Boost for buses in Birmingham post-coronavirus

Birmingham City Council has published its Birmingham Bus Statement, outlining how it will support buses as the UK recovers from coronavirus and its subsequent lockdown.

Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, has committed to lobbying government for bus passes and travel concessions for those seeking employment and training opportunities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

In Birmingham, one in three households do not have access to a car, making buses an essential service for accessing education, retail and employment. 750,000 journeys were made by bus in the last week of June 2020, as lockdown restrictions eased.

Transport for West Midlands and Birmingham City Council has committed £173 million to schemes that benefit bus travel including: bus priority measures, road re-allocation measures, bus gate schemes, and the deployment of 20 new hydrogen buses on key routes.  

Zaffar said: “We have recognised that as we recover from Covid-19 there is an urgent need to support the bus industry. Buses are essential for social mobility, providing our residents and workers access to education, employment and health services.

“In the short term we as a council have a responsibility to ensure that bus services are maintained and supported for those that depend on them. I will be personally lobbying the government for the provision of travel concessions and bus passes to those who are now seeking new employment and training, such as apprenticeships, in the aftermath of this pandemic. Longer term, we need to help bus travel to regrow by continuing to reallocate road space, upgrade interchanges, and improve the convenience and reliability of services.”