Changing Demographics

monkeyjoe · February 10, 2016, 07:47:25 AM

Which areas do people think have seen the biggest changes over the years and subsequently biggest changes in bus passenger numbers ( ie positive or the reverse) ? Just curious.

I would say corridors like Warwick rd increases.
Decreases possibly exc 43 / 66 corridor

2900 · February 10, 2016, 11:03:50 AM

Since 2004 there's been significant increase in passengers on soho rd and Dudley with out a doubt, Eastern Europeans, Africans make up the numbers , plenty from Asia as well, many are here on dodgy student visa scams, it's not fiction before any one jumps down my troat its fact , cheap labour for fast food chains.

TT90 · February 10, 2016, 11:13:15 AM

Some say that overall passenger numbers and revenue is down on the bus network ?. It certainly doesn't seem that way on some routes.
The population is growing and some of the buses seem busier and fuller then ever in my opinion.

2900 · February 10, 2016, 11:28:22 AM

Soho rd use to be operated by single deck mercs for many years no way would you get away with that now , just look at the number of short journeys now 74E to island road , West Bromwich
All the main corridors have had extra buses put on them.
82 Dudley rd service used to be a bus every 20 minutes now every ten so that's doubled the number of buses. 87 journey times when I started were 1hour 50 mins a round trip, now some journeys take 2hrs 30/40 in the peak . 24 running cards in the peak
Soho rd must over 30 buses I would have thought

Kevin · February 10, 2016, 11:36:00 AM

Definitely does seem to have been a decline in some of the inner suburban link services (cross city 66 / Inner Circle / 1 / 40 Aston - Handsworth) over the years.

Whether that's down to people getting fed up of being stuck in traffic at every major arterial route they come across and going into town instead, or simply because those services are always being cut back, who knows...

Westy · February 10, 2016, 01:11:21 PM

Walsall to Cannock corridor?

Well it feels like it!

Mike K · February 10, 2016, 01:25:47 PM

Augustus Road, or more generally the whole of the old 10 route from City to Court Oak, wealthy areas where most people use the car. Once an every 15 min service, now an Igo peak time only service. Although I suspect that the Quinton Road West end of the route maybe did always subsidise some of the rest of the route, and the changes to the then 103 removed much of the need for the 10 service.

Shame, I liked the old 10 route, very easy on the eye.

MW · February 10, 2016, 01:35:16 PM

Was there a BC route operating between Birmingham and Blackheath many years ago? I recall seeing a Spectra in Blackheath, with route number 110 (I think).

Mike K · February 10, 2016, 01:42:09 PM

Quote from: MW on February 10, 2016, 01:35:16 PM
Was there a BC route operating between Birmingham and Blackheath many years ago? I recall seeing a Spectra in Blackheath, with route number 110 (I think).

Yes, in the last year or two of the 10's existence there were a couple of mutant variants of it in a vain attempt to make it work, the 102 was one and the 110 (basically the 10 extended up to Quinton Church and on to Blackheath) was the other. Both were very short lived.

Kevin · February 10, 2016, 01:57:06 PM

Shame about the 10 really. When you look back at it and it used to be like every 10 mins or more in the peaks.

Got me thinking about some lesser routes that have been absorbed into other more successful ones by extension, such as the Walsall - Streetly/Pheasey corridor that became part of the city expresses, or the extension of the 636 into the city. Whereas other routes have gone the opposite way and been split (as per the 79, thanks to the popularity of the tram)

karl724223 · February 10, 2016, 02:29:49 PM

Years ago Dudley and hartshill used to run down to kinver with full buses but over time and competition from hansons no Nxwm bus goes down there now

PM · February 10, 2016, 02:58:14 PM

Particularly interesting are the former 6** routes, many have been lost by NX but some of which like 636, 688 and others have flourished and been upgraded with improved timetables.

NX have followed the approach of concentrating on routes with highest earning potential and on the core corridors. Routes like Sutton Lines/900/957/Pheasey and Kingstanding expresses in particular seem to have done well.

I'd say parts of South Birmingham and Dudley are where many TWM/NX cutbacks have fallen.

Cheese · February 10, 2016, 04:43:34 PM

Quote from: Mike K on February 10, 2016, 01:42:09 PM
Yes, in the last year or two of the 10's existence there were a couple of mutant variants of it in a vain attempt to make it work, the 102 was one and the 110 (basically the 10 extended up to Quinton Church and on to Blackheath) was the other. Both were very short lived.

Lived just off West Boulevard when the 102 and then the 110 operated, have to say both services were generally lightly loaded at that end of the route, particularly the 102 even though it went in the same direction as the 103 down Quinton Road West towards town. Was always a nice run down Gillhurst Road and Augustus Road but hardly anyone ever got on and the bus always got stuck in long queues to get onto the road down to Five Ways.

monkeyjoe · February 10, 2016, 07:06:43 PM

Have to see when I'm in brum these days my old favourite 94 always seems empty when driving towards c. Wood to get on the motorway. I imagine the city - fox bit is busy but with no daf works etc seems to make sense

2206 · February 10, 2016, 07:10:12 PM

Quote from: monkeyjoe on February 10, 2016, 07:06:43 PM
Have to see when I'm in brum these days my old favourite 94 always seems empty when driving towards c. Wood to get on the motorway. I imagine the city - fox bit is busy but with no daf works etc seems to make sense

The 94 and 55 usualy seem to be full when leaving the City Centre. The 94 is busy between City Centre and Clock Garage.
@monkeyjoe

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Changing Demographics