Thousands of people in South Yorkshire have had their say as part of the region’s franchising consultation exercise. More than 7,600 took part and shared their views on proposals to create a new franchised bus operating model. The 12-week consultation ran from Wednesday 23 October until Wednesday 15 January, during which 29 public information drop-in events were held across the region as well as at every college, university and main transport interchange in South Yorkshire. A communications and marketing campaign included adverts on social media, billboards, buses and radio, as well as a leaflet drop.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Over 7,600 people have now told us what they want to happen to bus services in South Yorkshire, in one of the biggest franchising consultation exercises ever undertaken in this country. The sheer number of responses shows just how much people here care about having a proper functioning bus service in South Yorkshire.
“I have always been clear about my hopes for our public transport system, but I’ve also been determined to make sure we give everyone the chance to have their say throughout this process too. People across South Yorkshire have now spoken and spoken clearly. I’ll now take the time to fully consider the consultation responses, along with all the other issues we need to work through, before making a final decision on whether to proceed with bus franchising.”
A full report on the responses will be published, and a final decision is expected to be made on the future of South Yorkshire’s buses in spring 2025.
