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Would Chaserider's area be covered by franchising if it happens.

TfWM will have to consider cross-border services stating in the West Midlands County over the border into Staffordshire.  There are a few for Chaserider, there are the 70 and 71 from Woverhampton - Cannock, 36 from Walsall - Lichfield and 5 to Codsall.  There is nothing to stop TfWM including these or giving a permit for them to come in which I think is how I think they dealt with services coming in and out of Greater Manchester from the neighbouring areas.

There is also the 35A from Walsall - Leighswood which is the only service entirely in the West Midlands County operated by Chaserider.  Given the plans for "Network Transformation" it may be one of the routes that change, with TfWM thinking about the links, journeys actually made and how to cover the access standards that apply in the West Midlands County.

[now]

A plan is set to be put to the WMCA board


https://governance.wmca.org.uk/documents/g1178/Public%20reports%20pack%2018th-Mar-2024%2013.00%20Transport%20Delivery%20Overview%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10    ---  page 57 for reference, Agenda item 10.

But after the Mayoral Election, not before.  The national government have to have a plan based on all the manifestos from the parties likely to form a Government and have it ready for the get go following the election.  That is why Civil Servants are in discussions with the parties now, before a General Election.  It was clear well before the election that Parker planned franchising but Street proposed an enhanced  partnership.  As Dudley, Walsall and Solihull are controlled by the sConservatives and have a good portion of the services that may disappear in the "Network Transformation", I expect the plan will have a rocky gestation and that will be a challenging meeting...

[where you pay more in fares and to park.]

Birmingham City Council missed a trick years ago by not investing in park-and-ride sites dotted around the middle ring road, ahead of demolishing city centre car parks. We now have the ridiculous situation where the two remaining multi-storey car parks at the Bullring and Moor Street are regularly full on Saturdays, and because they are located on a main entry and exit point for buses to/from Moor Street Queensway, the resulting congestion from drivers queuing to get into these car parks causes the buses to also get stuck and delayed.

That dates from decades earlier and the old West Midlands County Council which was the transport authority as a starter for ten. They took the decision to use rail based Park and Ride sites, but make them free. The issue is that the sites along the likes of the Cross City at stations such as Four Oaks and Selly Oak are being filled up by people driving to a station from outside the West Midlands County to dump their car there and take advantage of the higher frequency rail service in the West Midlands County (thats why trains reverse at Stourbridge Junction and Shirley)...rather than the less frequent rail services to places in the wider region, where you pay more in fares and to park.

The West Midlands County Council were also responsible for the Middle Ring Road and the 40mph limit, it was started by Birmingham City Council but a sizeable chunk was built by WMCC in the 70's with the last portion finally being finished after the County Council was abolished and the buses deregulated and privatised. That was the opportunity to build multi story car parks and establish a bus based Park and Ride system for the city centre, but the land along the Ring Road went for other uses so was an "opportunity cost" when Birmingham City Council and the developers started the plans to replace the 1960's Bull Ring Centre and car parks and break the concrete collar  Inner Ring Road in the mid 1980's.

We are now living with the consequences of decisions made in the 1970's snd 1980's. People living in the 2060's will live with the transport and planning decisions made today by the Government, the Mayors and councils.

He is only a couple of weeks into the job but I think Richard Parker is being rather disingenuous, given his appearance on the BBC One Midlands "Politics Show" this morning and this article on the BBC News website.

New mayor outlines bus reform plans

I do not see how you can have a franchising system, without the operators involved making a surplus in return.  The London regulated franchise system of course is operated by private companies who are in course in business to make a return on their capital employed.

The only way all of any "surplus" for West Midlands services can be reinvested entirely in the West Midlands and for the customer is for everything to be owned by WMCA, including buses, drivers, garages and operational staff...but that is not franchising as in London or the model being put in place in Manchester. (TfL own some assets like the Borismaster buses and lease them, but not all Londons vehicles and garages)

Parker needs to show his working and explain the incentive for companies like Metroline, Transdev, Transport UK Group, Wellglade and others to come into the West Midlands and break the effective Mobico (formerly NX Group) monopoly on local bus services in the conurbation.  Plus demonstrate what would be in it for Mobico for their Leadership Team to continue in operating buses in the West Midlands....rather than walking away to put their money elsewhere leaving Parker having to take everything over to keep the wheels turning. I suspect that would cost rather more than £75 million and the current Government will not help him if the decision was taken before the upcoming General Election.


It is also revealing that TfWM have done so little to prepare a plan. It is almost as if they'd not expected Parker to win the Mayoral vote. "A dereliction of duty" from them I think and that is being kind at best.

Thank you for your recent feedback received on 5 November 2023. I am very sorry for the delay in your response. 

I'm sorry to hear of the problems you've experienced with our 27 service from Yardley Wood Bus Station. I can certainly appreciate your concerns.


I have asked the manager at the operating garage who has confirmed the 27 service is scheduled to leave Yardley Wood at 12:31 and the next bus is out at 13:03. This service is due to terminate at Yardley Wood at 12:09, 12:39 and then 13:09. In terms of updating bus stop information, I will need you to kindly contact Travel for West Midlands (TfWM) as they are in charge of bus shelter and bus timetables. We will however monitor the service over the coming weeks and I can assure you that steps will be taken to improve the service.

