New shuttle bus set to provide free travel around Sheffield city centre

Visitors to the city centre will soon be able to hop on a new shuttle bus taking them to key destinations including Fargate, The Moor and Sheffield Midland Station.

The new plans announced today will make getting around the city centre quicker and easier.

The Connecting Sheffield: City Centre scheme focuses on improving links for people travelling in and around the city centre, with an emphasis on better walking, cycling and public transport routes. Under these plans, Pinstone Street will continue to be pedestrianised, and a shuttle bus will provide free or low-cost travel for all into and around the city centre.
Leopold Street and Surrey Street will be reopened on the new shuttle bus route, to allow buses to turn right. 

In addition to these developments, buses will also be given priority on Arundel Gate to make journeys faster and improve air quality on one of the city’s busiest roads.

Leader of Sheffield City Council, Cllr Terry Fox said: “Travelling these days is about more than getting from A to B and these plans will make sure that Sheffielders and visitors to our city have more options when travelling, with healthier choices and safer routes which are also better for the environment.

“We have spoken to businesses and local people about the idea of a shuttle bus and overwhelmingly the idea has been welcomed. We want to make changes that will make a real difference to the people who live in, work in, and visit the city centre and we’ll continue to engage with people as we develop our plans further.

“We’ve been working with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and hope the Government will be providing us with a ZERO-emissions shuttle bus as part of their ZEBRA Fund, however we recognise this may take a little time so will be putting a version of the shuttle bus in place sooner until we are able to go electric.

“Transforming our transport links is key to our plans for the future of the city centre. This is an exciting step in the right direction.”

To make sure a service can start running as soon as possible, a Diesel Euro VI bus will be used ahead of transitioning to an electric bus following confirmation of funding.

The Connecting Sheffield plans have been designed to complement the wide range regeneration work taking place to transform the area, including the £470m Heart of the City scheme, which is taking shape across the city centre, as well as new investment to rejuvenate Fargate and Castlegate.

Cllr Fox added:

“The Connecting Sheffield: City Centre scheme will support economic growth in the city and bring more people and investment as a result.  We know that people across the country already see Sheffield as a desirable place to set up a business and call home, and it’s important that we have the infrastructure in place to meet demand and adapt to the changes city centres are seeing.

“These plans are huge for Sheffield and our ambition to be a fair and inclusive city. We are known as the Outdoor City and our transport will reflect our reputation.”

The city centre shuttle bus will be free to people with a valid travel pass, with a small flat fee for people without a pass.