This forum has been set up for anyone to put there views of road, rail, bus or tram problems in Sheffield.

If you have got something on your chest this is the place to put your views.

Here are some examples, and don`t foget if you're on the bus, train, tram or car, tell the person next to you about this site + all your friends.

RAIL: Railtrack have spent 7 million on Sheffield Midland station can you tell the diffrence?.
Only one railway station in Sheffield, will Sheffield victoria and the rest of the Woodhead line ever re-open?.

TRAM: Where should the tram go next?

BUS: A Sheffield survey has voted first mainline`s 75/76 the worst bus route in Sheffield, bus drivers in Sheffield are the second lowest paid in the uk, what are your views?.

ROADS: labour are back in local control, road improvments have been cut by 75% what do you think about the state of local roads + how do we fund the repairs of them?.

If there is anybody from the transport sector please feel free to put your views forward + answer any questions.

Are you ready? Lets get Sheffield talking !!!!

Got stuck on Penistone Road today?.

Well if British Rail hadn`t been so stupid in cuting rail services in the 1960-70`s you would not have been stuck in traffic.

Because on Januray 5th 1970 British Rail closed the Passenger service from Sheffield Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly.

If the line had been open now then you would have had station`s at Sheffield Victoria,Neepsend,Wadsley Bridge,Oughtbridge,Deepcar
Etc

South Yorkshire Passenger Tansport Excutive have done a survey on the line but you know how slow we are in this city in doing thing`s.

The transport system in Sheffield has always been diabolical. We need to get the roads freed up and the best way is to use railed public transport.

In West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, the train is king. There are stations a couple of miles apart and frequent clean services to the cities. I don't know whether this is down to these areas having large towns and cities closer to each other than Sheffield does, but when was the last time a station was actually built?

The tram is great but there are not enough lines. Manchester has a similar and older tram system. It doesn't come into my area but there are extensions being built as I speak. I use the train to get into the city. The station is manned from 7am to midnight, has a well lit and free car park and a return ticket to Manchester costs a couple of pounds and the journey takes less than 15 minutes.

There are enough areas of derelict land to get the tram linked up from Crystal Peaks to Woodhouse, Handsworth and Darnall, which could then make a loop by linking to Attercliffe and Meadowhall. And I'm sure a thin line could be placed parallel to the River Sheaf to Dore and Totley. But, these areas already have a rail line, so why not just build more stations and put extra services on?

I have one other idea - cable cars? Why not site cable car stations at Manor Top and other hilly areas and have them crossing the city? They could build a big tower in the centre where they could all meet and interchange!

Originally posted by "Anonymous"

Got stuck on Penistone Road today?.

Well if British Rail hadn`t been so stupid in cuting rail services in the 1960-70`s you would not have been stuck in traffic.

Because on Januray 5th 1970 British Rail closed the Passenger service from Sheffield Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly.

If the line had been open now then you would have had station`s at Sheffield Victoria,Neepsend,Wadsley Bridge,Oughtbridge,Deepcar
Etc

South Yorkshire Passenger Tansport Excutive have done a survey on the line but you know how slow we are in this city in doing thing`s.

I'd love for those Stations to be re-opened.

Originally posted by "alchresearch"

The transport system in Sheffield has always been diabolical. We need to get the roads freed up and the best way is to use railed public transport.

In West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, the train is king. There are stations a couple of miles apart and frequent clean services to the cities. I don't know whether this is down to these areas having large towns and cities closer to each other than Sheffield does, but when was the last time a station was actually built?

The tram is great but there are not enough lines. Manchester has a similar and older tram system. It doesn't come into my area but there are extensions being built as I speak. I use the train to get into the city. The station is manned from 7am to midnight, has a well lit and free car park and a return ticket to Manchester costs a couple of pounds and the journey takes less than 15 minutes.

There are enough areas of derelict land to get the tram linked up from Crystal Peaks to Woodhouse, Handsworth and Darnall, which could then make a loop by linking to Attercliffe and Meadowhall. And I'm sure a thin line could be placed parallel to the River Sheaf to Dore and Totley. But, these areas already have a rail line, so why not just build more stations and put extra services on?

I have one other idea - cable cars? Why not site cable car stations at Manor Top and other hilly areas and have them crossing the city? They could build a big tower in the centre where they could all meet and interchange!

