A five-year contract to run buses in South Yorkshire is set to cost the taxpayer £523m, documents show.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has issued a tender inviting bids for a service to start in September 2027.

It is broken into two lots.

The first, for £353m, is to run a service from Olive Grove Depot in Sheffield.

The tender document states: ‘SYMCA requires a bidder to operate and maintain the relevant depot at Olive Grove Depot in Sheffield and to deliver the franchised bus services operated from that depot for the duration of contract term’.

The second lot, for £170m, is to run a similar service out of Leger Way Depot in Doncaster.

The advert for the tender states the contract can be extended for two years ‘subject to the authority's discretion’.

Bus franchising refers to SYMCA taking control of private services, aiming to improve them.

It will see the authority take over routes, timetables and branding.

In March, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard announced buses would come under one name - ‘South Yorkshire People’s Network’ - and be painted molten orange, grey and black.

The deadline for bids to run the buses is at 4pm on Tuesday, May 5.