RETRO PICTURES: Little Nippers, 2p fares, bendy buses and Eager Beavers - South Yorkshire buses in the 1980s

The news that bus fares are to rise in South Yorkshire will have many commuters longing for a time when a trip cost 2p and you'd be jumping on board a brighly coloured Little Nipper bus.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Mar 2017, 10:12 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 09:49 BST
Little Nippers were a familar sight across South Yorkshire in the 80s and 90s.Little Nippers were a familar sight across South Yorkshire in the 80s and 90s.
Little Nippers were a familar sight across South Yorkshire in the 80s and 90s.

Not so long ago, getting around South Yorkshire used to be a ridiculously cheap affair - children could travel the length and breadth of the county for just 2p, while the cost for adults was 7p.

And what's more, you'd get to travel on board some of the country's most futuristic transport - Sheffield was the first UK city to use bendy buses in the 1980s and then mini-clipper style buses by names such as Little Nipper and Eager Beaver were a familiar sight on the region's roads.

Sheffield welcome the novelty of bendy buses in the 1980s.Sheffield welcome the novelty of bendy buses in the 1980s.
Sheffield welcome the novelty of bendy buses in the 1980s.
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And many children of the early 80s will recall the automated Videmat ticket machines where you would feed coins into a slot - and then get the image of the money you'd used printed out on your ticket.

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Daily, weekly and monthly bus tickets in Sheffield are set to rise

The 1990s proved to be a colourful time for the region's public transport.

Whereas today, we’ve got First Bus and Stagecoach, the 90s proved to be a veritable rainbow of service providers at almost every stop.

A Little Nipper bus heading for Norton.A Little Nipper bus heading for Norton.
A Little Nipper bus heading for Norton.

The green and yellow Yorkshire Terrier, the red and yellow Mainline buses – the main operator at the time – the Eager Beavers and the blue and beige Andrews firm as well as Yorkshire Traction "Tracky" buses, Leon and Wilfreda Beehive vehicles, among others.

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And there was also the Electroline trolley bus, a fully electric converted bus which ran off overhead lines and was trialled for many years along the Straight Mile at Doncaster Racecourse.

Jump aboard and take a step back in time to South Yorkshire bus travel of days gone by.

And if you're looking for some more bus nostalgia, check out our gallery of Doncaster buses in the 80s and 90s HERE

Related topics:South YorkshireSheffieldStagecoach