Residents save 72 bus

Story: Louise Johnson

In the August issue of the Burngreave Messenger we reported on the threatened termination of the 72 bus service. The 72 bus provides a service from the city centre, through Burngreave and up to Shirecliffe.

About 20 residents from Shirecliffe who would be affected attended a council meeting on Tuesday 17th September at the Town Hall, to voice their opinions and ask questions.

Keith Donston, along with other Shirecliffe residents who took a petition to the Town Hall, was asked what would happen if the 72 bus was cancelled. He told us,

“We would see a lot of elders on the estate housebound for weeks during the winter. Also the schools in the area would suffer massively in regard to transporting pupils to school and back.”

One issue raised by the residents at the meeting was the quality of the consultation. Keith Donston, speaking on behalf of residents, said:

“We have not been consulted properly. You’ve spent millions on a new school and a children’s centre, but now there’s no bus to get to them. 18 months ago we had the 33, which was 3 per hour; it was replaced with the 1-an-hour 72, now you want to take that.”

David Young from the SYPTE (South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive said:

“The discussion about the number 72 is ongoing. So the current proposal is to give an infrequent bus service one last chance for one year. People must use it for it to continue after that. If the partnership agreement is agreed today, it will be reinstated and we will have to agree success criteria.”

There was much dispute from the residents at the dramatic meeting and people were angry that Councillors would not give a straight answer or allow more questions. Eventually the residents were asked to sit down or leave. They left.

It has since been confirmed that the 72 will continue for at least a year, though the route is likely to be shorter.