Three-word reason night buses are not running in Birmingham

Bus services for night time revellers in West Midlands are 'not economically viable' currently, according to the region's Mayor. Richard Parker was quizzed on the issue of night time safety and buses at a West Midlands Combined Authority Joint Scrutiny and Overview Committee meeting but said they were not feasible at the present time.

But he added he would like to introduce night services and could be something progressed as his bus franchising plans progress. At Monday's (October 22) meeting, Birmingham councillor Robert Alden said: "Obviously, night time safety is vital across our region.

"People should be able to feel they can go around socialising and enjoying the leisure facilities in the region. Can you tell us what your plans are for night time transport and improving the access?"

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Mr Parker said: "We want people to enjoy every aspect of this region including it's cultural, night life, theatres, cinemas and everything else that goes with it. I'm acutely aware the transport system doesn't always allow that. Indeed, sometimes impedes those sectors and those businesses.

"I was really clear from the outset I want to ensure all users on our public transport feel safe and we are looking at working with officers here to look at what we can do to improve safety and with the perception of safety on our transport system. I'd like to really secure more funding, improve and invest more and put more into the West Midlands Safer Travel Partnership so that's something I've earmarked as a transport priority going forward if and when we can secure more funds.

"We're also working closely with around 50 businesses to improve safety and good behaviour on public transport across the region. I would like to operate a night time bus service to help with that connectivity and I know it's been a demand from those that lead across the night time economy across the region.

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"I want those new routes to be in place. The reality is at this time the evidence suggests they wouldn't be economically viable in a strict commercial sense. But we will be looking at, as we progress the franchise route, ways in which we can support the night time economy with bus routes that run through the evening in a way they don't do now.

"That model needs to be built into the audit and further assessment simply because on their own those routes aren't necessarily viable at this point in time. The issues you raise, I understand very clearly, they make sense, they are important things to do.

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"We're doing some work currently - I'd like to do more and my aim and ambition is a franchised bus service will allow us to do things going ahead we can't do today. We will have choices ourselves about what we do. We currently subsidise National Express around £50 million a year. I'm hoping that head room will give us sufficient ability to operate the types of services safely and reliably."