Sheffield trams and English national bus passes

[fandroid]

A colleague, who has London Freedom Pass, told me he used the trams in Sheffield with his pass. The conductor scanned it and it came up OK. Is this a local concession, or just an error!

 

[55z]

No
all English issued Bus passes are valid on Sheffield Supertram it doesn't matter which council/county issues them. Scottish & Welsh issued bus passes are not valid on supertram. The supertram is the only tram system in England that allows the use of national (English) bus passes. Metrolink (Manchester) allow Greater Manchester bus pass holders to use their trams but not from other council/county issued passes.

 

[fandroid]

So what does that NO apply to?

Sorry just joking. Thanks for the prompt response. I'll inform my other aged colleagues.

 

[Harpers Tate]

It is an additional concession over and above the national scheme, offered by SYPTE, to holders of ENCTS passes etc., effectively making the tram for this purpose just like a local bus service. It is not necessarily permanent; any such additional concession, over the national scheme, is subject to funding.

 

[WatcherZero]

Blackpool used to offer it as well but recently withdrew in.

 

[Busaholic]

It is a bugbear of mine that when I visit my sister in London I'm not able to use my pass on Croydon Tramlink, despite the bus from where she lives to Croydon having been withdrawn when Tramlink started! Incidentally, my English pass is available on London buses 24 hours per day, unlike the 9.30 start and 23.00 curfew on almost all other buses.

 

[ALEMASTER]

ENCTS validity on Supertram confirmed on the fares page of their website http://www.supertram.com/ticketinformation.html

Seniors valid 0930-2300 Mon-Fri, anytime Sat/Sun
Disabled valid all times.

Just give your ENCTS smart card pass to the conductor to scan.

I believe it was written into the concession with Stagecoach that SYPTE have to treat trams equally with buses.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

It's also important that passes are accepted on Supertram as the Supertramlink ("the bus that thinks it's a tram") goes into Derbyshire council area and it's susposed to work as part of the network.

 

[button_boxer]

I believe it was written into the concession with Stagecoach that SYPTE have to treat trams equally with buses.

That would make sense given that there are now no bus services at all on certain parts of the tram route (notably Park Grange Road).

 

[unlevel42]

That would make sense given that there are now no bus services at all on certain parts of the tram route (notably Park Grange Road).

Stagecoach were concerned about the levels of subsidy given to transport operators competing with supertram in South Yorkshire -both rail and bus. Subsidies were provided for passenger and infrastructure for both rail and bus.
At the time profitability of running supertram and future subsidies drove Stagecoach to make this agreement for the duration of the contract.

For most of this time Park Grange Road was served by First service 7.

 

[ALEMASTER]

It's also important that passes are accepted on Supertram as the Supertramlink ("the bus that thinks it's a tram") goes into Derbyshire council area and it's susposed to work as part of the network.

SL3 to Killamarsh was actually withdrawn last November when the Sheffield Bus Partnership's new network launched. Very few passengers were actually using it to connect with trams, it was more local traffic to Crystal Peaks shopping centre and Peaks college. A less frequent local bus (72) has replaced it.

SL1 to Middlewood-Stocksbridge and SL2 Hillsborough/Malin Bridge-Stannington still run.

They are operated by Stagecoach Yorkshire rather than Supertram.

 

[furnessvale]

Blackpool used to offer it as well but recently withdrew in.

It has even been withdrawn from local residents outside the immediate Blackpool Borough, much to the chagrin of my brother who lives in Thornton.

They used to get free travel but now they don't, although I believe their rate precept has an element for the tramway.

 

[WatcherZero]

They used to contribute something like 15% of the tramways funding but im not sure they still do since the refurbishment, isn't part of the motivation for the withdrawal that Lancashire County Council refused to cover the cost of their residents concessionary journeys?