I know Sheffield is probably not big enough to warrant one but I would love to see an underground system. I think they are brilliant.

There was talk of re-opening the old Millhouses station in between the Sainsbury's and Tesco Supermarkets a few years ago but nothing happened. The line would have run from Dore & Totley through to Meadowhall I believe. The Greater Manchester system is very good, Oldham to Manchester Victoria takes about 15 mins, with stops on the way and is just £1.50.

I dont know if I have just been lucky, but I have found the public transport in Sheffield to be far better than I expected. The busses are frequent, as are the trams. There isn't a continual traffic problem, just rush hours, it could be better but it could be a hell of a lot worse. I can get about quite easily and I have no car menaing its walking or public transport for me everytime.

Correct me if I am wrong! but wasn't it doctor Beeching who closed all the rail stations down? for economic reasons as British railways weren't paying.

For this he was amply rewarded, after putting the transport system in this country back one hundred years, where it has been ever since. :( :( :(

Originally posted by "Anonymous"

TRAM: Where should the tram go next?
Bramall Lane.

I agree with points about rail networks - we used to have a far larger rail and tram network in this city and it would be very useful to see it re-established. The busses in this city are better than in most cities, but they're still not great and, like the other modes of public transport, still some way behind the quality they used to be.

Next tram destination:
Millhouses, Ecclesall, Dore, Totley

Hi all.

this is,my first post on this forum, although i've been lurking for some while.
I am very interested in transport in Sheffield, coz all the measures our dear council has taken for years are exactly yhte opposite of what we need.

Roads:
Charter Row: We need the dual Carriage way reponed.
Eyre Street/Arundel gate: We need the dual Carriage Way reopened.
Millhouses/Abbeydale road (south): Dual carriage way redone.
Beauchief /Abbey Lange Jn: Dual Carriage way Junction reopned.
Basically Dual carriage ways reopned in City Centre.
reopen double circulation street that have been put to one way streets ? Is it me or is City centre a labyrinth ?
Open Pinstone Street, The Moor (all the way to London Road), etc...

Rail:
Brightside, Attercliffe Road, Victoria, Neepsend, Wadsley Bridge (and further, Heeley, Millhouses, Beauchief, Totley reopened.
for totley, have platforms 2, 3 & 4 reopened to get trains to London/Derby.
Tinsley stations reopned to scrap Supertram in that area, thus making the trip Meadowhall last less than 30 mins because it stops every 5 minutes...
The work done to the Midland Station is a disgrace, that new footbridge and staircases do not fit in that magnificient Victorian Building, i am outraged at the pety Engineering company that built it.
Build shops, storey carparks or underground on the terrain adjacent to Midland Station on Turner Street

Tram:
extensions to: Whirlow, not Totley (think railway instead), Fullwood, Bradway, Parson's Cross (and that area).

Busses:
Yorkshire Terrier: Take over First and repain the barby busses in something deacent.
First: go back to London where you belong.
Bring back a public funded bus company, like, errr South Yorkshire Transport for example, so we could get the cheapest bus services in the Uk as we had some 10-15-20 years ago, just before First came and made Sheffield the most city to travel in.
Not transfer the Interchange to the station, and LEAVE it where it is.
Scrap ALL bus services that would be replaced by double decker trams where suggested above.
Lower prices on bus fares so i don't have to take a loan to buy a Seven Day saver.

sheffield is our City, we own it.
We can make changes ourselves by boycotting unreliable companies and using alternate transport.
I personaly do not pay First any transport fee anymore, by using free bus passes i got from 'connection', First can no longer make profite out of me.
I really want to see things move.

so If you do too, as i'm sure you do, you know where to post.

Regards,
Greg

Everyone misses the fundamental problem with public transport. Because it hasn't been state owned for ages the only concerns of the operators are profit. This means that, shamefully, I can drive my knackered old 2 litre car into the city centre, park at an ncp and drive home again at a fraction of the cost of a bus or taxi. Trains and trams aren't even an option. Oh, and not only is it cheaper to drive but it also takes me from my door to my destination with getting wet, changing transport route several times, getting chewing gum stuck to my pants and having to put up with the obligatory freak. Admittedly, when my car is broken I AM the freak on the bus but that's by the by.

PS Does someone want to tell the bus drivers of Woodseats the bus lane is time controlled and undertaking and shoving in is just as / more anoying and dangerous for a bus!

