Story by Graham Jones. Photo by Polly Perkins.
Nobody can deny that our bus services are in a mess. They are infrequent, expensive and unreliable. Less polluting buses are needed to tackle environmental and public health emergencies
While Burngreave may seem to have a lot of buses passing through, we have lost a lot of local services by stealth, including a range of services throughout the night.
Bus companies say that there is “no demand” for some routes. But we have seen a vicious cycle of massive fare increases, more car use, less demand, fewer services more fare increases. By their own admission the multinational bus companies, First and Stagecoach, are not there to provide a public service but to make profit, regardless of the social and environmental consequences.
The Better Buses for South Yorkshire Campaign has been demanding that buses be taken back under local public control with eventual public ownership.
Former UN Rapporteur for Human Rights, Philip Alston hit out at England’s Bus Sector, the extreme privatisation and deregulation, raising serious human rights concerns.
Gill Furniss, our local MP, said
“I know that buses and trams are really important to people across Brightside and Hillsborough. Lots of people speak to me about their local services and I know whilst there are some good services there are many problems as well. Now it is a vital time to try and improve our local services as the Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis and local Councils are currently looking at the best ways to build better bus networks in the future”
Please complete Gill’s bus survey https://www.gillfurniss.com/bus/ or email her gill.furniss.mp@parliament.uk
Be sure to have your say! You could also email your concerns to transport@sheffield.gov.uk
One thing’s for sure, if we don’t make our voices heard now, things will only get worse.
