CENTRO

The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) was created in 1969 following the 1968 Transport Act. The West Midlands Metropolitan County was formed in 1974 as a result of the 1972 Local Government Act and incorporated Coventry. The 1985 Transport Act deregulated and privatised bus services across the UK. From that date, WMPTE assumed its new role co-ordinating the services of all local private bus operators and adopted the name of Centro shortly afterwards to distinguish itself from its previous role as an operator. The Local Transport Act 2008 gave Centro and other PTEs enhanced powers, including the right to rename themselves Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs).

Centro became an ITA in February 2009. As a Council Tax payer, some of your contributions go towards funding the work that Centro carries out. Centro is also able to raise revenue from the Government, as well as the European Community through various grants and also receives income from the private sector. Being responsible for promoting public transport, Centro is a highly customer-focused organisation, one that is fully committed to achieving high standards in the services it provides and giving value for money in return for the finances it receives.

We invest in a number of activities designed to improve and enhance the regional transport structure, working towards a fully integrated public transport system offering safe and secure travel. At the same time we are busy planning for the future. Now more than ever, it is crucial to invest in the development of public transport as seemingly endless traffic jams, longer journey times and increasing pollution become commonplace on our roads, adding even more stress to our daily lives. We very much value your opinions and input and if you would like to become more involved in the issues surrounding public transport in your area, you can join in discussions at meetings of the Transport Users' Forum (TUFs).