PUBLIC TRANSPORT - SOUTH YORKSHIRE FARE HIKES SPARK ANGER FROM POLITICIANS

Published 13 December 2022 at 3:51pm

• Politicians hit out at plans for near 10% fare hikes by South Yorkshire transport operators. 

• Passengers face further upset, as the move – coming into force on 2 January - piles budget pressures on people relying on public transport.

• South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard calls plans ‘hugely disappointing’ for South Yorkshire communities facing the cost-of-living crisis in the run up to Christmas.

Passengers in South Yorkshire are set to be hit by further cost-of-living pressures, following imminent fare hike plans from public transport companies.

Politicians blasted the blow to communities today – as TravelMaster shared plans for a near 10% increase on tickets across the region’s bus, tram and train passes and Supertram announced an 8% increase on some tickets from 2 January. 

It comes as the £2 fare cap introduced by Mayor Coppard and fellow South Yorkshire leaders has saved passengers a combined £500,000 over more than one million journeys since its roll out in November. 

Regional leaders have called the plans ‘hugely disappointing’ for South Yorkshire families in the current cost-of-living crisis:

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:

“Across our region this winter, all too many people are worrying about the cost-of-living crisis. At the same time we’re trying to cut congestion and air pollution. That’s why this decision is both short sighted and hugely disappointing. It flies in the face of everything we are collectively trying to achieve; a public transport system that our communities can have faith in. 

“I understand every business has to balance its books. But if these companies do want to get people back on public transport we need affordable, simpler fares. Plans to hike bus fares by nearly 10%, at a time when public transport reliability is still so poor, and when bus companies just cut 15% of the network, are simply not good enough. 

“This is yet more evidence that our public transport system is broken, and we need to see transformational change here in South Yorkshire. That’s exactly what I intend to deliver.”  

Earlier this year, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) stepped in with a £12.3m rescue package to protect bus routes and school services from cuts by operators. A boost to save passengers up to 50% on some trips and reduce the cost of journeys that cost more than £2 followed under the Mayor’s fare cap scheme.

Cllr Chris Read, Co-Chair of the SYMCA Transport and the Environment Board, added: 

“For many people across the region, public transport is a lifeline to work, to school, and to other services including hospital and doctors appointments. To make our buses sustainable in the long term they must be affordable, with fares that are simple enough for people to understand. That was the plan we agreed with the bus operators and that’s the plan I expect them to stick to. If we can’t make progress on that, it only strengthens the case for re-regulation across South Yorkshire.” 

SYMCA authorised the assessment of a proposed bus franchising scheme in South Yorkshire in March 2022.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Information about TravelMaster price changes is available at sytravelmaster.com