FIRST FRANCHISED BUSES SET FOR 5 SEPTEMBER 2027 – SOUTH YORKSHIRE VOICES NEEDED

Published 4 November 2025 at 11:50am

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard has confirmed that the region’s first publicly controlled buses will begin operating in Doncaster and most of Sheffield from 5 September 2027.

This follows on from one of the biggest public transport consultations in the UK earlier this year, where more than 7,800 took part with nearly 90% of respondents calling for change. 

Since the Mayor’s decision to take control of the buses in March 2025, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has been working at pace to reverse nearly 40 years of deregulation and put the public back at the heart of public transport. That means SYMCA will control the bus routes, timetables, fares, ticket options and quality standards and will be able to reinvest profits back into improving services. 

Now, the Mayor is asking people across South Yorkshire to help design better buses, that works for everyone. A new survey launched today (Monday 3 November) invites people to share their views on what the region’s new buses should look and feel like. The survey runs for six weeks, closing on Monday 15 December.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: 

“Bringing our buses back into public control is our chance to build a network that works for all of us. Whether you’re a regular bus user or not, we need your thoughts about what we have now, and what our new network should look and feel like in future.  

We’ve got to get this right. Because when our first franchised buses start to roll out in 2027, it won’t just be a new service, it’ll be the start of a new era. One where we decide, together, what public transport should look like.” 

As part of the franchising process, buses in Doncaster and most of Sheffield will be the first to come under public control in September 2027. The rollout will continue in Barnsley and Rotherham by the end of 2028, with the rest of Sheffield following in 2029.

Alongside the survey, drop-in events will take place across the region on weekday evenings; Thursday 13, Friday 14, Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 November. At the drop-in events on the weekend of Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November, visitors will be able to board a bus and preview what the future fleet could look like.

Drop-in event details: 
 
Thursday 13 November 
3:00pm – 6:00pm: Barnsley Interchange  
 
Friday 14 November  
3:00pm – 6:00pm: Arundel Gate Interchange, Sheffield 
 
Tuesday 18 November 
3:00pm – 6:00pm: Doncaster Interchange 
 
Wednesday 19 November 
3:00pm – 6:00pm: Rotherham Interchange 
 
Bus event details: 

Saturday 22 November  
11:00am – 2:00pm: Interchange stand C3, Rotherham 
3:00pm – 6:00pm: Interchange stand 11, Barnsley 
 
Sunday 23 November  
10:00am – 1:00pm: Interchange stand A6, Doncaster 
2:00pm – 5:00pm: Tudor Square, Sheffield

The first priority under public control is reliability: getting more buses running on time. The public will also begin to see:

•    A new app for journey planning
•    Simpler tickets to make travel easier and more convenient
•    New buses in South Yorkshire branding

While the network and routes will feel familiar, the way services are managed, will change. Decisions will be based on data and what passengers tell SYMCA, which will inform the improvements that matter most to people's everyday journeys.

The survey is open now and SYMCA is encouraging people across South Yorkshire to have their say. Printed copies will be available at the drop-in bus events, or can be requested by calling Traveline on 0800 952 0002.

SYMCA is running several transport surveys this autumn, including a bus lane review in Rotherham and Sheffield (launching Monday 10 November), and a survey focused on customer experience. The Annual Transport Survey will also follow later this year.

All consultations will be listed on SYMCA’s Consultation & Engagement webpage.