Sheffield's bus services '˜will get better' after problems

More than 60 people attended Monday’s meeting, with plenty showing their frustration and anger at the changes that were imposed in November. And despite assurances from Stagecoach, First, TM Travel and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, many left the meeting with little faith in Sheffield’s buses.

Yesterday SYPTE executive director Stephen Edwards said: “Together we are committed to delivering the best possible bus service for Sheffield and we regret the recent issues our customers have had.

“While we have seen pleasing performance results since the New Year, with punctuality and capacity greatly improved and many passengers benefiting from cheaper tickets, we acknowledge some journeys can still be better.

“We will work to address service comments raised at the meeting, and will continue to monitor feedback and on-board data to ensure buses are meeting community needs.”

Sheffield Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport Terry Fox, who chaired the meeting, said comments would be discussed by the council’s transport committee.

“I recognise that the bus operators have made changes to the services and increased the number and capacity of the buses, with around 60,000 residents now benefiting from the city bus ticket. However, we will continue to work together and monitor performance closely to ensure the level of services meets the standards that local people demand.”