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Centro is the operating arm of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) which sets policies and budgets for the executive. The WMPTA is a joint-authority made up of 27 appointed councillors from the Local Authorities of Birmingham , Coventry , Dudley , Sandwell , Solihull , Walsall and Wolverhampton , which make up the West Midlands, it is also co-funded by these authorities.


FUNCTIONS


Centro and the WMPTA do not actually run passenger services, which are run by private companies, but are responsible for:

  • Subsidising some Bus , Train and Metro services which are considered socially necessary but would not otherwise be commercially viable;

  • Providing bus stops, shelters, timetables and passenger information services;

  • Operating twelve major bus stations throughout the West Midlands;

  • Managing the funding and administration of concessionary fares for the elderly and disabled etc. Centro also runs "Ring-and-Ride" services for the disabled;

  • Control of local Train services operating in the county, and specifying fares and service levels - the services are operated on Centro's behalf by Central Trains under a franchise agreement;

  • Operating multi-modal ticketing schemes;

  • Developing public transport facilities across the county, such as new stations, transport interchanges and the Midland Metro .


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HISTORY

The WMPTE was first established in 1968 , by the 1968 Transport Act to operate and co-ordinate public transport across the West Midlands Conurbation , which had previously been run by individual councils (in Birmingham , Walsall , West Bromwich and Wolverhampton ) and by private operators, the largest of which was Midland Red .

It initially covered the Birmingham / Black Country area and some surrounding towns such as Redditch . In 1974 its area was changed to match the newly-established West Midlands County , which now included Coventry .

Between 1968 and 1974 the WMPTE was administered by a joint Passenger Transport Authority. However in 1974 the role of the PTA was taken over by the West Midlands County Council . When the county council was abolished in 1986 , a new PTA was created.

Also in 1986, Bus services across England were deregulated and Privatised . As a result the WMPTE was forced to sell off its bus operations, forming the bus company now known as Travel West Midlands .


THE FUTURE


Over the next couple of years, as part of Centro's 20 year strategy, a new brand will appear in the West Midlands which will slowly replace the Centro branding. The new branding will be called "Network West Midlands" which will try to incorporate Bus, Train and Tram travel into 1 network. This is being done to help stop confusion between the different companies that operate the different modes of transport (these are listed below).

Bus - Travel West Midlands , Diamond Bus, Peoples Express, Zaks, North Birmingham Busways, Central Logistics, Thandi, etc

Train - Central Trains

Tram - Travel Midland Metro (Part of the National Express UK bus division)


SEE ALSO




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