Back Our Buses: This is what Sheffield thinks about their bus services and improvements they want to see

As part of The Star’s 'Back Our Buses' campaign, in partnership with South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, we went out into the city centre to find out what the public think about their bus services.

For some years, the city’s public transport system has been under scrutiny. An ever-increasing number of residents are now faced with long waiting times for late buses that may not turn up, fewer services each day, and a fare that is expected to rise later this year.

One Jordanthorpe resident, aged in his 60s, told us that more evening services would mean more people could come into the city centre and increase the night-time economy. Currently going out for a drink in the evening will cost an additional £15-£20 on the taxi fare home.

In our video, three more residents have expressed their thoughts on their go-to service.

The 'Back Our Buses' campaign is asking the Government to give South Yorkshire a fair funding deal to improve its bus services in Sheffield and beyond. 

According to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and subsequent funding allocations means South Yorkshire has been given the equivalent of £10 per person in funding. But across the border, West Yorkshire has received £40.

In the past five years, only £7.8m of over £500m Government funding for local transport has been 'revenue funding', which is what is used to fund improvements to ongoing bus services and routes. 'Capital funding' can only be used to invest in bus lanes and junction improvements.

Previously, the DfT said: "South Yorkshire has been allocated more than half a billion pounds over five years to improve local transport, with almost one and a half billion pounds to follow from 2027, including an extra £543m from reallocated HS2 funding.

"Reallocated HS2 funding has also already provided an extra £7.8m for South Yorkshire specifically to improve bus services, with more to come as part of a long-term plan to improve bus services across the North and Midlands.

"This comes on top of the Government’s £300m package to protect bus routes into 2025, and nearly £600m spent to single cap bus fares at £2 until the end of 2024."