West Midlands Ring and Ride service future secured

The Ring and Ride Service has been taken over by National Express company West Midlands Accessible Transport

The future of a door-to-door bus service has been secured after it was taken over by a new operator.

Ring and Ride provides transport to more than 12,300 people across the West Midlands who cannot use conventional public transport.

Concerns were raised over its future when provider Accessible Transport Group (ATG) went into administration in March.

It has now been taken over by West Midlands Accessible Transport (WMAT).

The Ring and Ride Service was supported by £7.1m of funding per year from Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

When ATG collapsed, it continued to provide the funding to ensure services kept running.

ATG also ran the Travel Assist school transport service for Birmingham City Council, for children and young people with special education needs, which will also continue under WMAT, a National Express Company.

All 600 members of staff have also been transferred to the new company.

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Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, thanked ATG's staff for continuing to provide the transport "uninterrupted" despite entering administration.