VIEWPOINT: Sun shines on the shuttle bus
WHETHER it be by road or rail, when it comes to transport there's no doubt that us long-suffering Sheffield folk always seem to draw the short straw.
And when it comes to the subject of the disastrously unreliable First Bus service, well, that's never really been much to write home about, has it?
Which is why I think we're all more than long overdue a change for the better.
A couple of years or so ago, Sheffield's Labour Party leader publicly announced, in this paper, that she intended to become involved in the battle to improve bus services in our city. And - as seems to be the way with all Labour politicians - this seriously flawed attempt at problem- solving, comprised of chucking even more millions of pounds of our money at underperforming bus companies.
In the case of First Bus, it was an expensive initiative that's totally flopped.
Time after time after time, The Star's letters page has featured complaints by bus passengers about the failings and reliability, and of overall levels of service, provided by First Bus.
And just a few weeks ago, this newspaper was even prompted to ask if re-regulation could possibly be a viable option.
Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't, but is there another way? I think there is. Because, for a prime example of a bus service that really does do exactly what it says on the tin, I've to look no further than the Sheffield Community Transport group (SCT).
I'm a huge fan of this busy little outfit and, over the course of the last five months, I've travelled some of its routes many dozens of times and I'm more than impressed with what I've seen.
I've chatted to passengers on the various journeys and, hand on heart, I've yet to hear a negative comment about either the service or the sociable drivers.
It's apparent that, on just about every SCT bus I've travelled on, there's actually an almost tangible, on-board cheerful atmosphere, and it's no secret that our own local service, the S6A, is affectionately referred to as 'The Sunshine Shuttle.'
Small though it may be, I'm confident that, in the SCT, the foundations already exist to not only expand the current services to other Sheffield communities, but to also think the unthinkable by ditching First Bus and taking over the cross-city routes currently operated by them.
Although this concept is very much a work-in progress kind of thing, it's do-able!
Look, we could have a brand new publicly-owned bus company (we'd be the shareholders) offering all-inclusive, tailor-made services for all the people of this city instead of the second rate tripe that transport managers have imposed on us in the past.
It'll cost, I know, but instead of needlessly pouring cash into the First Bus bottomless pit we could easily channel it into the direction of the SCT for starters, where overall performances could then be reliably monitored.
And yet another appealing feature of a Sheffield-owned service would be that any profits would go straight back into improving the company, rather than into the pockets of greedy directors or shareholders. It's a challenge but, if our politicians have got the bottle, then success is attainable. Whatever, it's time for change!
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
