Letter: The many deterrants to bus usage across Sheffield

MP Louise Haigh's campaign for better buses in Sheffield is a great idea, but unfortunately it doesn't go far enough. The list doesn't include all the buses in Sheffield so it is impossible to send every complaint to the website.

The list does include the 51, so I was able to record the missing bus on 15 September on Redmires Road, which meant I had to wait for 25 minutes, however it doesn't list the 83a and the 120 which are the two buses I use most often, so I was unable to record the times the 83a was missing completely, as it was at 8.47 on 13 September and at 11.47 on 24 September, and, as this bus only runs every half hour, it's a long wait when one just doesn't turn up.

In fact the rush hour on 13 September was particularly bus-free as there was no 120 for 35 minutes and no 83a for one and a quarter hours as the bus which followed the missing 8.47 didn't turn up until 9.32 instead of 9.14. (I don't think I can count the 83a which came along at 9.15 saying 'Sorry, Not in Service'!!) This was similar to today's rush hour when again there was no 120 for 35 minutes between 15.45 and 16.20.

Sheffielders are always being encouraged to take the bus instead of adding to pollution by cluttering up the roads with their cars, but with a service this unreliable, why would anyone want to? (And don't get me started on the cost of taking a bus, which must also be a real deterrent)