Minutes:
Nathan Broadhead, Bus Partnership and Development Manager, reported on some personnel changes at SYMCA with Brian Edwards now being the new Assistant Director and specifically for buses within SYMCA. Nathan and/or Brian would continue to attend the TAG meetings with others attending for specific agenda items.
Christmas Period
There would be the usual changes to service levels over the Christmas period with operators running Saturday services with extra early morning buses for shift workers where required. The information would be communicated through the South Yorkshire website to enable passengers to be able to plan their journeys.
Service Changes
Other than minor changes there were 2 service changes a year with the next being the Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Bus Reform
The Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) Authority and Board was taking forward potentially the next steps of franchising. Work has been done on the costings and business plans and was now out to 12 weeks public consultation and would end in January 2025. There were a number of drop-ins taking place in Rotherham (see below) that members of the public could attend.
Sheffield Interchange 6th December, 2024 10.00 a.m.-2.00 p.m.
Meadowhall Interchange 9th December, 2024 3.00 p.m.-6.00 p.m.
Rotherham Interchange 12th December, 2024 12.00 Noon-2.00 p.m.
Wickersley Library 17th December, 2024 4.00 p.m.-6.00 p.m.
Nathan advised attendance at the drop-ins or email with any specific questions.
Councillor Williams queried the consultation events taking place. The nearest event for the Hoober Ward had been at Wath Montgomery Hall which had been advertised at short notice. Parts of the Ward were very rural with residents dependent on the existing bus service.
Nathan advised that there was a separate Bus Reform Team who were arranging additional events as and when resources allowed. The event at Wath had been well attended but probably more from the Wath/Dearne Valley area.
Matt Reynolds advised that the initial feedback from the Bus Reform was that 3,500 responses had been received across South Yorkshire. It was essential that the Rotherham voice was heard in the conversation. Members were urged to share the consultation information that was available.
MCA
Parkgate – the new link road and extended park and ride for tram train was due to open December/early January. There had been some delays mainly due to utilities but work was ongoing to resolve.
Tram train – Magna park and ride was progressing. There would be suspension of services to accommodate some of the work with a bus replacement service provided.
Councillor Bennett-Sylvester asked if there was any potential for linking bus routes through Aldwarke Lane into the park and ride.
Nathan advised that the link road would open and provide that link, however, there was the issue of the bridge that caused issues for the larger buses. There were a number of planning applications for that area and work would take place with the Planning Department with regard to any potential Section 106 funding. To provide a park and ride link into that end there would still be quite a walk and would be talking about a bus running straight through. Only one end would be adopted by Rotherham and the remainder owned by a private landowner who was not in favour of a bus running through the site.