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WMPTA and Centro
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority is a political body, a joint authority of the seven Metropolitan Councils of the West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton).
It was established by the Local Government Act 1985 and sets policies and budgets for the public sector transport responsibilities in the County of West Midlands.
The Authority has 27 Members who are Councillors nominated by the seven Metropolitan Councils. It is advised by Centro, (the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive) which carries out its policies.
WMPTA has four principal committees:
Transport Strategy Committee
This is the key committee of the Passenger Transport Authority. Its job is to ensure the PTA's policies are effective in achieving a high quality, secure, safe and integrated public transport system within the West Midlands and that this network is accessible to all and delivers the Authority's wider social, economic and environmental objectives.
There are eleven members. Ten of these are from the ruling Conservative and Labour groups and have lead member responsibility for various policy areas. The eleventh member is from the opposition Liberal Democrat group.
Scrutiny Committee
To be responsible for the review and scrutiny of any aspects of the work of the Authority and co-ordination of Best Value Reviews.
Pension Fund Committee
To be responsible to the Authority for the proper administration of the Authority's Pension Fund.
Standards Committee
To promote and maintain high standards of conduct by Members of the Authority. The Authority and its Committees meet on a regular basis and members of the public are welcome at its meetings.
There are three "Transport Users' Advisory Committees" and four Transport Users' Forums and members of the public are also welcome at these meetings.
There are five other Passenger Transport Authorities in England: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear.
Centro
Centro is the corporate name of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and was set up under the Transport Act 1968. Centro implements WMPTA's policies, and promotes and develops public transport across the West Midlands. Centro also advises WMPTA on policy matters. As well as there being five other Passenger Transport Authorities in England, there are also five other Passenger Transport Executives: Greater Manchester, Merseytravel, Metro (covering West Yorkshire), South Yorkshire and Nexus (covering Tyne and Wear).
What we do
Keeping The West Midlands Moving
Congestion on the roads of the West Midlands costs the people and industry of the region £2.3 billion a year. And its not just people's pockets that suffer. The pollution from the ever increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads is also damaging to our health.
All the evidence suggests that if we do nothing congestion will get worse and traffic speeds could fall even further.
Increasing the use of public transport is a key element in tackling this problem. But motorists can't be forced to leave their cars at home and take the bus, train or Metro.
We have to create the conditions in which the public transport alternative is so good more and more motorists choose to use it for their journeys.
The key body charged with trying to facilitate this difficult task across the West Midlands is Centro, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive which works under the policy and financial guidance of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority.
Centro employs a team of nearly 400 staff dedicated to developing and promoting public transport.
Filling The Gaps
Not all bus and rail services which are needed by the community to cover essential links or to provide transport in the early hours for shift workers can ever hope to be profitable.
Under the deregulated public transport environment there will always be a need for public funding for these services to fill in the gaps in the network and ensure adequate public transport provision.
- Centro puts over 250 socially necessary and experimental bus services out to contract.
Centro subsidises rail services in the West Midlands county and specifies the services and fares operated by Central Trains Ltd under a franchise agreement.
Looking After Customers
In a deregulated environment, there is a need for public transport customers to have someone they can turn to for comprehensive travel information and assistance when things go wrong.
- Centro provides advice through its Travel Information Centres to over 1 million customers a year.
- The Traveline telephone information service deals with over 1 million calls a year.
- Centro publishes a comprehensive range of printed transport information including bus maps, timetables and leaflets.
- Centro's Customer Relations Office deals with over 6500 customer suggestions and complaints about public transport each year.
Helping The Less Advantaged
Services for particular sections of the community who may not be served by operators on a commercial basis are looked after by Centro to ensure that as many people as possible are able to have access to bus, train and Metro whatever their financial or physical resources.
- Centro funds Ring and Ride services in all seven authority areas for people with mobility difficulties. Providing 1.8 million trips per year it is Britain's biggest dial-a-ride operation.
- Centro provides a free travel scheme for Senior Citizens and half price fares for children at a cost of over £60 million per year
- Centro administers a free travel scheme for the Blind and Disabled in the West Midlands county.
Giving Customers The Facilities They Need
- Centro is dedicated to giving customers the bus and rail station facilities they need to make their journeys safe and pleasant. It also ensures that bus shelters are kept clean and well maintained.
