Following his historic election victory in Rother Valley at the 2019 General Election, Alexander Stafford MP reports that one of the first pieces of casework he ever received related to the state of public transport services in the area. Since then, he has helped many more residents who have experienced problems with the public transport service, or lack thereof, in the Rother Valley constituency.
Bus service
Many towns and villages in Rother Valley ought to be in prime position for job and investment opportunities, being a short way from Sheffield and Doncaster; however, the poor public transport network means that many residents are not in a position to take advantage of their area's proximity to larger towns and cities. With just 33% of employment needs being met locally, travelling for work is of vital importance to Rother Valley residents, but those who rely on public transport are being let down.
Early on in his tenure as Member of Parliament for Rother Valley, Alexander recognised the need work with local residents and transport companies to tackle this poor service and he therefore formed the Rother Valley Transport Task Force (RVPTF). The RVPTF is a group of residents affected by or concerned about poor public transport provision in their area, who Alexander supports and engages with, organising regular meetings and hearing their concerns first-hand.
One of Alexander's major campaigns on public transport is the reinstatement of a direct bus service between Dinnington and Maltby. This 5.2 mile journey currently takes over an hour on public transport and necessitates a service change along the way. This is a clear example of where public transport is failing local residents, and Alexander is determined to hold them to account on this and improve service levels.
Train service
Alexander is a firm believer in investing in local and regional transport infrastructure, and has been a longstanding and fervent voice against the High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line. HS2 offers no real benefits to Rother Valley residents. The proposed line does not stop in the constituency and does nothing to strengthen regional tranches of existing public transport infrastructure.
Instead, it causes catastrophic damage to beautiful green spaces in the countryside with little to offer in return except reduced journey times to London. People in Rother Valley are not concerned with a London-centric transport project which does not improve their lives or area in any tangible way. They want engagement from transport companies and the Government, and they want projects that work for them.
That is why he is backing the regeneration of the South Yorkshire Joint Railway (SYJR).
