South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has released a four week public consultation to inform their decision on whether dogs should be allowed on tram services.
This comes after South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority met in September last year to discuss the idea of asking the public about bicycles and dogs being allowed on trams.
Alex, 25, said: “Only dogs you can hold in my opinion, big dogs are too spontaneous in crowds and people may panic.
“There’s also an issue with a lot of illegal breeds in the UK and Ireland but the government doesn’t enforce it, people might bring illegal breeds onto trams.”
Trams in other cities currently allow dogs on board, such as Manchester’s Metrolink, Edinburgh Trams and the West Midlands Metro, requesting that they are well-behaved and put on a leash.
Sam Lineham, 41, said: “Of course it should be allowed. Those are people’s companions and if they’re going somewhere they should be allowed on the tram. They’re not useless pets, they’re people’s friends.”
The South Yorkshire Supertram was brought back into public control after 27 years as of March 2024, allowing the SYMCA to invest £33m to improve the service and consider policy changes.
Zaki Rahman, 20, said: “I think as long as they’re trained it’s fine, also size matters. Small dogs that can fit in bags can definitely fit on your lap, but big dogs are a bit harder because they’ll take up a lot of space.
“If the dog is in the middle of the tram because there are no eats then people will have to squeeze past the dog, it could get unethical.”
Currently the Supertram only allows for assistance dogs on the trams, alongside other small dogs and pets so long as they are carried in a secure pet container.
Paige Thompson, 22, said: “It won’t be bad to let them on unless people have allergies, you don’t know if people on board will be allergic to the dogs.”
We’re reviewing whether dogs should be allowed on @SY_Supertram, and we want to hear from you.
— South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (@SouthYorksMCA) February 4, 2025
Take part in our consultation and help shape the decision.
Have your say: https://t.co/wlUH1N6OK1#Dogsontrams pic.twitter.com/cIgLVPEJkE
The consultation is available on the SYMCA website and will run for 4 weeks, closing at noon on Monday 3rd March 2025.