A campaign to retain a rural bus service connecting Balsall Common and Berkswell with Solihull and Coventry has ensured that funding will stay in place until the end of the year.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street recently met with councillors Diane Howell, Andrew Burrow and Tony Dicicco, as well as MP Saqib Bhatti and bosses from Transport for the West Midlands, to discuss the future of the number 89 bus – or identify alternative services going forward.
Cllr Howell said: “The meeting was precipitated by the threat to the number 89 bus service, which connects the most rural parts of our area with Balsall Common, where residents can access the railway station, shops, schools and GPs surgery.
“Essentially, while there are very few passengers that use the service, those who do really need it, as they live in very isolated parts of those villages.
“It was going to be stopped over the summer, as it is running at a considerable loss, but thanks to our campaign we’ve managed to get the service extended until the end of this year – with its future then being reviewed.
“We are really, really concerned about this, as these are isolated rural areas. We understand the challenge of running public transport in places like this under the current cost model, but if we are going to lose this service, we need to come up with other ways to keep residents connected.
“There are children that use that bus to go to Heart of England School, and we know people in Meriden that use it to go to Solihull hospital - these are important journeys.
“That’s what the campaign is all about and that’s what Andy Street is helping us with – because if we do lose that bus, what are we going to give these communities to ensure they stay connected?”
The number 89 serves the Meriden Gap, running from Solihull to Coventry and passing through Berkswell and Balsall Common.
The No.89 was originally launched in 2016, operating under subsidy by iGo, to replace the Heart of England Taxibus, which had run since 2004.
Andy Street said: “We had a very positive meeting about this important issue and discussed a number of ideas, including possibly extending the current in-demand bus service, so there are options that we can explore.
“It’s great that, thanks to the campaign, the funding for the Number 89 bus has been ensured until at least the end of the year, when its future will be reviewed again.
“However, it’s important that we look at how we can help residents stay connected going forward, and I’m grateful to local councillors, Saqib Bhatti and Transport for the West Midlands for their input.”