Perry Barr Garage

[JB93]

They must be more profitable for NXWM over say the 94
[/quote]

I wouldn't be so sure. Most of the time the 94 is rammed leaving the city. Remember there's no rail alternative for the 94, or a lot of the Chelmsley Wood routes to be honest so passengers rely solely on buses.

[winston]

They must be more profitable for NXWM over say the 94

I wouldn't be so sure. Most of the time the 94 is rammed leaving the city. Remember there's no rail alternative for the 94, or a lot of the Chelmsley Wood routes to be honest so passengers rely solely on buses.
[/quote]

Even if buses are rammed, it doesn't mean that they make the most profit, higher frequencies = higher costs. Where as some of the individual routes (902, 904, 905) that make up the Sutton Lines operate at every 30 mins

I think the level of investment that the 94 has received since the 03 Plate Tridents at LH goes to show where the 94 is in the NXWM pecking order, especially given the competition are providing brand new buses, whilst the planned NXWM upgrade in early 2014 will be older cascaded deckers only

[JB93]

I agree. I know the idea has been bashed by a lot of people but I'm still with the opinion that since Lea Hall closed it's old routes have become neglected at other garages, with the exception of the 17 and 55.

[Liverpool Street]

I agree. I know the idea has been bashed by a lot of people but I'm still with the opinion that since Lea Hall closed it's old routes have become neglected at other garages, with the exception of the 17 and 55.

I agree. But do the passengers deserve the service? From what I've seen they don't. But then I annoy myself when I state comments like that as a majority spoils it for the minority of genuine passengers whom unfortunately can't afford cars.

[monkeyjoe]

Well i guess the reality is that East Birmingham  is not the most prosperous side of Birmingham to give NXWM the growth oppurtunities they are looking for and hence  where they look to channel their investments.

(The Hodge Hill & Ladywood constituencies have some of the highest unemployment rates in the country)

I would imagine in terms of rankings  I would guess:-

West Birmingham (areas Edgbaston, Harborne etc).
North Birmingham (i.e Perry Barr & Sutton C)
South Birmingham
then bottom of the pile East Birmingham.

Only my guess, not quoting from any stats.

[JB93]

You'll get unpleasant characters on public transport wherever you go it's a fact of life. I was on the 24 going down Court Oak Road in Harborne the other week (top of the pile, as you put it) and a man was having a right argument with the driver. And I do genuinely get quite offended when people refer to East Birmingham as the "bottom of the pile" and make us out to be toothless benefit-scrounging morons, as you're just feeding off of stereotypes. But I do wonder how seriously NXWM take these stereotypes, as I do feel that the East of Birmingham probably has a massive amount more bus-users than say the West or South, purely because the trainlines don't really go anywhere near a lot of the major bus corridors there. So then, where is the investment? Why is it that the people that pour most of the money into the company get the sheds and the areas like Harborne etc. get brand spanking new buses repeatedly? I'll tell you why - stereotyping.

[Mike K]

I acknowledge that the Harborne corridor has had a significant amount of investment in the last 2 years but prior to this, the last time there were new buses was 1998 at the time of the Network Harborne branded single deckers. These didn't last long before cascade elsewhere. So it's been 13 years before the area saw any new vehicles acquired specifically for these routes.

During that time the 94 saw new buses (2003) and the 97 has had 2 batches of new vehicles (2001 and 2007) so whilst West Birmingham has benefitted recently it certainly hasn't historically had any preferential treatment over the East.

[Sh4318]

Going off topic a bit, but I wonder whether the 120 would've been upgraded if the Emissions rule wasn't in place

[Lukeee]

They must be more profitable for NXWM over say the 94

I wouldn't be so sure. Most of the time the 94 is rammed leaving the city. Remember there's no rail alternative for the 94, or a lot of the Chelmsley Wood routes to be honest so passengers rely solely on buses.
[/quote]

That's why NX don't need to use brand new buses on the 94 as there is no rail alternative whereas there is on the Sutton Lines, hence the newer buses.

[winston]

You'll get unpleasant characters on public transport wherever you go it's a fact of life. I was on the 24 going down Court Oak Road in Harborne the other week (top of the pile, as you put it) and a man was having a right argument with the driver. And I do genuinely get quite offended when people refer to East Birmingham as the "bottom of the pile" and make us out to be toothless benefit-scrounging morons, as you're just feeding off of stereotypes. But I do wonder how seriously NXWM take these stereotypes, as I do feel that the East of Birmingham probably has a massive amount more bus-users than say the West or South, purely because the trainlines don't really go anywhere near a lot of the major bus corridors there. So then, where is the investment? Why is it that the people that pour most of the money into the company get the sheds and the areas like Harborne etc. get brand spanking new buses repeatedly? I'll tell you why - stereotyping.

