Tag Archives: bus

First to launch new bus routes in South Yorkshire

Posted on by Yajing Wang

South Yorkshire’s biggest bus operator First is investing £2.5m in new buses and creating dozens of new jobs as it launches new bus routes in the Dearne Valley and Doncaster areas.

From May, First will begin to run a new bus service between Rotherham and Barnsley, via the Dearne Valley, and new routes in Doncaster to serve Scawsby and Sprotbrough. First is looking to grow the number of people using buses across South Yorkshire. Thirty-nine new jobs for bus drivers will also be created.

The new services will be provided using 21 modern low floor buses with easy access for customers with pushchairs or using wheelchairs and feature CCTV cameras. This ensures passengers can travel in safety and comfort.

Bob Hamilton, Managing Director for First in South Yorkshire, said: “This builds on our announcement last year to hold the price of our bus fares. Our multi-million pound investment in buses and jobs is a very positive step for both First and the local communities that we serve and will help deliver further success across South Yorkshire.

“The Dearne Valley has many businesses, colleges and schools that need better transport links and we are keen to provide a high frequency service that introduces these new and improved transport links. ”

First is currently finalising the customer and marketing information for these new services and will ensure that existing bus customers, as well as new customers, will be fully aware of these new services in the very near future.
For details of the new bus services:

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/travel_news/news_initiatives/?item=651

 

Potholes damage Stagecoach buses

Posted on by Iulia Rosu

South Yorkshire councils have paid out more than £700,000 in pothole damage compensation during the last two years, according to new research by the BBC.

Potholes in Ranmoor, Sheffield

Potholes damage residents' cars

 

Lawrence Ward, chief of Stagecoach buses, explained the damage that the potholes have done to their vehicles.

“Sometimes the bottom of the bus actually makes contact with the ground. And we normally get bottom scuff in marks on the front bumpers and down the passenger rear side,” he said.

“There’s one particular bad pothole on Wordsworth Avenue and on occasions the driver forgets about it and the front wheel digs down that far, and it’s near the bus stop as well, so the actual bus has to accelerate a fair pace to get back out of the pothole again.”

Mr Ward said the costs of damages are not very high, but the time of the repairs keeps the buses off the road.

“It’s not a great deal in cost, the damage is not severe. It’s the time it takes to repair. The buses are in the garage rather than being out on the road earning money. So it may be off road for a full day,” he added.

Repairs

Mr. Ward added: “We make regular checks on these roads and if it should be a pothole we bring it to the attention of the council and normally they are not bad in repairing them.

“But obviously with severe weather we’ve just had they’ve got quite a lot to work on and it takes longer than normal.”

 

Emergency Meeting called with no end in sight for Big Freeze

Posted on by Yajing Wang

Public transport getting back to normal in Sheffield (image courtesy of flickr)

Weathermen have warned that there is no end to the big freeze leading the government to call an emergency weather meeting to discuss Britain’s ability to cope.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond summoned government chiefs to the meeting after weathermen forecasted low ground temperatures and a descending freezing fog which will make thawing a very slow process.

The top level discussions came when two pensioners fell and died in their gardens after spending freezing nights outside. Charities have urged the residents to check on the elderly neighbours.

Sheffield is just about getting its public transport services back to normal as there is less snowfall.

Many services from First Sheffield are continuing to operate on a modified form, with the snow restricting the services to the main roads. Around a dozen of the Stagecoach services in Sheffield are also getting back to normal.

Supertram in Sheffield are currently operating a normal 10 minute service on the Yellow (Middlewood to Meadowhall) and Blue (Halfway to Malin Bridge) routes, but Herdings Park will not be served for the foreseeable future.

Train services between Sheffield and Lincoln, Sheffield and Huddersfield, and Sheffield and York are still suspended.

For changes and disruptions to Sheffield Services see: http://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/News/Changes+and+disruptions.htm

For National Rail news see: http://www.northernrail.org/news/6549