The Green Bus

[Kevin]

But equally, if you wanted to travel between Kings Heath and the city, people will travel on the NX bus... So how do you explain Green Bus loadings on that route?
I say fair play to them, they're competing on two different routes at the same time

[vinh1000]

I've noticed TGB changed all their blinds on the 50 route to show prices and a smiley face

[winston]

Nothing would surprise me with Green Bus now...even if they were to register the 226W to run 7 days a week using Spectras!

Reason I say that is the 22 Merry Hill to City is, well, illogical. If you was a passenger and you wanted to get to City from Merry hill or Halesowen you'd get the 141, yes?

If you wanted to get to city from Spies Lane you'd jump on a 9, yes?

If you wanted to get to the side of Five Ways where the Harborne routes run from from Halesowen you'd get a 004/2x as it's quicker.

If you wanted to get to Harborne from Halesowen or Merry Hill you'd jump on a 004, yes?

If you wanted to get to Bartley Green from Halesowen or Merry Hill you'd jump on a 002, yes?

There is too many buses already between Harborne and City without another operator taking a chance. Plus who wants to get off at the Town Hall when NXWM go all the way to snow Hill Station...unless it's planned to do a loop similar to the 10H by New Street Station or is a SQP dodge?



By the way, do Green Bus still have the Omnicity?

It offers a few people few links, but the majority of the route is duplication or there are faster alternatives especially from B'ham to Merry Hill. Maybe TGB would been better to run via the 002 route to Bartley Green and continue on to Northfield & Kings Norton/Cotteridge or Northfield & Rubery via Longbridge (Bournville College)

[PM]

But equally, if you wanted to travel between Kings Heath and the city, people will travel on the NX bus... So how do you explain Green Bus loadings on that route?
I say fair play to them, they're competing on two different routes at the same time

That's different if it is the same route as it will get there first and pick up cash payers etc.

I just think the route is totally pointless as Trainbasher has pointed out above and I totally agree with you. No one will get them from town to Bartley Green as that corridor must be one of the quieter ones anyway and you are competing against the best selection of buses on any corridor from NX with hybrids/refurbed tridents/b7rles/e200s. So that will struggle, as Diamond did on the 22. No one will get that from Harborne to Merry Hill with the 004 and mainly the 99 which is far more often. Then the rest of the 002 is a busy route, granted but many people have passes and a half an hour frequency is not great either. Plus it will get held up being such a long route with the congestion around Five Ways and Merry Hill meaning it is rarely ever on time. I am obviously hoping the route is withdrawn but I doubt it will be a success, after failure on the 558/64/50A-glad to see Johnsons have got back their route as they built it up... and loss of many contracts. I think they are desperate to put buses on a route and if it is Scania Omnicity's then they will need a lot of work if they are like the ones I caught in London yesterday. It seems that arriva/greenbus have missed the point with these long competing routes that try to fulfill so many journey requirements that they actually end up fulfilling none. I would have thought short routes with a high frequency and fast turnaround are the fastest way to make a quick buck?

[the trainbasher]

Does anyone know what hours are planned to be run on this 22 service?

Surely the 16 would have provided better competition?

[PM]

Does anyone know what hours are planned to be run on this 22 service?

Surely the 16 would have provided better competition?

16 and 50 already have enough buses. I would have thought the 97 would be a good choice of service...

[nitromatt1]

Does anyone know what hours are planned to be run on this 22 service?

Surely the 16 would have provided better competition?

I know the first one will arrive in Merry Hill around 9am, but I could not say how late it finishes, because I don't know! I will update you if/when I find out, I am in regular contact with people there

[sonic84]

Like everyone else has said, I can't see this being a success at all. There are far better links to all the areas this route will cover and much quicker that being said as well.

If Green Bus wanted to run a route between Birmingham and Merry Hill they would have been far better reintroducing the 258 or something similar as that would restore links to Merry Hill which have been lost.

[PM]

Like everyone else has said, I can't see this being a success at all. There are far better links to all the areas this route will cover and much quicker that being said as well.

If Green Bus wanted to run a route between Birmingham and Merry Hill they would have been far better reintroducing the 258 or something similar as that would restore links to Merry Hill which have been lost.

Their whole business model seems to be to copy diamond with the 50 this and diamonds old school services.

[fleetline6477]

Like everyone else has said, I can't see this being a success at all. There are far better links to all the areas this route will cover and much quicker that being said as well.

If Green Bus wanted to run a route between Birmingham and Merry Hill they would have been far better reintroducing the 258 or something similar as that would restore links to Merry Hill which have been lost.

Their whole business model seems to be to copy diamond with the 50 this and diamonds old school services.

The early Green Bus routes to King Edward's Bartley Green were set up by green Bus and run on their behalf by Pete's / People's Express, Stagecoach Warwickshire and First Wyvern.

[Stuharris 6360]

Like everyone else has said, I can't see this being a success at all. There are far better links to all the areas this route will cover and much quicker that being said as well.

If Green Bus wanted to run a route between Birmingham and Merry Hill they would have been far better reintroducing the 258 or something similar as that would restore links to Merry Hill which have been lost.

Their whole business model seems to be to copy diamond with the 50 this and diamonds old school services.

But Diamond copied the 50 off NE, and i don't see that Diamond have set up a 22  already for TGB to compete with??

[PM]

Like everyone else has said, I can't see this being a success at all. There are far better links to all the areas this route will cover and much quicker that being said as well.

If Green Bus wanted to run a route between Birmingham and Merry Hill they would have been far better reintroducing the 258 or something similar as that would restore links to Merry Hill which have been lost.

Their whole business model seems to be to copy diamond with the 50 this and diamonds old school services.

But Diamond copied the 50 off NE, and i don't see that Diamond have set up a 22  already for TGB to compete with??

They used to run the 22 and even the 22N as part of GWM's night network. It was ditched which is why I doubt that bit of TGB's 22 will catch on as the Harborne corridor seems hard to compete on as let's be honest there are less bus users on there anyway and even the NX22/23 seem more quiet during the day time as presumably other than OAP's in areas like Harborne most people would be at work, not like on the 61/63 :P

[Stuharris 6360]

Don't get me wrong, i think that TGB have got the 22 wrong, just joining up 2 routes i don't think is a good idea. Think they would have been better, as someone else has said, looking at old routes that no longer exist and see if there is potential there.

[PM]

I think potential routes to launch/relaunch would be the old 44 restoring several South Birmingham links or even the old 35. I really liked TGB at first with attempts to relaunch ex ludlows routes and the innovative 64 but they seem more focused on competing against diamond now, which is a shame. I think the 97/17 would be worth a try or even trying to bring back the 123 as a lot of links were lost when it was replaced. The old 443 as well?

[vinh1000]

I think potential routes to launch/relaunch would be the old 44 restoring several South Birmingham links or even the old 35. I really liked TGB at first with attempts to relaunch ex ludlows routes and the innovative 64 but they seem more focused on competing against diamond now, which is a shame. I think the 97/17 would be worth a try or even trying to bring back the 123 as a lot of links were lost when it was replaced. The old 443 as well?

The 123 was a good route used it a lot and had its fair share of loadings :-) the bit between six ways aston and booth street is only served by the 40X now