Bus shelter ads to raise £15m

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has awarded the contract to Clear Channel.

And bosses have pledged that the revenue projected by the advertising firm will go back into the network to help pay for the upkeep of vital infrastructure, including bus stations and shelters.

As part of the new contract Clear Channel will pay a fixed fee each year for the exclusive sales rights to advertising panels on a third of shelters in the West Midlands.

The new contract, which goes live on July 1, will see the number of digital advertising screens at bus shelters across the region increase to 300 over the next five years.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, transport lead for the West Midlands, said: "This is important income for TfWM, which we can reinvest in better services for passengers.

"A notable example is that this money has funded a lot of our highly successful Safer Travel work – which has seen a fall of 70 per cent in crime on public transport over the last eight years."

Pete Bond, TfWM's director of transport services, said: "We are very much looking forward to working with Clear Channel.

"Their bid gave us confidence in their ability to successfully market our bus shelter advertising estate and their intention to further invest in maximising digital advertising potential."

TfWM has also awarded a new contract for facilities maintenance, cleaning and development work in all its buildings to Mitie.