Buses in South Yorkshire ‘unlikely’ to make profit even after public control, bosses say

The bus network in South Yorkshire is ‘unlikely’ to ever be profitable without public subsidy, even after they come under public control next year, the region’s bus tsar has said.

The local bus network is already ‘heavily subsidised’ with public funds from national and local government, councillors on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA)’s overview and scrutiny committee were told.

Matt Goggins, SYMCA’s director of bus franchising, said: “There is unlikely to be a future where any bus network in South Yorkshire makes a profit without subsidy.

“We need to create something that is financially sustainable. We want as many people as possible to use the buses, that is fundamentally important to that sustainability.”

The conversation, coming after a question from Barnsley’s Councillor Michael Naughton, was one of a number of updates to SYMCA’s progress on bus franchising – the process of bringing the region’s privately-run bus network back into public control.

Mr Goggins also revealed residents in Sheffield and Doncaster, the first areas where bus franchising will come into effect, will see the orange buses on local roads before they begin service in September 2027.

He told the committee that the new buses are expected to be delivered in advance of rollout, which is important for training bus drivers.

“The buses won’t have traditional wing mirrors. There will be a camera monitoring system and that requires training,” Mr Goggins explained.

“I wouldn’t expect to see them in passenger service [before September 2027], but people can expect them to be out and about from next summer,” he added.

Councillor Jane Kidd, from the City of Doncaster Council, asked how accessibility for disabled and elderly passengers on the network will be improved under public control.

Mr Goggins revealed the new buses will have two wheelchair spaces instead of just the one commonly found on many buses on the road today.

He also said there would be improved audio and visual announcements on board, including allowing passengers with hearing aids to have announcements played directly to them.

In March 2026, Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, announced the publicly controlled buses would form part of a wider integrated transport network across the region – which has been dubbed the ‘South Yorkshire People’s Network’ (SYPN).

The first SYPN buses will hit the roads in Sheffield and Doncaster in 2027, followed by Rotherham and Barnsley in 2028.