Solihull Residents Concerned Over Ineffective Bus Service Changes
Changes to bus services in Solihull have sparked worries among residents about reliability and accessibility for work and education
Solihull, West Midlands, Bus Service, Transport, Public Complaints
Solihull: A local councillor is really worried about the recent bus service changes. He says it’s been a total mess for folks trying to get to work or college. Councillor Andrew Burrow mentioned that his inbox is overflowing with complaints since the changes kicked in earlier this week.
He pointed out that these bus services are funded by Transport for West Midlands, which raises concerns about public money not being used effectively. Anne Shaw, who’s in charge of Transport for West Midlands, explained that they switched suppliers after some contracts ended, leading to some “teething problems.”
Burrow brought this up during a meeting about the Mayor’s budget proposals. One of those proposals involves increasing the Transport Levy that each council pays for travel schemes, like concessionary passes.
After being elected, Mayor Richard Parker laid out plans to revamp the bus network in the West Midlands. He wants to shift from the current deregulated system to a franchise model. A public consultation on these franchise proposals just started this week.
Burrow shared that both he and the Knowle councillors are getting flooded with complaints about the new bus timetable changes. Many residents didn’t get proper notice, and some kids are missing college while others are late for work. The buses aren’t even following the new routes correctly, with some still using the old roads.
He said, “It’s just not working. We’re using public money for these subsidized routes, and it’s concerning that we’re not seeing results. I need to raise this issue because of the Transport Levy, and I’m worried we can’t manage this properly.”
Mayor Parker responded, saying, “The current bus service has issues with timetables, reliability, and costs. That’s why we’re moving towards bus franchising to improve services for everyone in the West Midlands, including your residents. I’ve heard frustrations from the business community in Solihull about the quality and reliability of bus services, especially for those in poorer areas trying to reach job centers.”