Big shake-up to South Yorkshire bus routes slammed by passengers

Angry bus passengers have hit out at changes to services in South Yorkshire '“ claiming they will struggle to get to work, school, run errands and attend medical appointments.
Bus users in SheffieldBus users in Sheffield
Bus users in Sheffield

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.

Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean AtkinsBus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean Atkins
Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield Picture Dean Atkins
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Commuter 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.

Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean AtkinsBus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean Atkins
Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield Picture Dean Atkins

“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.”

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She 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.

Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean AtkinsBus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean Atkins
Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield Picture Dean Atkins

She said other key routes affected include the number 18 covering Sheffield city centre, Gleadless and Meadowhall.

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Sarah 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.

Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean AtkinsBus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield
Picture Dean Atkins
Bus timetable and route changes cause chaos for travellers in Sheffield Picture Dean Atkins

“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.”

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Ms 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.

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She 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.

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“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