A leading bus operator has questioned whether councils are ready to take control of public transport, despite a report calling for them to have a central role.

The country's largest bus operator outside London, Travel West Midlands, questioned whether councils were ready to accept greater control, following publication of an LGA-commissioned report. Authors of Improving public transport, Tony Travers and Stephen Glaister, called for council leaders and chief executives to be directly involved in providing leadership in new-style passenger transport authorities (PTAs) and executives (PTEs).