A comprehensive set of changes designed to improve the West Midlands Ring and Ride service has been officially backed, with one councillor describing the reforms as a long time coming.
The measures were presented to and supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee. This follows the establishment of a dedicated Ring and Ride Task & Finish Group, which was tasked with identifying persistent issues and making the service more financially sustainable.
Key Changes to the Service
The committee reviewed a report outlining a new, simplified service model aimed at enhancing fairness and efficiency while operating within a balanced budget. This comes after the WMCA Board agreed to fare increases earlier this year, a move prompted by the revelation that each trip was costing an unsustainable £26 per head.
The specific measures now being implemented include several significant adjustments. The current Ring and Ride boundaries will be changed, and a distance cap of four miles will be adopted.
The service will also deploy a mixed-size fleet, specifically introducing a smaller eight-seater vehicle and trialling other smaller options to better match demand. To tackle issues with cancellations and passenger no-shows, the booking window will be reduced from seven days to three on a trial basis.
Furthermore, the service will adopt a maximum of 14 trips per customer (equivalent to seven return journeys) and will explore a trial of grouped trips to gauge user uptake.
Backing from Local Representatives
Wolverhampton councillor and committee member Carol Hyatt strongly endorsed the new measures. She expressed particular satisfaction with the trial of grouped bookings, a suggestion she said she had been making for years.
She stated: This has been a long time coming and is very much needed. This report absolutely reflects residents' needs and how we can best meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents.
Councillor Hyatt provided a specific example from her ward, highlighting how the new grouped booking system could directly benefit users: In my ward, there are learning disabled adults who cannot use the Ring and Ride service unless somebody books it for them. Having a tutor that can book it for them guarantees bums on seats for Ring and Ride, guarantees income and it guarantees better quality of life for those residents who need it.
She concluded by saying she was so pleased to see a report which so well reflects the needs of our residents, signalling strong local support for the impending changes to this vital community transport service.
