Lib Dems Frustrated as North Sheffield to Hillsborough Interchange Bus Service Removed

The latest changes to bus services have seen the 135 service from Sheffield to Chapeltown no longer operating, leaving just the 86 service on the A61 corridor. Residents of High Green are now left with a one-hour journey on two buses just to get to Hillsborough.

The only remaining service is the M92 which operates just four return journeys a day at two-hour intervals from Harley to Hillsborough Interchange.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillor, Alan Hooper said “Once again the residents of High Green have been ignored in this latest restructuring. What choices are they left with if they don’t have their own transport? The hourly 135 service has been under threat now for a number of years, mainly due to its unreliability. How many hours are passengers supposed to wait in the hope of a bus turning up? Some have even resorted to walking to Hillsborough where they work; now they’ve no choice”.

Fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor Ann Whitaker added “If you live in Ecclesfield there are numerous buses on the A6135 route to choose from. On the A61 route just one; and it doesn’t go to Hillsborough Interchange. Elderly residents cannot be expected to walk the half mile from Penistone Road to Hillsborough and back carrying shopping. The first time the 86 meets the tram is at Shalesmoor!”

It seems, once again, that the bus companies are giving up routes, and South Yorkshire PTE and the South Yorkshire Region are powerless to revisit the crumbling bus service to ensure it at least meets the basic needs of local residents.

Liberal Democrat Councillor, Mike Levery said “It’s time for Oliver Coppard, Labour’s South Yorkshire Mayor and the South Yorkshire PTE to sort this out. At the very least, if there is only the 86-service operating on the A61 corridor, then it must a) start from High Green and follow the same route as the no 1 service to Chapeltown, b) Leave Penistone Road at Leppings Lane to enable travellers to access the tram at Middlewood Road and c) continue to Hillsborough Interchange.”

“Only twelve months ago, the previous Mayor, Dan Jarvis, introduced the Enhanced Bus Partnership which was supposed to improve bus services! The Liberal Democrats have been promoting franchising bus services for years as a far more effective alternative, which is the system Manchester are operating. Even if Oliver Coppard acts on this immediately, the bus users of South Yorkshire have at least another two years of misery before this can be brought in.”