Sheffield buses: Passengers heading to city's NHS hospitals upset over 'city's worst bus routes'

Earlier this week, The Star published the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s own list of the bus routes in Sheffield which have received the most complaints.

It revealed the Number 51 from Lodge Moor to Charnock via Sheffield city centre received the most complaints in 2024, and the most common complaints were about services failing to run, followed by buses running late or failing to stop.

Comments on our Facebook page revealed Star readers’ strongest emotions were reserved for First Bus’ Number 97/98.

The No 97/98 is one of Sheffield’s bus major routes that runs from Dore down Abbeydale Road, around the city centre and, crucially, connects to Northern General Hospital, before carrying on to parts of Hillsborough and Crookes. The 97/98 is considered a crucial route for NHS staff and patients.

As such, any frustrations with the service are magnified.

Reader Karen Dawson wrote: "97/98 got to be always missing or First cancelling them when people have to go and get home from work. Disgusting service."

Donna Eastwood called it “disgusting” for a hospital route.

John Bailey called it “non existent - if they are not late they don't turn up at all."

Debbie Deeborerah Casey called it an “appalling service for NGH staff,” and Clare Cookson wrote: "Upping the fares means improving bus services too. It’s disgusting such a long time at night [spent] on the hospital route 97."

Naturally, perceived issues on routes serving hospitals and medical centres bring out strong feelings.

Beverley Lynch agreed with First Bus’ Number 51 coming top of the list on The Star’s original report, writing: “It needs to be better. It is on [Western Park Hospital] route and people have to get to work or have appointments or visiting patients. As for the 52 or 52a, there are usually four buses if not more compared to just one 51.”

The TM Travel Number 32 also serves NGH, and heads north to Parson Cross before turning down Fox Hill and into city centre via Shirecliffe.

John Briggs said of the service: “During the rush hour it can be up to 20 minutes late. It is probably not the drivers’ fault as it can often turn up at NGH late, so setting off late [...] But it can sometimes sail past you at the Showroom Cinema stop. Even more annoying early morning when it is running five minutes early.”

One of the longest routes in Sheffield is the First Bus Number 18/18a from city centre to Norton, around up to Grimesthorpe and west to Hillsborough.

Olga Hanna Malawska said the number 18 “is every one or two hours and always late or not running at all. This bus has definitely too long a route.”

Chris Scott agreed, writing: “The 18 to and from Norton never turns up on time or not at all. Only runs every hour sometimes over 40 minutes late, yet nobody is on the bus?”

There was also widespread sympathy for Sheffield’s bus drivers and sympathy for their working conditions, pay scales and factors like their route’s road conditions and bad parking.

Wayne Robert Lewis wrote: “There are a 1,001 reasons why a bus can be late, especially in modern day society. Very few of them are the driver's fault. Bus drivers are also having to deal with those reasons while ferrying you around, keeping a sometimes impossible time table along crowded, poorly maintained city roads. Be kind to your driver!”

Dale Heppenstall agreed: “No matter who is charge of or running the buses, they’ll always be more days than not where some are delayed or not running! Either football team at home proves this, mid-week or weekend games! Sheffield’s road infrastructure is dreadful, years behind most major cities and can’t cope with the amount of vehicles.”