Big shake-up to South Yorkshire bus routes slammed by passengers
Furious commuters have criticised changes being implemented by bus operator First, which are affecting more than 50 routes across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and north Derbyshire from yesterday.
Passengers claim key services have been removed during the early morning and evening rush hours during the week and routes have also been cut at the weekends.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdCommuter Liz Weber, aged 52, of Grimesthorpe, has launched an online campaign calling for transport bosses to consider a rethink.
She said: “They are decimating many of the local routes. They seem to be targeting the least-served routes and keeping buses on the more populated routes which doesn’t make any sense to me.
“The changes will make it harder for me to get to work and I rely on them because I can’t drive at the moment after having an operation on my eye.
“I have spoken to other passengers who are worried too.
“One is an elderly man receiving cancer treatment who is concerned he won’t be able to make appointments and my parents, who are both in their 80s, are concerned about how it will affect their ability to get to the shops.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShe said she relies on the 35 and 70 services that run every half hour from Margate Drive, Grimesthorpe, as part of her journey to work at a car parts shop in Darnall.
But Ms Weber claimed when these are replaced by the hourly number 36 service, she will have to try to adjust her shifts as the changes will make her late for work.
Ms Weber also alleged First is instead using its buses on routes to cover a lucrative school run that were previously served by the BrightBus scheme, which ended in July – leaving other areas poorly served.
She said other key routes affected include the number 18 covering Sheffield city centre, Gleadless and Meadowhall.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSarah Harris said: “My daughter was due to start college at the newly-opened Olympic Legacy Park on September 1. There was a direct bus there, but not any more.
“A 20-minute journey will now mean four buses a day, adding two hours to her day.”
Rachel Steele added: “Not happy about the 44A from Coal Aston to Chesterfield being taken off.
“We have a bad enough bus service round here already as we’ve only got an hourly service to Sheffield with two hours between buses at night, and no buses to Chesterfield on evenings or Sundays.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMs Weber is urging disgruntled passengers to join the ‘FirstBus ThirtyFive’ Facebook group and is handing out leaflets as part of her campaign.
Stagecoach has also announced changes to 14 routes from next month in Barnsley and the Dearne Valley.
The company said they included stopping the 217 bus between Mexborough and Goldthorpe due to ‘low usage’.
A First spokeswoman said the cuts had been made to low demand services and the aim of the changes was to improve the service.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShe said: “While we have decreased the frequency of some services due to low demand, most of the changes we are implementing serve to improve connectivity, reliability and/or punctuality.
“We acknowledge that the changes will have an impact due to reduced demand and reallocation of resources, but we have tried to minimise any negative impacts wherever possible and the vast majority of changes will have a positive impact on customers.”
She added: “The service changes we’ve announced are wholly independent of the BrightBus replacement.
“More specifically, the reduction in services to the Grimesthorpe area are purely due to low demand.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“We have separately invested in replacing 25 of the BrightBus services, which is a positive move to ensure young people still have public transport to access education.”
FIRST
Sheffield/Rotherham
1a Herdings - Sheffield - High Green
3/3a Meadowhall - Sheffield - Nether Edge
8/8a Ecclesfield - Sheffield - Crysal Peaks
13 Rotherham - Moorgate - Wickersley - Sunnyside - Bramley
18 Sheffield - Gleadless - Meadowhall
18a Meadowhall - Gleadless - Jordanthorpe
20 Hemsworth - City - Ecclesfield
22/22c Sheffield - Rotherham - Wath
23 Rotherham - Brinsworth
24 Bradway - Woodhouse
27 Rotherham - Aston - Crystal Peaks
29/29a Rotherham - Harthill
34 Rotherham - Whiston
35 Sheffield - Meadowhall - Hillsborough
36 Sheffield - Meadowhall - Wingfield
37 Rotherham - Ravenfield
38/38a Meadowhall - Hillsborough
41 Sheffield - Frecheville
51 Lodge Moor - City - Charnock
52a Wisewood - Woodhouse Station
56 Herdings - City - Wybourn
66 Rotherham- High Green
67 Thorpe Hesley - Rotherham
70/71 Rotherham - Meadowhall - Sheffield
72 Sheffield - Waverley - Rotherham
73 Sheffield - Treeton - Rotherham
73a Rotherham - Treeton
75/76 Shiregreen - City - Batemoor / Lowedges
81/82 Stannington - City - Dore / Millhouses
83 Bents Green - Sheffield - Ecclesfield
85 Sheffield - High Green
95 City - Commonside - Walkley
97/98 Hillsborough - City - Totley/Totley Brook
114 Rotherham - Clifton Park - Herringthorpe - Stage Medical Centre
120 Fulwood - City - Crystal Peaks - Halfway
136 Rotherham - High Green
137 Rotherham - Blackburm
138 Rotherham - Kimberworth Park
139 - 142 Rotherham - Kimberworth Park Circular
271/272 Sheffield - Castleton
X1/X3 Sheffield - Rotherham - Maltby
X5 Sheffield - Dinnington
X54 Sheffield - Harthill
X55 Sheffield - Dinnington
X78 Doncaster - Rotherham - Meadowhall - Sheffield
Doncaster
8/8a Doncaster - Mooreends
10 Doncaster - Maltby - Rotherham
15 Doncaster - Edlington
50/50a/50b/51/51a Doncaster - Skellow - Askern
57 Doncaster - Cantley - Finningley
84/84a/84b Doncaster - Barnby Dun
87 Doncaster - Moorends
87a Doncaster - Stainforth - Moorends
204 Doncaster - Doncaster Sheffield Airport
STAGECOACH
Barnsley and the Dearne Valley
22X Rotherham Interchange - Barnsley Interchange
66 Barnsley - Elsecar circular
67/67a Barnsley Interchange - Wombwell
108/109 Rotherham Interchange - Rawmarsh circular
217 Barnsley Interchange - Rotherham Interchange
220 Doncaster Interchange - Wath
221 Rotherham Interchange - Doncaster Interchange
222 Barnsley Interchange - Cortonwood
226 Barnsley Interchange - Thurnscoe
265 Sheffield - Barnsley
X20 Barnsley Interchange - Doncaster Interchange
737 Sheffield - Doncaster Sheffield Airport