Sorry, guys, I hate public transport.

Oh yeah, and why are bus drivers pathologically miserable b##s? When I have been forced to use said things early in the morning I'm not interested that he hasn't got change 'cos he's only just started!!! Have they not heard of 'floats'??? Can we have all bus drivers forced to have a tattoo on their forehead saying 'BUS DRIVER' so when they go to do their shopping and only have a twenty pound note the checkout assistant can suck their teeth and say 'sorry mate, no change, you'll have toi get out of the shop and come back when you haver the right change' !!!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!
Rant over. :blush:

Originally posted by Bucketta
Oh yeah, and why are bus drivers pathologically miserable b##s? When I have been forced to use said things early in the morning I'm not interested that he hasn't got change 'cos he's only just started!!! Have they not heard of 'floats'???

YOu have a very good point, it's not us that have to please them, but them please us, we are the customers, so they should like our a***, not the opposite, or i can take a golf club and MAKE the driver understand my point of view :p

Regards,
Greg

Originally posted by Gregsd
we are the customers, so they should like our a***, not the opposite,

Are you sure you're not confusing them with the Bottom Inspectorate?

Trams: love 'em!! they should be extended *everywhere* but the first places should be the Hallamshire and Northern General Hospitals.

They are clean and (except for rush hour) not crowded and just generally pleasant.

Buses: could be better. could be cleaner for a start. bendy buses were definitely cool.

as for someone saying that bus drivers are miserable, yeah some of them are, but i would be too if that was my job and people were being rude to me too all day.

incidentally i got on a bus yesterday and a man was singing his heart out on there. he was very happy and the more people laughed the more encouraged he was. it really cheered up my day!

Cars: don't like them unless they are totally necessary (ie disability or someone living somewhere with no / inadequate public transport).

General: Public transport should be cheaper, cleaner and more regular.

Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy

1. We need an organisation to oversee public transport, like Transport for London do in, er, London. This organisation would specify bus timetables, service levels and fares. If a bus operator wasn't up to standard, they would be kicked off and someone else brought in.

2. Bring back conductors on the busiest routes - this would make the buses more customer-friendly (look at how little vandelism occurs on the trams). It would also make the buses faster, because the driver wouldn't have to sell tickets and give change.

3. Reduce the number of tickets - make it easier for people to understand what they need to pay, so they can have the right money ready. Introduce daily tickets that can be bought cheaply (say £2) and used on any public transport. Have them sold through shops and machines as well as on buses (to save the driver's time).

4. Tram extentions - fine, but first they need more trams on the existing routes - at rush hour the Meadowhall route is packed. We need trams every 5 minutes on that line please. Then extend the tram to the hospitals, take the Herdings Park line up to Low Edges and whatever else would be useful.

5. Trains - this has already been covered by someone else, but we need more local railway stations and fast, reliable services.

6. Park and Ride - we need more of these on the edges of the city. They should be free (just pay for tram/bus ticket), staffed and easily accessable.

Some excellent points Andy and many which ought to be considered.

I think bus drivers shoudl be given much more small change as a float when they start their shifts. How many times have you been refused entry to a bus because the driver had no change left. The answer "I used all my small change on the last bus journey" doesn't seem to wash, somehow!

I use public transport quite regularly (tram 3x per week), and would use it a lot more, if it were more reliable and less expensive. Example......i had a bit of work in Doncaster, so i thought i'd use the train and bus. It took TWO and a HALF hours from Sheffield. I think the fare in total was around £10. Trains were late, buses late........It would have taken me 30 - 40 mins in the car and been cheaper. I find it disgusting that the car driver is getting taxed so much when the alternative is a shoddy public transport system.....there is simply no incentive to use overpriced/unreliable public transport .

Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy

1. We need an organisation to oversee public transport, like Transport for London do in, er, London. This organisation would specify bus timetables, service levels and fares. If a bus operator wasn't up to standard, they would be kicked off and someone else brought in.

Bit like the old days then SYPTE?
Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy

2. Bring back conductors on the busiest routes - this would make the buses more customer-friendly (look at how little vandelism occurs on the trams). It would also make the buses faster, because the driver wouldn't have to sell tickets and give change.

