Mayor of South Yorkshire backs plans to take back control of the local bus network after consultation reveals overwhelming public support for plans

 
Better Buses for South Yorkshire campaigners gathered outside the combined authority as Coppard announced his decision

 
Bus services across South Yorkshire will move to a franchised model from September 2027, following a landmark decision by mayor Oliver Coppard. The move, described as the region’s most significant bus reform in decades, comes after overwhelming public support during a 12-week consultation.

More than 7,800 people took part in the consultation, with 87% either strongly or partially supporting the plans for greater bus service regulation. Franchising will be introduced across the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) area with the transition expected to be fully completed by July 2029.

Coppard announced his decision at this week’s meeting of the SYMCA board. He described franchising as a step toward building a fully integrated transport network.

“Today, we’ve made history; turning back the tide on the failed experiment of the privatisation of our bus network that was started in the 1980s, putting the public back into public transport,” he said. “Starting in 2027, we will begin to take back control of routes, fares and timetables across South Yorkshire, so we decide where buses run, when, and where.”

Today we’ve made history; turning back the tide on the failed experiment of privatisation of our bus network

The move follows the combined authority’s takeover of the Supertram network from Stagecoach last year, as part of its ambition to create an integrated public transport network.

The franchising scheme will be delivered through large ‘anchor’ contracts based around major operator depots, alongside smaller contracts aimed at supporting smaller, independent bus operators. SYMCA plans to lower barriers for SME firms by easing pre-qualification requirements and allowing joint bids.

To support the transition, £350m from South Yorkshire’s next City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement covering the five-year period from 2027 will be used for fleet renewal and depot acquisition. An additional £5m has been allocated from existing resources in 2025-26 to fund early implementation steps.

The combined authority has acknowledged that franchising carries financial risks, particularly beyond 2042 when further fleet renewal will be required. However, SYMCA expects to offset future deficits through surpluses generated in the first 15 years of operation.

While First Bus backed the franchising proposals, Stagecoach adopted a more neutral stance

The consultation responses reveal a split between the region’s two dominant bus operators; while First Bus backed the franchising proposals, Stagecoach adopted a more neutral stance.

First described buses as essential for delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits and it backed the planned approach to franchising, network plans, and the overall commercial strategy, including roles, responsibilities, and asset ownership. It also revealed a willingness to collaborate and share expertise from other franchising models.

In contrast, Stagecoach took a neutral stance, neither supporting nor opposing the franchising plans. The company acknowledged the potential benefits of the scheme and said it understood why Coppard had decided to pursue it.

While not offering outright support, Stagecoach said it was committed to working collaboratively with the combined authority “for the benefit of all communities”. However, it expressed some concerns with regard to the inclusion of services that crossed the SouthYorkshire boundary in the scheme.

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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