Sheffield buses: Remembering when you could travel for 2p and our bus system was the envy of many

We are seeing many bus companies remove or cancel routes and this is affecting people's commute and social lives.

Thinking back to the 70s and 80s I would have never envisaged our public transport service would have been so maligned.

In those days, our public transport was the envy of many if not all.

We as children could jump on a bus for 2p travel all over Sheffield, and South Yorkshire, with adults paying not much more at 8 pence. We would make the odd trip to Rotherham, to go to their market for the cheap shoe stall, or Rotherham’s Tiffany’s nightclub, which ran at the same time as our Tiffany’s.

Myself and my friends spent many an hour on the bus as a way of seeing Sheffield or just passing time.

My children find it amusing, that’s how we spent our time.

My favourites were the circular routes, Sheffield had a few back then.

Numbers 2 and 59 circular were a favourite of mine, giving hours of travel all over Sheffield,as well as the numbers 20 and 33 which went from Longley and Shirecliffe to Hemsworth, and back all for the princely sum of 2p, which is approximately 10p in today's money, imagine that.

This was brought home to me in the 80s when I went on a visit to Birmingham.

I went on a trip in their city centre for a journey which would cost 8 pence in Sheffield, cost an eye watering 40p.

Even now when out of town speaking to the local people, they will mention three things.

The Hole in the Road, knives and forks and our cheap bus fares, all used to the pride of Sheffield, I’m pleased we’re still known for our steel industry and our knives and forks.

It’s a shame we lost our Hole in the road and fabulous bus service as it was then.

In those days we were at the forefront of public travel, I was proud of being first in nearly everything, we loved our Bendy bus, so inanative and free.

We also had the videmat machine, it was a failure but it was ahead of its time, and I’m sure it gave ideas for other systems of payment.

People of a certain age will have fond memories of the 11.15pm whistle every Friday and Saturday nights.

Bus inspectors would check their watches, and at 11.15 PM prompt blew their whistles as loud as they could and all the buses on High Street and Pond Street would leave, if you missed the whistle you would have a long walk home.

The Haymarket, High street, and the Moor were roads we could hardly move on for the number of buses jostling for position to get shoppers, workers , and revellers to and throw to their destinations, a bus was always due.

We live in a city where buses can run as infrequently as hourly which is very frustrating, and even worse if a bus is missing.

Pond street was a myriad of buses and people coming and going, with not too long to wait for a bus, if you missed one.

Now it feels like a ghost town even at rush hour.