I would like to respond to Mr Harry Adams, Operations Manager of A2Z buses. I travel on the 511 bus, the route to which the A2Z buses have been added.

The service has not improved at all, as I can only use half the buses on the route, ie the West Midlands buses. 

Mr Adams states that WM pass holders can use the A2Z buses for a small surcharge. Perhaps he should tell his drivers that.

I would not normally use the A2Z buses, as I object to paying for a service for which I have already paid. However, one morning recently the WM bus did not arrive, so in order to get to work I got on an A2Z bus, and was told by the driver “You can’t use that on here”. 

I told him that I knew I had to pay a surcharge, and he told me “No surcharge, you can’ use a pass, you have to pay the fare”.

I wondered if perhaps this was a new driver who had been misinformed so I got on the A2Z on the way home and that driver said the same thing.

So, Mr Adams, why are your drivers telling people they can’t use passes at all? 

The A2Z buses were put on in response to a survey. No doubt many of the people questioned were pass holders who were hoping for a more frequent service that we can actually use. 

The only people to benefit from the A2Z buses are those who pay cash, and therefore presumably don’t use the buses very often. The regular customers are ignored. 

Please do not delude yourself and mislead the customers into thinking the service on the 511 has improved, it has not.

Mrs Louise Silvester, Cannock Road, Westcroft.