High bus fares in the West Midlands are said to be putting people off from taking the bus in the West Midlands.
It has been highlighted in a transport council meeting that expensive travel costs are eating into people’s salaries, and therefore some people are having to choose alternative ways of getting around.
Head of customer experience for National Express, Adam Rideout said:
“Its not about the actual cost of the ticket that’s the problem, it’s about if people are getting value for money with the service that is currently provided.”
More people are being encouraged to use public transport to get to doctors and hospitals to help reduce the amount of cars in the carparks.
Labour Councillor Olly Armstrong said:
“If we are encouraging more people to use public transport it’s vital that it is made truly affordable and to recognise that value is not just about being a high quality service, but about it being affordable for everyone.”
Owen O’Neil from the A34 Safety Group in Birmingham said franchising transport networks would give local authorities the powers to regulate the buses better:
“We appreciate that local authorities have a limited amount of budget and power with the current network. We would encourage a new franchise because it would give more power to local authorities in the area and therefore they would have a greater control over fare levels.”
