PEOPLE OF Coventry have called on the next mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for better public transport.
Passengers at Coventry’s Pool Meadow Bus Station showed support for the ‘Better Bus Petition’ which was organised by the West Midlands Pensioners Convention and the Midland TUC.
Georgia from Binley said that she is often late to work because buses do not arrive on time and sometimes do not come at all.
Sandra Durkin, regional secretary for the Pensioners Convention said: “Several people expressed frustration that paper timetables are no longer available so access to information is very difficult for those who do not use IT/smartphones.”
The West Midlands Pensioners Convention said they are calling on the next mayor, including Andy Street, to committ to making the regions bus services more affordable, safer, more reliable, and more reliable.
Bus services were deregulated in the 1980’s, meaning they were taken out of local authority control and handed over to private sectors.
The 2017 Bus Act prevents local authorities from making bus services fully public ownership, in regions where there is an elected mayor, it gives them power to move to a franchising model for the delivery of bus services.
Yvonne Washbourne TUC Pensions Network said: “It is important we have a new model for bus services in the West Midlands.
“While collecting signatures on the Petition to the current Mayor many said they had seen services become less reliable.
“Routes had been cut, rerouted and are less frequent – many rely on buses as their only means to get to work or get out.
“We need far greater Public Control of our bus services across the West Midlands.”
