Today's columnist, Vin Malone: I can't see improvements to the bus services in Sheffield

Sorry, I should have said to the 56 bus service to the Wybourn via Gleadless Valley.

The residents who live on Leighton Road and parts of Raeburn Road only have this 56 bus to get them to and from town, albeit work or leisure, buses still come in twos and threes.

Last Saturday last we went to catch the 09.31 bus to town. The display board told us that the next bus was 09.45. We were there at the stop at 09.25, a bus did come but it was going to that secret place “Notinservice”. It seems it was the bus we were waiting for but the driver had been told to go straight to town, don’t collect £200 and leave passengers waiting yet again.

On Monday, we fought our way through storm Henry blowing his rubble everywhere to the nearby bus shelter, well what’s left of it, to catch the bus that’s supposed to come at around 10.31.

We gawked at the information timetable and it gave us the info that our next bus was due in 19 minutes, which we thought was wrong, we had got to the stop a bit early thanks to Henry bringing up our rear.

It was exactly 10.23 but the information proved right, a bus did arrive at 10.45, so where was the 10.31 bus?

This is a common occurrence with the 56 route and knowing the shoddy service the people of Sheffield receive, it probably happens everywhere in the city.

When people complained about the changes last year which resulted in absolute chaos, First went on the back foot as though to say: “How very dare you complain, we run the buses.”

After the tidal wave of complaints they conceded that there were problems but it’s the routes that were lost that we want back.

I’ve seen people still standing waiting for the 47 Herdings to Shiregreen bus not realising the routes have been changed to 56 Wybourn, then just letting the 65 sail past them.

We now have to catch two buses to go to the Northern General.

In fact quite a few passengers now have to catch two buses, new routes stopping short.

With due respect to Patrick McGoohan in the Prisoner I have to say “I am not a customer, I am a passenger.”

I’m afraid the management of our oh so terrible bus service just have their head in the clouds, but what do these service cuts make? “Money, good game, good game.”

All I can say for all of the poor suffering bus passengers who have missed appointments, lost money after arriving late for work, not getting to school on time to pick up your children, “Oi, Bus Partnership, no! listen to the people who pay through the nose for a terrible service.”

Better service means more profit so you can drive around in your Lamborghinis and Aston Martins.

Just for once, just once in your life think of the people who keep you in your well paid jobs.

Have you all been bred without the power to hear and see what you’ve done?