South Yorkshire police boss fears for young people in county after multi-million pound transport bid snub

The Government’s decision to snub South Yorkshire’s multi-million pound transport bid has been branded ‘inexplicable’ by the county’s police and crime commissioner.
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The mayoral combined authority were handed £570million to renew Supertram past 2024 but there was nothing for buses in the latest funding proposal published by the Department for Transport.

The funding proposal confirmed that West Yorkshire will receive £70million from a bid of £169million; York will collect £17million from a request of £48m and South Yorkshire, which had bid for £474million, will receive nothing at all.

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South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, criticised the decision not to hand the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority the funding through its Bus Service Improvement plan which would have resulted in a fare cap, new hi-tech shelters and free travel for under 18s.

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, criticised the decision not to hand the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority the funding through its Bus Service Improvement plan which would have resulted in a fare cap, new hi-tech shelters and free travel for under 18sSouth Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, criticised the decision not to hand the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority the funding through its Bus Service Improvement plan which would have resulted in a fare cap, new hi-tech shelters and free travel for under 18s
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, criticised the decision not to hand the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority the funding through its Bus Service Improvement plan which would have resulted in a fare cap, new hi-tech shelters and free travel for under 18s

He said: “This decision by central government to turn down the bid from South Yorkshire is both inexplicable and potentially dangerous.

“It is inexplicable because improving transport across the county is a key component for economic development and levelling up.

"To give nothing at all gives the lie to any claim that levelling up is a serious aim of government. It clearly isn’t.

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“It is also potentially dangerous. South Yorkshire is not a wealthy area and if people cannot get to work because transport is so poor or expensive or non-existent that is a disaster.

Dr Billings suggested the rejection of South Yorkshire’s bid will pose issues far beyond transport.

He added: “I am especially concerned for the young. Poverty does not make people criminal, but if young people are denied the possibility of accessing training or work because transport is inadequate, expensive or not there at all, some will be tempted by the chance of ‘easy money’ which the criminal gangs hand out.

“This decision has implications that go beyond transport itself. They are handing the gangs more opportunities to draw people into their networks of drug dealing. I urge the government to think again.”

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“We’ve been shafted. We submitted a visionary and detailed bid to transform our bus services. We needed central government to put its money where its mouth is and back our ambition. They have once again failed the travelling public in South Yorkshire,” he said.