Interesting to read the following article in the Birmingham Mail, which can hardly encourage the use of buses:
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/bus-shelter-fronts-chopped-leaving-8676842
After the fiasco of the inadequate City Centre shelters, it seems that Centro are determined to ensure that bus users get soaked whilst waiting for their bus! ::)
This is old news though surely? Centro took the fronts off the bus shelters and admitted it was to increase advertising revenue last year.
Original report from April 2014 here: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/midlands-bus-shelter-ads-leave-6983241
Quote from: Stu on February 21, 2015, 01:05:49 PM
This is old news though surely? Centro took the fronts off the bus shelters and admitted it was to increase advertising revenue last year.
Original report from April 2014 here: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/midlands-bus-shelter-ads-leave-6983241
I thought that too, that's old news. There are no additional advertising panels on the shelters concerned, just the front piece on some has been removed (the bit parallel with the kerb, the nearest section to the road that did slightly hide the internal facing ad). Had ad company Clear Channel Adshel been allowed to install its own standard 'L' shaped shelters [the 'L' is the other way-round or up-side-down on some] it would have led to broadly the same result. Here are their own specs: http://www.clearchannel.co.uk/landlords-local-authorities/choice/ (some have ads, some don't).
From 2004, it appears Centro/NWM wanted to use its own shelter design/s - with bidders having to 'hang' their ad panels on these, in this case, Clear Channel UK. Rival street advertising company JC Decaux apparently, wanted to install their own unique designs - but Centro did not want that as they did not offer shelters with a wider pitch.
This seems the best topic to put this. I have noticed that in Falcon Lodge, the 2nd stop on a City bound 904 just before it turns into the Cresent, the shelter has a poster for 'New hybrids on the 1' on one of the windows. I guess either the shelter or window has been recycled from Wolverhampton
Quote from: John on July 30, 2015, 10:27:54 AM
This seems the best topic to put this. I have noticed that in Falcon Lodge, the 2nd stop on a City bound 904 just before it turns into the Cresent, the shelter has a poster for 'New hybrids on the 1' on one of the windows. I guess either the shelter or window has been recycled from Wolverhampton
I think some of the Coventry city-centre shelters (possibly on Bishop Street, Croft Rd & Cox Street etc) have been 'recycled' from other parts of the NWM/Centro empire. Or if not the full shelter, the blue ad panels attached to the slightly newer silver-painted shelters - causing a colour mismatch - have been.
There was a picture somewhere on the internet [Flickr possibly] showing a scruffy yard full of NWM bus shelters, removed from the streets for various reasons I assume. Presumably when stops are re-installed or when new ones are required they raid that 'yard' from time to time.
To save starting another thread....
Another style of rti bus stop pole has appeared in Tysley on Warwick Road. Well, the same pole, but different 'flag'.
Will add pics when I work out how to do it!
Some of the 936 & 997 stops have the top flag thing in black instead of blue
Quote from: The Fox 4846 on August 23, 2015, 08:44:26 PM
Some of the 936 & 997 stops have the top flag thing in black instead of blue
Thats because there platinum, so do the 900 and 957
Quote from: Matt.N0056 on August 23, 2015, 08:00:44 PM
To save starting another thread....
Another style of rti bus stop pole has appeared in Tysley on Warwick Road. Well, the same pole, but different 'flag'.
Will add pics when I work out how to do it!
I noticed this the other week, kept meaning to stop off and get a photo myself. Doesn't seem to be active yet though, I'll have a peek on my way into work this morning.
The photos I promised!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20843579692/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20826878956/in/dateposted-public/
That looks like the RTI screens they use in Edinburgh.
http://alanhowesworld.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Edinburgh-RTPI3.jpg
Quote from: Matt.N0056 on August 24, 2015, 09:52:34 PM
The photos I promised!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20843579692/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20826878956/in/dateposted-public/
They look nice. The first picture, no doubt, will be used for displaying buses stopping at the stop - i'm assuming.
Quote from: clayderman on August 24, 2015, 10:17:01 PM
They look nice. The first picture, no doubt, will be used for displaying buses stopping at the stop - i'm assuming.
I'm guessing this design means they just clip in small bits of hard vinyl with route numbers on, that way it's easier to change them when routes change, rather than printing off a whole new vinyl to stick over the whole flag.
It just seems strange that only one has been done, and in particular this one.
Quote from: Stu on August 25, 2015, 07:49:18 AM
I'm guessing this design means they just clip in small bits of hard vinyl with route numbers on, that way it's easier to change them when routes change, rather than printing off a whole new vinyl to stick over the whole flag.
It just seems strange that only one has been done, and in particular this one.
There is two on the 87 route towards oldbury
Quote from: Stu on August 25, 2015, 07:49:18 AM
I'm guessing this design means they just clip in small bits of hard vinyl with route numbers on, that way it's easier to change them when routes change, rather than printing off a whole new vinyl to stick over the whole flag.
I see. I suppose that makes sense - under closer inspection... Though, mind you, the flag seems a bit thick.