Bit like the old days then?
Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy

3. Reduce the number of tickets - make it easier for people to understand what they need to pay, so they can have the right money ready.
Yep just like the old days

Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy

4. Tram extentions - fine, but first they need more trams on the existing routes - at rush hour the Meadowhall route is packed. We need trams every 5 minutes on that line please. Then extend the tram to the hospitals, take the Herdings Park line up to Low Edges and whatever else would be useful.

Yep just like the old days, trams ran everywhere.
Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy
5. Trains - this has already been covered by someone else, but we need more local railway stations and fast, reliable services.
Yep just like the old days
Originally posted by Andy
Sheffield's Transport Masterplan, by Andy
6. Park and Ride - we need more of these on the edges of the city. They should be free (just pay for tram/bus ticket), staffed and easily accessable.

Agreed, park and rides are the enabler for people to use public transport.:thumbsup:

I think you should be able to get generic transport tickets. For example it's £1 to Meadowhall on the train, yet £2 on the tram. I don't know how much the bus is. Also it would be good if you could go to Meadowhall on the train and come back on a tram or bus using the same ticket.

Hi folks (first post on the forum, although I've been reading it for a while).

I've had to join in on the transport thing.

Two words - CONGESTION CHARGING.

Whether we like it or not, it's on it's way - that's for sure.

Also I got a note through my letterbox the other day from some people who are campaining to stop the supertram coming up to Millhouses, Totley etc.

WHY?

This is an excellent idea (as long as they don't touch the park).

Originally posted by Hippy
Hi folks (first post on the forum, although I've been reading it for a while).
Also I got a note through my letterbox the other day from some people who are campaining to stop the supertram coming up to Millhouses, Totley etc.

WHY?

This is an excellent idea (as long as they don't touch the park).

Hi Hippy welcome to the forum, hope this is not your first and last post.

You point about the tram extensions to Millhouses Totley etc, the reason some people are compalining is that it does touch the park, it will have to run through the bottom end of the park near the cricket pitch as the bridge nr Sainsbury's is not big enough, after that bridge it will run along side the train tracks, which all seems pretty logical to me as it will not disrupt the roads to much.

:thumbsup:

oh right - thanks Mikey,

That's a shame - once greenspace like that is lost - it's lost forever.

On the other hand the tram would make a big difference to that part of the city. I guess it's all a balancing act.

Originally posted by Bucketta
This means that, shamefully, I can drive my knackered old 2 litre car into the city centre, park at an ncp and drive home again at a fraction of the cost of a bus or taxi. Trains and trams aren't even an option

I would like to know about this

The car park I would like to park in is £12 for the day

My park and ride from Middlewood is £2.60 (if I buy a book of 5 for £13 to use on any day) and that includes unlimited all day tram travel if the fancy takes me.

How can the car park be cheaper?

Or do you know one I dont, please LET ME KNOW!!

Well, lets deal with a few issues here and add my 2 pennerth-worth!

BUSES:
Main issues: Unreliable,overcrowded,don't run at night,expensive.
Reasons: Overcrowding is because there are not enough seats, especially now they are legally required to have wheelchair spaces, so more double deckers needed. Other issues is partly down to traffic but mainly down to lack of drivers. Answer: Increase pay and employ security people on board at risk buses. Expensive-commercial pressures, need to regulate London style.

TRAMS:
Running at maximum capicty, expansion required. Also peak time delays on road sections due to traffic. Not much can be done about this short term, however lesson should be learnt - new lines should run off-road.

LOCAL TRAINS.
Comment about Attercliffe station - reason for it closing is nobody used it - mainly due to industry around it closing. Brightside was replaced by a new station called Meadowhall Interchange.
Train to Deepcar - can this be commercially justified, seeing as everyone is moving out of the areas along the route? Also connection of this line to the national rail network would mean after passing Sheffield Victoria train would have to carry straight on either through Darnall and Woodhouse towards Chesterfield or Worksop, or turn left down dodgy freight line round back of Arena towards Tinsley/Rotherham. In terms of intermediate stops Sheffield-Dore there simply isn't the capacity, although I guess it would be possible to build a third track down the side of the mainline and have a few single platform stations at say Millhouses and Heeley, with a single train shuttling up and down. Best frequency that could be achieved would be every 30 mins. Tram would probably be better solution. Station at Bradway would be very expensive and tricky engineering wise, due to railway being in deep cutting. Better solution is improved service to Dore and local bus link Dore-Bradway. New stations at Swallownest and Ecclesfield maybe achievable. In current climate though I think SYPTE is right to concentrate on improving current network timetable and performance.

