VALERIE VAZ SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE SPRINT BUS NETWORK AND CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING ROUTES

“The postponement of the Sprint Bus Route to Walsall is a welcome first step in stopping this unnecessary project. The proposed route would have made the roads less safe for cyclists and pedestrians, undermined local businesses and caused significant disruption in the town centre. The Sprint scheme is a gross misuse of public funds which should be spent on improving existing bus services. There is now uncertainty in what investment TFWM will now be making in transport to and from Walsall. I will be meeting with TFWM to seek clarity and to call for tangible improvements.”

“I have raised my concerns about the viability and cost of the Sprint Network several times with Metro Mayor Andy Street and Transport for West Midlands. Bus rapid transport schemes with articulated buses like the Sprint have been introduced in York, Swansea, London, Bradford and Leeds. In all these cities they have been scrapped for numerous reasons including cost, high fuel consumption, vehicle safety and their impact on other road users.”

“What is needed is proper investment in existing bus services in Walsall and the surrounding area. The Sprint Bus, whose projected cost had risen to £42 million, was planned to follow the same route as the X51 bus between Birmingham and Walsall, providing only a marginal difference in capacity and journey time. With a fraction of that investment Transport for West Midlands could make significant positive changes for commuters in Walsall, including making improvements to the X51 service.’

“I have campaigned for several local bus routes, such as the 38 Bus, which have been cancelled or been reduced as their operators did not consider them to be ‘commercially viable’.”

“The failure to provide proper investment in existing services like this and the wilful misuse of public money on a scheme such as Sprint raises serious questions about the priorities of the WMCA under Andy Street.”