has spent his working life in the bus industry as a bus driver firstly in Lancaster (1974-1975), in London (1978-79) and then in Sheffield (1981-2014). Then under SYPTE, Martin experienced from the inside the real benefits to the community of a municipal not for profit bus service operating on low fares – an integrated and coordinated network that saw passenger use increase steadily from 1981 until October 1986 when deregulation under the 1985 Transport Act came into effect.
He was elected as a TGWU shop steward in 1983 and served as TGWU then UNITE Branch Secretary for Sheffield platform staff continuously from 1990 till his retirement in 2014. Martin steered the union branch through significant changes that followed: SYPTE bus services transformed into an ESOP (employee owned company) before finally being privatised to First Group in 1993.
Martin served on TGWU then UNITE’s Executive Council representing the union’s National Passenger Transport Sector from 1994- 2014. He represented UK transport workers on the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and served as Chair of the Road Transport Section of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) from 2006-2014. He also represented UNITE on the Labour National Executive Committee from 2011 till 2017.
Lily Currie – BSC Environmental Science Student
Lily is a final year BSC Environmental Science student at Sheffield Hallam University, with a keen interest in public transport. She has recently returned from a year in Finland, where she was on placement and also studying, including looking at local transport and transport transformation. At present Lily is planning her dissertation on the topic of public transport use.
Dawn Badminton-Capps – Director for England
Dawn Badminton-Capps is Director for England with Bus Users. Dawn has extensive experience of the public and NGO sectors, particularly around community and stakeholder engagement. Dawn works with central and local government, operators, passenger groups and local communities to improve services, and to raise awareness of the importance of inclusive, accessible transport.