Open letter to the new transpo.rt secretary

[Westy]

https://buscapade.wordpress.com/2024/07/12/dear-louise-an-open-letter-to-the-new-minister-of-transport/

Perry Barr driver Mark Fitchew has published an open letter to the new transport minister.

Worthy of further discussion I feel, plus anyone who wants to contact Mark directly with their comments, can do so at the bottom of the blog.

[cardew]

Very good that. 

It's worth remembering that I believe WMCA had to use around half of the Bus Service IMPROVEMENT grant to support bus operators to maintain service levels until the end of 2024, and look like doing the same with a chunk of the Network North Stabilization Grant (the HS2 fiasco pot to fund improvements) for January 2025 until March 2026.

[Rachvince53]

I think its a case of wait and see. The franchise model in Manchester by all accounts hasn't run as smoothly as might have been hoped and hopefully since it appears that the West Midlands are going that way lessons from Manchester will be learned.

There are several problems with the railways including high prices but I think also to blame are the years when British Rail as it was then suffered from lack of investment in infrastructure and rolling stock and the privatisation when for the most part the infrastructure was maintained by a different company to the train operators. 

[karl724223]

Maybe there should be a new letter sent 
Which mayor is lieing 
Where's the money gone from cancelled HS2 to fund the transport projects 
Metro to brierley hill
Dudley interchange 
New train stations 

[Steve3229vp]

I don't trust Richard Parker at all

[cardew]

Maybe there should be a new letter sent
Which mayor is lieing
Where's the money gone from cancelled HS2 to fund the transport projects
Metro to brierley hill
Dudley interchange
New train stations

One thing is for certain, anyone looking at Pineapple and Kings Heath (as I do regularly) or seeing pictures from Moseley on the day of the mayoral election would have seen there was no chance of December 2024 being met. I can't recall if either candidate commented on this or was asked. Sniping between the candidates is not helpful but predictable.

The money from the cancelled HS2 is the Network North Stabilisation Grant which is being dipped into

[Westy]

I don't trust Richard Parker at all

I prefer to give the guy a chance.

[BlackCountryBusSpotter]

Well considering Darlaston and Willenhall are delayed until next year at the earliest, Is there any guarantee these Metro Lines, New Stations and Sprint will ever be open on time, work and how much money will they waste

[Ronnoc]

I prefer to give the guy a chance.

He has the cards in his hands now, a labour council/government etc. If he doesn't deliver something substantial in his first term (not bus franchising), he is basically useless. I'll give him a chance, but given the recent news and history of the WM region, it's a whole load of pessimism right now. 

Our northern neighbour in Manchester has some optimistic vibes around, and Burnham is the face of it all. No wonder he won twice in a landslide.