Rupert Cox, Commercial Director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: Over the past few months we have been reviewing our bus network in the Dearne Valley. Throughout this process, we have been consulting with a range of stakeholders, including local councillors and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), who have inputted into the new proposals.

We are now working closely with SYPTE to finalise our plans and changes are scheduled for introduction on the weekend of 26/27 January 2008.

However, as these discussions are still ongoing and some aspects are still not finalised, we are unable to confirm the timetable changes at this stage.

Keeping our customers up-to-date is a priority for us and as soon as we have the exact details of the changes, we will be communicating this information to our customers early in the New Year.

We acknowledge that, as with any change to bus routes and times, some customers will be affected but the vast majority will see a huge improvement in their service. Recent changes to our services in Barnsley have led to a five per cent increase in bus passengers.

Stagecoach Yorkshire is committed to providing a reliable, clean and affordable service to passengers and is delivering this by simplifying bus routes, refining timetables and continuing to improve vehicle presentation and quality. We will continue to strive to make these services even better over time.