MAYOR BLASTS SOUTH YORKSHIRE BUS FUNDING ‘FIASCO’

Published 22 September 2022 at 12:37pm

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has again called on the Government to provide a proper rescue plan for the region’s buses, as stop-start budget setting prompts further service cuts from 2 October. 

Speaking out about the changes to bus services, South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:

“The Government’s stop-start bus funding fiasco is directly responsible for this slashing of bus services by operators. It is a disaster for our community in South Yorkshire and we have been warning about this for months.

“With bus operators just walking away from some contracts – including commercial school bus services and key community routes – I have stepped in and used South Yorkshire’s financial reserves to try and plug the gap. But despite this, in some instances, the bus companies still won’t run the routes.

“We should be under no illusions: this is just a short-term fix. 

“That’s why I’ll continue to fight for the funding and the powers to fix this broken bus system.

“Because every one of us has the right to buses that allow us to travel to work and see our families and friends without using a car. It’s a fundamental issue of social justice and I will do everything I can - with the resources I have - to fix it.”

Passengers can find information about service changes on the Travel South Yorkshire service changes page and via Traveline on 01709 51 51 51.