Bus services across Barnsley and Rotherham saved by £90k lifeline
The funding will safeguard service 136 and expand service 7 to include new evening and Sunday journeys.
Evening and weekend bus services in Rotherham are set for a welcome boost from September, after regional transport leaders approved a £90,880 contract to maintain a number of routes.
The funding, awarded to operator Globe Holidays Ltd., will safeguard service 136 and expand service seven to include new evening and Sunday journeys.
The improvements form part of a wider package funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, developed in collaboration with the South Yorkshire Mayor, councils and bus companies.
Service 136, which runs from Rotherham Town Centre via Kimberworth, Thorpe Hesley, Wentworth and Elsecar to Hoyland, had been under threat of cuts to its evening and Sunday schedule.
Without the award, the route could have been withdrawn during these off-peak times, leaving several communities without vital transport links to employment, health appointments and social connections.
Meanwhile, service 7, which runs between Barnsley Interchange and Rotherham Interchange via Worsbrough Bridge, Blacker Hill, Hoyland, Wentworth, Nether Haugh and Greasbrough, will gain additional evening and Sunday daytime trips under the enhanced offer.
Both routes serve key parts of Rotherham and the surrounding areas, offering important links between towns and villages that would otherwise be left isolated, particularly at evenings and weekends.
The funding also supports enhancements to services 135 and 137, which follow similar routes to the 136, by reallocating the initial resource originally earmarked solely for that route.
These upgrades are focused on improving access to transport during quieter times of the week, addressing concerns raised by residents and local councillors about poor evening and weekend coverage.
The enhanced contract will run from August 31 2025 to April 11 2026. Officials opted for this short-term arrangement rather than committing to a longer deal, as future funding beyond April 2026 remains uncertain. A wider discussion on transport priorities and government funding allocations is expected ahead of the next financial year.
The decision, approved by the Executive Director of Transport, did not require further committee sign-off due to its alignment with regional transport strategy and urgency to implement improvements.
Globe Holidays Ltd. will deliver the improved services under contract with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.