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Back in the 00s when low floor deckers Trident/presidents came out. If they saw a new bus behind they'd wait for it then a metrobus.

I was on an 904 metro nicely lightly loaded while passengers were hanging back for a new president very busy on 902.

You can see why OAPs, people with mobility issues, people with pushchairs would with them.
As they were low floor and kneeling, the driver can also lower the bus on them.

4913 - 61E Belgrave Middleway Ring Road.
4849 - 47E Priory Road Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
Moor Street/Moor Street Queensway is currently at a standstill.
Both seen in the City.

40100 was out on the road this evening on the Kidderminster 3 service.
Saw it terminating at the bus station this evening and letting the passengers off and than ran dead back to depot.

Sadly didn't manage to catch it. I'd just come in on the departure in front which was 32256.

Out again on the 3 this afternoon. Currently on the way to Stourport.

Imagine how the passengers feel paying to ride these relics every day.

They do the job of getting people from a to b fine?

In the Midlands at least Stagecoach have 18 year old tridents at leamington/northampton, rotala have 16/17/18 year old B7s and 21101/2 at Redditch/Kidderminster still with their orriginal interiors.
& every other large operator probably has older vehicles too.

Sorry for not noticing the fleet numbers, but a 192 which was in Hayley Green about 1:30pm ish (it was a 58 plate vehicle) had the front destination display set in the side destination setting (writing all tiny).

Further up the road, at the a459/a456 junction, a 68 plate 002 had broken down.

It's 30951. It's been like that for a very long time.

Even Sunday provision is fairly good I think if you look at the corridors out of Central Birmingham they have a frequent service, the 94/95 & 61/63 run at every 10 minutes combined 50/74 at every 8, 60 every 12.

Considering Sundays are also probably quieter generally as people are off.

E243 - audio announcements were playing correctly, but the displays were blank.

Bit disappointing for a brand new bus on its first evening in service.

Same on BC E242 which I've been on for the first time this morning.

If the Clocks go forward at 1AM it is then 02:00 so assuming the bus will do the 2AM Departure. The 01:30 won't exist and will do the 02:30

Not sure what your on about there is no 02:30 departure on the 97A.
It departs the City at 01:30 and 03:05 as I said in my original post.
https://bustimes.org/trips/466365091/block?date=2025-03-30

Could be. However it's also possible that the buses used for those journeys go onto or come off another route so the gap is for operational needs.

Yes it's doing a school bus and @Simon Dunn said  it will require a big bus (I'm expecting most likely Streetlites & maybe the occasional B7RLE).
I think it's either the 828 or 829 it will be doing as it fits in with the times for that service.

Noticed the front blind on 30813 on the 10 wasn't working today as well. Paper number in the windscreen.

I was wondering how will they operate running board 97/71 next week. With the clocks going forward an hour at 1am there will be no 01:30?
Either will it start at 00:30 or will it start at 02:00 in which case it puts it already 30 minutes behind schedule, is there enough recovery time in the timetable?
It's next departure out of City is at 03:05.

40100 was out on the road this evening on the Kidderminster 3 service.
Saw it terminating at the bus station this evening and letting the passengers off and than ran dead back to depot.

Sadly didn't manage to catch it. I'd just come in on the departure in front which was 32256.

Hopefully, wonder what theyll replace the eclipse with tho. Used quite frequently here as some routes can't sustain DDs. GB Kites would be a amazing replacement

They're repainting them into grey last time I checked and they probably have a good few years in them yet I imagine.

I imagine the ones currently based at Coventry will move over at some point to another garage as well.

For Birmingham Central it's uni rota (x21, x22) cranes park rota (60) bromford rota (x12, x13, X2) stechford rota (94,95,14) Bristol road rota (61,63) chelmsley rota(97,97a) Harborne rota (23,24) Pershore road rota (45,47)

I believe only late night drivers do both 14 & 94/95 as far as I know. That's what I heard anyway.

Yes, its a contracted TfWM with part funding from Staffordshire county council.

So it is already a subsidised service. I asked the question in order to determine if this was actually true or if it is just some 'scurrilous rumour'.

Besides the quoted date May 15th is a Thursday, which is why I find this questionable!

Where have you seen it is contracted by TFWM I don't think I've ever seen it on the TFWM tender documents?

I think it means some journeys are tendered by Staffordshire and the rest are commercial.
https://www.tfwm.org.uk/who-we-are/what-we-do/bus-services/bus-tenders/

Do you have any source for this? As far as I am aware, the service is currently contracted by TfWM, local councils in the West Midlands don't subsidise bus services themselves.

Subsidised in part by Staffordshire.
https://bustimes.org/registrations/PD1078264/16