Bus operators are struggling to maintain services and are calling for  help get people back onto their buses…..

With the ending of COVID regulations and in spite of continuing high incidents of COVID being reported and the resulting increasing numbers of hospital admissions, many are trying to get back to some sort of normality. The amount of traffic on our roads is reported to be back to pre pandemic levels or even higher in some cases.

Public transport however has yet to see anything like the pre pandemic patronage. This, and the effects of staff shortages due in the main to COVID, has led to a  reduction in the number of commercial operators, and those that remain are struggling to maintain services.

It’s been a year since Prime Minister Johnson announced plans to get people travelling by bus again. His “Bus Back Better” strategy set out plans to “build back greener, minimising pollution and tackling the congestion that clogs up our towns and cities”. These fine words as usual, lacked any actual follow up action and as a result services are being cut, and those that remain are suffering from irregular timings or busses not turning up at all.

Transport for West Midlands has warned: “The impact of pandemic has reduced the number of commercial operators, making procuring socially necessary bus services more expensive and harder to procure over a prolonged period. To date the West Midlands has had two commercial bus operators go out of business and a further two fall out of the tendered bus market.” It wants the Government to continue providing substantial subsidies for public transport for the foreseeable future.

It’s time West Midlands Mayor Andy Street got to grips with this problem, he’s first in line when it’s a photo opportunity on a good news story, he needs to point that enthusiasm in the direction of getting our buses full once more and that starts with ensuring bus services are frequent and reliable.