South Yorkshire Transport

South Yorkshire Transport

Company type	Publicly owned (1986–1993), Private (post-1993)
Industry	Bus transport
Predecessor	South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
Founded	1986
Defunct	1998
Fate	Management buyout in 1993; acquired by FirstBus in 1998
Successor	First South Yorkshire
Headquarters	South Yorkshire , England, United Kingdom
Area served	South Yorkshire and adjacent regions including Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Leeds, Barnsley
Products	Bus services

South Yorkshire Transport (SYT) operated bus services throughout South Yorkshire and adjacent regions. Created in 1986 as an 'arms-length' entity following the deregulation of bus services, SYT succeeded the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE). Its network primarily covered Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield, with routes also reaching Chesterfield, Leeds, and Barnsley.

In November 1993, SYT underwent a management buyout and was rebranded as Mainline. Subsequently, in 1995, the Stagecoach Group sold a 20% share to FirstBus, which completed full ownership of Mainline by 1998, integrating it into its operations as First South Yorkshire.

History

The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive was established in 1974 and managed most local bus services until the deregulation reforms of 1986. Prior to deregulation, SYPTE transitioned to 'South Yorkshire Transport' (marketed as South Yorkshire's Transport), updating its visual identity including livery and logos. In preparation for deregulation, fare increases of up to 300% were introduced alongside workforce reductions, notably cutting conductor positions.

Deregulation came into force on 26 October 1986, with SYT operating as a semi-independent company, though it remained publicly owned at that time. By 1989, the Department for Transport mandated either privatisation or dissolution of the company. Following relaxation of regulatory restrictions, SYT was sold through a management buyout in November 1993.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, SYT encountered fierce competition from independent operators such as Sheffield Omnibus, Andrews, and Yorkshire Terrier, the latter founded by former SYT employees. To respond to this competitive pressure, SYT introduced midibus models branded 'Eager Beaver' and 'Little Nipper' starting in 1988, eventually acquiring a fleet of 240 Reeve Burgess/Dodge minibuses by 1991. By 1992, Sheffield saw up to thirteen operators running services with approximately 350 buses per hour entering the city centre.

SYT expanded by acquiring rival companies Sheffield United Tours (SUT) and Sheafline, consolidating their operations under its brand despite scrutiny from the Office of Fair Trading and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Competition continued from Andrews and Sheffield Omnibus until market consolidation occurred through acquisitions by Yorkshire Traction (later Stagecoach Yorkshire).

In June 1989, SYT adopted the 'Mainline' brand along with a yellow livery featuring regional identifiers for Sheffield, Doncaster, and Rotherham. By 1992, these were replaced by a standardized red and yellow color scheme as part of a £750,000 campaign ahead of privatisation. The company officially changed its name to 'Mainline Group Ltd' on 7 June 1993.

After Stagecoach divested its initial 20% holding under directives from the Office of Fair Trading, Mainline was acquired by FirstBus in 1998 for £29.7 million. By the year 2000, Mainline had been fully rebranded under FirstGroup’s corporate identity as First South Yorkshire, retiring the Mainline name.

Doncaster

Bus services in Doncaster were managed from two separate garages. The primary facility was the former Doncaster Corporation depot located on Leicester Avenue, close to Doncaster Racecourse, where a trolleybus trial had taken place prior to deregulation. Additionally, a smaller garage operated on Bootham Lane in Dunscroft.

During the 1980s, a new maintenance workshop was constructed behind the Leicester Avenue site. In the early 1990s, the main depot was demolished, and the land was sold for development as a Wickes DIY store. However, the workshop, the yard area, and a minor portion of the original garage — which included a bus-washing station — were retained.

Rotherham

Buses serving Rotherham were housed at a substantial garage on Midland Road, which also contained South Yorkshire Transport’s central engineering facilities. In 1992, this workshop undertook refurbishment of 220 London Buses AEC Routemaster vehicles, upgrading their drivetrains and interiors. Following FirstBus’s acquisition, Midland Road became FirstGroup’s Commercial Unit responsible for bus repainting and refurbishment. This garage and Commercial Unit ceased operations in 2017; after serving as a police training centre and COVID-19 testing site, demolition commenced in 2023.

Sheffield

Initially, Sheffield bus operations were distributed across five garages: East Bank, Greenland Road, Halfway, Herries Road, and Leadmill. Mainline closed the Herries Road and Leadmill garages in 1994. The East Bank facility was also closed but reopened later that same year under the name Olive Grove.

Ipswich

In 1994, following privatisation, Mainline intended to challenge municipal operator Ipswich Buses by acquiring ten Volvo B6 buses fitted with Plaxton Pointer bodywork for local routes. The plan was to operate from a Volvo dealership base. Nevertheless, Mainline pulled out before launching these services and sold both their assets and the ten Volvo B6 buses to Eastern Counties.

Fleet

Mainline initially took over a fleet exceeding 1,000 buses from SYPTE. This included 321 Dennis Dominators, 274 Leyland Atlanteans, 176 Daimler Fleetlines, 170 MCW Metrobuses, along with assorted Volvo Ailsas, Leyland Nationals, and Leyland-DAB articulated buses. By the time First acquired the company in 1998, the fleet had been trimmed to just over 700 vehicles.

Between 1990 and 1996, Mainline expanded its fleet with 180 Volvo B10M single-deckers featuring Alexander PS type bodywork to reduce operational expenses and minimize vandalism incidents. By 1996, Mainline ranked as the UK's second-largest operator of this bus model after Stagecoach Group. After conducting trials comparing these with a Dennis Dart fitted with Northern Counties Paladin bodywork, Mainline also purchased 35 Volvo B6 buses with Plaxton Pointer bodies plus an additional ten units intended for the abandoned Ipswich service.

The company introduced its first low-floor buses in January 1996: eleven Wright Crusader models built on the Volvo B6LE chassis. Most were marketed under the 'easiaccess' brand and primarily served routes between Sheffield city centre and Hillsborough; two were assigned to Goole town services under contract with Humberside County Council.

See also

• South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
• First South Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire Transport Museum