Quote from: RS on August 25, 2015, 09:13:23 AM
There is two on the 87 route towards oldbury
@RS I'm assuming you mean something like this?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.4676655,-1.9285705,3a,15.2y,103.23h,85.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGpB-mZx69kaUxMa8so7mCg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
There's plenty of these dotted around the Midlands, this one is on Westbourne Road, where the Harbornes serve. There's another on War Lane, and Hagley Road - not too far from Bearwood Interchange... But they are different to the ones seen in the photos above.
Removing the front from bus shelters from a drivers point is excellent for alighting passengers especially those with pushchairs and wheelchairs there's so much more room it's makes boarding and alighting much faster , if you look at most raised castle kerbs the shelter obstructs most it so your only able to use the sides if at all. Bring it on rip all the fronts off shelters or redesign them so the whole raised section can be utilised. Quite a few have been done on the Dudley rd corridor, the number of times I,ve witnessed people getting into heated arguements at these often overcrowded shelters is unreal, people don't like to be penned into a small space. As for people getting wet well that's life you can't have it all.
Quote from: 2900 on August 28, 2015, 08:42:58 AM
Removing the front from bus shelters from a drivers point is excellent for alighting passengers especially those with pushchairs and wheelchairs there's so much more room it's makes boarding and alighting much faster , if you look at most raised castle kerbs the shelter obstructs most it so your only able to use the sides if at all. Bring it on rip all the fronts off shelters or redesign them so the whole raised section can be utilised. Quite a few have been done on the Dudley rd corridor, the number of times I,ve witnessed people getting into heated arguements at these often overcrowded shelters is unreal, people don't like to be penned into a small space. As for people getting wet well that's life you can't have it all.
Removing the front may well make more room, but it is not necessarily better for potential passengers. Imagine a cold day with a biting wind waiting for a bus, not a great encouragement to use buses.
As for people getting into arguments, that appears to be a sad reflection on life these days of people who only think of themselves. Yesterday I witnessed two people, perhaps 10 minutes apart on one bus who asked to be seated , because the passengers had chosen to put their bag beside them and seemed reluctant to let others use it!!!!
Quote from: 2900 on August 28, 2015, 08:42:58 AM
Removing the front from bus shelters from a drivers point is excellent for alighting passengers especially those with pushchairs and wheelchairs there's so much more room it's makes boarding and alighting much faster , if you look at most raised castle kerbs the shelter obstructs most it so your only able to use the sides if at all. Bring it on rip all the fronts off shelters or redesign them so the whole raised section can be utilised. Quite a few have been done on the Dudley rd corridor, the number of times I,ve witnessed people getting into heated arguements at these often overcrowded shelters is unreal, people don't like to be penned into a small space. As for people getting wet well that's life you can't have it all.
Exactly. The shelters still have a roof on them - they do still provide some form of shelter! The original 'Adshel' advertising shelters that appeared in the 70's in London and eventually in other cities were ideal - they formed an L shape (or in many cases an upside down L) fitted with two-sided advert panels and a large glass or Perspex side to sit against/stand behind. An updated but similar design appeared in the late 80's & early 90's - today, that general design has stayed broadly the same. Quite a few of these existed in the West Midlands up and until the early and mid 2000's.
Centro decided to introduce its own design/s (the Primeline shelters and other types) forcing Clear Channel Adshel to remove its own shelters (although that company won a 10-year contract to 'attach' adverts on the Centro shelters where suitable from July 2004 - in fact this contract has been extended by another 2 years). The Primeline design had actually appeared well before 2004 and came in various lengths and sizes, the majority still exist today, with some changes and replacements now taking place.
A lot of this came about because Centro wanted a bus shelter with a wider pitch, which they got, but strangely enough some have ended up being removed. It would have been easier to just have given Adshel the entire contract for the 5000+ shelters in the West Mids and let them get on with it. They offered both ad and non-ad types.
Quote from: Matt.N0056 on August 24, 2015, 09:52:34 PM
The photos I promised!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20843579692/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62291103@N08/20826878956/in/dateposted-public/
Don't see anyone else has noticed, but a few more of these have been installed along the Warwick Road, between Stratford Road and Golden Hillock Road, as well as at the Manor Farm Road stop (towards Solihull, hidden inside a tree, you would have thought they would have trimmed the tree!).
Most of these have had the 37 route number applied to them, and most appear to be displaying RTI, however the Boscombe Road one (in Matt.N0056's pics) still has no route number and is non-functional.
Quote from: Stu on September 30, 2015, 08:06:28 PM
Don't see anyone else has noticed, but a few more of these have been installed along the Warwick Road, between Stratford Road and Golden Hillock Road, as well as at the Manor Farm Road stop (towards Solihull, hidden inside a tree, you would have thought they would have trimmed the tree!).
Most of these have had the 37 route number applied to them, and most appear to be displaying RTI, however the Boscombe Road one (in Matt.N0056's pics) still has no route number and is non-functional.
I haven't noticed. However I did notice that Five Ways (outside the *former* Tesco) has two new grey/orange shelters... They must have been put in this morning/last night - as the blue/orange shelters were still in place yesterday, as far as I'm aware.