Video caption: Candidates for the role of SY Mayor face questions about transport, knife crime and neglected communities.Candidates for the role of SY Mayor face questions about transport, knife crime and neglected communities.
That's the end of our coverage of the debate at Cast in Doncaster
The candidates for South Yorkshire's mayoral election have had their say.
It'll be down to the county's voters to make their voices heard on Thursday 2 May.
Click on the video above to watch the whole debate between the candidates again.
Want to find out who the candidates are? Click here.
Analysis: Can candidates convince the public to vote?
Lucy Ashton
BBC Sheffield political reporter
BBCCopyright: BBC
The running theme of the South Yorkshire mayoral debate seemed
to be a region which has been left behind.
Members of the audience spoke about communities without bus
services, families forced to use foodbanks and a regional airport which is
closed.
When Conservative candidate Nick Allen suggested “people
needed to take personal responsibility” there was an audible gasp as someone in
the audience said “wow” and shook their head.
From May, for the first time, the Mayor’s role will be merged with the
Police and Crime Commissioner.
As candidates discussed increasing police numbers, the
Green’s Douglas Johnson said: “You cannot police your way out of social
problems.”
There were moments when candidates spoke over each other and
threw the odd pointed comment.
Liberal Democrat candidate Hannah Kitching accused Labour
and the Tories of “playing the blame game” saying that did not help anyone.
Meanwhile Labour’s Oliver Coppard, who has been mayor since 2022, asked
for another term so he could “continue to make lives better”.
This was an election where only a quarter of people in South
Yorkshire voted in 2022, so the challenge is convincing voters a Mayor can make
a difference.
30-second manifesto: Labour candidate Oliver Coppard
The Labour Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor outlines his vision. Oliver Coppard says he would work to improve public transport and reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Video content
Video caption: Oliver Coppard explains his priorities for South YorkshireOliver Coppard explains his priorities for South Yorkshire
30-second manifesto: Green Party candidate Douglas Johnson
The Green Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares his priorities. Douglas Johnson says he will focus on improving public transport, insulating people's homes and creating safer and kinder communities.
Video content
Video caption: Douglas Johnson outlines his plan for the regionDouglas Johnson outlines his plan for the region
30-second manifesto: Lib Dem candidate Hannah Kitching
The Liberal Democrats candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares her manifesto if she is elected. Hannah Kitching says she wants to create safer and better connected communities as well as increase opportunities for all.
Video content
Video caption: Hannah Kitching's 30-second manifesto for South YorkshireHannah Kitching's 30-second manifesto for South Yorkshire
30-second manifesto: Conservative candidate Nick Allen
The Conservative Party candidate for South Yorkshire shares his vision if he is elected. Nick Allen promises to get tough on fly tipping and work to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Video content
Video caption: Nick Allen shares his plans for South YorkshireNick Allen shares his plans for South Yorkshire
30-second manifesto: SDP candidate David Bettney
The Social Democratic Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares his priorities. David Bettney says he will "end rough sleeping, put a stop to grooming gangs and open up the airport".
Video content
Video caption: David Bettney outlines his prioritiesDavid Bettney outlines his priorities
That's all from the candidates
After a lively 50 minutes, that's the end of the live debate.
We'll have analysis from Radio Sheffield's political reporter Lucy Ashton to come as well as a chance to catch up on the 30-second manifestos shortly.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Knife crime is a 'social problem'- Mr Johnson
Mr Johnson says knife crime is a "social problem" and more should be done outside of policing to tackle the issue.
This would include working with children to guide them in the right direction.
Hannah Kitching says she doesn't have any "easy answers" for tackling knife crime.
She suggests policing needs to be more visible, but says the problem is also an issue for schools, further education colleges, parents and families.
Labour's Oliver Coppard says knife crime has gone up in South Yorkshire more than in other parts of the country. He says the region has fewer police officers than it had in 2010 because of austerity and says Labour's plans to hire more PCSOs can be "part of the solution".
He says as PCC he will ask the police to impose a "zero tolerance" approach to knife crime.
Meanwhile conservative candidate Mr Allen says: "I would champion more police officers, greater visibility and, as a priority, stop and search, so we can find these knives and get the police to confiscate them".
She advocates for tougher sentences but wants to know what the candidates will do about policing.
She says: "Something needs to be done done, not in a few months or a few years."
Video content
Video caption: Lisa Theobald with South Yorkshire mayoral debate crime questionLisa Theobald with South Yorkshire mayoral debate crime question
'South Yorkshire to be the fourth place in the UK to bring in franchising'
Oliver Coppard says South Yorkshire would be just the fourth region in the country to bring its buses back under public control.
"This will give us the opportunity to set the routes, the fares and the timetables," he says.
The Labour candidate takes aim at Margaret Thatcher for privatising the bus network in the 1980s, saying it will "take a long time" for communities to recover from the "damage she caused".
Mr Johnson says more people should use buses
The Green Party candidate says more people should be encouraged to use buses, putting more money into the transport system and sustaining it.
He says sometimes getting a taxi is cheaper and this dissuades people from using buses.
