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TfWM aren't interested in smaller operators operating their work.

If that's the point then why are operators like Kevs and Landflight bidding and winning work? 

I bet the NXWM rota planners are hastily rewriting the rewritten rotas

To be fair, the way the politician wrote their post, you'd think there was an election coming up - cynical, moi? 

Couldn't NETS cover some of the work, like they did during COVID? Use coaches on the schools, registered as routes ran by Woods or TKF?

How are all the NX passengers on the 50 going to fit on 1 little solo or streetlite.  I'm sure the extra buses would be welcomed by passengers on there.

If the lightly used routes are suspended to then the subsidy could be suspended to couldn't it?

But then that leaves passengers who live on those routes stranded.

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MCVs for Rotala? The last ones they had new were the Evolutions that WM had wasn't they?

Surely TfWM routes, school services and lower frequency routes should be prioritised over the "high frequency routes"

Transpora (Mr Hands) have also got involved in the school services iirc

Isn't the Worcester operations now managed by Bristol?

Yep, its effectivly a return to Midland Red and Badgerline

All we need to run buses in the Midlands is Transport UK/Abellio, Transdev, RATP, Wellglade and ComfortDelGro and all the main groups will have ran here

I do wonder whether the 1st January changes have actually changed the bus services for the better or not.

Certainly the 142/A seems to run between Halesowen and Stourbridge with very few people on it, the Stourbridge to Merry Hill bit seems to be rather better although still not brilliant loadings. Sundays the 142s I see (runs pasr my flat) are mostly empty, was this a really good idea from TfWM? Surely the best idea, imo, would be to withdraw the 142A, the 7 could cover Springfield Avenue once an hour. Continue the 142 hourly and reduce the Merry Hill section to hourly. Withdraw the Sunday service.

Same as the new 25 service, had some time to kill last week and caught a 25 between Dudley and Stourbridge and across the whole journey there were only 9 passengers including myself. Once again limit the 25 to hourly which should help.

The 25, 142 and 142A service uplifts are being part paid for by BSIP (Bus Service Improvement Plan) money

Maybe we might see D&G come in as a replacement *hears shudders from those who use Cannock routes*

Technically D&G have ran routes in the WM area before (as D&G, not Midland)

Yeah, it's been posted in the Diamond Tividale thread where there's a discussion about it

[The services being cut are the peripheral routes not serving Birmingham]

How can you compare Worcester and the West Midlands? Worcester has suffered because of many factors, particularly a mostly unsupportive council who clearly don't see buses as a viable transport solution - they got rid of their own operated park and ride for goodness sake!

The West Midlands scene is no where near this level of decay, when was the last time a Birmingham trunk route got withdrawn? NX provide pretty much all of them and the only issues there are lack of drivers not cutting services - franchising won't solve that so there will be no difference.

The services being cut are the peripheral routes not serving Birmingham, it's unfortunate but, like in smaller places like Worcester, if the passenger numbers aren't there any more, unless you are advocating throwing endless money away on unsustainable routes, there is going to be a continued rationalisation of the network on such routes. But it isn't the trunk routes that are affected currently so why franchise these as they operate fine as they are (bar the driver shortages mentioned above)?

Franchising is not the answer to anything bus related, it's a very expensive short term fix that won't solve any of the issues the industry faces. It's also ironic those advocating it are often those also moaning about the profit margins of private bus companies and how they want to return to the days of nationalisation. If anything, the opposite will happen and more tax payer money will be wasted.

So effectively what you are saying is that it is alright for Birmingham to have a bus service, but residents of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall, who come under the same Combined Authority and have a combined population similar than Birmingham, can have cuts?

Franchising in both Manchester and London have attracted more operators bidding for routes than the current commercial/subsidised network in the WM area. I mean, some routes in the last WM tender round had only 1 bidder - whereas in the Franchise round for Manchester, even operators who have no operations there have been bidding for bus services.

There clearly aren't the numbers using the 002, 45 or 226, otherwise they wouldn't be facing withdrawals...

Would you really want TfWM being in charge of all WM Bus Services under franchising, given how well they managed & implemented the Jan 1st changes ? It will cost the WM taxpayer a fortune to implement franchising & provide/retain routes carrying fresh air.

As for no cuts under a TfL style bus network, the 271 has just been cut despite significant requests to save it during public consultation.

Well, how come it was sustainable for Diamond to carry buses full of empty air on the 226 10 years ago with bargain basement return fares when they decided to compete against Hansons then if they can't make it sustainable now?

At least, under a franchise model, the franchising authority have to consult the public when changes are made, and they answer to both councillors and the public. Under the current model operators can cut what they want, when they want (as long as they give the appropriate notice) and only answer to the shareholders.