Bus fares across South Yorkshire are going up in the new year by an inflation-busting 8%.
Operator First said rising fuel, utilities and staff costs had forced it to make the decision.
Managing director Brandon Jones said the firm was “meeting ongoing challenges of rising costs”.
Both Lib Dem and Labour Councillors on Sheffield City Council have condemned the rise and cited the need to get more people on public transport.
In a statement, the First Group company said the cost of fuel bought in advance had affected their business.
Personally we think they should save money by not bothering with CCTV, and pay closer attention to fuel prices (hello, prices have been decreasing over the past few months and look set to continue to do so). Also, paying bus-drivers appropriately might help keep costs down. £30000 (admittedly focused on London) is more than moust people useing the buses earn, yet they sit on their arses all day and are some of the worst drivers we’ve come across (when passing cyclists you’re supposed to leave a car-door and a half’s distance from the cyclists, its not a challenge to see how closely you can pass them without knocking them off!).
Wonderful that the Lib Dems and Labour Councillors are condeming such actions. Shame its just lip-service and does little to help those who rely on oublic transport (those unfortunate enought not be able to afford to run a car or those who are too young/old to be able to drive). Further it does nothing to encourage greater up-take of public transport, part of the promotion of a supposedly greener and more sustainable approach to transport in the city.
If only the privately owned buses could be purchased back by the council and run in the interest of the public as opposed to First Mainline’s share-holders.
Public transport in Sheffield is an absolute joke, for one of us this means a third of there 80 pound a week income, where is the help to get them back into paid work? This increase is the fourth over three years, it will mean the working class become isolated in there community, it leads not to social inclusion but exclusion, it will mean more cars on the already struggling Sheffield Roads.
There is also an effort to get Sheffield Green Party to put the motion forward, and we are sure the more voices are heard, the more credence it will give to the case for not having the prices raised.
We are writing that motion, we want your thoughts e mail them to worldwarfreeatrisieup.net or drop a comment at
http://projectsheffield.wordpress.com 
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