Councillor Geoff Lewis will become the first Mayor to drive a tram on Friday as he takes control of the Midland Metro.

The Mayor of Sandwell will visit the Metro’s Wednesbury head office to learn more about the trams, greet staff and have a go at driving along the training track.

The Mayor has frequently taken an interest in the Midland Metro. Councillor Lewis joined five of his peers last May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Metro with a special mayoral tram ride. It was one of his first official events as the Mayor of Sandwell and the latest visit will mark almost 12 months in the role.

Fred Roberts, Midland Metro Manager, said: "Councillor Geoff Lewis has shown a great deal of support for the Metro during his term as Mayor and we're delighted to host him at Wednesbury. As a gesture of our thanks he will become the first Mayor to take control of one of our trams."

The Mayor will arrive at the Wednesbury depot at 11am and take a tour of the control room and engineering areas before meeting the driver training team. The Midland Metro employs over 170 staff in total including 50 full time tram drivers.

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