Nick Allen agrees bus services should be franchised
The candidates have been asked about buses, particularly for disabled people who have limited access to a social life without frequent services.
Nick Allen says he relies on the bus and tends to agree that he would franchise them.
He adds that they do not have a "magic wand" but says the sooner certain services are restored, the better.
'Private operators should not be allowed to cut routes'
Lib Dem candidate Hannah Kitching says bus companies should not be able to unilaterally cut bus routes.
"We need to be able to, as an authority, decide what routes run, how frequently run and what fares you pay," she tells the audience.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Analysis: Transport in South Yorkshire
Lucy Ashton
BBC Sheffield political reporter
Whether is a bus, tram or plane –
transport is the number one issue in South Yorkshire.
BBCCopyright: BBC
One in three people in the region do not have access to a car but South Yorkshire has lost 42% - when you measure by mileage - of its bus network over the past decade
South Yorkshire was named as the government’s first Investment Zone, located on the border of Rotherham and Sheffield, next to the world-leading Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
Yet only one percent of people can get to the site by bus within half an hour, according to the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority.
The mayor took back public control of Supertram in March after 27 years and plans to introduce bus franchising are also underway.
Politicians are also pushing ahead with proposals to use £138m of public money to fund the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield airport, which closed two years ago.
'How will you make the buses better?'
Bus user Dave Jackson from Barnsley tells the panel about his experience of bus cuts - and wants to know why public money is not helping him and others like him.
He asks: "Are you going to promise me a bus service?"
Video content
Video caption: South Yorkshire mayoral debate transport focusSouth Yorkshire mayoral debate transport focus
He believes it won't be an issue, but calls on the government to release £30m he says its withholding to build rail links from places like Lincoln into the airport.
Candidates on rail links to the airport
Douglas Johnson says rail links are "not good enough" in the area and should be improved.
Nick Allen says he will always champion a rail link and questions why an operator is not in place for the airport.
He criticises Mr Coppard for how the airport deal has been handled so far.
'Airport has failed to survive on EasyJet flights'
Hannah Kitching says she wants a five-year deal with a major airline operator to secure the airport's future, which she says will bring investment and jobs into South Yorkshire.
She suggests running the airport on cheap flights alone will not be sustainable. "We've seen it fail to survive on EasyJet," she says.
Live Reporting
Emily Johnson and David Spereall
All times stated are UK
Video caption: Candidates for the role of SY Mayor face questions about transport, knife crime and neglected communities.Candidates for the role of SY Mayor face questions about transport, knife crime and neglected communities. 
BBCCopyright: BBC Video caption: Oliver Coppard explains his priorities for South YorkshireOliver Coppard explains his priorities for South Yorkshire Video caption: Douglas Johnson outlines his plan for the regionDouglas Johnson outlines his plan for the region Video caption: Hannah Kitching's 30-second manifesto for South YorkshireHannah Kitching's 30-second manifesto for South Yorkshire Video caption: Nick Allen shares his plans for South YorkshireNick Allen shares his plans for South Yorkshire Video caption: David Bettney outlines his prioritiesDavid Bettney outlines his priorities 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media Video caption: Lisa Theobald with South Yorkshire mayoral debate crime questionLisa Theobald with South Yorkshire mayoral debate crime question 
BBCCopyright: BBC 
BBCCopyright: BBC Video caption: South Yorkshire mayoral debate transport focusSouth Yorkshire mayoral debate transport focus
Latest PostThat's all from our live coverage
Video content
That's the end of our coverage of the debate at Cast in Doncaster
The candidates for South Yorkshire's mayoral election have had their say.
It'll be down to the county's voters to make their voices heard on Thursday 2 May.
Click on the video above to watch the whole debate between the candidates again.
Want to find out who the candidates are? Click here.
And you can find out more about South Yorkshire's mayoral election here.
Thanks for spending time with us today.
Analysis: Can candidates convince the public to vote?
Lucy Ashton
BBC Sheffield political reporter
The running theme of the South Yorkshire mayoral debate seemed to be a region which has been left behind.
Members of the audience spoke about communities without bus services, families forced to use foodbanks and a regional airport which is closed.
When Conservative candidate Nick Allen suggested “people needed to take personal responsibility” there was an audible gasp as someone in the audience said “wow” and shook their head.
From May, for the first time, the Mayor’s role will be merged with the Police and Crime Commissioner.
As candidates discussed increasing police numbers, the Green’s Douglas Johnson said: “You cannot police your way out of social problems.”
There were moments when candidates spoke over each other and threw the odd pointed comment.
Liberal Democrat candidate Hannah Kitching accused Labour and the Tories of “playing the blame game” saying that did not help anyone.
Meanwhile Labour’s Oliver Coppard, who has been mayor since 2022, asked for another term so he could “continue to make lives better”.
This was an election where only a quarter of people in South Yorkshire voted in 2022, so the challenge is convincing voters a Mayor can make a difference.
30-second manifesto: Labour candidate Oliver Coppard
The Labour Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor outlines his vision. Oliver Coppard says he would work to improve public transport and reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Video content
30-second manifesto: Green Party candidate Douglas Johnson
The Green Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares his priorities. Douglas Johnson says he will focus on improving public transport, insulating people's homes and creating safer and kinder communities.
