Public dissatisfaction over timetables remains strong

Greenhill mum Joanne Lumley, who started a petition against the changes that got more than 12,000 signatures, told the meeting that things were ‘still nowhere near perfect’.

She asked what the rationale was behind decisions to reduce certain services and change certain routes.

And after the meeting she said: “It’s nothing we haven’t heard before.

“They are not listening and looking at the overall picture. People are still saying the same thing. The complaints might have gone down, but how many times do you have to complain before you get fed up?”

People from all over the city raised issues with individual bus services. The complaints were mostly about the loss of routes.

Mary Fraser, of Crabtree, near Burngreave, said the loss of the 83 and 83a meant people had to change buses to get along Burngreave Road.

Hazel Blackbourn said children in Shiregreen now had to walk the bulk of the way to Yewlands Academy because a bus route had been cut.

Annette Scott said she used to catch the 87 bus to work, but now she had to walk 30 minutes to work and 30 minutes back home.

“Sometimes I’m walking to work and I’m just soaked,” she said.

And Winnifred Stones, from Loxley, said: “We used to have quite a good bus service but now it it’s absolutely rubbish. We’ve got one bus an hour – if it turns up – on the 31 route.”

Maureen Scott, who also lives in Crabtree, said those making decisions should put themselves in the shoes of passengers.

“Have you ever got on the buses and found out the mess you have made of them?” she asked. “I think you ought to, and then you might understand what the people are complaining about.”