A call has been put out to those living in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, requesting feedback on plans for a simpler and more accountable bus network.
With the region preparing to bring buses back under public control from September 2027; local voices are set to play a role in ensuring early improvement efforts reflect what local people need from their services.
Thus far, more than a thousand locals have given their views through a new public survey which opened in April and will remain open until 17 May 2026.
Questions within the survey aim to find out where the network falls short, how it might improve links to key destinations, close gaps in coverage and make services more reliable.
Priorities for the network include more direct and frequent connections to hospitals in all four districts; making it easier to get the bus to employment sites such as the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Armthorpe and Hoyland; making it easier to travel by bus to hospitals, workplaces, town centres, schools, colleges and the shops; and improved coordination of services so operators or different services don’t run at the same time.
Feedback on these early improvements will be used to shape the first changes passengers will experience in 2027, once buses in South Yorkshire begin moving back under public control for the first time in decades. From September 2027, the SYMCA will take full responsibility for setting routes, timetables, fares and service standards, with revenue reinvested directly into improving services.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said:Bringing our bus network back under public control gives us a once in a generation chance to build a system that works better for us in South Yorkshire. We’re putting people first and starting to shape the South Yorkshire People’s Network around what really matters to all of us.
At the moment, we’re not redesigning the entire network – that will come later. As more routes move into public control between 2027 and 2029, we’ll be in a much stronger position to see what’s working well, what needs fixing, and where bigger changes are needed.
We’re listening carefully to what everyone has to say and making improvements step by step - rebuilding a bus network that South Yorkshire can feel proud of again.
Full transformation of the bus network will take place between 2027 and 2029, with improvements in 2027 set to include clearer real‑time information, new reliability standards, simpler and more integrated tickets and the rollout of the new public fleet.
