Sheffield buses: 'Chaos and confusion' as bus services are overhauled - but some welcome changes

Some routes in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham have been withdrawn, while others have been added, and there have been large scale changes to timetables across the county.

The changes, which came into effect on Sunday, September 1, have been welcomed by South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard as a ‘step towards... getting back the world class bus system we once had’.

But the Better Buses South Yorkshire campaign group is less impressed, claiming the scale of the changes to routes and timetables has created ‘chaos and confusion on the buses’. It said the changes appeared to have largely been made ‘for the operators’ convenience, not the passengers’.

‘Passengers left confused’

“Passengers will be left confused by these big changes to our local bus networks, especially as they are being introduced with very little advance warning and sometimes wrong or misleading information” said Fran Postlethwaite, convenor of the BBSY campaign.

“Bus apps like Moovit and even Google Maps had been inadequately updated and were still showing journeys on routes that had been withdrawn even today, Sunday 1st September! What’s more, even Travel South Yorkshire’s Journey Planner was advising passengers to travel on buses that were no longer scheduled!

“These changes seem to have been brought in for the convenience of the bus operators rather than the passengers.

“Changing routes and timetables on such a scale is difficult for existing passengers to understand, let alone those trying to use the bus for the first time. Whilst we welcome the improved frequencies on some routes and timetable changes to improve punctuality, it should be noted that for many passengers there is no improvement to their services whilst others have seen a big reduction.”

Better Buses for South Yorkshire is campaigning to bring bus services back under public control, enabling the mayor to determine the routes, timetables and fares, rather than the operators.

‘We need a better public transport system’

Mr Coppard said the latest changes, several of which had received financial backing from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), had improved links to hospitals, educational facilities and business hubs. He added that they had been made following feedback from passengers.

“I’ve been committed to radically improving our public transport network since day one; because ultimately, if we want people to stay near and go far in South Yorkshire, we need a better public transport system.  

“And while these changes will not solve all the public transport challenges we face; they are a step towards us getting better buses and getting back the world class bus system we once had.  

“I know first-hand how bus cuts can impact communities such as those in Broadway in Barnsley, so I’m delighted we’ve been able to use the limited budgets we have to improve that particular service and others where communities have been let down in the past.

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“But I want to go so much further. The process to reform our buses in South Yorkshire is progressing at pace and I have committed to taking a decision on bringing our buses back under public control by March 2025.

“I want us to have nothing less than a world class, fully integrated public transport system connecting up our buses, trams, trains and active travel routes and to put the public back into public transport.”

What bus services have changed?

There have been changes to bus services across South Yorkshire.

In Sheffield, the changes highlighted by Mr Coppard include:

• Additional evening trips on service 57a providing an hourly service between Sheffield, Oughtibridge and Stocksbridge when combined with service 57.
• More journey opportunities on services 70/71 to Sheffield Business Park, and the reintroduction of peak journeys on services 83/86 between Chapeltown and Sheffield.
• New service M35 replacing service 35a between Chapeltown and Warren, and extend to serve Smithy Wood Business Park, Ecclesfield and Parson Cross.
• Access to local education, healthcare and leisure facilities improved around Birley and Crystal Peaks with the introduction of new services M44/M45, replacing services 8/8a.

The services being withdrawn in Sheffield include:

• The number 1 service operated by first between Sheffield, Ecclesfield and High Green has been withdrawn and replaced by the amended service 75.
• The number 1a operated by First between Herdings, Sheffield and Chapeltown has been withdrawn and replaced by new services 47 and 48, and amended services 75 and 76.
• The 8 and 8a services operated by TM Travel between Crystal Peaks and Birley have been withdrawn and partially replaced by new services M44 and M45.
• The number 11 service by First between Sheffield and Herdings has been withdrawn and replaced by new services 47 and 48, and improved service 18.
• The number 41 services operated by First and TM Travel between Sheffield and Dyke Vale Road have been withdrawn and partially replaced by amended service 8a and new service 70.
• The number 55 TM Travel service between Frecheville, Crystal Peaks and Plumbley has been withdrawn and replaced by new services M44, M45 and M55.

To see the changes to bus services in full, visit: https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/servicechanges.