The State of Buses in Sheffield

As I stood in the cold rain in town yesterday, waiting 40 minutes for a bus, I thought to myself, “Why would anyone do this if they didn’t have to?” The bus stop didn’t have a shelter, so it felt particularly grim. 

I also wondered whether people who plan or own public transport actually use it regularly, because I don't think they would put up with the waiting and the poor facilities, the potential vulnerability, or the long journey times and overcrowding once you finally get on the bus.  

So why is the bus service in Sheffield (and most places in the UK) in such a state?

Reduced service

Bus service frequency has been slowly decreasing in Sheffield for several years, but has been accelerated by Covid. Covid service cuts then caused a further decline in usage, which has led to another 10% of service cuts and the spiral continues. Now only 35% of the Sheffield population can reach the city centre within 30 minutes, with an estimated £2.3 billion in lost revenue.

Buses on my route should now be every 20 minutes, but buses regularly get delayed and or go completely AWOL. I remember them being every 8-10 minutes - which is pretty much the minimum you need to make bus travel a viable option for most people. 

Funding Cuts and Rising Fares

Another significant contributor to the decline of bus services is the reduction in government funding. Since 2010, local authority funding for bus services has decreased by over 40%, leading to cuts in routes, frequencies, and services. To compensate for the shortfall, bus operators have increased fares, pricing out many users. The average bus fare in the UK has risen by 25% since 2015, making it one of the most expensive public transport systems in Europe.

Private Operators and Competition

The UK bus industry is largely privatised, with several large operators dominating the market. While competition was intended to improve services and drive down prices, it has led to a fragmented system, with multiple operators serving the same routes, resulting in inefficiencies and overlapping services. Additionally, the focus on profit margins often prioritises lucrative routes over less profitable ones, leaving rural and marginalized communities with limited or no access to bus services, which means people can’t get to work or hospital appointments and are forced to use their cars. We know that congestion is a problem for bus journey timings, but we are not going to reduce congestion if there aren’t any viable alternatives. 

The Future of Bus Transport

There is a clear need for increased funding, as well as regulation and reform, but it’s also time we had a rethink of how transport works so that it can better meet the needs of those that use it.

This is where A Fleet for Change comes in - with our unique, not-for-profit model and innovative demand-responsive transport we are creating safe, sustainable, shared transport so that waiting 40 minutes in the rain and unpleasant journeys can be a thing of the past.

If you want to find out more, check out our Mission Statement or our blogs. You can also Support Us or Get Involved if you want to be part of the change, we would love your input!