Diamond to axe 19 school runs
School pupils who rely on public transport to get to class every day could be left stranded as a bus company is withdrawing 19 services in the Black Country.
Diamond Bus Network is stopping services in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall on July 22.
And the company will not be replacing buses next term, leaving local education authorities to look elsewhere. Commercial director Geoff Howle said the company, which has depots in West Bromwich and Tividale, was not cutting the number of buses.
Instead, vehicles freed up by the cuts would be used to increase the frequency of services on key routes elsewhere in Birmingham and the Black Country.
He said: "It is part of an ongoing company policy to develop the network in areas where there is a potential for growth."
Mr Howle said the move would create 50 jobs at the firm, which was formed last year when Go West Midlands acquired and merged Pete's Travel and Birmingham Coach Company.
He said: "We will not be putting the services back on for the new term but there will be other operators interested in taking on the routes and we will work with local education authorities to ensure that happens."
The 303 service from Bilston to Country Bridge via Willenhall, and the 327 Willenhall to Wednesbury via Darlaston, have already been targeted by a rival company.
They are routes that public transport body Centro require to be operated so Walsall-based A-Z Travel is taking them over.
Dudley council spokesman Phil Parker said: "We will work closely with the colleges, schools and Centro to ensure that disruption to travel arrangements is kept to a minimum."
Services getting the chop
Diamond Bus Network is withdrawing the following services on July 22: 9A Halesowen College – Kinver via Stourbridge, Norton; 9B Halesowen College – Kinver via Stourbridge, Norton; 128 Bearwood – Oldbury via Warley; 194 Kidderminster – Halesowen College via Wynall; 217 Merry Hill – West Bromwich via Blackheath, Oldbury; 220 Bromsgrove – Halesowen via Rubery, Bearwood; 222 Halesowen College – Carters Green; 247 Stourbridge – Dudley via Merry Hill, Woodside; 248 Stourbridge – Dudley circular, anti-clockwise; 303 Bilston – Country Bridge via Willenhall; 327 Willenhall – Wednesbury via Darlaston; 707 Great Bridge – Sandwell Colleges via West Bromwich; 708 Great Bridge – Sandwell Colleges via West Bromwich; 732 Hagley RC School – Londonderry via Hurst Green, Warley; 733 Harborne – Hagley RC School via Woodgate, Lapal; 736 Bearwood – Hagley RC School via Warley, Quinton; 752 Hagley RC School – Colley Gate via Hasbury; 765 Hagley RC School – Mary Stevens Park; 766 – Hagley RC School – Kingswinford via Stourbridge.
