West midlands bus franchising

[Wumpty]

For clarity - I am not simply trying to push the price up. 

I intend to work until the day I die.  I turn 49 this month.  I am aiming to work/live until I am 100.  Therefore I have 51 years of work left. 

The depot at Tividale is central to everything I want to do.  Therefore no amount of money - will fill the gap of 51 years of work.


Simon

I, for one Simon, never thought that. Your business has been built up steadily and strategically with a network of routes across the UK pivotal to the areas they serve.

I'm sure that WMCA (and I dare say others) would see Tividale as strategically advantageous to franchising, though it's business as usual for you, and many other bus companies until we see where this leads.

[jasmine]

For clarity - I am not simply trying to push the price up. 

I intend to work until the day I die.  I turn 49 this month.  I am aiming to work/live until I am 100.  Therefore I have 51 years of work left. 

The depot at Tividale is central to everything I want to do.  Therefore no amount of money - will fill the gap of 51 years of work.


Simon

You're a stand up guy, Simon

[Stu]

2026 responses so far to this consultation.

South Yorkshire's similar consultation garnered over 7800 responses.

https://www.route-one.net/bus/south-yorkshire-confirms-move-to-bus-franchising/

Population of WMCA area: "2.9 million"

Population of SYMCA area: "1.4 million"

That's got to be pretty disappointing.

[Ingleboro261F]

2026 responses so far to this consultation.

South Yorkshire's similar consultation garnered over 7800 responses.

https://www.route-one.net/bus/south-yorkshire-confirms-move-to-bus-franchising/

Population of WMCA area: "2.9 million"

Population of SYMCA area: "1.4 million"

That's got to be pretty disappointing.

Proof that nobody cares at all what happens to the bus network if a mere 0.5% of the population even bothered to answer.

[suavegarv]

Considering that the mayor reckons franchising could work with fewer buses than there is in service now,is their a rough estimate on how many buses are needed for the Bee Network compared to before its introduction?

[metrocity]

Proof that nobody cares at all what happens to the bus network if a mere 0.5% of the population even bothered to answer.

These consultations are more about box-ticking than actually shaping decisions. When only 0.5% of the population responds, it's not necessarily apathy – it's often that people sense the outcome is already decided, so why bother? If communities genuinely believed their input would lead to change, you'd see far higher engagement.

[Stu]

These consultations are more about box-ticking than actually shaping decisions. When only 0.5% of the population responds, it's not necessarily apathy – it's often that people sense the outcome is already decided, so why bother? If communities genuinely believed their input would lead to change, you'd see far higher engagement.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many people take part, WMCA just need a majority of the responses to be positive then they can proceed with their plans, 'democratically decided' and all that.