Emergency funds needed for city trams

Mayor ‘cannot guarantee’ service next week without Government support

YORKSHIRE’S ONLY city tram network could be effectively mothballed from next week unless Ministers provide emergency funding to keep it running, a metro mayor has warned.

The Sheffield City Region’s mayor, Dan Jarvis, said he could not currently guarantee that the Sheffield Supertram would continue to run from Tuesday next week when the money provided by the Government runs out.

The tram network covering Sheffield and Rotherham was one of five light rail services to share emergency funding in May as a response to the downturn in passenger numbers during the coronavirus lockdown.

Some £2.6m was provided in revenue support to Sheffield in May to help the service increase its capacity as well as funding of £1.3m in April.

But along with other buses and trains, the Supertram has seen a huge drop in revenue from passengers because of social distancing measures and government guidance to avoid public.

At a meeting of the Sheffield City Region’s mayoral combined authority yesterday, Mr Jarvis said he was concerned that the emergency funding “that is keeping our tram services running” was due to expire on Monday.

He said there was currently no indication from the Government that further support is coming but that he and other metro mayors were lobbying Ministers.

Funding for light rail and tram networks beyond August 3 is understood to be under review by the Department for Transport.

And following yesterday’s meeting, Mr Jarvis told The Yorkshire Post he could not currently be sure that Supertram, which was launched in 1994 and began running as a tram-train service

in 2018, would be continuing on August 4.

He said: “I am hopeful that the Government will continue to provide funding for light rail systems around the country, and I am meeting with Ministers this week to further discuss that support.

“Now, I’m doing everything I can in terms of contingency planning to make sure that we are best prepared for a range of scenarios.

“But, and I’m being charitable here, it is less than satisfactory that a week or so out I’m not in a position to provide the clarity that I think our travelling public in Sheffield would want.

“I hope the Government will continue to provide funding, I hope they’ll look to at least guarantee funding to the end of the year, to give us some degree of security and certainty, but I cannot take that for granted.”

He added: “There’s a worst case scenario that the Government completely pull the funding, and then we find ourselves in an incredibly difficult position, whereby we would either have to reduce the already-reduced service even further or worst case scenario is that the Supertram is effectively mothballed for a period of time.

“I don’t want that to happen and am doing everything I possibly can to avoid it. But until I’ve got the money I can’t say for certain that I will be able to continue to keep that service running.”

Earlier this month, a transport expert appointed by the Government to run the North’s biggest rail operator said he feared passengers were not “psychologically ready” to return to train travel in large numbers after months of being told to avoid public transport.

Richard George said he was worried about the long-term finances of rail operators due to the lack of passengers travelling by train, amid fears it could be up to a decade before demand returns to pre-lockdown levels.

Passenger numbers plummeted from March onwards as the Government advised people to avoid public transport where possible and it has been mandatory since June for passengers to wear a face covering.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps insisted last week that people would return to travelling “in the longer term” and said now was the time to invest in major infrastructure projects while networks were carrying fewer people.

Worst case scenario is that the supertram is effectively mothballed.

Dan Jarvis, Mayor for the Sheffield City Region.

METRO MAYOR Dan Jarvis has hailed a “great day for South Yorkshire” after the long-awaited devolution deal handing over new powers and funding from Whitehall was finally signed into law.

The order creating Yorkshire’s first devolution deal was signed yesterday by Minister Simon Clarke after several years of wrangling over the make-up of the Sheffield City Regional mayoral combined authority.

The landmark deal will see Mr Jarvis handed £30m a year in annual investment funding as well as control of a £35m annual education budget and powers over transport, skills, housing and regeneration.

The Government says the powers, already enjoyed by metro mayors in areas including Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and the Tees Valley, will “equip local leaders with the tools and resources to build back better from the coronavirus pandemic”.

Mr Jarvis, also MP for Barnsley Central, said yesterday: “The landmark South Yorkshire Devolution deal has today been signed into law.

“This is a great day for South Yorkshire because millions of pounds in additional funding and new powers are available to support jobs and businesses, unlock opportunities for our people and deliver better public services.

“Devolution will open up our local knowledge and networks,

bring power closer to the people, and help us reshape our economy and society in a way which reflects our values and priorities.

“I am determined to create a stronger, greener and fairer South Yorkshire and North and

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the South Yorkshire Region. this is just the start of our journey.”

The Sheffield City Region devolution deal was first signed in 2015 under a deal agreed by thenChancellor George Osborne and the leaders of Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham councils.

But it collapsed in 2017 when Barnsley and Doncaster signalled that they wanted to be part of a wider ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution deal for the entire region.

The Government opposed One Yorkshire and when Boris Johnson was elected with a large majority last December supporters of the scheme accepted they would have to accept smaller city region deals like those in South Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire hopes to elect its own metro mayor as part of a devolution deal next May and talks are ongoing in North Yorkshire and Hull and the East Riding. Mayoral authorities get greater access to government funding in areas including housing and transport.

Local Government Minister Mr Clarke said: “We have an ambitious agenda to deliver devolution across Yorkshire and getting this deal over the line is an important step towards that.

“It will deliver real benefits to the people of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, putting decision-making in the hands of these communities and ensuring local leaders have the tools they need to drive forward the city region’s recovery from coronavirus.”

Devolution will bring power closer to the people.