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I haven't travelled on the 82 Coventry - Solihull this month to check yet, but bustimes shows that it has been serving Parkhill Estate and no longer deviating via Eastcote since 3rd September. 

Probably no time soon I would think. The £1.50 ticket for elderly/disabled pre 9.30 can only be paid for in cash as far as I know and some elderly people probably also prefer cash. Also a lot of the school children used to pay with cash when I used to use the X2.

And there may be other options before dealing with cash becomes uneconomic.  I know that one large operator using fareboxes now empties them every two days instead of every day.

Looks like Ridleys may partially replace them. They seem to also have new Warwickshire closed door school services starting RID 12 and RID 13. In addition to what they already operate. 
Timetables – Ridleys Coaches

Diamond Buses also running the 502 Kings Heath to Alcester.
https://www.diamondbuses.com/bus-services/ww/ww-502-alcester-sch/

Yes, Ridleys have taken on some work, and looking at their Facebook page they have had a manic week (and Bank Holiday weekend) dealing with it all.

Diamond have also extended a 247A Alcester schools journey to start from Alvechurch.

Well done to both operators for stepping in a short notice.

The Gov.uk website shows operator licences PD1090982 The Green Bus Company Limited & PD1050400 The Green Transport Company Limited 'Surrender under consideration', suggesting that all operations have ceased. Reports suggest that Birmingham Busworks will continue in business.

Thoughts and best wishes to all those staff who have lost their jobs. As an enthusiast and a private hire user, I always found the staff to be very friendly and helpful.

Thank you.  I agree with you about the staff who have lost their jobs. 

Another question about this.  Are Green Bus giving up all other operations, such as private hire and rail replacement work?  I believe that Birmingham Busworks is continuing?

Now for something a bit different!

Old Nat Ex Coach advert from 1990. It looks like the old Banbury Bus Station at the end, so I suspect the new and very quiet motorway was the M40 extension which would have been being built back then.

You could well be right!  It does look like the old Banbury Bus Station.

Operated by Sutton garage until it's closure in 1984 ?

Not sure.  I think the 962 was transferred to Miller Street in the late 1970s.  I recall at least one 962 ride on a DP National - I don't think any of those were allocated to Sutton? - and another on an ex-BCT Fleetline.

From Saturday 2nd September, it looks like the 82 reverts back to the old route direct along the B4102, no longer serving Eastcote. It would seem that this temporary diversion didn't attract much interest or demand from residents in Eastcote, otherwise TfWM may have considered making this routing permanent.

On the plus side, it looks like this change means the 82 will be able to call at Parkhill Drive again, as that stop is now added back to the timetable.

Interesting.  Stagecoach have announced a timetable change but not the route changes (which I see are on the TfWM online timetable).  No bus stops have been installed at Eastcote so it is not surprising that the 82 - and the X20 before it - have not been successful there.

Looks like the u2 will be cancelled from the 23rd of September

Section 3.3 of the same issue of N&P indicates that registration PD0000479/337, which currently is for the U1, will also include the U2 from 23 September.

OK, but can anyone come up with a better measurement of "bus routes in decline" than comparing mileage?

There's an interesting item on this on the Route One website now, where TfWM have said that the figures provided in the report do not provide an accurate picture - https://www.route-one.net/news/tfwm-joins-criticism-of-labour-claims-of-bus-routes-decimation/

The Route One article also reports the Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport as saying that a more accurate measurement is to compare mileage operated in 2010 and now.  Overall this has gone down by 19% over that period.

Comparing mileage seems a much better measurement to me, too.  It goes to show, as Stu effectively says, that when politicians (of any colour) make claims, it's wise to weigh up the facts carefully and decide for yourself!

Did I see that the Nxwm and another guy have been pushed out based on the results, can't remember where I saw it?

You did.  The CEO of NX UK and Germany and, notably, David Bradford the NXWM MD have left.  Route One may have reported it first - https://www.route-one.net/news/tom-stables-and-david-bradford-leave-national-express/.

Business Live has reported that NX is bringing the bus and coach divisions brought under one senior leadership team, and that both gentlemen decided to leave.

You're both right!

The 82 along with the 87 and 88 have been operated by Nuneaton garage since the Stagecoach tender started.

According to bustimes 36154 of Nuneaton garage has run to and fro between Nuneaton and Solihull via the B4102 today, and on one of its journeys towards Nuneaton crossed over the M42 at 1156.  Might it have been doing driver changeovers, I wonder?

The 20 is an hourly service, in its current form with some subsidy from WCC it is presumably cost-effective to run, it would probably need to see some significant passenger number increase before extending it further becomes an option.

I would agree.  The service efficiently interworks with the 48, so I too imagine that a dramatic increase in usage would be needed before a change was considered.

As for increased usage, I wonder if this is due to a low route number (20 is easier to remember than 144A), double deckers (not otherwise seen in Bromsgrove) and the operator being more familiar - compared to First - to potential users from Rubery northwards. 

The changed 85 route is good for through passengers, but do we know if the existing route around New Century Park and part of Hipswell Highway will be covered by another service?