Public ownership looks like the best option for buses in South Yorkshire

Bus services have become less frequent and less reliable over the years making for a frustrating passenger experience.

There is also the issue of ageing fleets. South Yorkshire’s buses on average are 11.5 years old, the national average is eight years, against a life expectancy of 15 years.

Little wonder that the Better Buses for South Yorkshire campaign has welcomed plans to bring the region’s buses back under public control.

The idea that buses are a relic of the past and that is why people have abandoned this form of public transport is a fallacy. The reason why passenger numbers have been dwindling over the years is because service levels have been dwindling.

Often a lot of the focus is on the rail network when it comes to investment in transport infrastructure. But buses have an important role to play in the general mobility of people across Yorkshire.

They can connect the region in a way that trains necessarily can’t. For example a lot of rural communities are being increasingly cut off as a result of bus services being slashed.

There is still a demand for affordable bus travel. The Government’s £2 bus fare cap, which runs until December 31, is proving that.

Oliver Coppard, the South Yorkshire mayor, believes that franchising is the way to put an end to the “spiral of decline”. Passengers across South Yorkshire would certainly welcome a marked improvement to services.