PASSENGERS have been told that ‘things are about to become real’ in a county-wide bus franchising scheme.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) members discussed the next steps for long-awaited franchising, which will put bus ownership back under public control.

The county’s current 750-strong fleet is set to be modernised, with a study set to be undertaken as soon as this autumn to procure more zero-emission vehicles.

The franchising programme is working to milestones which set Barnsley’s roll-out for 2028.

Matt Goggins, director of bus franchising, said: “This next phase of procurement is where things start to become real.

“It’s about turning what people have told us into something deliverable and doing that in a way that’s open, collaborative and rooted in South Yorkshire.

“Public control means we can make decisions locally, but importantly we’re doing that in partnership with others.

“We’ve worked closely with operators to shape the contracts we are tendering for, so this isn’t something that’s happening at arm’s length, it’s been informed by the people who understand what works on the ground.

“At its core, this is about building a better network for the people who rely on it every day and making sure the investment we’re making delivers real value for communities across South Yorkshire.”