Why does West Midlands mayor Richard Parker want to take over the buses? Here are his reasons
Richard Parker, elected as regional mayor for the West Midlands exactly a year ago, is staking his reputation on bringing bus services up to scratch.
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His ambitious bus plan was the cornerstone of his pitch to the electorate last year, and he is acutely aware that his hopes of re-election may well hinge on whether or not he can deliver.
"We've got a system that works for no-one currently," he says. "We've got a private-sector monopoly running the bus network across the West Midlands, and that's costing us around an additional £50 million a year now subsidising that private sector."
Many will agree that there is room for improvement in the present bus service, but what are the changes he is proposing, and why does he think they will make services better?
