You kindly said you agreed with me ...

4 February 2025

You kindly said you agreed with me over bus franchising.

Therefore, dear Bob, please act with Ian Courts, Patrick Harley and Paul Bradley of Dudley, Garry Perry and Rose Martin of Walsall, and Robert Alden and Timothy Huxtable of Brum to oppose bus franchising.  My reasons:

1. It now appears that TfWM/WMCA had already got cracking with bus franchising even before our excellent Andy Street only very narrowly lost. I voted for him everytime (in 2017/21/24).  Andy told me he was against bus franchising and wanted to stick with the perfectly satisfactory Enhanced Bus Partnership with the private bus operators.  Did Andy authorise the work to start on bus franchising?  I don't think so.
2. Therefore, fairly elected Andy was being overruled, just as he was ignored over his request for an independent review to be studied and written into Metro costs and delivery and, with so many mishaps.  It was never written, I believe.
3. You already have public control of bus services through the Enhanced Bus Partnership.
4. You don't need to spend, literally tens of millions as you are doing, with all the preparatory work to get franchising.
5. TfWM/WMCA can act to cut fares to boost passenger numbers without franchising, as we saw at Christmas for that one week under Richard Parker.  Therefore, that is all that matters.  "Stuff their mouths with gold", as we saw in 1948 with the GPs being won over to support the new NHS.  Do that with the franchising money being put to much better use to cut bus fares.  Or, even better, to bring in Fare-Free Public Transport as my age group has had for years.  In my case from age 60 years.
6. Dudley's attempt at a commercial operation - Brook's Bar and Bistro - lost the council £1 million.  It is now closed.
7. With franchising, I understand, there are financial risks if things don't work out.  Don't go for commercial ventures, please.  Leave it to the private sector to take the financial risks, not the council taxpayer.
8. Please re-read what I earlier sent you and which you liked.

With every good wish