Just the ticket for Wolverhampton school in bus poster competition

A poster designed by a Wolverhampton school pupil will be advertised across the West Midlands to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and get on the buses.

Year 5 pupil Sukhmani Bratch, from Newbridge Preparatory School in Tettenhall, won a West Midlands Bus competition to design a poster, as part of Catch the Bus Week.

Her bright, eye-catching picture will be displayed on outdoor banners at bus stations across the West Midlands and at the school gates.

It shows the benefits of travelling by bus, especially reducing air pollution and helping to tackle loneliness and isolation.

Cllr Kath Hartley, Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Transport Delivery Committee, presented the girls with their prizes.

She said: “I was highly impressed by the creativity of all the entries, which show very powerfully why catching the bus is better for us than taking the car.

“As well as improving our quality of life, fewer car journeys will reduce traffic congestion, which already costs this region £2bn each year.”

A total of 17 girls, aged nine and 10, from the school took part in the competition, and they all received a goodie bag of gifts, including art materials and a pedometer. In addition, Sukhmani has won a four-week regional nbus ticket.

Becki Bayley, art and design subject leader at Newbridge Preparatory School, said: “We were delighted that West Midlands Bus invited us to take part in the poster competition.

“The girls came up with some fantastic, creative ideas to encourage us all to catch the bus more often.”

West Midlands Bus, which is part of Transport for West Midlands and the wider WMCA, works in partnership with bus operators, local authorities and other organisations to improve the quality of bus services in the region.

For example, it is currently supporting bus operators to upgrade or replace their vehicles to meet the latest ultra-clean emission standards by April 2021.