JB93,

I agree with your comments regarding East Birmingham, as there is potentially and higher proportion of deprived areas with lower car ownership than in South Birmingham and therefore NXWM should be carrying higher passenger numbers over areas with high car ownership/good rail network. The problem with the 94 not receiving any new investment as I see it is down to the fact that a higher proportion of passengers have to use the bus regardless, as they have no alternative. Those areas of Birmingham that are receiving higher levels of investment is due to NXWM bus services have to compete with other modes of transport and those people have a much greater choice, hence those areas are seen as a higher priority for new buses. Realistically, that policy isn't really fair, as the passengers that have no alternative to using the 94 probably help to contribute more to profits than some other services in more affluent areas, but that will obviously depend on the cost of operating the 94 at 7/8 min frequencies against passenger numbers etc

[monkeyjoe]

I live in the east in the city, will admit hardly use the bus anymore. I guess the point I was making is long the lines of the previous two posts. It's a harsh reality of business  I guess. I do not support it but that is the commercial world. It could be a different situation if the bus services were nationalised (I don't know), but that's a whole new topic. :)

[BU07 LGO]

You'll get unpleasant characters on public transport wherever you go it's a fact of life. I was on the 24 going down Court Oak Road in Harborne the other week (top of the pile, as you put it) and a man was having a right argument with the driver. And I do genuinely get quite offended when people refer to East Birmingham as the "bottom of the pile" and make us out to be toothless benefit-scrounging morons, as you're just feeding off of stereotypes. But I do wonder how seriously NXWM take these stereotypes, as I do feel that the East of Birmingham probably has a massive amount more bus-users than say the West or South, purely because the trainlines don't really go anywhere near a lot of the major bus corridors there. So then, where is the investment? Why is it that the people that pour most of the money into the company get the sheds and the areas like Harborne etc. get brand spanking new buses repeatedly? I'll tell you why - stereotyping.

JB93,

I agree with your comments regarding East Birmingham, as there is potentially and higher proportion of deprived areas with lower car ownership than in South Birmingham and therefore NXWM should be carrying higher passenger numbers over areas with high car ownership/good rail network. The problem with the 94 not receiving any new investment as I see it is down to the fact that a higher proportion of passengers have to use the bus regardless, as they have no alternative. Those areas of Birmingham that are receiving higher levels of investment is due to NXWM bus services have to compete with other modes of transport and those people have a much greater choice, hence those areas are seen as a higher priority for new buses. Realistically, that policy isn't really fair, as the passengers that have no alternative to using the 94 probably help to contribute more to profits than some other services in more affluent areas, but that will obviously depend on the cost of operating the 94 at 7/8 min frequencies against passenger numbers etc

That's true but they are competing with Claribels?

[winston]

You'll get unpleasant characters on public transport wherever you go it's a fact of life. I was on the 24 going down Court Oak Road in Harborne the other week (top of the pile, as you put it) and a man was having a right argument with the driver. And I do genuinely get quite offended when people refer to East Birmingham as the "bottom of the pile" and make us out to be toothless benefit-scrounging morons, as you're just feeding off of stereotypes. But I do wonder how seriously NXWM take these stereotypes, as I do feel that the East of Birmingham probably has a massive amount more bus-users than say the West or South, purely because the trainlines don't really go anywhere near a lot of the major bus corridors there. So then, where is the investment? Why is it that the people that pour most of the money into the company get the sheds and the areas like Harborne etc. get brand spanking new buses repeatedly? I'll tell you why - stereotyping.

JB93,

I agree with your comments regarding East Birmingham, as there is potentially and higher proportion of deprived areas with lower car ownership than in South Birmingham and therefore NXWM should be carrying higher passenger numbers over areas with high car ownership/good rail network. The problem with the 94 not receiving any new investment as I see it is down to the fact that a higher proportion of passengers have to use the bus regardless, as they have no alternative. Those areas of Birmingham that are receiving higher levels of investment is due to NXWM bus services have to compete with other modes of transport and those people have a much greater choice, hence those areas are seen as a higher priority for new buses. Realistically, that policy isn't really fair, as the passengers that have no alternative to using the 94 probably help to contribute more to profits than some other services in more affluent areas, but that will obviously depend on the cost of operating the 94 at 7/8 min frequencies against passenger numbers etc

That's true but they are competing with Claribels?

Exactly and against new buses, so you would think in this particular instance that the 94 would be given a new fleet to try & win back passengers off Claribels

[monkeyjoe]

Just supports all the points we have been making that they don't give a toss about the east of the  city, to be blunt. :)

[JB93]

Well I only hope that Claribels continue to prosper on the 94, maybe then they'll act. I'm seeing more and more Claribels buses full to the brim lately.