Coventry Concordat Unveiled to the Region

A groundbreaking public/private transport partnership known as the Coventry Concordat was today signed in the presence of the Under Secretary of State for Transport, Tony McNulty. The Minister was speaking at the West Midlands Regional Assembly ’Keeping the Region Moving’ conference held at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham. It was here that the Coventry Concordat was unveiled to the Region for the first time.The Coventry Concordat is a first for the region and is aimed at producing a better more reliable public transport service. It will provide the conditions for improving services for bus users in the City, by ensuring that further bus showcase infrastructure, new vehicle and technology investment and improved city centre operations are rolled out.Brian Jackson, Chief Executive National Express Group Bus Division, explained to the Minister, "The Concordat is important for the further development of Coventry’s public transport. Our bus company Travel Coventry, Coventry City Council as Highway Authority and the Passenger Transport body, Centro, have been working hard behind the scenes for the last six months to put together this document. This concordat will enable the delivery of many of the infrastructure and investment projects that are needed to further enhance and develop a modern and effective bus service. We are very pleased with the way that, working in partnership, we have produced such a magnificent document that will deliver a service that is valued by customers and envied by other communities."Councillor John McNicholas, Cabinet Member (Transport Regional Planning) Coventry City Council and a PTA member, said: "Coventry is experiencing exciting change. Everyday brings fresh developments that are shaping the future, bringing regeneration to our City and its communities. To sustain these changes we must think again about public transport. This Public/Private Partnership recognises the requirement of the public sector to seek enhancements to the image and reputation of the City whilst meeting the social needs of our community. We are very pleased to be a signatory to this Concordat and look forward to working in partnership to achieve its goals". Rob Donald, Director General Centro, the body that is responsible for the promotion and development of public transport strategy in the West Midlands added: "High quality bus travel is crucially important to the people of Coventry. New routes and new ways of accessing the latest bus information will provide choice and aid people in making informed decisions about how they travel. This Concordat is in line with the philosophy of the Transport Act 2000 in promoting Partnership working to implement step changes in the quality of bus service provision. We very much look forward to working with our Public and Private Sector partners to bring to fruition the aims and objectives of the Coventry Concordat." Note for the Editor1 - Phase One of the £42 million bus showcase network, PrimeLine, was announced in Coventry on 7th November 20032 - The photograph shows Tony McNulty, seated, and standing left to right, John McNicholas, Brian Jackson and Rob Donald

Published 25th November 2003