Battle against Doncaster bus route which lets passengers see into bedrooms

Residents are concerned over buses on their street

People living on Markham Road, Edlington, are concerned that their road is too narrow for buses and that people on the top deck of the service can see straight into their upstairs rooms.

Now they have got together and drawn up a petition against the changes to the number 10 service, which takes passengers from Doncaster to Rotherham via Balby and Maltby.

The 66-signature petition requesting the 10 does not operate via Markham Road was sent from Edlington Town Council to First, copied to South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. The Sheffield City Region Transport Committee is aware of it.

Coun Georgina Mullis said: “People just don’t want it. Children used to be able to go out on that road, but now people are worried about them.

“It is not a wide road, so it causes traffic problems. And people see it as an invasion of privacy, because when the buses drive past, the passengers can see right into their houses.”

A spokesman for the service operator, First, said: “As a result of linking service 16 (Doncaster – Balby) with service 10 (Rotherham – Maltby) to improve local links for residents, service 10 was rerouted via Markham Road and North Street to link Balby with the shopping area, and the medical centre at Edlington. The bus plays a vital role in both connecting local communities and boosting the local economy and we believe these changes help support those objectives.”

He added: “I can assure residents that the route has been fully risk assessed and has been deemed safe for bus use. However, if anyone does has any specific concerns we’d be pleased to hear feedback to enable us to work with our colleagues at the Doncaster Bus Partnership to further improve services and address issues wherever possible.”

An SYPTE spokesperson said: “Edlington Town Council’s petition has been noted by Sheffield City Region Transport Committee and we have replied directly about the concerns Markham Road residents have raised.

“While SYPTE has limited influence over commercial bus routes, we welcome all feedback and work with bus companies, through Doncaster Bus Partnership, to improve local links and address customer comments where possible.”