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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Tamlyn Jones

Contract bus services saved following review but 13 still to be axed

A total of 26 West Midlands bus services threatened with the axe are to be saved following a six-week review - but 13 will still be lost.

The 39 services were placed at risk due to what transport chiefs called "unprecedented rising costs" following increases in fuel prices, driver shortages and reduced passenger numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Transport for West Midlands has to step in to fund or part-fund services deemed socially necessary where commercial bus companies are unable to provide the service for profit.

These subsidies are targeted at services where there are gaps in the region's bus network.

However, despite an £800,000 increase in the annual subsidy - taking the total budget to £16.3 million - Transport for West Midlands said it was unable to fully fund the 117 bus service contracts up for renewal at the end of this month.

This meant placing 39 at risk of the axe and subject to the six-week review which assessed passenger numbers, value for money for the taxpayer and the availability of alternative services in the area.

As a result of the review, 26 services will continue in operation but 13 will be lost at the end of this year. Some will also have routes or timetables altered.

The full list of changes is available on the Transport for West Midlands website but among those affected are the 22 Tipton to Wednesbury, 30 Darlaston to Bilston and 34 Kings Heath to Birmingham and 42 Brownshill Green to Coventry.

Pete Bond, director of integrated transport services, said: "Bus services are the backbone of our transport network carrying around 80 per cent of public transport journeys in the region.

"But the environment for bus operators is highly challenging right now so some difficult decisions have had to be made. We were, by making the most use of funding available, able to save the majority of at risk services and keep the disruption to a minimum.

"But this unfortunately means that some people will have lost their local bus service but I would urge them to check the Transport for West Midlands website and journey planner to see what alternatives are available."

Mr Bond added that the fare freeze agreed with operators would stay at current levels until 2025 and there was further investment planned into bus priority lanes and cross-city services.

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