Next month the schools break up for another year. In Saturday's Estates Gazette's Birmingham Focus we published an early end of term report on the city's transport system. Unfortunately, it scored a D minus - not good.
What's frustrating is that there's no clear indication of how things might improve. Unlike a school student, Birmingham has no tutor to guide it. Which is why many of you have been saying the same thing: the city needs a figurehead (I'm avoiding the term transport tsar) to help prioritise and co-ordinate.
The name Ken Livingstone has been bandied about several times from the unlikeliest of quarters. He does seem to have more time on his hands these days, but somehow I can't see Birmingham Council leader Mike Whitby inviting him to pop up to sort things out.
And that's a shame, as the city's transport infrastructure is much bigger than party politics; it has a real effect on the economic (and mental!) well-being of all those who live and work in and around Birmingham.
I'm asking for comments, via this blog, on what you think can be done right now to improve things. You might take inspiration from the West Midlands Business Transport Group, chaired by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce chief exec Jerry Blackett, which earlier this year supported the launch a survey of Quick Wins - smallish improvements to local transport infrastructure that might make a big difference. You can check out the suggestions so far on this website (www.westmidlandsltp.gov.uk) and there's still time to add your own.
In the absence of a tutor, self-help may well be the way to go...
Leave a comment
What a user pic? Get a Gravatar!