Franchising a ‘necessity’ for West Midlands region’s buses
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said the region’s bus network is being franchised out of ‘necessity’ in the face of failing services.
Mr Parker was quizzed on his plans to bring bus services back into public control from the current private operator led model at a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) joint overview and scrutiny committee meeting.
Coventry councillor Pervez Akhtar said there was ‘disquiet’ over the plans and asked for reassurances the process will deliver the intended benefits.
The Mayor said the business sector urged him to sort the bus network out when he was out campaigning prior to his election in 2024.
Mr Parker said moving towards a deregulated system would give Transport for West Midlands more control over fares, routes and timetables.
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) currently provides an annual subsidy of around £50 million to private operators but this has failed to stop fare increases and service reduction.
Councillor Akhtar said: “You are delivering on franchising and also end of this month, West Midlands Trains will be taken back into public control.
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“How confident are you and your team that you will be able to deliver franchising and also on trains to deliver reliability, affordability and frequency?
“There is some disquiet, even in this organisation, and it would be helpful if you tell us it will happen within time and within budget and yes, it will make a difference to our communities and to our economy by taking these momentous steps to bringing franchising and trains back into public control.”
Mr Parker said: “We are franchising the bus network out of necessity. The private sector operator has failed this region.
“They benefit from tens of millions of pounds through subsidies each year and services are declining and not improving.
“When I was campaigning, I met communities across this region. I spoke to business groups and the biggest plea to me was to do all I can to improve the bus network.
“I remember talking to the Chamber of Commerce in Solihull and asked them what was their biggest priority.
“I didn’t imagine them to say ‘franchise the buses’ but that’s exactly what they did.
“There are jobs available in the most prosperous part of Solihull, the town centre, the airport, JLR and the south of the borough that young people in particular in the north of the borough simply cannot get to.
“The bus timetables don’t run in any way to match or align to the shift patterns the employers need.
“The failure of our bus network undermines everything I want to do in terms of increasing opportunity.
“Bus franchising gives us a great opportunity to re-frame the way in which buses work, to look at ways in which we can run the network, build a timetable that meets the needs of the WM. That’s why we’re doing it.
“That’s why it has been such a great success in Greater Manchester and that’s exactly why it will be a great success here too.
“There is a lot of work to be done to get there. We’re working very closely with the Department for Transport to ensure best practice.
“We’re making good progress. I’m confident with the team around me we’ve got the budgets in place to deliver on that.”
