First Bus suspends 26 Sheffield services over shortage of skilled drivers and staff sickness

The public transport firm has announced more than two dozens of its routes are being suspended or running at reduced hours starting from Monday, January 17.

It claims a national ongoing shortage of skilled drivers and increasing levels of staff sickness means they cannot run the trips.

They include 26 routes from Monday to Friday and 23 routes on Saturdays.

It marks another round of disruptions for Sheffield’s public transport users in the same week the long-running Stagecoach strike was suspended after a breakthrough in talks.

It comes as emergency Covid funding made available to firms in England is set to expire in March.

Operators have to give six weeks’ notice if they want to scrap a route.

Meanwhile, the nation is facing a shortage of around 6,700 bus drivers, with roughly 10 per cent of positions vacant, according to the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

First Bus has been contacted for a comment.

Is my First Bus Sheffield route not running?

The affected routes, which will be updated every week on the First Bus Sheffield website, are as follows:

Monday to Friday

1a – Chapeltown - Lightwood Lane

8/8a – Crystal Peaks - Monteney Crescent

9a – Manor Top – Sheffield Interchange

18 – Hillsborough – Meadowhall

20 – Ecclesfield – Hemsworth

22a/22c – Wath – Rotherham Interchange

24 – Lowedges – Woodhouse

26 – Rotherham Interchange – Whiston circular

27 – Crystal Peaks – Rotherham Interchange

29 – Harthill – Rotherham Interchange

32/32a – Firth Park – Sheffield Interchange

51 – Charnock – Lodge Moor

52a – Loxley – Woodhouse

56 – Nether Edge – Wybourn

73/74 – Treeton/Waverley – Rotherham Interchange

75/76/76a – Jordanthorpe – Shiregreen, Lowedges – Shiregreen, Arundel Gate – Chancet Wood

81/82 – Millhouses – Stannington, Stannington – Dore, Dore – Hall Park Head, Hall Park Head – Millhouses

95 – Meadowhall – Walkley

97/98 – Hillsborough – Totley

120 – Crystal Peaks – Fulwood

135 – Grenoside, Sheffield Interchange, High Green, Rotherham Interchange

139/140/141/142 – Rotherham Interchange – Kimberworth Park Circular

208 – Sheffield Interchange – Whiston

X1 – Maltby, Quilter Road – Meadowhall/Sheffield Interchange

X54/X55 – Harthill – Sheffield Interchange, Dinnington – Broomhill

X74 – Rotherham Interchange – Sheffield

Saturdays

1a – Chapeltown - Lightwood Lane

97/98 – Hillsborough – Totley

8/8a – Crystal Peaks - Monteney Cresc

114 – Rotherham Interchange – Herringthorpe Circular

18 – Hillsborough – Meadowhall

120 – Crystal Peaks – Fulwood

20 – Ecclesfield – Hemsworth

135 – High Green – Rotherham/Sheffield Interchange

22a/22c – Wath – Rotherham Interchange

138 – Kimberworth Park – Rotherham Interchange

24 – Lowedges – Woodhouse

208 – Sheffield interchange – Whiston

26 – Rotherham Interchange – Whiston Circular

X54/X55 – Harthill – Sheffield Interchange

27 – Crystal Peaks – Rotherham Interchange

29 – Harthill – Rotherham Interchange

32/32a – Firth Park – Sheffield Interchange

51 – Charnock – Lodge Moor

52a – Loxley – Wisewood

75/76/76a – Jordanthorpe – Shiregreen, Lowedges – Shiregreen, Arundel Gate – Chancet Wood

75/76/76a – Firth Park – Jordanthorpe, Jordanthorpe

81/82 – Millhouses – Stannington, Stannington – Dore, Dore – Hall Park Head

95/95a – Walkey – Meadowhall