Transport officials could be handed powers to force Birmingham City Council to reinstate a bus lane it controversially suspended last year, a Government Minister warned yesterday. Charlotte Atkins said passenger transport executives like Centro could be given a veto to stop long-term public transport plans being " scuppered" by new and " obstructive" council administrations. She was speaking at a major bus conference in Birmingham organised by the National Express Group, which owns Travel West Midlands. Last year, controversy was sparked when city council cabinet transportation member Coun Len Gregory suspended the Tyburn Road bus lane in Erdington under an experimental traffic order. The results of a study into the effects of the suspension are due to be published by council officials in the spring. However, Coun Gregory (Con Billesley) has previously said traffic flows have improved since the bus priority measure was removed. Ms Atkins, MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, said the Government was considering powers where passenger transport executives such as Centro could require bus priority measures be ring-fenced from local political control. "In a situation where we have a change in administration which has been going for bus lanes and priority measures and the new administration has a different agenda, we will not allow circumstances where local authorities are being obstructive to scupper good plans for public transport."
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Growing frustration at Birmingham's perceived anti-bus bias was further hinted at by National Express Group chief executive Phil White He told the audience at the city's Burlington Hotel: "No new quality partnership corridors have been launched since the year 2000 and the proposed statutory quality partnership on route 67 from Birmingham Castle Vale has recently seen the suspension of bus priorities on the route. "This has resulted in an actual reduction in the number of passengers using the service - the opposite of what we are trying to achieve." Birmingham City Council made no comment. | 
