West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive.html |
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| Type | Passenger Transport Executive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 (Transport Act 1968) |
| Headquarters | 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, England |
| Area served | West Midlands |
| Industry | Public transport |
| Parent | West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority |
| Website | www.centro.org.uk |
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE), sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation (Passenger Transport Executive) responsible for developing public transport services in the West Midlands county in England.
Policies and budgets for the Executive are set by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) made up of 27 representatives appointed from the seven West Midlands metropolitan district councils. The Authority has ten councillors from Birmingham, three councillors each from Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, and two from Solihull.1
Recent use of the name 'Centro' has caused some difficulties. Following a reorganisation, the Passenger Transport Authority and Executive are, for many purposes, a single entity calling itself Centro-PTA. The name 'Centro' has been used to refer to the Passenger Transport Executive alone, the Authority alone, and to the merged WMPTE and PTA secretariat (Centro-PTA).
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Functions
Privatisation of local public transport in the 1980s and 1990s led to a diminution of WMPTE/WMPTA's activities. They are now restricted to:
- Subsidising some unremunerative bus, train and metro services which are considered socially necessary.
- Providing bus stops, shelters, bus stations, and passenger information services.
- Administration of concessionary fares, and funding the Ring-and-Ride door to door service for the elderly and disabled, operated by West Midlands Special Needs Transport.
- Limited participation in setting the fares and service levels of local train services.
- Operating multi-operator travel pass arrangements.
- Planning facilities, such as railway stations, park and ride, and the Midland Metro.
History
Following the 1968 Transport Act, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive was established to operate and coordinate public transport in a large part of central Englandcitation needed (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Area). The Area was largely ruralcitation needed, but with a large concentration of population in and around the city of Birmingham (the West Midlands conurbation).
Policy for the Executive was set by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, which was formed at the same time. The PTA included elected representatives from councils in the Passenger Transport Area.
On its formation in 1969 the PTE acquired the vehicles and other assets of the municipal bus fleets of Birmingham, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. The former Birmingham City Transport was by far the largest constituent part of the combined fleet, and a modified version of that operator's blue and cream livery was adopted by the PTE.
Although it was tasked with planning and coordinating bus and rail transport in the Passenger Transport Area, the Executive's activities in its early years were largely confined to partially integrating the inherited municipal bus operations. Most of the Passenger Transport Area was not served by PTE buses, and the Executive had minimal involvement in operation and planning of railway services. The Authority and Executive closed down the Walsall trolleybus services in 1970, and did nothing to stop closure of the Wolverhampton Low Level to Birmingham railway in 1972.
In the West Midlands conurbation many bus services continued to be run by other operators. This was considered undesirable by the PTE, so it entered into negotiations to buy them out. In 1973 there was a transfer of assets and services between the Executive and the Midland Red company, giving WMPTE a bus near-monopoly within the conurbation.
The 1972 Local Government Act led to the creation, on 1 April 1974, of the West Midlands metropolitan county. As a result, WMPTE's "operating" area was adjusted to be coterminous with the new county, although it continued to operate some services out-of-county. At the same time, the PTE took over a fifth municipal bus fleet (Coventry). The PTA was abolished, and its role taken over by the newly established West Midlands County Council.
In the mid 1970s the Executive began to take a more active interest in the development of local railway services, but their operation remained in the hands of British Rail.
When the County Council was abolished in 1986, a new Passenger Transport Authority was established, with membership drawn from the metropolitan district councils.
As a result of the 1985 Transport Act, bus services across Great Britain were deregulated. This brought about the creation of a private company, West Midlands Travel Ltd, which took over the bus assets and services of the WMPTE on 26 October 1986. From that date, WMPTE's functions were reduced to sundries such as transport planning, promotion, and concessionary passes. West Midlands Travel remained in public ownership for some years before being privatised.
WMPTE later adopted the 'corporate' name of Centro, although the name was already being used by a transportation authority in New York State, USA.
In the late 1990s WMPTE planned a segmentation of the public transport offer, incorporating a tier called 'Network West Midlands' (NWM). The concept was never implemented, but the name was re-used for a merely cosmetic rebranding of the existing bus and train service in the mid 2000s based on the premise that survey information had indicated that more people would use public transport if a strong brand was identifiable. In reality it has been suggested that the NWM brand has merely added further confusion and the stronger National Express, Arriva and London Midland brands remain more identifaible dominant brands.
More recently, Centro's own corporate identity has been reworked. Its new strapline, "transforming public transport", belies the fact that it has little or no real power regarding decisions on routes, frequencies, fares, and vehicle procurement, which are mostly made by other organisations, such as the Department for Transport, and National Express. In addition Centro and other PTE's have been criticised by private sector transport providers for their slow moving and bureacratic nature, as a result the organisation struggles to recruit and retain high calibre staff.
Centro is currently seeking additional funding for the extension of the Midland Metro. However lack of Central Government support and funding means that some doubt exists as to the viability of further extensions. In addition the policy of building and extending the Metro via disused railway lines has been questioned, in particular why a link to Birmingham International Airport from Birmingham City Centre is not given a higher priority.
Companies providing local travel services
Bus
(not a comprehensive list)
- National Express West Midlands*
- National Express Coventry*
- Diamond Bus***
- Central Connect ***
- Central Logistics
- Thandi Travel
- Arriva Midlands North
- Travel De Courcey
- Claribels
- Midland Rider
- A2Z Travel
- Choice Travel
- The Green Bus Transport Company (Independent School bus company)
Rail
- London Midland City**
Tram
* - Part of the National Express Group
** - Part of the Go-Ahead Group
*** - Part of the Rotala Group
Ticketing
Each transport operator has its own ticket range. In general a ticket is not usable on another company's service, but Centro passes with multi-operator validity are available, allowing travel on rail and/or bus, for periods ranging from 1 day to 1 year.
See also
- Transport in Birmingham
- West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive on UK Transport Wiki, an external wiki
References
External links
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