*** UPDATE ON EVENT + POSTPONED TO 4th NOVEMBER ***
https://www.megaphone.org.uk/events/save-zoom-beyond-demonstration
Next Saturday, the 4th November, there will be a demonstration organised by myself and the Students Unions of both Sheffield universities, at Sheffield City Hall (In Barker's Pool, opposite Cole Brother's/the old John Lewis). This will start at 12pm.
This has been approved by Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police, and representatives of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will most likely be attending. I will be stewarding.
We want this to be a celebration of the successes of the Zoom Pass over the past two and a half years, and a loud call to government to give South Yorkshire the money it needs to keep travel cheap for our young people and beyond. Since June 2021, we have had the cheapest fares for 18-21 year olds in the country. We need to be prouder of this, and safeguard that fact.
We will be having speeches - if you represent an organisation that cares about public transport in our region, or if you are just an individual who uses buses and is passionate for this cause, we want you! Get in touch with me at [email protected] if you'd be up for this, and give me an outline. No worries if you forget to do that; turn up on the day as we will have an open forum to speak after timetabled speakers are finished.
I am currently looking to source a PA/Microphone and speaker for this event to facilitate speakers, so please do also contact me if this is something you can help with.
We will have press at the event, including many student journalists. By attending, you will be giving photo consent as it is a public place, but I will try and bring some red stickers to indicate to press to not directly photograph you if you wish to not be identifiable.
***
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Board discussed the future of the Zoom Beyond Travel Pass in July's transport meeting.
The Zoom Beyond Travel Pass, introduced in June 2021 following extensive campaigning by a group of youth activists from across the region, allows those aged 18-21 to access the 80p concessionary fare available to those aged from 11-18. This has bolstered social, geographical and economic mobility by reducing the cost of transport for young people across South Yorkshire, whilst also reducing congestion by taking more and more cars off the road with public transport being presented as a more financially accessible option for those studying or trying to break into the job market.
Due to South Yorkshire receiving comparatively low amounts of BSIP+ funding (A Westminster 'levelling up' funding pot to improve bus services), the Board is implementing budget austerity measures. This must be stopped.
We cannot let the death spiral of South Yorkshire's public transport system to continue - the Board argues that concessionary cuts are needed to maintain current service levels. This, however, does not take into account the greatly reduced demand for services that would be seen in young demographics should their recommendations come into effect, which would lead to further shrinking of the transport budget from a reduction of revenue.
Make no mistake. This is not the fault of SYMCA nor the Mayor - it could be argued they have been forced into this position by the Department for Transport's inaction to save our region's bus services. Despite this, though, more of an uproar needs to be heard. We need the voices of tens of thousands of young people, with the full support of SYMCA and Local Authorities in our region, if we are going to be able to save cheap public transport access for young people.
We are in a cost of living crisis. Young people are desperate to gain new opportunities for work and further study in the face of decreasing real wages. Taking away this tool that has enabled young people to improve their prospects will have the greatest impact on those with the least.
The Zoom Beyond pass must be saved.
If you are a young person with a Zoom Beyond Travel Pass, please email me with testimonials about how Zoom has supported you in your day to day life. I plan to include these when delivering the petition. Also, any local press who wish to get in touch, email me at [email protected] or see my website www.judedanielsmith.works for my other contact details.
Why is this important?
The proposal would see the Zoom Beyond travel pass removed on the 1st November 2023. In just three months, they will take away the ability to afford mobility for thousands of young people in South Yorkshire. Almost 35000 people aged 18-21 use a Zoom Beyond pass in our region.
In addition, the Board is planning to raise the concessionary fare from 80p per single journey to £1 per single journey in effect from the start of November. This would reduce the ability for so many children across the region to socialise, go to extracurricular clubs, and would most likely lead to a greater proportion of school students being driven to school in car - increasing congestion, air pollution and further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
SYMCA is currently looking into a Franchised Bus model - taking power away from the executives of profit-driven private companies like Stagecoach and First and placing more of said power in the hands of the directly elected Mayor. The Trams in Sheffield are already being taken into Public Control (I.e., run directly by SYMCA, and therefore more easily scrutinised) this Autumn, and it is looking like the buses will eventually follow. Due to this, the Combined Authority should instead aim to inherit a bus service with concessionary fares it can be proud of! The budget meeting mentions that if the 80p fare had risen with cumulative inflation from its introduction in 2016, it would be £1.20. That is an exciting thing, though! Even if it draws less profit and costs more as a subsidy, it means that South Yorkshire has one of the lowest fares for those up to the age of 18 in the country, and the lowest fare in the country currently for those up to the age of 21!
The neglect of public services in the North of England by the government is a parasite to our progress. Ignorance of the needs of those across South Yorkshire mustn't continue. We deserve a flourishing, integrated transport system - supporting everyone from Thorne to Stocksbridge; one that lends a hand to all young people wanting to study, work, go out, or get about for any reason.
We should take pride in the fact we are giving our young people the greatest possible chance to succeed, and we must fight to keep it that way.
How it will be delivered
I first plan to deliver this petition to Mayor Oliver Coppard and the wider SYMCA board - they need to know that this is not something that young people in South Yorkshire will sit idly by and let occur. We need the combined voices of the Mayor and those this policy impacts on a day to day basis to be shown to Westminster. Furthermore, if this recieves exceptional support, I'll take this petition to the Department for Transport and deliver it to Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport.
