Passengers are being urged to check for changes to a small number
of bus services set to be introduced from January 2025 across
Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and the Black Country.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) spends £18.7 million each year
funding essential bus services that private operators are unable
to provide on a commercial basis.
As part of a regular review of expiring contracts there will be
changes to 28 services after private bus companies submitted bids
for the work.
The revisions will see a few changes from Monday, 5th
January 2025 and passengers are being urged to check if their
routes are affected on the TfWM website. In the small
number of cases where services are reducing, alternative buses
are available for passengers to continue to make their journeys.
Pete Bond, director of integrated transport services for TfWM,
said: “We have, working with the bus operators, used the funding
available to secure the maximum benefits for bus passengers –
especially those living in areas where commercial services are
not financially sustainable.
“There are changes to some services and where there is a
reduction for the vast majority there are suitable alternatives.
I urge people to check the TfWM website for full details ahead of
January.
“Buses account for more than 232 million journeys a year in the
West Midlands. They are relied upon by many residents and
businesses so it is essential we keep these services on the road.
“The bus industry is facing severe cost challenges and is
increasingly reliant on subsidy support – that is why at TfWM we
are developing a bus reform plan to better secure the long-term
sustainability of our bus network.”
The majority of passengers will see no or very small changes to
their services such as a change of operator and/or bus route
number. In a small number of cases there are changes to
routes and timetables with a particular focus in Dudley, Bilston,
Wednesbury and Solihull. Some areas will also see an
increase in frequency to better meet local demand
Full details of the changes, with a breakdown for key areas is
available on the TfWM website.
This review of contract services does not include the wider
grants currently being paid to bus operators to shield the
commercial bus network from rising costs and keep services
running. That funding has been extended to the end of March 2025
to allow for further discussions with bus operators.
Alongside funding support for bus services, TfWM, which is part
of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Government
funded Bus Service Improvement Plan
is investing in a series of initiatives. This includes ticket
incentives for car users and putting extra transport safety
officers on patrol, to encourage more people to use bus services.
In addition to this further bus lanes and priority measures are
being funded through the City Region Sustainable Transport
Settlement, to improve reliability of service.
