General · 18 August 2026
West Midlands takes control of bus routes after £11.5m government deal
UKBus via Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons CC0 License)
The agreement involves £11.5m in state funding, stepping in because the parent company of operator National Express plans to leave the market. Prime minister Andy Burnham says the rescue will save thousands of jobs, while local leaders eventually hope to franchise routes to private contractors. Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden criticised the plan, arguing it shifts about £100m in liabilities onto taxpayers.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs