Bus franchising: What you need to know as consultation under way

The consultation over bus franchising in South Yorkshire will last until January next year

People in South Yorkshire are to be asked for their views on how their bus services should be run.

As part of a major consultation launched on Wednesday, bus users will be able to give their opinion on whether bus franchising should go ahead which, if approved, would see South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) take control of services.

Earlier this month, Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire's mayor, said it would put the combined authority "back in control so we make decisions on behalf of communities".

The BBC has been finding out what it could mean for South Yorkshire if bus franchising is given the go-ahead.

What is bus franchising?

Currently, private bus companies in South Yorkshire control how buses are operated.

But if franchising goes ahead, it would mean the mayor taking over routes, fares and timetables.

The mayor says money from the profitable part of the network would be reinvested in bus services in other parts of the community – with the aim of providing every neighbourhood with regular and reliable buses.

What difference will it make for passengers?

Bus campaigners in South Yorkshire have welcomed the possibility of franchising after passengers have complained for several years about fare increases, unreliable services and routes being cut.

Matthew Topham, from campaign group We Own It, previously said: “Routes have been slashed, buses seem to never turn up on time, and the public pays to pick up the pieces through higher subsidies.

"Let us take control of the services so more profits can be reinvested."

The mayor says franchising would allow him to make decisions on behalf of communities.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard wants buses to come back under public control

What do the bus companies say?

When the mayor first announced these plans, he said he had been "upfront" with the bus companies.

However, he admitted there had been "a lot of difficult conversations" with them.

Operator First Bus and the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK have not commented since the process started.

Why is it important for South Yorkshire?

Unreliable buses infuriate passengers, but the mayor has said there were wider, serious economic repercussions for the region as well.

South Yorkshire was named as the UK’s first Investment Zone in 2023 - but SYMCA has said that currently only 1% of local residents could get there on public transport within 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, students struggle to catch a bus to the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at Catcliffe, Rotherham.

At the moment, bus companies control how services in South Yorkshire are run

Is this an easy fix?

Franchising will take time and there are other problems.

The mayor is also lobbying for more money from the government after South Yorkshire missed out on grants.

The region only receives £10 per resident of funding towards buses, compared to almost £40 in West Yorkshire.

The mayor will also need to rebuild people’s faith and encourage them back on the bus.

When will the decision be announced?

The consultation, which is available online here, runs for 12 weeks until Wednesday15 January 2025.

Franchising then has to go through a legal process, so there is no set date yet as to when it would actually happen.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.