Bright orange buses and trams will grace the streets of South Yorkshire in the coming years, after Mayor Oliver Coppard announced his “transport vision” for the region.

Mayor Coppard will hope the ‘South Yorkshire People’s Network’, as it has been named, will grow into a system that can rival the Bee Network in Greater Manchester.

In a speech at Sheffield City Hall on March 16, 2026, the Mayor said the vision spelled the “end of the failed privatisation of our bus network”.

“We deserve better, we always deserved better,” The Mayor said.

Oliver Coppard announced the South Yorkshire People's Network at an event in Sheffield. | LDRS

placeholder image — Oliver Coppard announced the South Yorkshire People's Network at an event in Sheffield. | LDRS

“It’s based on the simple fact that a connected transport system supports everything else,” he added.

The impact of the announcement will remain largely visual in 2026, with bus and tram stops refurbished to incorporate the new orange, black and grey branding.

There will also be a new South Yorkshire People’s Network (SYPN) website, which will replace Travel South Yorkshire, where regular passengers could purchase localised and regional tickets for buses, trams and trains.

Buses in South Yorkshire will be "molten orange" from day one of bus franchising in 2027. | LDRS

Following the imminent opening of the Magna Tram Train stop, a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) system will be piloted in Doncaster and Rotherham.

Mayor Coppard said DRT is “really exciting” and added: “It means you can get a bus when you need it, so a method of transport, usually a mini-bus which will turn up at your door and take you where you need to go.

“Some people will remember Dial-a-Ride, it’s an updated version of that. I want everybody to have access to public transport across South Yorkshire. No one should be locked in there home or locked away from opportunity.”

Bus franchising will go ahead as planned, starting with Sheffield and Doncaster in 2027 and completing across the region by 2029.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will also introduce an e-bike subscription scheme in March 2027.

Otherwise, commuters will need to wait until at least the 2030s for serious capital investment.

Mayor Coppard will launch an e-bike subscription scheme in March 2027. | LDRS

Between 2030 and 2035, Rotherham will see two railway stations open, including the Rotherham Gateway station and a local stop in Waverley.

The Mayor also hinted at rail and tram connections to Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), where the City of Doncaster Council have projected passenger flights will return in the Winter of 2027/28, but the facilities have not featured in the SYPN timeline which stretches into the 2040s.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after his speech, Mayor Coppard said the rail and tram links to DSA would happen “as soon as we can”.

He said: “The airport’s got to thrive and one of the ways you make that airport thrive is you make sure people can get there. It’s as simple as that.

“If people can get there more easily… on a tram or a train, that means the airport can attract more passengers and it’s going to do better.”

It leaves the possibility of a rail or tram link for the airport without a concrete timeline, but the Mayor did say reliable bus connections to DSA would come first.