Or am I spouting rubbish here? Discuss!

Originally posted by Andy C
BUSES:
Main issues: Unreliable,overcrowded,don't run at night,expensive.
Reasons: Overcrowding is because there are not enough seats, especially now they are legally required to have wheelchair spaces, so more double deckers needed. Other issues is partly down to traffic but mainly down to lack of drivers. Answer: Increase pay and employ security people on board at risk buses. Expensive-commercial pressures, need to regulate London style.
BUSES: Most bus services in South Yorkshire are operated by East Midlands, Yorkshire terrier and the Mainline franchise, but a large proportion of those services are FUNDED by SYPTE, thus making SYPTE the theoritical operator.
If it were to the bus companies alone, we'd have a bus every two hours...
It makes you wonder why we couldn't scrap the Barbie bus company. get SYOTE the sole operator for Mainline frnchise. Decision making would be quicker, more efficient, and as SYPTE is the main listener in case of problems, proper and more human replies would be implemented.

TRAMS:
Running at maximum capicty, expansion required. Also peak time delays on road sections due to traffic. Not much can be done about this short term, however lesson should be learnt - new lines should run off-road.

TRAMS: A decision must be made, do we want a tram or do we want a light Railway (What Supertram is) ?
A light Railway needs to be fast, frequent, what Supertram saddly is not. Meadowhall is quicker reached by every 5 minutes trains, tickets cost the same, and you may use your Travel Master on Arriva, Vermin and ML services for a travel of approx 8 minutes (against 15-20mins at best via Supertram).
Lines must be extended we all know and want that.
Cathedral to Totley Cross Sythes via Ecclesall Rd and Dore Rd.
Cathedral to Totley Cross Sythes via Abbeydale Rd.
tram management would be simpler if the terminuses were both at the Cross Sythes.
Herdings to Bradway via Ring Road.
Centertainement to Gleadless via Prince of Wales (services to Bradway perhaps?)
Extension to Parson X etc ?

LOCAL TRAINS.
Comment about Attercliffe station - reason for it closing is nobody used it - mainly due to industry around it closing. Brightside was replaced by a new station called Meadowhall Interchange.
Train to Deepcar - can this be commercially justified, seeing as everyone is moving out of the areas along the route? Also connection of this line to the national rail network would mean after passing Sheffield Victoria train would have to carry straight on either through Darnall and Woodhouse towards Chesterfield or Worksop, or turn left down dodgy freight line round back of Arena towards Tinsley/Rotherham. In terms of intermediate stops Sheffield-Dore there simply isn't the capacity, although I guess it would be possible to build a third track down the side of the mainline and have a few single platform stations at say Millhouses and Heeley, with a single train shuttling up and down. Best frequency that could be achieved would be every 30 mins. Tram would probably be better solution. Station at Bradway would be very expensive and tricky engineering wise, due to railway being in deep cutting. Better solution is improved service to Dore and local bus link Dore-Bradway. New stations at Swallownest and Ecclesfield maybe achievable. In current climate though I think SYPTE is right to concentrate on improving current network timetable and performance.

TRAINS: we need an urban network, like B'ham and Manchester have, Sheffield is a large urban sprawl, it can take it.
1. Reopen the Woodhead Line to Penistone, have omnibus and Expresses from Hudds/Penistone to Lincoln/Hull ?
NOT reopen Victoria but build a station ON the Wicker Arches directly above the Wicker, with easy lift/stairs access from the bus stops just below.
2. Open Stations between Sheffield and Rotherham Central or reopen the terminus at Rotherham Westgate ? (omnibus service from Dronfield to Westgate) with stops at Dore&Totley, Millhouses, Heeley, Midland, BrightsideORAttercliffe, Mead'hall, Masborough/Holmes and Westgate.
* Sheffield would then posses an urban train network in the 4 cardinal direction, and most areas would be linked, without having to build NEW lines, but perhaps needing passing loops at stations (to insert the traffic within Express Services).

I have always been fond of trains, but Sheffield has the advantage of having a very good base for expansion.
Derbyshire Council wants to reopen the Matlock to Buxton line, if they can, we can ! We deserve it 1 We are the 4th largest City in England.
Everytime i post on this great forum it's to promote trains, but lates face it, if made properly, they are faster than buses or even tram.

