Powell's Bus: Doomed Sheffield bus operator was promoting jobs just weeks before sudden closure

Powell’s Bus and CT Plus, which operated buses running across Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley, announced last week that they were closing – with all 19 routes they operated to stop running.

A handful of the services affected – the number 6 from Sheffield to Millhouses, numbers 61 and 62 between Hillsborough and Low Bradfield, and the 201 from Chapeltown to Stocksbridge – have been taken over by Stagecoach Yorkshire, with some changes.

But it is not known what will happen to the others, despite South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard saying his team were seeking operators to ‘plug the gaps’ and had enjoyed ‘positive conversations’.

A petition has been launched to reinstate the 10 and 10a bus services between Manor Park, Heeley, Upperthorpe and Sheffield city centre, with the petition’s founder saying their loss had left people ‘isolated’ and ‘unable to get to work’.

New bus driver qualified the day before Powell's announced it was closing

The Star has now spoken to a man who told how his grandson had qualified as a driver with Powell’s last Wednesday, only to be told the following day about its closure, and was still waiting to hear what would happen to him.

John Woodland also revealed how Powell’s Bus had tweeted a photo of trainee bus drivers on July 21, wishing them good luck and inviting potential new recruits to visit the group’s website to find out more ‘if you would like to join the team’.

He said: “The whole situation seems to have been really mishandled. It just stinks.”

HCT Group, which ran both Powell’s and CT Plus, said on Monday that CT Plus was now formally in administration, while Powell’s was closed ‘with a view to entering administration’.

A spokesman for HCT Group said that around 50 staff based at the Powell’s depot in Hellaby were affected by its closure.

Covid, fuel prices and cost-of-living crisis blamed for closure

“We are supporting efforts by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to transfer as many routes and jobs to other operators, but the main effort here is by SYMCA, on whose behalf Powell’s ran these services,” he added.

Mr Coppard last week said the authority had been providing Powell’s with ‘additional levels of financial support this year’.

The operator’s closure appears to have strengthened the case for franchising South Yorkshire’s buses, which would enable the authority to set routes, timetables and fares.

HCT Group had said in a statement on Friday that multiple challenges, including the impact of the Covid pandemic, the recent surge in fuel prices and the cost-of-living crisis, had led to 'unsustainable commercial losses’ and left it with no choice but to close Powell's with immediate effect.

“This is a very sad day for us all at HCT Group,” said Lynn McClelland, HCT Group’s chief executive.

“Everyone at Powell’s – and across the wider HCT Group – has worked tirelessly to put the operations in Yorkshire on a sustainable footing, but there is nothing further to be done.”

The Star has contacted SYMCA to ask whether there has been any progress with attempts to save more of the bus services formerly run by Powell's.