Franchising a necessity for buses - mayor

West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said the region's bus network was being franchised out of "necessity" in the face of failing services.

Buses in the region are to return back to public control, with bus timetables, routes and fares to be decided by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) that Parker leads.

At a WMCA joint overview and scrutiny committee meeting, Parker, Labour, was quizzed on the plans to move services away from the current private operator-led model.

He said the business sector had urged him to sort the bus network out as he campaigned prior to his election in 2024. Some councillors, however, say there is "disquiet" over the move.

Parker told the hearing the changes would give Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of WMCA, more control over passengers' experience.

WMCA currently provides an annual subsidy of about £50m to private bus operators but this has failed to stop fare increases and service reduction.

Coventry councillor Pervez Akhtar said there was "disquiet" over the plans and asked for reassurances the process would deliver the intended benefits.

"You are delivering on franchising and also [at the] end of this month, West Midlands Trains will be taken back into public control," he told the mayor.

"How confident are you and your team that you will be able to deliver franchising, and also on trains, to deliver reliability, affordability and frequency?"

Parker said the private sector model had "failed this region" and bus franchising provided a great opportunity to "reframe" the way in which buses would work and how the network would run.

"That's why it has been such a great success in Greater Manchester and that's exactly why it will be a great success here too," he added.

"We're making good progress. I'm confident with the team around me we've got the budgets in place to deliver on that."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.