- Centro operates twelve major bus stations throughout the West Midlands and is investing in new facilities where needed. These bus stations are: Bearwood, Bilston, Cradley, Dudley, Halesowen, Merry Hill, Pool Meadow, Stourbridge, Walsall, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.
- Centro provides and maintains over 3,300 passenger shelters- a further 1,300 are provided through an agreement with an advertising contractor.
- Centro operates over 37station car parks providing over 5000 car parking spaces to encourage people to "Park and Ride."
- Centro provides two bus Park and Ride car parks linking North and South Coventry to the City Centre.
- Three Park and Ride car parks have also been developed on Midland Metro Line One.
Investing In The Future
Without Centro, no one would be looking at public transport across the whole West Midlands county and ensuring that there is adequate provision not just now but in the future as well.
- Without Centro, the £145 million Midland Metro light rail transit link between Birmingham and Wolverhampton would not have been achieved. Centro had a crucial enabling role in ensuring this partnership between the local government and private sector became a reality. Further routes are now being developed.
- Centro has invested over £5.4 million in a new bus station for West Bromwich
- In partnership with operators and local authorities, Centro has invested in Bus Showcase routes in the West Midlands designed to upgrade the bus travel experience and attract new users to the system.
- Centro invested £30 million to create a third cross city rail line - the Jewellery Line.
Find out more WMPTA and Centro's Capital Programme
The Right Ticket For You
Whether you are travelling to work or getting out and about in your leisure time, there is a value for money ticket to suit your needs. There are season tickets for combined bus, rail and Metro travel, rail only and bus only tickets. You can also save money by paying by direct debit.
Find out more about tickets
Changing Our Customers Travel Habits
Many journeys to work and school are by car. We use our cars for flexibility and convenience, but there are times when we could think about using other transport alternatives available to us.
The continual growth in car use increases congestion and pollution and will eventually lead to gridlock in our towns and cities. Travel habits need to change - and one solution is for employers to implement a travel plan. The benefits of a travel plan include:
- less need for car parking spaces and better site accessibility
- healthier, more productive employees
- an enhanced company image
- lower business mileage costs and car park overheads
- reduced congestion on roads and an improved environment.
Find out more about Travelwise and Travel Plans.
Centro also operates a Company Travel Scheme which makes it easier for employees to purchase an annual ticket through their salary payments at a discount on the cost of buying weekly or monthly season tickets.
Size and Structure
Centro employs a team of nearly 400 dedicated transport professionals - planners, designers, transport policy experts, marketing and public relations professionals, customer service specialists, maintenance operatives, research experts, legal advisors and information technology specialists.
Centro has an Executive Board, comprising one executive (Finance and Planning Director) and currently two non-executive directors, headed by the Chief Executive, Geoff Inskip. Within Centro, there are five directorates, which report to the Chief Executive:
Policy and Strategy: (To play a central role in defining the development of West Midlands transport policy and strategies that support the housing, regeneration, education, social inclusion and environmental agendas. This includes a unit dedicated to providing detailed policy advice to the Chief Executive and PTA Chairman).
Finance and Planning: (To provide strategic oversight of the development of public transport and to manage the developing transport investment package. To prepare and monitor the Finance and Business plans for the organisation and secure funding sources for its plans. To provide budgeting, finance and treasury functions).
Bus and Highway: (Championing the Bus to support the delivery of the objectives of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Strategy. This includes taking responsibility for examining and delivering highway schemes which will assist delivery of the Bus Strategy and developing related schemes with Districts as well as cycling and walking. Cross-modal Customer Services Management).
Rail and Rapid Transit: (Championing Heavy and Light Rail as well as Bus Rapid Transit to support the delivery of West Midlands Integrated Transport Strategy. The inclusion of Transit with Rail ensures that proper consideration is given to an initial "high volume" solution before looking at which specific mode is the most appropriate solution in that situation).
Organisation Change and Development: (To be the champion of Centro-WMPTA's strategic change programme. To drive change through the development and execution of people and technology policies that help deliver the ambitions of Centro-WMPTA. To ensure support services operate effectively, efficiently and economically in line with Centro-WMPTA's business. To ensure performance management systems are in place and drive business performance. To be responsible for Corporate Governance and associated arrangements).
In addition, there is a communications team, reporting directly to the Chief Executive: (marketing, public relations, lobbying, media, presentation, corporate publicity and design, and reception).
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