Birmingham Central Garage

[MasterPlan]

In regards to the branding on 6858, it looks a little sparse to me. Perhaps it's because it's not completed yet? One thing's for sure, at least it's not green. :P

A little ambitious, but I'd have liked to have seen a different colour scheme. Red's nice, but it's already been featured on the X12. My colour of choice would've been orange. Tacky, maybe, but orange as a nod to the old 'Network Harborne' branding; one that I was too young to remember, but have seen in photographs...

Just my twopence.

Additionally, a query: Any chance that we'll see any branded examples out in service within the next week? I'm flying off on (quite a long) holiday very soon, and I'd like to have an opportunity to get some photos if/while I can. Thanks. :)

Well Network Harborne is practically no more anyway.

As far as the branding goes, I saw it out on the 24 today.

For some people it may not take a minute walk, like an elderly person who isn't very fast and could take over a minute to walk it.

I agree, a simple 'Change here for the QE Hospital' on the Platinums wouldn't go amiss.

Won't work for the X21 though will it.

[CL]

Thanks, @MasterPlan - and true, lol

[2206]

All current route brandings have places where buses serve and do go through these places advertised. Passengers will expect buses to go to these places; and they may not want to walk even if it's one minute away from a place, they would want to arrive and get off right there. As for the Q.E Hospital, it's up to people if they want to get off couple of stops before the bus stops in the interchange at the Hospital and walk, fine. Although, a number of passengers will expect the buses to go to the interchange at the Q.E Hospital. Or else, there would be disgruntled passengers asking drivers "Err... Why are you not going to the Q.E?" and they may write their frustrations on National Express West Midlands Facebook page or through the complaints procedure on the NXbus website.

But it is only dropping them of round the corner, its only a minutes walk away, its not like they're being dropped of miles away.
There were loads of complaints previously saying that it shouldn't stop there and should bypass it because it takes to long to get round there, then when NX decide not to stop there you get loads of complaints saying people won't be able to manage the walk. How do you please both groups of people.
You can't. You can't please everyone
Those disgrunted passengers who complain would mostly just people being lazy if they don't want to walk it.
Yes they currently get dropped of at the front door with the 98/X64. 
But the 28/73/97 at Heartlands don't drop you of at the front door of the entrance you have to walk down to the front door and i've never seen people complaigning about that.
Its a bit like saying I can't get the 37 to the Bullring because that doesn't go there and stops a minutes walk away.
Other than a few comments on here i've never heard anyone complain about there buses no longer stopping on Corporation Street either, because generally most people can manage the extra minutes walk.
Or the 11 doesn't go to the shops in Acocks Green because I have to have a minutes walk down.

Given the proximity between the Station and the QE, they are still serving the QE.

[BigDaddyCool]

Just saw one of them branded for the 23/24 - it's on the 29 currently...
Don't know if it's the finished article, but if so, simply describe it as bland.... Very bland.

[2206]

Well I wasn't going to go down this road at all but seeing as you won't let it drop.....

Ring and ride which is a service primarily aimed at local older people? A service which the majority of standard bus users know nothing about? Don't be so absurd, it is not always possible to book a ring and ride anyway. Very few people who won't manage? You don't know then that Many military personnel have to visit the QE too, ex troops who may have missing limbs for example and on the ground floor behind the blood test clinic there is a section where they deal with people who have arthritis or joint problems. I know from experience that MANY of those are not elderly or "old", people for who every step means constant pain, so yes what to you may be a 1 minute walk (never going to happen btw while you're waiting for the crossing) for them is 10 minutes of slow pain. So yes I do find your comment appalling that so many people should just accept it because of the Ring and Ride, it is judgemental and ignorant... That is without all the people who get referred for X rays who don't even know why they are in pain! You are missing the point too that people catch the X64 and 98 from the outer residential edges too, not just the city centre. I see loads of people changing from their local bus in Northfield onto the 98. The fact is most people will not get ring and ride if the bus is no longer convenient, a lot will just put up with it, but the obvious option for most people for who it means struggling and pain is to take a taxi, thus the problem with the road being blocked is just staggered even more.

How the heck am I complaining? I made an OBSERVATION.... I couldn't care less if it goes the quicker way in fact I personally would welcome it as it means faster through journeys for me, but for some reason you are twisting everything I say to make it seem like I have said this route change is a bad thing... I was making a point regarding Branding not routing... As I said try reading what people say PROPERLY before going in all cocky because you look foolish. ::)

The majority of standard bus users seem well aware of the ring and ride service to me, you see enough of them to be aware of the service just by that and its advertised on every stop.
"The service is ideal for:

anyone suffering from a temporary injury (such as a broken leg, a sprain, a sports injury or recovering from an operation);
young and elderly people who find it difficult to use public transport;
disabled people who want the convenience of a door-to-door service."
It seems to me they could use it if they wanted to.

Well how do they manage to get from there house to the bus stop in the first place, unless they have a bus stop positioned outside there house (not everyone will), then there'd be some kind of a walk involved. Its exactly the same thing they have to walk 1 minute from there house to the bus stop, then they have to walk 1 minute to the doors of the hospital.
Its not a door to door service so you can hardly expect to be picked up from your door and dropped of outside your door as you seem to think.
If they are struggling to get to the bus stop surely they'd be using the alternative option anyway at the minute.
Though I think "Alight here for the QE Hospital" would be suitable, to let people know thats the stop they want if they are unsure where to get of.

