New brand for South Yorkshire's transport unveiled

Transport bosses have unveiled a bold new brand for transport in South Yorkshire.

The name, South Yorkshire People's Network accompanied by an eye-catching orange colour scheme will be applied to buses and trams across the region.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has described it as a "once in a generation change" that will create "a clear joined-up network".

The revamp is part of a £1.5bn investment in transport in the region that will see the tram network renewed and buses brought under public control.

Coppard said: "I promised to make change happen, to give South Yorkshire back the world class public transport system we once had, and that's exactly what we're doing.

"That's why we're putting in a huge investment to fix our public transport system, backed by even greater ambition, so that we can build something that truly works for all of us across South Yorkshire; a real People's Network."

The new name will be appear on bus stops, interchanges, tram staff uniforms and feature on a new website by the end of the year, replacing Travel South Yorkshire.

From next year, the brand will appear on the buses that come under South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) control, on bus driver uniforms, across the tram network, the Mayor's South Yorkshire-wide e-bike subscription programme, and Sheffield City Council's e-bike hire scheme.

Transport bosses at SYMCA said the colours of molten orange, grey and asphalt black were chosen because they speak to the region's history of "industry, Northern grit, and resilience".

The new brand aechoes the "People's Republic of South Yorkshire" nickname that was given to South Yorkshire in the 1980s before bus services were privatised.

As well as rebranding buses and trams, the mayor has also promised a long list of transport improvements.

These include the imminent opening of a new tram-train stop at Magna near Rotherham, extensions to the tram network and free travel for all under-18s across South Yorkshire by summer 2027.

Buses are also being brought under public control from next year, with SYMCA setting routes, fares and timetables, with the move to the new system expected to cost the combined authority £25m.

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said in order to "to realise its destiny" the city region needed a transport network that connected people to better paid jobs and opportunities which "it currently is falling short of".

"We are creating great apprenticeships - but not the buses to get to them," he said.

"Alongside major investments like Northern Powerhouse Rail to Sheffield from Manchester and Leeds as well as critically a new station in Rotherham, improving connectivity within South Yorkshire and connecting it better to the rest of the North will change lives here for decades to come."

Lord David Blunkett, who served as MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough from 1987 to 2015 said South Yorkshire had previously "been held back by a public transport system that hasn't matched the needs or ambitions" of its communities.

"A transport network that works for everyone is essential to the future of South Yorkshire, as it was in the past, and the vision is a vital step towards achieving this."

James O'Hara, co-founder of Crossed Wires & Tramlines festivals said that improved transport links would be "a huge shot in the arm" for events in the region.

"I'm delighted to see the vision and commitment to improving the transport network across the cities and towns we all call home," he said.

"Events such as Tramlines, Crossed Wires, World Snooker, our sports teams and institutions and our hospitality businesses [will] be able to signpost themselves within a system that prioritises people and their needs."

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