ENGLAND YOU BEAUTIE !!!

Greg

Just registered at the forum today-good stuff here!!

I only use public transport 2-3 times a month because of the nature of my job. Even so, what really p.....s me offf is the amount of car drivers that persist in parking in bus lanes. Go down London Road and Abbeydale Road and hey presto! blocked.

I seem to remember the police were going to do a blitz on drivers that did this but this has fizzled out.

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
YOu have a very good point, it's not us that have to please them, but them please us, we are the customers, so they should like our a***, not the opposite, or i can take a golf club and MAKE the driver understand my point of view :p

Regards,
Greg

That is the whole problem, we are using a "service" provided by a company and being treated as "customers" ... once you've bought the product (paid for the ticket) they're not interested unless there's a "problem" they have to sort out at a later date (something to do with a "guarantee")

once a customer has left the shop the seller has nothing to worry about until said customer returns with a problem


On the other hand, users of means of transport provided by the state or otherwise, as a service, are "passengers" and are treated as such from the time we board the bus/train/tram until the time we alight at the other end. Any problems with the transport would have been dealt with there and then, for example a kid spitting on the seats would have been thrown off, rather than a cleaning contractor clearing up the mess when the bus is in the depot, hours later.


What would you sooner have? A city with several COMPETING bus companies, operating in their defined areas, so you can't get from one area to another with a simple day return ticket (you are using several different companies) and there's NO co-ordination of timetables between companies (or even between different branches of the same company - my partner and I lost half an hour the other day because our bus was late, and we saw our connecting service pull away seconds before our first bus arrived at the interchange)

Or a state-run service (they own the roads, don't they? no need to buy rights for putting tram lines down then or acquiring expensive planning permission, a few months of jams but followed by many decades of hassle and pollution - free travel) where you buy a ticket to get from A to B at a fixed price, the services connect and it's always ON TIME, like in Europe, at a fraction of the price WE pay.

I'ld love to see the tram go down Bramall lane or London Road. A junction at Universtiy with the tracks runiing down the central reservation to the Safeways Eccasall Road Roundabout (Tram stop in the middle accesable by the pedestrian subways) , to the Bramall Lane Roundabout (again tram stop here), then down Bramall Lane then either back to Granville Road, or up to Woodseats.with a terminus somehwere on Chesterfield road past Woodseats.

An alternative route would be a loop from Hillsbrough corner, up to Walkley Librabry, then up to Crookes, along Crookes Road, Down to where KFC used to be in Broomhill, turn left down Western Bank, and then right into the wide one way entrance by the bus stop and down that road to Hallmshire hospital, down Glossop road, and meet the existing line at University.

Originally posted by alchresearch
I don't know whether this is down to these areas having large towns and cities closer to each other than Sheffield does, but when was the last time a station was actually built?

Both Swinton and Rotherham Central were built (rebuilt) in the 90s.

Rotherham Central was once on the LNER line via Victoria and Attercliffe (the line next to Supertram) and got re-opened and moved many years after its predecessor closed.

Same thing happenned with Swinton, station closed, moved and re-oppenned.

My own view is that what is needed is much more competition on public transport. When bus deregulation was at its hight about 10 years ago most routes were competative and buses were much more frequent. Now, only a limited number of routes are competative and frequencies have dropped. There should be at least 2 (preferably 3 or more) large bus companies operating in Sheffield on all routes. This would increase frequencies and reduce fares.

Originally posted by slimsid2000
My own view is that what is needed is much more competition on public transport. When bus deregulation was at its hight about 10 years ago most routes were competative and buses were much more frequent. Now, only a limited number of routes are competative and frequencies have dropped. There should be at least 2 (preferably 3 or more) large bus companies operating in Sheffield on all routes. This would increase frequencies and reduce fares.

If there was enough money to be made, enough punters to go round and more importantly enough rival companies to compete, then maybe.

But there aren't. Most of those companies ten years ago have either been closed town, gone bust, or been taken over.

You look at how things have settled down now, the only competitor First group have is the regional company Yorkshire Traction (Terrier), who do not generally operate evenings or Sundays, so aren't the most effective competiton.

The other big boy in town is Stagecoach, but they aren't generally competing - they tend to run cross border services whilst First run local services.

The remaining small operators such as TM Travel tend to operate a mixture of niche market, contract services and unique routes that no-one else operate - they don't even try to compete with the big boys.

