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Probably some dealer stock E200s Plain white.

Ah, but will they have bandit screens I wonder, as did the now deleted segment of the tender spec say that they had to be fitted etc?

FOI request situation with Telford and Wrekin Council by someone. Interesting conversation going on there.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tendered_bus_performance?nocache=outgoing-1588483#outgoing-1588483

Nice to see transparency and openness from T&W /s

Hi TB... I think maybe I would need to register my smartphone as
  an inclusive to my land line/broadband contract?  I cant imagine
  BT will allow me to use their WiFi as my smartphone has a Vodafone sim payg 
  I may be wrong?  Incidentally  I have had an E mail from BT to say they propose to make all copper connections obsolete from April and adopt a digital alternative  They have said
 They intend to hold a public Q/A at New St station between 10am and 3pm  February 7th
  I propose to be there about 12 o clock... should be interesting

It doesn't matter if you're using a phone on another network as long as you are a BT broadband customer (I'm on Vodafone myself for mobile, but as a BT Broadband customer, I can still connect to the EE Wifi public network - its based on your BT Broadband account login as per screenshots attached)

I have a combined land line AND broadband contract with EE  (formerly BT) which will allow me to access Their Wi Fi  but ONLY in my own home...... if I chose to use their wifi anywhere else I would be asked to pay around £5 for an hour and a lot more for  longer periods........ As I'm still not familiar with this "Wi Fi" business can someone explain to me which Wi Fi App is best suited for chasing realtime train information?? (Presumably free)  many thanks

If you use the EE wifi network when out and about, you get it completely free as a BT Broadband customer (I should know, am a BT broadband customer too).

Look for the network EE Wifi (where avaliable), and then select Login and BT Broadband customer to login and get free wifi.

I wonder how many drivers forget the new stopping points in Dudley on Monday with the bus station closure

[From 19th January 2024, Diamond Bus will no longer accept Staffordshire Knot Multi-Operator tickets on the majority of our services.]

The text on their website has now changed...

https://www.diamondbuses.com/news/staffordshire-knot-withdrawal/

From 19th January 2024, Diamond Bus will no longer accept Staffordshire Knot Multi-Operator tickets on the majority of our services.
To continue to accept Knot tickets, would impact on the commercial viability of our services in the Staffordshire area. Therefore we have taken the decision to withdraw from the scheme for our commercially operated services.
From 19/01/24, Knot tickets will continue to be available and valid on the following Diamond services only:
1 Burton to Tutbury
10 Burton to Acorn Inn
11 Burton to Anglesey Road
12E Burton to Lichfield
They will no longer be accepted on board other Diamond services.

TfWM sponsored services are supposed to follow similar fare scales to NXWM and Diamond commercial services. Its in the tender spec as per attached image

One thing I can't understand is Walsall routes are contracted to be euro 6 vehicles when Walsall bus station is not a euro 6 bus station, national express use euro 4 and I'm sure they use euro 3 buses.

National express are a much bigger company, they have a lot more euro 6 buses available, if Chaserider who are a much smaller company are a much smaller company are expected to use euro 6 buses then so should Nx.

Might seem like I'm moaning but I'm not, the 19 which Chaserider now operate gets its windows smashed all the time, this should be contracted anything Chaserider can get out on it, at least a bus will be operating the service, at least then if a old knackered bus gets its windows smashed yes it's not good but will be better than smashed up a newer vehicle.

They all have to be Euro VI, even commercial routes. Part of the Enhanced Partnership

61E Tessall Lane seen in Northfield this afternoon.

Saw it in Brum too

Another prediction for 2024...

1st April, you'll see the usual triple decker/water bus/April fool posts from bus operators online

Tbh TfWM should implement a West Midlands wide ULEZ in my opinion. You walk down some streets and you get all the exhaust fumes going off everywhere. I feel sorry for asthmatics.

Hmm...

Brierley Hill to get completely dropped from the Metro (Merry Hill to still happen)
9 to move to BC, with Aston to take PBs single deck work and PB to take the 14 (all temporarily)
PN to take the 3, 12 and 13 from WB as the latter will have staff shortages, so the 9 has to move to BC for a temporary period to accommodate more E400s and E200s for the WB routes moving in
The replacements for BC to be announced, with a depot near the old LH and a depot off the Bristol Road.
NXWM decide to look at replacing WB with a depot in Oldbury, but talks break down.

Rotala to make more purchases in the West Midlands;

Possible (but unlikely) acquisitions could include;

Chaserider;
Select Bus Services;
Banga Buses;
Let's Go;
Arriva Tamworth;
Solus Coaches;

Would be interesting to see if ANY of those were to be absorbed by Rotala Group but as I said it is probably unlikely.

Solus are already part of a group (BM Coaches)

Tbf the temporary TRO put in place for the duration on the streets in the Tower Street/Ednam Rd/Priory Rd area are fun with half the parking bays converted to other restrictions

Yes, I have noticed this for Coventry.  I suspect this is due to an error.

If you change the location to another town - such as Warwick - up-to-date updates appear, including Christmas services (the Birmingham services appear under Rugby - I know that garage operates them, but ...!).

Unfortunately, the only way of catching every update in Warwickshire is to change the town regularly between Warwick, Stratford, Nuneaton, Rugby and Coventry, as they often each have separate updates.

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/regional-service-updates/midlands has the service updates for the whole of the Midlands (Warks and the former United Counties bits that joined Midlands) for Stagecoach