Sheffield buses: Consultation on major bus route changes branded 'inadequate' as deadline approaches

First South Yorkshire and Stagecoach have both announced a raft of changes to their services in the city.

But councillors say the proposals have not been sufficiently publicised and the consultation periods are too short.

There are concerns about the proposed withdrawal of First’s 95/95a service from Meadowhall to Walkley via Sheffield city centre, with Liberal Democrat councillors saying neither of the new services planned to replace it would connect directly to Meadowhall.

Councillors have also expressed concerns about proposals to change the route of Stagecoach’s number 6 service between the city centre and Millhouses. It would no longer serve Greystones or Bents Green, with those areas instead covered by a revised number 82 service.

Liberal Democrat councillors have branded the consultation ‘inadequate’ and called for it to be extended until the end of July.

Travel South Yorkshire’s consultation about changes to Stagecoach, TM Travel, South Pennine and Cawthornes bus services, began on July 5 and is set to close on Tuesday, July 16.

First’s consultation period opened on July 1 and is also set to close on Tuesday, July 16.

In both cases, the service changes, should they be approved, are set to take effect from September 2024.

‘Valued link’

Barbara Masters, Liberal Democrat councillor for the Ecclesall ward, said: “The number 6 service provides a high valued link to hospitals, university and bus station for those living in Greystones and Bents Green.

“It’s been very reliable and is now a well used service. Encouraging people to use it instead of their cars. It’s unclear why this service has been revised.”

Rebecca Atkinson, Liberal Democrat councillor for Dore and Totley, said: “I am particularly concerned about the lack of information about the proposed new route of the 81/82 service.

“Residents don’t trust this consultation as there hasn’t been any real detail to comment on. We don’t want to see any new changes until there has been an adequate consultation for residents whose day-to-day routines will be shaped by this.”

‘Extremely frustrating’

Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt, a Labour councillor, also criticised the consultation process, saying it was ‘extremely frustrating and disappointing’ that local councillors were not notified about First’s proposals.

He said the consultation period was ‘very short’, adding that it ‘demonstrates why we are working to bring our buses back under public control’.

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First said when launching the consultation that it was looking to introduce improvements to services, with more people now using the buses again following the pandemic.

It said it had listened to ‘lots of people’ about the changes they would like and had included some of their requests in the proposals.

Travel South Yorkshire said it had worked with operators, local authority representatives, employers and residents to identify changes it feels would improve specific local services, and it was looking to implement some of them from Sunday, September 1.

The Star has contacted both First and Stagecoach to ask for a response to criticism of the consultation process.