Councillor Terry Fox feels the pressure at a boisterous Sheffield Council meeting.
Sheffield Bus chaos causes uproar at Council meeting
Sheffield Council debated controversial changes to local bus services in a highly charged council meeting on December 2, 2015, after more than 12,300 people signed a petition against the changes, which came into force in November.
Greenhill mum Joanne Lumley, who started one of the petitions, told the meeting the new bus system was not cheaper because you now have to pay two or three fares instead of one.
At least 25 double-deckers had been introduced to reduce overcrowding, but passengers said this was not enough to resolve the chaos.
Sharon Milsom, another speaker at the meeting, said that the cuts were good for the operators because there were fewer buses and drivers, reducing costs and increasing profits.
Councillor Terry Fox responded: “I totally agree and I totally get it that this is unacceptable. It is not what we were promised.”
He added that another 17 buses were being put into the network after a meeting with operators.
Coun Fox said bus operators would go before a public meeting in Feb for ‘open and frank public scrutiny’ if things do not improve.
The debate ended with Coun Fox’s motion calling for bus companies to address problems being agreed.
This was not the only protest at the meeting. The Sheffield Save the Trees group were also protesting about plans to cut down many old trees in Nether Edge.