At Last We Know Where Buses Go (1)

A Bit Of Bus Background

For almost as long as there has been any, public transport in Sheffield ran from Walkley (map above top left) to Intake (bottom right) via the city centre, almost a straight line from north west to south east.

First there were single deck trams ...

... because the tight curves and steep hills at Walkley were considered unsafe for "big" trams. Note the very short-lived destination letter - guess what the "W" stands for? As the design of trams and, importantly, their brakes improved so Walkley became a double deck route.

In 1956 (?) brand new AEC double deck buses replaced the trams ...

... to be superseded by long wheelbase vehicles ...

... But they still ran from Walkley to Intake.

A Lot Of Bus Bewilderment

But we live in an age of bus route tinkering and the poor 95 has been mucked about on several occasions in recent years. Under First Bus it was one of the few city buses to terminate at the bus station ...

... having lost its Intake end. Most recently, until the 1st September changes, buses ran to Firth Park and Meadowhell; a scandalous removal of a long standing traditional route. On the Firth Park side it replaced former route 3!

But that was not to last under the confusing and unnecessary necromancy of First Bus network planners.

So it was that from just over a month ago that the 95 to Walkley, recently every 10 minutes, then reduced to every 15 minutes (Monday to Saturday) has been further chopped to every 20 minutes on Saturdays, which is a policy unadvertised, but clearly designed to encourage Saturday shoppers on to the bus. Or maybe not!

Helpfully (?), First told us about the changes a couple of weeks in advance, but in text only. As usual this was in "bus-operator-ese" and not really the language of the user.

Service 95

The service will operate between Walkley, City Centre, Parkway Markets, Handsworth, Waverley, Treeton, Catcliffe, Brinsworth, Canklow and Rotherham - partly replacing services 73 and X54.

Service 85a/95b

Services will run from Walkley to Arundel gate in Sheffield City Centre via Commonside, and University of Sheffield.

From City Centre, buses will continue to Crystal Peaks, running via Sheffield Parkway, Asda in Handsworth, Richmond Park Rd.

95a will continue via Orgreave, Swallownest, Aston and Beighton to Crystal Peaks

95b will continue via Woodhouse Village, Beighton to Crystal Peaks - both services will operate approx. hourly.

To add to the mix, there was a service 95s and the old unchanged (in route) service 73 but now with two different routes into the city from way out east.

There were no maps and, until a very few days before the change, there were no timetables.

The public's reaction was understandable as reported by the local press.

Passengers left confused

The Better Buses South Yorkshire (BBSY) campaign group ...

... is not impressed, claiming the scale of the changes to routes and timetables has created ‘chaos and confusion on the buses’. It said the changes appeared to have largely been made ‘for the operators’ convenience, not the passengers’.

“Passengers will be left confused by these big changes to our local bus networks, especially as they are being introduced with very little advance warning and sometimes wrong or misleading information” said Fran Postlethwaite, convenor of the BBSY campaign.

What made matters worse was that the 95a and 95b were completely new routes, an uncharacteristic venture by First into the realm of improving services in Sheffield.

Surely not?

Yes, surely.

As an aside the BBSY group seems to be a one campaign organisation ...

... which should be thrilled that this week's Mega Mayor, Oliver Coppard ...

... has told his fellow South Yorkshiremen (and women) that he will have a Manchester-style franchised network in place by the end of 2025.

All together now ...

"Oh no, he won't."

An fbb Confession - because the ancient blogger of Seaton Town struggled with understanding the 95, 95a, 95b, 95s and 73 proposals, then understood them even less when the timetables appeared, he chickened out and decided to report when the maps appeared.

So, in preparation for part 2  (which will appear  on Friday ) readers may like to study the PTE version of the maps for 95/95s ...

... and 95a/95b.

Click on the maps for an enlargement.

So that's everything sorted, then?

In the unlikely event (?) that some of fbb's readers have not fully grasped the new 95 network, fbb will explain all in the next maxi blog.

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to a  blog near you

Thurs 10 Oct

(mini) Cheating on the corners

Fri 11 Oct

(maxi) First Bus 95 conclusion

Sat 12 Oct

Sun 13 Oct

(mini) Seaton to Wantage excursion 

e & o e

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 Next corner cheating mini blog : Thurs 10th Oct