What an abysmal response from Customer Relations at National Express West Midlands.

Firstly, it must be me but as yet Yardley Wood does not have a bus station, unless it is one of these imaginary projects Rishi Sunak was coming up with at the Tory conference a couple of months ago.

Secondly there is no such organisation as "Travel for West Midlands".  There is of course Transport for West Midlands, who are in charge in of bus shelters (plural as they own rather more than one).  It is probably news to TfWM they are in charge of timetables, because as we know unless it is a subsidised route or journey, its down to the operator in the current unfranchised set up to create a timetable for a service and the route.

NXWM of course previously traded as Travel West Midlands, so using the phrase "Travel for West Midlands" in a response is only going to lead to confusion.  Surely if a matter in a letter relates to an issue within the purview of TfWM surely it would be easier to refer the matter to them and say you've done so.  Of course TfWM could rename to something completely different to stand out from bus operators of the past.  I hear the name "Centro" is available.

Makes me wonder what training on the West Midlands bus and public transport system is provided to the staff who compose these responses, as it is clearly not up to standard when e-mails come back like this.

If NXWM Customer Relations want some training for staff to improve the quality of their written responses I'm sure for a price it could be arranged.
 

Blame the regulatory body for not pulling them up on this.

And the local transport authority, Staffordshire County Council, for being totally disinterested in public transport, especially local bus services in its patch.

WMT isn't the crown jewel it once was.

Although, I Squared Capital could potentially bid for the entire Mobico Group or even Rotala.

Mobico I think will face a takeover and 1Squared Capital would be suitor.  However it they did they would have to dispose of NX Coaches to satisfy the competition authorities, owing to the Arriva ownership of Cross Country and Chiltern.

What is the event at Aylesbury on Sept 23  that you refer please ?

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/transport/arriva-addresses-safety-concerns-about-overcrowded-school-bus-travelling-between-milton-keynes-and-aylesbury-4374546

Not good press for the Arriva operations in that part of the world and it is not an overnight job to rustle up additional drivers and reallocate double deck buses from elsewhere in the Arriva empire.  Aylesbury and Bucks is also I imagine a difficult place to recruit bus drivers.  So the new owners could offload.

I suspect they will be more interested in the city region/urban operations.

hopefully if The Hydrogens are still leased from BCC then likely they will be sold to raise money, in theory a better idea than the Electrics as i think they do more mileage, but lack of availability & restrictions over where they can & cannot operate
The Technology is too advanced too soon, Bio buses seemed a good idea, but also seems to have quietly died a death ??

If Birmingham City Council sold them the only buyers would be the ones with the kit to fuel them.  London is out as they aren't London spec so the only buyer would be NXWM methinks. 

Full high quality video of some moron lighting a fire on the back seat

Hope the next "bus" said moron gets will be one to a prison. Have WMP caught the scrote?

6988 is the one with heavy fire damage.

Which explains the early withdrawal, but if it is down to a manufacturing or engine fault, it is still not good.  This is where forensic work by engineers earns its corn.

There's a video going around of 2 parking wardens getting battered in Sparkbrook today. Perhaps they just stay away from certain areas..?

It wasn't @Trainbasher or whatever his name is these days, was it?

West Midlands Police have arrested three individuals in Halesowen for this incident according the Hall Green Police Inspectors account on Twitter.  Hopefully that will mean some more proactive enforcement of parking of parking and obstruction on Stratford Road and a message that nowhere in the city is a no go area.  Plus should the individuals be charged and convicted, the book is thrown at them, including disqualification from driving which can now be done for non Road Traffic offences.

6988 finally brought in after months outside getting soaked, looks like the drivetrain getting ready to be removed possibly for transplant into another i did read of one with engine issues i forget the fleet number.

4691 not looking good in dead bus row top half of the engine dismantled, turbo removed along with ancillaries been over 5/6 weeks

6988 only in service though just a smidgen over 4 years.  Pretty appalling, given that the service life of a bus is 12 years and the fleets of the likes of Stagecoach and First spend most of their time out of doors. with few of their new depots having undercover storage.

Why isn't the local mp all over this he would have a field day with the press getting his photo in the papers

The local MP for Cannock Chase is Dame Amanda Milling MP.  Given the issues with Chaserider I would be surprised if none of her constituents had kicked off to her office or on her social media about the operators quality and reliability.  If she is interested in standing again next year she might start making a noise.  Most MP's intending to stand again tend to be more active on local issues in the 12 months before a General Election, unless they are in an ultra safe seat.

Cannock is a key target for Labour and the Chase had a Labour MP from 1992 to 2010.

Staffordshire County Council though who are the transport authority for the area don't have their next elections until 2025.  Given how rubbish bus services are in the county, if the next Government decided to reorganise local government in Staffordshire, axe the county council and replace it with unitaries no bus users would miss it.

You'd expect the Traffic Commissioners team at VOSA  to know the regulations.  Might be worth dropping them a line...