𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham has announced what he described as an “absolutely massive” change by preventing the collapse of bus services in the West Midlands. The Prime Minister’s new No 10 North and the West Midlands Combined Authority have joined forces to save local bus services which were in private hands and at risk of collapse.

Mr Burnham said it was “a very big day” for the region, and the “first major milestone” in his push to give communities more control over their services. He also lauded a second transport announcement during a visit to a bus station, saying the extension of free travel for bus pass holders with disabilities would make a huge difference.

Mr Burnham, who is seeking to ease cost-of-living pressures, said: “More local buses are coming under public control. In the West Midlands, bus services in private hands were at risk of being lost so we’ve back the mayor, Richard Parker, to take bold action to save them by bringing them immediately into public ownership. This is absolutely massive.”

He said the bus deal would protect thousands of jobs after they were threatened when Mobico Group, the parent company behind local operator National Express, indicated it was leaving the market.

The deal is backed by £11.5million of taxpayers’ money over the next three years in a move that Downing Street said will protect around 4,800 jobs and keep up to 750 buses a day on the road.

In the longer term, West Midlands intends to control bus services through franchising, as in London and Greater Manchester, paying contractors to run the services for them.

West Midlands is finalising the total cost of the deal and is expected to complete the transaction in the autumn.

Phil White, Executive Chair of Mobico Group, said the deal would “substantially de-risk” the business. He said UK Bus, Mobico’s bus firm in the West Midlands, had been break-even for a number of years and uncertainty over future franchising in the area had presented a significant headwind.

West Midlands’ Labour Mayor Richard Parker said: “We protected the services people depend on, protected jobs and kept the West Midlands moving.

“There should be no doubt who our bus network ultimately answers to – the millions of people who rely on it every single day.”

Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said Labour’s chaotic policy platform is already driving private companies away from creating jobs and investing in Britain.

The Tory MP said it is no surprise National Express are now selling up in the West Midlands.

He added: “Labour’s decision to nationalise will leave taxpayers across the country on the hook to pick up the risk, with the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Government pumping millions into the deal and more besides to cover massive existing liabilities.

“The buses could easily still be there and running with a private operator, but Labour’s ideological dogma simply can’t allow that and we will all be paying the price as a result.”

Mr Burnham also promoted the plans to make bus travel free at all hours for disabled bus pass holders from April next year, which he said a million people would benefit from.

At the moment, disabled bus passes are valid for travel only on weekdays from 9.30am to 11pm unless local authorities fund an extension, as Greater Manchester did earlier this year when Mr Burnham was mayor.

The £60m to fund the move comes from existing budgets – with £40m from the Department for Work and Pensions and £20m from the Department for Transport.