South Yorkshire’s young people are being called upon to have their say on how buses are run in the region.
A major consultation into plans to take buses in South Yorkshire back under public control is underway and has reached the halfway point.
So far, more than 4,000 people have responded to the consultation but the region’s young people are being urged to make their voices heard.
The halfway point this week comes as a series of engagement events start at colleges, universities and student unions across South Yorkshire to help young people understand the consultation and help them to fill in the survey.
As part of this, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) staff were at an event at The Sheffield College on 4th December, where they spoke to students including members of The Sheffield College Students’ Union.
The consultation, which runs until 15th January 2025, aims to get the views of people, businesses and organisations in South Yorkshire on proposals to introduce bus franchising. Under bus franchising, SYMCA would take control of the bus network including depots, bus fleets, routes, timetables, service standards, tickets and fares.
Martin Swales OBE, Chief Executive of SYMCA, said: “Young people have a lot at stake when it comes to having their say on how we run our buses, so it’s vital that we hear what they think about the proposals to bring bus services back under public control through bus franchising.
“It’s so important that as many people as possible respond to the consultation, so we can decide the best way forward to a better-connected region that works for everyone who lives and works here.”
Student Shaden Abdullah said: “Currently, I’m a regular bus user, I use the buses to travel everywhere, especially to college. I have to take up to four buses a day and it’s a long journey for me to just get to college.
“It’s very important, especially for young people, to get involved in the consultation, as many work professionals and students use the buses every day to access opportunities.”
Jacob Osborne, Vice President for Activities at The Sheffield College Students’ Union, said: “Today I missed one of my buses as it just didn’t show up, which made me late. I think it’s important for people to have their say because people are being left stuck and it makes them late for college and education and it just affects the whole flow of work.”
Following the consultation, the results will be published, and a final decision is expected to be made on the future of South Yorkshire’s buses in Spring 2025.
To find out more about the consultation and drop-in events, please visit www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/bus-reform.
