Accessible Transport Group (ATG), provider of Ring and Ride and igo bus services in the West Midlands, has been saved by council funding after entering administration, the BBC has reported.
Although services were set to continue uninterrupted while the firm was in administration, Birmingham City Council has now agreed to inject £1.4m into ATG over 12 weeks to keep it afloat.
Matt Ingram, joint administrator from Duff & Phelps Ltd, told the BBC that Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has also agreed to fund the organisation.
“We are very aware that the majority of the services that the charities provide are vital to those that rely on them,” said Matt, “so we are delighted to have been able to secure new funding as we now work to secure the long-term future of the service.”
Meanwhile, Network West Midlands has also provided an update the transfer of igo and Ring and Ride services to other operators.
As of Monday 1 April, the following services ceased to be operated by igo:
| Region | Route | New operator |
| Birmingham | Service 10/10H/10S | National Express West Midlands |
| Service 19 | Diamond Bus | |
| Service 36 | National Express West Midlands | |
| Service 38 | The Green Bus | |
| Service 39/39A/39S | Kev’s Cars & Coaches | |
| Service 99 | National Express West Midlands | |
| Service A12 | National Express West Midlands | |
| Black Country | Service 19 | Arriva Midlands |
| Service 22 | Diamond Bus | |
| Service 25 | Arriva Midlands | |
| Service 50 | Select Bus | |
| Service 53 | Diamond Bus | |
| Service 208 | National Express West Midlands | |
| Coventry | Service 539 | National Express Coventry |
| Service 580 | National Express Coventry | |
| Solihull | Service 89 | Diamond Bus |
A National Express UK Bus spokesperson said:
“We are pleased to announce that from Monday 1st April, National Express has taken over the operation of several bus services that were formerly run by igo buses. All timetables will remain the same.
“National Express West Midlands is now operating Birmingham routes including the 10, 10H, 10S, 36, 99 and the A12. It is also operating the 208 between Merry Hill and Dudley until 20th April.
“In addition National Express Coventry is now operating the 539 to Kenilworth, and the 580 to Rugby – a town that we have not served before and which we are delighted to be able to include in our expanding network.
“We have worked hard to mobilise these services at short notice to ensure that local communities do not lose their vital bus connections to key destinations.”
