South Yorkshire's new mayor’s warning of “damaging” bus service cuts

Private sector bus companies are set to remove a third of South Yorkshire’s bus network as early as this month, with passengers in Rotherham warned last week by council leader Chris Read to “use them or lose them”.

Following the closure of a tendering process, Rotherham and Sheffield face the withdrawal of several services.

This is expected to be followed by further cuts in October.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said the cuts were the “biggest and most damaging” in a generation and would have an “immediate threat” to people and the economy.

He said: “People in Sheffield and Rotherham will feel the brunt of these brutal cuts initially in July, when private bus companies withdraw their services on the less profitable routes.

“Within our communities, we rely on these services for getting to work, seeing family, caring for others, and of course getting to and spending money in local businesses.

“These cuts will strike at the heart of our families, our economy, and our communities.

“They will also unfairly impact on those with mobility and health issues who rely on these bus services as lifelines.”

Mr Coppard has challenged PM Boris Johnson to “deliver on promises to level up” South Yorkshire’s bus services which he said had so far, been “wide of the mark”.

He added: “I am calling on the government to urgently work with me to save the bus network in South Yorkshire.

“I am asking for £85m over three years to keep the service going while the franchising assessment is going through.  

“To put that into context, it would allow us to save vital bus routes that our communities desperately rely on.