Watchdog Transport Focus is behind a campaign to get more people travelling by bus – and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands has implored everyone to ‘give the bus a go’.
“There is no better time to travel by bus,” he says.
“Buses are often overlooked when it comes to getting around the region but, with 260 million journeys taken a year, they are actually the most popular form of public transport. Latest figures show patronage rose by 1%, bucking a national decline.
“Not only do buses provide an essential lifeline for our communities but they also help in our fight against climate change and air pollution by getting people out of their cars.”
Linda McCord of Transport Focus, and West Midlands Bus Alliance Chair, says: “Whether commuting to work or seeing friends and family, buses are vital for keeping the West Midlands connected.
“To help more people choose bus it’s essential that services turn up on time and offer good value for money.
“Operators and local authorities must work to make buses a more attractive and sustainable choice for new passengers.
Speaking at the launch, at Wolverhampton Bus Station, Mr Street added: “”I am committed to having the first clean fleet outside of London by the start of 2021, and as part of this upgrade we are also introducing contactless payment, free wi-fi, charging points and extra legroom on our buses.”
To promote the campaign a group of people who live and work in the West Midlands but rarely or never use buses have pledged to give bus a go in September.
Dubbed the ‘Busketeers’, they are choosing to #GiveBusAGo for their day-to-day journeys and will use social media to discuss their experience and feed back to Transport Focus using an app.
Transport Focus will use the intelligence gathered by the Busketeers to highlight the benefits of bus travel and how operators can improve services.
