LONG-AWAITED plans to bring buses back under public control will take an estimated three years to come to fruition, documents have revealed.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard took the landmark decision to bring buses back under public control back in March.

Described as the biggest shake-up of the local bus network since the 1980s, Mr Coppard was told almost 8,000 passengers had their say in a 12-week public consultation about the plan, with 87 per cent in support.

It paves the way for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to take control of the bus network including depots, bus fleets, routes, timetables, service standards, tickets and fare-setting.

Currently, operators have jurisdiction over routes, fares and standards but re-regulation will reverse that.

A report, which will be discussed by leaders across the county on Tuesday, has revealed the latest updates on the scheme and outlined a timeline for Barnsley.

It said: “The franchising programme is working to milestones framed by the published scheme.

“This means that the intention is for franchised bus services in Doncaster and parts of Sheffield to commence operation in September 2027, with bus services in Barnsley and Rotherham and the remainder of Sheffield following in 2028 and 2029.”