Dudley Network Review

[Sh4318]

That's because the H used to stand for Halesowen the M for merry hill, it's quite easy to understand and prior to this there was the 404*(cue letter) what does the A and B suffix stand for?

Perhaps I should have used the 10, 10A and 10B numbered routes - that have been around for a couple of years - as an example, or perhaps the 16, 16A and 16W... or 448, 448A and 448B that once ran. Funnily enough, I'm yet to hear of any complaints regarding these variants

I just don't see why people would struggle to get used to '13A' rather than 127. Are we assuming people are stupid and will get confused by this? Just seems like complaining for the sake of complaining to me

[PinkBus]

Perhaps I should have used the 10, 10A and 10B numbered routes - that have been around for a couple of years - as an example, or perhaps the 16, 16A and 16W... or 448, 448A and 448B that once ran. Funnily enough, I'm yet to hear of any complaints regarding these variants

I just don't see why people would struggle to get used to '13A' rather than 127. Are we assuming people are stupid and will get confused by this? Just seems like complaining for the sake of complaining to me

It might seem like complaining for complaining sake to you, but I've known the 120 by that number all the time I have been catching buses, the 128/9 have been those numbers for nearly 40 years, you get used to them. Now, we have to learn a completely different set of numbers for local bus routes, at least when the 448 changed, it changed to the 48, these changes are going to be confusing for a long time I think.

I wish myself they had just left the numbers alone, nothing wrong with them and there was the opportunity for NXWM to use other numbers for new or changed routes, not the currently fashionable A or B.

[Mike K]

Perhaps I should have used the 10, 10A and 10B numbered routes - that have been around for a couple of years - as an example, or perhaps the 16, 16A and 16W... or 448, 448A and 448B that once ran. Funnily enough, I'm yet to hear of any complaints regarding these variants

I just don't see why people would struggle to get used to '13A' rather than 127. Are we assuming people are stupid and will get confused by this? Just seems like complaining for the sake of complaining to me

Can't comment on the 10 etc as I have no idea of where they go but the others are relatively minor variants, including peak hour or Sunday variants that largely run to the same core route. The use of suffixes here is fair enough to denote that variant. The 13, 13A and 13B, like the 120 and 120A share a common section of route and then go their separate ways. The are no more similar than the 23/24,45/47, 61/63 etc. I'm sure passengers would find it confusing if these corridors used 63 and 63A etc.

The only reason that such ridiculous numbers as 13A and 13B are being used are so that they can be shoehorned in with the X8, 9, X10, 12/A and 126 (!) along the Hagley Road. The 126 illustrating the ridiculouslness of it all.

[2900]

On route number simplification I,ll throw in my 10 pence worth as well ,let's see

126 - 16
127 - 17
128 - 18
129 - 19

Yes I know we already have a number 16 from city to Hampstead just re,number it too , well what else goes that way oh the 74 , maybe 74H could be utilised , really throw a spanner in the works. 😂

[Jack6101]

On route number simplification I,ll throw in my 10 pence worth as well ,let's see

126 - 16
127 - 17
128 - 18
129 - 19

Yes I know we already have a number 16 from city to Hampstead just re,number it too , well what else goes that way oh the 74 , maybe 74H could be utilised , really throw a spanner in the works. 😂

Or maybe use the 75 again for the 16?

[BK63 YWP]

On route number simplification I,ll throw in my 10 pence worth as well ,let's see

126 - 16
127 - 17
128 - 18
129 - 19

Yes I know we already have a number 16 from city to Hampstead just re,number it too , well what else goes that way oh the 74 , maybe 74H could be utilised , really throw a spanner in the works. 😂

255 will be the 15
256 will be the 16
257 will be the 17
243 will be the 18
244 will be the 19

Who knows what will happen for Diamonds 2** routes. @Simon Dunn are these numbers changing also?

