Sometimes public concern wins through. The imminent demise of the 420 bus route through Burghwallis has been overruled, instead the availability of buses is to increase well over the previous frequency.
The 420 route is to be replaced by rerouting the existing 50 and 50a to now serve Askern, Campsall, Burghwallis, Skellow and Carcroft en route to Doncaster. Representations by the parish council and members of the community generated significant response from Ed Miliband the local MP, Ros Jones the Mayor, Steve Shannon, Strategic Infrastructure Manager, Regeneration & Environment at the DMBC and Steve Edwards, Executive Director at South Yorkshire Passenger Executive who all reacted favourably to support a prompt review which convinced First Buses to reconsider and resulted in the ” new route”. But there is a catch;
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive have agreed that the funding is approved for Service 50 and 50a to be extended to Burghwallis and Askern every 30 minutes (Mon-Fri). The funding will only be in place for 12 months to allow a review of tendered bus provision across South Yorkshire and may mean that future funding would not be available depending upon the outcome of the review. However, the next 12 months will allow First Buses to establish whether or not they can make the extension to Service 50 and 50a commercially viable which if sufficient passengers use the service it would mean funding would no longer become an issue.
First Buses said they will be looking to introduce the new service on Monday 5th September 2016.