The Green Bus may yet return to the road in the longer-term should bus franchising ever be adopted in the West Midlands, Chief Executive Ian Mack has said.
Mr Mack took the decision in August to cease operation of all of The Green Bus’s services, including home-to-school routes, in the West Midlands conurbation and Warwickshire. Speaking since then, he adds that cost pressures had seen the margin on such work become “completely insufficient” to justify continued investment of money and time.
Instead, efforts have been transferred to the successful associated Birmingham Busworks business. Mr Mack says it has seen major growth that is expected to continue and that it delivers “much better” returns than The Green Bus’s former home-to-school services.
Birmingham Busworks first majored on the installation of seatbelts to buses, but that reach has now expanded into the sale of used stock. “We plan to move forward with Birmingham Busworks, but we will review our decision on operating dependent on bus franchising in the West Midlands,” he continues.
As a “firm advocate” of reregulation, Mr Mack believes that a franchised bus network in the conurbation is imperative. “Birmingham is the UK’s second city, but its public transport network is not fit for purpose,” he continues. “There is no alternative to franchising.”
A presentation in February by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) Head of Network Transformation Steve Hayes notes that an assessment of franchising in the conurbation has been commissioned, with that work expected to conclude in June 2024.
Mr Hayes adds that franchising could be “irrelevant” if Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) proposals are delivered in full, but TfWM recently moved around 45% of its BSIP funding to support existing services to the end of 2024.
Mr Mack adds that a wider financial squeeze contributed to the decision to end The Green Bus operations. He believes that some parents of pupils at the private schools that it largely served have been hit hard by inflation, leading them to reconsider spending on bus passes. The operator’s cost base had also increased significantly, particularly since 2020.
Such a position was particularly challenging in the West Midlands, where usage had started to decline. “That gave us some concerns and we had withdrawn a small number of routes earlier this year,” he continues.
In Warwickshire, which The Green Bus had entered more recently, things were positive and growth was continuing. Mr Mack notes that a deal was almost reached to subcontract work there to another operator, but that ended at a late stage without agreement. “We took the business as a whole, and that left us unable to carry on in Warwickshire,” he continues.
“We would much rather have found a solution, as Warwickshire County Council is supportive of buses and understands public transport,” he continues. “But while we may be gone from operating for now, we are watching franchising in the West Midlands very closely.”
