£55 per passenger!
Brummie taxpayers stumped up a gigantic £55 per passenger travelling on some bus routes over Christmas, it has been revealed.
Boxing Day and New Year's Day services have been hailed as a big success, but official figures show that as few as two people got on some buses along their entire journey routes.
Public transport co-ordinator Centro, which is funded by Midland council taxpayers, handed over £55 per passenger to the bus operator on one service and £44 per person on another route.
Passenger Transport Authority member Coun Chaman Lal said: "It is ridiculous that some routes have been getting subsidies of £55 per person.
"It shows that these routes have not been chosen correctly for Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
"For £55 we could pay each person to get a taxi!"
The worst route was the number No.101 circular route in Coventry which carried just 34 passengers on 16 journeys at a cost to taxpayers of £55.32 per person.
A Centro spokesman said that 34 subsidised services were operated on Boxing Day, of which 22 had a subsidy per passenger of less than £3.
"All the services with a subsidy costing more than this were operated for the first time this year and would be expected to show increased patronage if operated again.
"The performance of the New Year's Day services in Coventry was disappointing.
"It had been hoped that, with the same network operating as last year, patronage would have been developed.
"In reality it halved from 477 passengers to 233 and the cost, especially in view of the very high tender price, meant the subsidy per passenger was high."
Centro will review the routes operated to ensure the cost is justified.
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