Funding to stop major cut in West Midlands bus services set to be agreed

A new short term funding deal to stop the risk of bus services across the West Midlands being cut is set to be agreed. The current Bus Network Support Grant, which provides financial support to operators in the region, is due to expire at the end of this year.

And now members of the West Midlands Combined Authority board are asked to give the green light for a short-term extension to be put in place between January and March 2025. Talks on a new longer term deal from April are expected to take place early next year.

A report to the meeting on Friday, November 15 said that operators have said around 30 per cent of services in the West Midlands would be at risk if the grant was not in place. The value of the short term grant is to be discussed in private due to commercial sensitivity but officers said it would be funded within existing budgets.

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The report said: "Since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic local bus operators have been financially supported through national and Local funding to maintain their commercial bus networks. Without this funding operators have indicated that up to 30 per cent of all local bus services could be at risk. The current agreement is due to expire on the December 31 2024

"To prevent operators from registering service reductions to take effect from January 1, whilst negotiations continue, the WMCA Board is requested to approve an extension of this Network Support Grant to continue for three months from January 1 to March 31 2025. The extension is anticipated to be funded within existing approved budgets to the end of the financial year.

"Bus operators are keen to commence discussions on new funding agreements from April 2025 for the continuation of the protection of the West Midlands bus network as soon as discussions for the 3 months from January – March 2025 funding are concluded. The outcome and implications of these discussions, and any subsequent approvals, will be put before this board in the first quarter of 2025 calendar year."