Calls to investigate bus usage in region

Bus services represent 80% of the region's public transport journeys, but there are calls to investigate why some people don't use them

Calls have been made to investigate why people choose not to use bus services in the West Midlands.

Solihull councillor Andrew Burrow said people were reluctant to leave their cars in some parts of the region, even when there were regular services in operation.

Cllr Burrow, who is chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee, also said the construction of new housing developments on green belt land would result in Section 106 agreements, where more cash would be provided to boost public transport.

But he added simply putting on new services wouldn't guarantee bus patronage and urged WMCA to carry out more research.

West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said he would ask officers to discuss the issue with Mr Burrow.

Bus services represent 80% of the region's public transport journeys, facilitating 245m passenger trips each year.

Cllr Burrow said: "The [scrutiny committee meeting] recommendation was the Combined Authority does some proper research into why it is people don't use the buses, when they do exist and do run regularly, but they continue to use their cars.

"Taking into consideration a lot of that housing will come up with Section 106 payments towards enhancing the bus network.

"But we need to work out why is it that people don't actually use the buses, rather than just assume if we put more buses on the people will come.

"Is this information systems, is it they don't connect properly? What are the real reasons, so this is going to be quite difficult as 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."

Mr Parker said: "I'll get the team at the Combined Authority to talk to [Mr Burrow} further about [his] recommendations and why and how we can improve bus patronage in more of our rural areas."

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