[sonic84]

I think in the examples of the 404 and 448 the variations were a lot more similar. Didn't the 448A divert to Smethwick High Street and the 448B divert to the Bingo Hall at Barnes Hill otherwise were the same. Similarly the 404H, 404A were extensions to the existing 404 which had been around for years.

Whilst the 13 (127) and 13B (129) are admitted going to very similar the 128 in my opinion should have it's own route number.

Otherwise as Mike K says why don't we have a 63, 63A; 45, 45A; X4, X4A, X4B; 51, 51A, X51.

[Sh4318]

It might seem like complaining for complaining sake to you, but I've known the 120 by that number all the time I have been catching buses, the 128/9 have been those numbers for nearly 40 years, you get used to them. Now, we have to learn a completely different set of numbers for local bus routes, at least when the 448 changed, it changed to the 48, these changes are going to be confusing for a long time I think.

I wish myself they had just left the numbers alone, nothing wrong with them and there was the opportunity for NXWM to use other numbers for new or changed routes, not the currently fashionable A or B.

Are we really suggesting we can't adjust to a number change?

[2900]

255 will be the 15
256 will be the 16
257 will be the 17
243 will be the 18
244 will be the 19

Who knows what will happen for Diamonds 2** routes. @Simon Dunn are these numbers changing also?

To me any way the following would have been better

243 -23
244- 24
255- 25
256-26
257- 27

Most of westbroms 400 series service numbers have become 40,s

[2900]

Are we really suggesting we can't adjust to a number change?

There,re people in our society who have or suffer from  various mental health issues , for some it's a great deal of effort to get on a bus as pointed out on a recent trip to Walsall for cpc on disability and mental awareness , I find it simply astonishing the company can do this to be honest , the hiprocacy of it all.

[Tony]

There,re people in our society who have or suffer from  various mental health issues , for some it's a great deal of effort to get on a bus as pointed out on a recent trip to Walsall for cpc on disability and mental awareness , I find it simply astonishing the company can do this to be honest , the hiprocacy of it all.

For exactly the same reason, any new passenger with the same problems who wants to go from Birmingham to Sparkbrook, can remember that they can catch a 2,3,4,5 or 6, than a random collection of numbers

[Roy]

To me any way the following would have been better

243 -23
244- 24
255- 25
256-26
257- 27

Most of westbroms 400 series service numbers have become 40,s

With a 24 already serving Dudley (and Buffery Road), a 25 already in Wolverhampton and along the start of Penn Road and a 27 serving both Gornal and Dudley, this wouldn't work. 

[Mike K]

For exactly the same reason, any new passenger with the same problems who wants to go from Birmingham to Sparkbrook, can remember that they can catch a 2,3,4,5 or 6, than a random collection of numbers

The thing is, the Hagley Road already has a perfectly good series of numbers from 120 upwards, with loads of spare numbers available. The 9 and X10 are exceptions. Why try to shoehorn so many routes into the 12 and 13 numbers, when (as far as I understand) there will still be a 126 that has no consistency with any other route number along that corridor? That's no more straightforward than things are now.

[Bus1237]

For exactly the same reason, any new passenger with the same problems who wants to go from Birmingham to Sparkbrook, can remember that they can catch a 2,3,4,5 or 6, than a random collection of numbers

Yes, but you can still have consecutive numbers without repeating? To have 4 number 6's is ludicrous, it just causes unnecessary confusion? It makes sense, but why is it any more beneficial to use lower numbers, as opposed to 127 etc? It is much more distinctive for passengers to have more memorable numbers rather than close together low numbers. And also, you generally aren't going to get many tourists in Sparkbrook, so isn't it much easier to keep the numbers as they are because locals already know them as they are.

Also, what is the point in having A or B after a number? It leads passengers to think that they run practically the same route, when some do but others don't. Can't they just use consecutive numbers like they're so keen on doing? 45 and 47 run very similar routes but have different numbers, but 4 and 4A go to completely different destinations, yet they sound as if they are nearly the same.

[MasterPlan]

It seems to me that the whole network is being condensed with no room for expansion in the future.