So I'm afraid it's just not going to happen, simple as.

The competition and the whole host of dfferent companies companies that run the busses and the trams makes daily and weekly tickets very expensive. If there was a single company then I think that there would be cheaper weekly tickets.

A weekly ticket on the tram wil cost you 8 quid; and a weekly ticket on the First busses will cost you 11 quid.

What we need are a reasonably priced Daily/Weekly/Monthly tickets that work on all of the busses and trams.

I think there is a daily/weekly ticket you can buy from the Transport Executive but it's fairly useless to most people because 1) You can't buy it from the bus driver.
2) It costs about 18 quid for a week.

I honestly can't think of a single week where I would spend 18 quid on single fares. Mostly I just go to and from work, so I get the 8 quid tram ticket. Single fares for the same journeys would cost me about 14

At the moment I just use the trams, and then use the Travel Adda to get an 80p bus fare for the very few times that I use the First Busses.

If the Transport Executive offered a 10 pound weekly ticket that covered all the busses, trains and trams then it would definitely be worthwhile for me to buy it.

Travelmaster isn't that bad value at £15 per week - for £4 for than a First bus weekly ticket having the flexibility to use any bus company, plus tram and train.

A ticket that very few people seem to have heard of is the South Yorkshire version of the Stagecoach Megarider and Dayrider - £8.50 per week or £2.50 per day, and as well as Supertram it is valid on all Stagecoach buses in South Yorkshire.

Even more obscure is the Stagecoach Goldrider, at £17 per week, valid not only on all Stagecoach services in South Yorkshire, but Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Hull and North East lincolnshire too.

These are all advertised on their website though - www.stagecoachbus.com

Whilst no doubt Sheffields roads require extra investment the implication that the roads were fully funded under previous administrations, either Tory or Lib Dem is ludicrous.

TRAMS!! i love the trams and i use them all the time, however i do have a few gripes.
1) they should run earlier in the morning and later at night. I asked stagecoach about the possibility of this and their reply was that due to maintainance reasons it couldn`t happen. This is a great shame as there are many early morning workers in our area who rely on lifts or such like to get across the city to start work early. My first shift starts not long after 5am and it`s sometimes impossible to get there.Maybe the fleet ought to be increased before it`s extended.
2) Fares when stagecoach took over the supertram network the fares were reduced to make people realise it was affordable, this worked and now they are very busy but the fares have crept up from the £5 or £5.50 weekly ticket to £8, it seems like they go up in 50p chunks too which is rather a large increase.I thought the point was that as they were electric and therefore "greener" they would always stay cheap to encourage useage and don`t cost as much to run but now they have a decent amount of revenue coming in they don`t seem to care as much.
BUSSES. I hate them but unfortunately i am forced to use them at times. We used to have a bus running past our house approximately every 10 minutes when they were run by sypte and they were very reliable. Some went on to places much further away but these have all stopped now and people are left without the means to get to work for early shifts. I know of 3 people who have actually had to give up their jobs because of changes and unreliable bus services, one of them had a walk of over 30 minutes to get to a bus stop early in the morning only to find it wouldn`t turn up! no fun in the winter when it`s freezing and raining.
I did write to first about one particular bus when it turned up very late or not at all for almost 2 weeks and i was getting in trouble at work for being late, the answer was that it would be investigated, they later wrote back to say that they had found nothing wrong, i also wrote to sypte about this and included the bus tickets on all occasions showing that the bus was like 25 mins late most days and was told by them there was nothing that they could do!! FOR GODS SAKE WHAT ARE THEY THERE FOR!! the problem seemed to repeat whenever a certain driver was on the early turn and one day i was amazed to see the bus tootling up the hill on time, as i stopped myself form collapsing in disbelief and boarded i noticed that the usually miserable and rude driver was looking all around as he was driving, then i spotted it about the same time he did, a hidden sypte van watching for the bus to see if it was on time, the driver had obviously been tipped off. The next day guess what 15 mins late!!!!! all busses should be put back to the routes and times of years ago with the fares to match first bus should be banned from operating as a company in my opinion.

Stannington has the worst bus service bar none. Today I was waiting for an half an hour for a bus and when it came there were so many people wanting to catch it that not everyone could get on it. I got on but I feel for the others, including some elderly people, who had to wait another half an hour. Diabolical