Birmingham Central Garage

[Liberator9]

Probably just taking a few Enviros out of service to take off the 900/957 branding.

[Kevin]

The reason the 82/87 currently do the complete city loop is because of the number of passengers of other routes who change onto them to get to City Hospital, hence the need to get them as close to services coming in from Digbeth & Bristol/Pershore Roads as possible.

What, a bus that provides a useful cross city centre link?
So why do other similarly useful links (Aston Uni / science Park / Eastside being one that immediately springs to mind) no longer exist then?

[Stuharris 6360]

What, a bus that provides a useful cross city centre link?
So why do other similarly useful links (Aston Uni / science Park / Eastside being one that immediately springs to mind) no longer exist then?

Exactly, if you are looking for useful links, why can't services like the 9 do a city loop so places like Digbeth Coach Station are easier to get to, or the new 141 so that it provides links for RHH?

What is so special about City Hospital?

[Tony]

Exactly, if you are looking for useful links, why can't services like the 9 do a city loop so places like Digbeth Coach Station are easier to get to, or the new 141 so that it provides links for RHH?

What is so special about City Hospital?

If you read my message it tells you.... People use it!

Every single person can easily get to Digbeth by one change, the same as City Hospital from any route, you change onto the 16.

You cannot have lots of buses doing city loops, well in fact it is difficult to have any loops, hence even the 82/87 aren't loops from today.

If National Express were missing any big demand on any flow why aren't any of the other companies running them?

[GeminiFan1991]

I would surmise loads of routes doing City loops will be confusing to passengers as well.

[Stuharris 6360]

I would surmise loads of routes doing City loops will be confusing to passengers as well.

Possibly, but then does everyone coming in from eg:The Coventry Road or Hagley Road, only want to be able to catch sevices to one part of the City, surely service shave to be versatile.

[Mike K]

Exactly, if you are looking for useful links, why can't services like the 9 do a city loop so places like Digbeth Coach Station are easier to get to, or the new 141 so that it provides links for RHH?

What is so special about City Hospital?

I would be surprised if hardly anyone uses the full 141 from Birmingham to RHH, can't see there being much demand. Plenty of people on the South and West side of the city work at the QE or City hospitals but I'd imagine most RHH workers (certainly those who commute to work using public transport) are Black Country folk

[Tony]

Possibly, but then does everyone coming in from eg:The Coventry Road or Hagley Road, only want to be able to catch sevices to one part of the City, surely service shave to be versatile.

Hence why services down the Hagley Road have the option of Colmore Row (9) or Markets (126)
Services from Digbeth have an easy change onto both the 16 & 82/87

Services from Hockley have the 16 to get anywhere (if you watch the stops on Constitiion Hill you will see load of people getting off 16s and waiting for either the 46 or 74/75.

Perhaps any armchair expert planners might actually have lists of where passengers off each route want to get to?

[BU07 LGO]

There's not much point doing door to door services, it's better if people have to change from a business point of view, more journeys = more revenue!

[monkeyjoe]

Washwood Heath Corridor provide naff links in my view the reason much rather drive.

[Kevin]

If you read my message it tells you.... People use it!

Every single person can easily get to Digbeth by one change, the same as City Hospital from any route, you change onto the 16.

And people used the 66 when it existed, It was only chopped because it was unreliable, nothing to do with people not using it. Using my Aston Uni example, how does "everyone" get there with one simple change and no walking across the city centre.
Apologies for the persistence on this but it just seems like there's logic that only applies in certain circumstances and apparently cannot be applied in others despite being near enough an identical situation

[Tony]

And people used the 66 when it existed, It was only chopped because it was unreliable, nothing to do with people not using it. Using my Aston Uni example, how does "everyone" get there with one simple change and no walking across the city centre.
Apologies for the persistence on this but it just seems like there's logic that only applies in certain circumstances and apparently cannot be applied in others despite being near enough an identical situation

A lot of links were broken by the awful road layout given to bus operators (not just NX) in the City Centre where capacity is the problem.

Try starting a new service and see which stop you will be pushed onto. It will be the one in front of the 17 stop, the furthest stop away from where most people actually want to go, hence why it is empty!

If there was any real passenger demand to and from the Aston University side of town that NX were missing why aren't Claribels running it and making all that missing money?

[Kevin]

A lot of links were broken by the awful road layout given to bus operators (not just NX) in the City Centre where capacity is the problem.

Try starting a new service and see which stop you will be pushed onto. It will be the one in front of the 17 stop, the furthest stop away from where most people actually want to go, hence why it is empty!

If there was any real passenger demand to and from the Aston University side of town that NX were missing why aren't Claribels running it and making all that missing money?

Just saying, it's a link that had previously existed for decades, so there was obviously demand for it.
Anyway, Central garage, my apologies...

[Tony]

Just saying, it's a link that had previously existed for decades, so there was obviously demand for it.
Anyway, Central garage, my apologies...

It is not one of the 'traditional' links. It originated when the WMPTE thought the 43 (city - Nechells) & 96 (City-Winson Green) were two short to be viable so joined them up, nothing to do with passenger demand, same as a lot of WMPTE changes which had more to do with operating convenience than passenger usefulness.

(second time the 96 has been mentioned this week!)

[Gareth]

Going back to MonkeyJoes comment. There was a Shard End to City Hospital via Washwood Heath service at one time. 81y and latterly the 92y I think. I'm sure if they were well used and profitable they would still be running.