'I took tram from Sheffield to Meadowhall on day public sector took over and loved one vital change'
We took a Sheffield tram on day the public sector took over after 27 years and found a significant difference
It's been 27 years.
But after being run by private sector operator Stagecoach since 1997, today marked the switchover when the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority took over the running of Sheffield's trams.
And today, I was among the passengers seeing what had changed.
I had hardly arrived at the University stop, on the ring road near Glossop Road when my tram arrived, and at first glance, not much seemed to be any different.
I stepped aboard with the clock at the stop reading 9.44am, and found a seat easily.
Sitting down on the rather worn looking seat, next to a window, I was soon approached by the conductor. I asked for a return to Meadowhall, and he politely explained he was selling me a day rider ticket, which I could use on the trams all day.
"That's £4.90," he said. Then came the good news, that so far has me convinced over today's changeover. There was a 10 per cent reduction on the £5.40 it would have cost me yesterday.
I paid in cash, which in this day and age of contactless payment is not always a guaranteed option, and put my ticket away safely in my pocket.
Just as the tram was pulling in at Cathedral, a staff member came round offering tote bags to passengers bearing a new supertram logo. I gratefully accepted one, and it contained tram information and a pen. The information asked for feedback on what passengers would like to see done with the trams, and I filed it away for later.
But not much appeared different. The conductors' uniforms still remained the same. It had just a small Stagecoach logo on the tie, so this didn't seem significant.
I chatted to fellow passengers John and Carole Housley, from Deepcar. They are tram regulars, and pick it up from the park and ride at Middlewood. They say it is a better option for them than the buses which serve their village.
Carole said she had not noticed much in terms of change today, although she did observe the conductor's ticket machine had changed. John added he liked the trams, but wished they would go out to Deepcar and Stocksbridge.
As we arrived at Castle Square, the tram filled up a bit more, with a well supervised group of young schoolchildren boarding with their adults. The babble of young voices filled the air as they chatted among themselves.
As we reached Attercliffe, I noticed something that could do with mending. The electronic sign displaying the 'next stop' was stuck on Leppings Lane, and the voice over that is usually heard saying what the next stop was did not seem to be working.
By the time we reached Meadowhall, things were quieter, with the youngsters having already left the tram. It was 10.12am, so the journey had taken me less than half an hour.
Climbing back aboard, at the other end of the tram, I settled back down for the journey back into town.
I noticed the 'next stop' board here seemed to work without problem, displaying Meadowhall South Tinsley. However after we left Meadowhall South Tinsley, it did not change, so it also appeared to have stuck.
It was a quiet journey. I chatted to fellow passenger Bukola Akinfenwa, from near Meadowhall, who is another regular tram user.
She said she was surprised when she saw her ticket today. "I was staring at it, because yesterday it was £5,40, and they only charged me £4,90 today," she said. She asked the conductor, who explained the change. "I'm pleased about that," she told me.
So what had changed? The trams themselves looked pretty much the same inside, and the staff remain the same, with the same uniforms. The stagecoach logo has been taken off the vehicles.
But the one alteration that many will like is that change in the price of the ticket when you get on.
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