90 jobs face axe as Ring and Ride has budget slashed
Up to 90 Ring and Ride jobs may be lost after its budget was slashed, it emerged today, although bosses vowed to maintain the same level of service for passengers.
Earlier this year Centro, the authority that oversees transport in the West Midlands, announced £7 million of budget cuts are on the way to cope with cuts in the levy it gets from local authorities.
As part of the cuts, £700,000 has been slashed from the budget of West Midlands Special Needs Transport (WMSNT), which operates the Ring and Ride service across Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall, Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.
About 22,000 people use the service, which offers door-to-door transport for the elderly and disabled if they are unable to use buses, trams and trains.
Unite the union regional officer Caren Evans said about 50 drivers and 40 schedulers are at risk of redundancy.
"The company has come to the union and we are working together to try and re-deploy staff, offering training," she said. "We are really trying to look at other alternatives within the company.
"There are some jobs other people might be able to do, there are options on the table for the members. We understand people are upset about it."
It is early days yet, Mrs Evans said, and they are trying to minimise the effects of the budget cuts as much as possible, but there will be some job losses.
Any changes will take effect on March 30.
She said that just before Christmas was a terrible time for the news to come, adding: "That is the way it works with a lot of public sector funding. It always comes at this time of year and it is terrible for the families and individuals concerned."
WMSNT group chief executive David Bermingham said: "We are currently holding a collective consultation with the union over how we can meet this £700,000 budget reduction.
"Despite the funding reduction for next year we will continue to provide and even enhance the existing high level of service enjoyed by our customers."
It was announced last month, council leaders in the West Midlands will give £7.8m to run the service next year, down from £8.5m for the current year.
The fares to use the service in the evening are set to double, going up to £2 after 7pm. But the Sunday service scrapped this year will be brought back, with a £2 charge.
The £1 charge for using it Monday to Friday before 7pm is fixed.
Earlier this year the 60p fare went up to £1.
