Bus services across the West Midlands are to benefit from a groundbreaking deal public transport promoter Centro has struck with a major advertising company.

More than a dozen popular routes are to get enhanced services, mostly in the evenings and on Sundays, as a result of the deal that will pump more than £70m into local bus services over ten years.

Centro sold the advertising rights to its 5,000 bus shelters across the West Midlands to Adshel, which will now cover the upkeep of the shelters, pay a set amount each year to fund improvements to the bus network and hand over a share of future profits.  The advertising giant will also donate any unsold poster space to Centro, offering opportunities for the marketing of public transport.

As a result of the extra funding negotiated by Centro, a number of bus services will be improved from Sunday, 30 January.  These include rotues serving Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and the Black Country, as well as the Taxibus service in rural pats of Solihull.

Cllr Gary Clarke, Chairman of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, said: “People using both main and local bus routes across the West Midlands benefit hugely from this announcement.  The money for these better services comes from Centro making good use of its resources to get the best deal for passengers.  It is just the tip of the iceberg with more funding set aside for public transport improvements around the city in years to come.”