Calls to bring ‘broken & unaffordable’ West Midlands bus network back into public control

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Calls have been made to bring the ‘broken unreliable unaffordable’ West Midlands bus network back into public control

Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s transport delivery overview and scrutiny committee discussed the 2023/24 financial monitoring report at a meeting on Monday (July 8).

But Councillor Pervez Akhtar, from Coventry City Council, said despite a balanced budget being achieved, they were always left ‘on the edge’ on whether they’ll have the money needed to maintain the network.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And he added they needed to follow Manchester’s lead and reverse deregulation. Councillor Akhtar, who is the committee’s scrutiny champion for finance and performance, said: “We have saved some money but we were always on the edge.

“How we are going to balance the budget? How we are going to safeguard our network, especially the buses?

“The whole system is broken, we mostly rely on the Government to fund us and it was always at the last minute when we’d get that funding.

“The buses are not reliable and they are not even affordable. The buses are crucial to our economy, to our community, tackle air pollution and congestion but we are in a mess.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“As far as this year’s budget, we have balanced the budget.  Now it is up to us as politicians.

“We have a deregulated system which always sees money going to shareholders rather than putting back into the system and having a safeguarded network.”

He added they needed long term stability and a system which didn’t take money out of services.

He said: “Manchester has cut out the greed. They are going to have a system which is regulated where the passengers are at the centre. It is providing services to their people.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
West Midlands busWest Midlands bus
West Midlands bus | Google

“Don’t forget most of the communities we represent are hit by the cost of living crisis.”

Pete Bond, the authority’s director of integrated network services, said: “We are aware of the challenges we face.

“We continue to work with the Government and any other funding source to try to identify funds which can sustain and support the bus network in the region which we have been relatively successful in doing to date.”

He added that fare increases are “difficult” but said prices in the West Midlands were still a lot cheaper than other areas in the country, including Manchester.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice