As the bus consultation arrives at the halfway point, students are among the young people that South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority are keen to hear from on the proposals for the bus network.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s consultation into plans to take buses back under public control has hit the halfway point as the region’s young people are being encouraged to share their views.
The consultation, which runs until the 15th January, seeks to get the views of people, organisations and businesses on bus franchising.
Sheffield College were paid a visit by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) as part of a series of engagement events to help young people understand the consultation and find out what matters to them.
“It’s their future; it’s their bus service, they’re going to benefit from it for the longest”, said SYMCA Chief Executive Martin Swales when asked why the combined authority think it is important young people voice their views.
He added: “They’re impacted by their journeys to college. Can they get there, [and] are there the routes that they want?
“Do they have the services that they need from their communities? How long does it take them to get to see friends and socialise?”
Students at Sheffield College spoke about their regular issues with the present bus network, and their optimism about what bus franchising could mean for their future experiences.
Georgia Ashton, President of the Student Union, said that the prospect of the buses in South Yorkshire coming under public control excites her despite her not being a bus user herself.
“I’ve heard a lot of students discuss how they have to take three buses to get into college”.
“I think it is something that will not only excite me but other students as well because it will impact how they can get in [to college] everyday in a much easier way for them”, she added.
One student who does use the bus network to get to college is Shaden Abdullah. She explained that she has to catch four buses a day to get to college and back home again. For students like Shaden, this becomes costly.
She goes on to say, “it sometimes even demotivates me from coming to the college itself, so the fact that it will change makes me very happy and I feel like it's going to even help me with my studies because coming to college will be way more accessible to me.”
Under bus franchising, SYMCA would take control of the bus network including depots, bus fleets, routes, timetables, service standards, tickets and fares. Find out more here: https://www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/bus-reform