[Kevin]

The University station stops are classed as part of the QE interchange as far as the maps dictate
Genuinely can't believe people are arguing about this, it's well known that the interchange regularly descends into chaos, so surely stopping at the station is the best way for a service through from the city to still call there?
Is the "X"21 stopping in the interchange, being a completely non express route?

[V89MOA]

The majority of standard bus users seem well aware of the ring and ride service to me, you see enough of them to be aware of the service just by that and its advertised on every stop.
"The service is ideal for:

anyone suffering from a temporary injury (such as a broken leg, a sprain, a sports injury or recovering from an operation);
young and elderly people who find it difficult to use public transport;
disabled people who want the convenience of a door-to-door service."
It seems to me they could use it if they wanted to.

Well how do they manage to get from there house to the bus stop in the first place, unless they have a bus stop positioned outside there house (not everyone will), then there'd be some kind of a walk involved. Its exactly the same thing they have to walk 1 minute from there house to the bus stop, then they have to walk 1 minute to the doors of the hospital.
Its not a door to door service so you can hardly expect to be picked up from your door and dropped of outside your door as you seem to think.
If they are struggling to get to the bus stop surely they'd be using the alternative option anyway at the minute.
Though I think "Alight here for the QE Hospital" would be suitable, to let people know thats the stop they want if they are unsure where to get of.

Do they really though? If you ask any average bus user what ring and ride is the usual answer will be along the lines of either I'm not sure, or "the private biddy bus" or something similar to that.
A lot of people do have a bus stop outside their house though or hail it, hence why I said people change from local buses in Northfield. I see it all the time, older people who change from the 19 onto the 98...
I can see this is like talking to Trump's wall.
As for your end point that is what I suggested first and you argued the toss with me about it, make your mind up child!

@V89MOA @2206 - Agree to disagree & move on, Winston

Just saw one of them branded for the 23/24 - it's on the 29 currently...
Don't know if it's the finished article, but if so, simply describe it as bland.... Very bland.

I'm not sure if 6858 is actually finished, there is absolutely no branding on the front end or halo which seems unusual. If it is well it's disappointing.

[MasterPlan]

Is the "X"21 stopping in the interchange, being a completely non express route?

Yes it is from what I can tell. Also it looks like it will run non stop from Edgebaston Old Church to Smallbrook Queensway according to the map and stop lists.

I'm not sure if 6858 is actually finished, there is absolutely no branding on the front end or halo which seems unusual. If it is well it's disappointing.

Yeah I thought that. It doesn't look finished. But then again why would you send it out unfinished?

[V89MOA]

Yes it is from what I can tell. Also it looks like it will run non stop from Edgebaston Old Church to Smallbrook Queensway according to the map and stop lists.

Yeah I thought that. It doesn't look finished. But then again why would you send it out unfinished?

Could've been short of buses for the afternoon peak I guess, although it took them a couple of weeks to finish off the rears of the (4)5(1) enviros.

[Mike K]

Yeah I thought that. It doesn't look finished. But then again why would you send it out unfinished?

I saw 6858 this evening and I'd agree, I strongly suspect it's not finished. The giveaway is that you can still see out of the back windows - the rear is completely devoid of branding.

It is a bit plain but in some ways quite effective because of its simplicity - some of the Platinum brandings can look a bit fussy.

[Eric Shaw]

Regarding the location of stops for the QE, I sometimes take my wife there in a wheelchair and have used the X64 and 98. I will have no problem pushing the wheelchair to the new location but it will not be very pleasant if it is raining. However this is a new hospital and proper provision should have been made for buses. The best hospital for bus access seems to me to be University Hospital Coventry where the bus station is in the prime position and if traffic gets really difficult there are stewards to make sure the buses get priority. I don't expect to visit this hospital again now that the bendies are no more however.

[BK63 YWP]

Regarding the location of stops for the QE, I sometimes take my wife there in a wheelchair and have used the X64 and 98. I will have no problem pushing the wheelchair to the new location but it will not be very pleasant if it is raining. However this is a new hospital and proper provision should have been made for buses. The best hospital for bus access seems to me to be University Hospital Coventry where the bus station is in the prime position and if traffic gets really difficult there are stewards to make sure the buses get priority. I don't expect to visit this hospital again now that the bendies are no more however.

The traffic is caused by cars going into the hospital car park, the stupid people that can not park correctly outside the hospital or the taxis that if there is no space in the rank just stop wherever.

The road layout if changed could help

[Mike K]

I thought something looked different on 6858 when I saw it the other day but couldn't work out what.

The area where the stairs are between the drivers cab window and the lower saloon windows has been blacked out. The black masking continues past the emergency exit door window too, as can be seen in CL's photo:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122377951@N02/28496367917/in/photostream

I understand 6860 is also now branded - is this the same as 6858, i.e. seemingly unfinished?

[MasterPlan]

I understand 6860 is also now branded - is this the same as 6858, i.e. seemingly unfinished?

Yes it looks unfinished also.

[Mike K]

6863 is now 23/24 Harborne branded.