South Yorkshire transport bosses, local authorities, bus operators and highway agencies are working together on a five-year plan to hit tough targets on bus reliability in the region.
The Punctuality Improvement Partnership (PIP) will see transport authorities working with South Yorkshire’s bus operators to reduce congestion and improve time keeping to help ensure 98% of bus journeys operate and 90.5% to run on time.
Supported by the Department for Transport, the scheme will be lead by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) with support from Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham MBC and Sheffield City Council.
Bus companies First South Yorkshire, Stagecoach Yorkshire, and TM Travel will also be involved.
SYPTE interim director general, David Young, said: ‘This partnership approach acknowledges that improving punctuality and reliability is a collective responsibility. We will work tirelessly together to further improve the customer offer, and make buses a reliable alternative to car travel.’
The work will build on the success of the 2012 Sheffield and 2014 Rotherham bus partnerships.
Paul Lynch, managing director at Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: ‘We have already achieved great things for Sheffield and Rotherham bus services through our Bus Partnership's, and working closely together with our partners in the Punctuality Improvement Partnership means that we can make further strides in maintaining high standards of punctuality and reliability across South Yorkshire, encouraging people out of cars and onto buses, which have continually developed as a realistic alternative to the car.’
