TfWM & upcoming bus service changes

[Sandy Lane]

Have you noticed how poor the 'imperial' TfWM website for Network West Midlands upcoming bus service changes listing has got? Used to be regularly updated and looked ahead a number of weeks.

Now its out of date with a list if only 5 changes on a single page up to 10 June.
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/media/2408/busservicechanges-issued-20180530.pdf

[V89MOA]

Much like a good few of the bus shelters still seem to be out of date.

[MasterPlan]

Much like a good few of the bus shelters still seem to be out of date.

Yeah I've noticed a few. Apparently there were 5-6 people waiting for a 29 on Stonehouse Hill as the stop still says 22/23/29, and my mate had to tell them the bad news.

[V89MOA]

Yeah I've noticed a few. Apparently there were 5-6 people waiting for a 29 on Stonehouse Hill as the stop still says 22/23/29, and my mate had to tell them the bad news.

I'm told they've changed half the stops on Bradford st (2, 3, 5, 31) and left the other half....

[sonic84]

I had noticed the lack of service updates as well.

I'm also not a fan of having to download the timetables now rather than just being able to view them from the website, or the fact that the new maps and guides uploaded don't seem to be the right way up anymore.

[Smethwickian]

Well, TfWM seems to have solved the issue of the upcoming changes list on the Network West Midlands website being out of date ... by removing it altogether. Sigh.

[Ginger66]

Strange unless they are waiting for West Midlands Bus to offical launch as which operators are running which routes.

[Ginger66]

Tried going to www.westmidlandsbus.com says website is  registered but no active website at the moment.

[Stu]

Unless there's something I'm not aware of, some people seem to be either very impatient, or are getting far too ahead of themselves.

Apart from the recent publicity event, which saw one bus presented in the proposed new livery (which has since been repainted again I understand), there hasn't been any further announcements or timescales presented on this.

I imagine its all still at the early proposal/consultation stages, and I'm sure it said in one press release that TfWM would still need to discuss this with Bus Alliance partners.

To be honest, with the time it takes to repaint vehicles anyway, this is going to be a very long drawn-out process.

[Sandy Lane]

Unless there's something I'm not aware of, some people seem to be either very impatient, or are getting far too ahead of themselves.

Stu, try reading the first post again? Discussion is about lack of updates to upcoming bus service changes.

[Westy]

Unless there's something I'm not aware of, some people seem to be either very impatient, or are getting far too ahead of themselves.

Apart from the recent publicity event, which saw one bus presented in the proposed new livery (which has since been repainted again I understand), there hasn't been any further announcements or timescales presented on this.

I imagine its all still at the early proposal/consultation stages, and I'm sure it said in one press release that TfWM would still need to discuss this with Bus Alliance partners.

To be honest, with the time it takes to repaint vehicles anyway, this is going to be a very long drawn-out process.

Is it me or has Nx been constantly repainting vehicles in one livery or another for the last 10 years?

As soon as they finished the 'final' red & white vehicle for the first time round, not counting subsequent red & white repaints, they started the crimson repaints!


I don't remember WMPTE constantly changing liveries.


West Midlands Travel only started a few years in before repainting in various versions of the silver livery & who can forget TWM's various interperations, low floor livery, stripey livery etc!

[Stu]

Stu, try reading the first post again? Discussion is about lack of updates to upcoming bus service changes.

I was referring to comments here about West Midlands Buses and changing liveries.

[Solo1]

Someone said about wmt changing the livery area times Midland choice changed there livery 3 times yellow/green. Then d&g brought them buses were in 2 liverys the last one been red before arriva took over

[MW]

One issue with this joint route operation (42/43) that I've found is when picking up passengers, they seem to just place their contactless card on the Diamond (Ticketer) machines to be given an error message. This is obviously down to the fact that NX have a system in place where you can just tap your card and it's all automated. On Diamond machines, the driver has to select the ticket requested and then the customer can place their card onto the reader to pay. I'm not sure if there's some sort of update that can be done to the Diamond machines to facilitate such a function, but it'll definitely be a nuisance for Diamond drivers. I've only found this occurs on the 50, and not on the Signature routes in Solihull.

I expect this will be a bigger issue for Tividale drivers as they're more in the NXWM area on competing routes etc.

[Straightlines]

One issue with this joint route operation (42/43) that I've found is when picking up passengers, they seem to just place their contactless card on the Diamond (Ticketer) machines to be given an error message. This is obviously down to the fact that NX have a system in place where you can just tap your card and it's all automated. On Diamond machines, the driver has to select the ticket requested and then the customer can place their card onto the reader to pay. I'm not sure if there's some sort of update that can be done to the Diamond machines to facilitate such a function, but it'll definitely be a nuisance for Diamond drivers. I've only found this occurs on the 50, and not on the Signature routes in Solihull.

I expect this will be a bigger issue for Tividale drivers as they're more in the NXWM area on competing routes etc.

Personally I think this is an issue for TfWM who need to allow the nBus and nNetwork products to cap via Contactless / Swift rather than leaving operators to have their own capping system.