Video content
30-second manifesto: Lib Dem candidate Hannah Kitching
The Liberal Democrats candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares her manifesto if she is elected. Hannah Kitching says she wants to create safer and better connected communities as well as increase opportunities for all.
Video content
30-second manifesto: Conservative candidate Nick Allen
The Conservative Party candidate for South Yorkshire shares his vision if he is elected. Nick Allen promises to get tough on fly tipping and work to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Video content
30-second manifesto: SDP candidate David Bettney
The Social Democratic Party candidate for South Yorkshire mayor shares his priorities. David Bettney says he will "end rough sleeping, put a stop to grooming gangs and open up the airport".
Video content
That's all from the candidates
After a lively 50 minutes, that's the end of the live debate.
We'll have analysis from Radio Sheffield's political reporter Lucy Ashton to come as well as a chance to catch up on the 30-second manifestos shortly.
Knife crime is a 'social problem'- Mr Johnson
Mr Johnson says knife crime is a "social problem" and more should be done outside of policing to tackle the issue.
This would include working with children to guide them in the right direction.
Hannah Kitching says she doesn't have any "easy answers" for tackling knife crime.
She suggests policing needs to be more visible, but says the problem is also an issue for schools, further education colleges, parents and families.
How will candidates get tough on knife crime?
The winner of this election will become South Yorkshire's new Police and Crime Commissioner.
Labour's Oliver Coppard says knife crime has gone up in South Yorkshire more than in other parts of the country. He says the region has fewer police officers than it had in 2010 because of austerity and says Labour's plans to hire more PCSOs can be "part of the solution".
He says as PCC he will ask the police to impose a "zero tolerance" approach to knife crime.
Meanwhile conservative candidate Mr Allen says: "I would champion more police officers, greater visibility and, as a priority, stop and search, so we can find these knives and get the police to confiscate them".
'I want to see action on crime, not just words'
Lisa Theobald, whose son Ryan was murdered alongside another man in Doncaster in 2022, says more needs to be done.
She advocates for tougher sentences but wants to know what the candidates will do about policing.
She says: "Something needs to be done done, not in a few months or a few years."
Video content
'South Yorkshire to be the fourth place in the UK to bring in franchising'
Oliver Coppard says South Yorkshire would be just the fourth region in the country to bring its buses back under public control.
"This will give us the opportunity to set the routes, the fares and the timetables," he says.
The Labour candidate takes aim at Margaret Thatcher for privatising the bus network in the 1980s, saying it will "take a long time" for communities to recover from the "damage she caused".
Mr Johnson says more people should use buses
The Green Party candidate says more people should be encouraged to use buses, putting more money into the transport system and sustaining it.
He says sometimes getting a taxi is cheaper and this dissuades people from using buses.
Nick Allen agrees bus services should be franchised
The candidates have been asked about buses, particularly for disabled people who have limited access to a social life without frequent services.
Nick Allen says he relies on the bus and tends to agree that he would franchise them.
He adds that they do not have a "magic wand" but says the sooner certain services are restored, the better.
'Private operators should not be allowed to cut routes'
Lib Dem candidate Hannah Kitching says bus companies should not be able to unilaterally cut bus routes.
"We need to be able to, as an authority, decide what routes run, how frequently run and what fares you pay," she tells the audience.
Analysis: Transport in South Yorkshire
Lucy Ashton
BBC Sheffield political reporter
Whether is a bus, tram or plane – transport is the number one issue in South Yorkshire.
One in three people in the region do not have access to a car but South Yorkshire has lost 42% - when you measure by mileage - of its bus network over the past decade
South Yorkshire was named as the government’s first Investment Zone, located on the border of Rotherham and Sheffield, next to the world-leading Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
Yet only one percent of people can get to the site by bus within half an hour, according to the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority.
The mayor took back public control of Supertram in March after 27 years and plans to introduce bus franchising are also underway.
Politicians are also pushing ahead with proposals to use £138m of public money to fund the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield airport, which closed two years ago.
'How will you make the buses better?'
Bus user Dave Jackson from Barnsley tells the panel about his experience of bus cuts - and wants to know why public money is not helping him and others like him.
He asks: "Are you going to promise me a bus service?"
Video content
Rail links to airport 'important'
Mr Coppard is asked about how Sheffield Council's ban on airline advertising might affect the airport.
He believes it won't be an issue, but calls on the government to release £30m he says its withholding to build rail links from places like Lincoln into the airport.
Candidates on rail links to the airport
Douglas Johnson says rail links are "not good enough" in the area and should be improved.
Nick Allen says he will always champion a rail link and questions why an operator is not in place for the airport.
He criticises Mr Coppard for how the airport deal has been handled so far.
'Airport has failed to survive on EasyJet flights'
Hannah Kitching says she wants a five-year deal with a major airline operator to secure the airport's future, which she says will bring investment and jobs into South Yorkshire.
She suggests running the airport on cheap flights alone will not be sustainable. "We've seen it fail to survive on EasyJet," she says.