'One chance to get it right': Transport mystery sparks urgent investigation
A senior councillor has demanded an urgent investigation into why people in the West Midlands are refusing to use bus services, even when regular routes are available.
Solihull councillor Andrew Burrow, who chairs the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee, voiced significant concerns that residents remain reluctant to leave their cars, creating a transport puzzle that needs solving.
Housing development funds at stake
Councillor Burrow highlighted that the construction of new housing developments on Green Belt land would trigger Section 106 agreements, providing substantial additional funding to boost public transport infrastructure.
However, he issued a stark warning: "Simply putting on new services wouldn't guarantee bus patronage". He stressed the critical importance of understanding the root causes behind low bus usage before investing millions of pounds.
The search for answers begins
Bus services represent 80 per cent of the region's public transport journeys, facilitating an impressive 245 million passenger trips each year. Despite this scale, the mystery of why many potential users stay away persists.
Councillor Burrow outlined the challenge: "We need to ask people who don't use buses why they don't. Getting hold of them is not going to be easy but potentially we're going to have quite a lot of Section 106 money and we've got one chance to get this right."
The investigation will explore multiple potential barriers including:
- Information systems and real-time updates
- Connection reliability between services
- Convenience factors compared to private cars
- Service frequency and coverage in rural areas
Political support for transport research
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has responded positively to the call for action, confirming he will direct Combined Authority officers to discuss the recommendations with Councillor Burrow.
Mr Parker committed to finding solutions, stating: "I'll get the team at the Combined Authority to talk to you further about your recommendations and why and how we can improve bus patronage in more of our rural areas."
The research initiative comes at a crucial time as the region balances green belt development with creating sustainable transport systems that actually meet resident needs.
