The Authority has 12 members drawn from the elected members of local authorities in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

The Authority has various legal responsibilities. Its most important one is to co-ordinate and promote the use of public transport in South Yorkshire. In order to achieve this, the Authority has three key goals:

• To improve modal choice by facilitating a realistic alternative to the car that will encourage a shift in people’s mode of travel;
• To reduce social exclusion by facilitating the provision of quality transport for those without the use of a car to enable them access to jobs, education, shops, healthcare and other facilities;
• To support sustainable business development by developing sustainable access to businesses for employees and customers.

In addition to the promotion of the use of public transport in South Yorkshire, the Integrated Transport Authority has a number of other roles and responsibilities. These include:

• Community Engagement – to consult the public about the provision of transport in the area and then use this information to inform decision-making.
• Planning and Performance Management – setting clear priorities and targets for the in relation to the key goals of the Authority and then monitoring performance against these.
• Resource Use and Allocation – have regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness, when carrying out their functions. There must be no discrimination against operators.
• Integrity and Ethical Standards – reviews its own and the Transport Executive’s practices and procedures to ensure that they comply with Human Rights and anti-discrimination legislation.
• Appointment of Chief Officers – responsibility for appointing the Director General.

South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority has an agreed constitution which sets out how the Authority operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local citizens. Some of these processes are required by the law, whilst others are a matter for the Authority to determine.