How Sheffield bus cuts will impact residents and their estates

Cuts revealed by South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard yesterday will see the 32 and 32a route from Sheffield to Firth Park and Parson Cross withdrawn completely.

Service 135 and 135a, Rotherham to Sheffield via Chapeltown, loses its early morning, evening and Saturday and Sunday services; service 208 from Whiston to Sheffield loses its last evening trip from Sheffield and its Sunday daytime service; and service X74, Sheffield to Tinsley Park loses some early morning and evening journeys.

Sheffield and Rotherham will start seeing reductions as soon as July 24. More cuts are expected when Government-issued Covid-19 grants end in October.

A tender process, which took place this week, listed a number of services being partially or axed completely, Mr Coppard blaming ministers for ‘damaging cuts’.

In all, officials say South Yorkshire is losing a third of its services.

Passengers waiting for the 32 today told of their concerns.

One passenger waiting for the service, due to be scrapped under the cuts said: “How are we supposed to get about? How is anyone supposed to get anywhere? We’ve got no other service that goes up our estate, at Wincobank. Then you have to walk to Jenkin Road for the 95a.”

Another service user, Peter Banks, said: “They’ve not told us what they’re going to put in its place, so we’re left in the dark, we don’t know what to do.”

He said it would leave him unable to get a bus, adding: “I wouldn’t be able to get out. I’d have to get a taxi, and that would cost £8 or £9 every time. I can’t afford that.”

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Another service user said she would be able to take another bus, but feared people living near Standon Road, Wincobank, would be left without a bus.

Fran Petigrew, who uses another bus service, not due to be axed, also had concerns over the news of cuts to services.

She said: “It’s bad enough already trying to get on a bus. So to cut them would just be an absolute shame."

Adam Sobczyk had fewer concerns – his service was not listed to stop. He said: “It’s not bothering me whatsoever, because I don’t use those lines.” But he understood that others would be concerned.

Concerns have also been raised over the effect of cuts to the 135 service

Sheffield Councillor Bernard Little said the route served his ward, Walkley. He said: “News that the 135/135a bus serving Walkley and Upperthorpe will have its early morning, evening and weekend services cut from July 24 is a huge disappointment to people who live in large parts of Lower Walkley. It most affects those who struggle to walk, where the streets are steep and where people use this bus to get to work.

“The reduction in this service comes on the back of the loss of the local 32 bus in September 2019 which has left many people stranded. The impact on residents in the ward has been devastating. The bus service connection with Walkley’s high street was severed. The social, health and local economic consequences remain and are substantial. The loss of the 135 will make a very difficult situation even worse.”

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