Free city centre buses

[Sandy Lane]

Is Manchester today the only city that has a free bus service around the centre?

[I love Walsall buses]

Wolverhampton have one if I'm not mistaken ran by the council (500 I think)

[Trident 4609]

Wolverhampton have one if I'm not mistaken ran by the council (500 I think)

Yes, previously ran by Travel West Midlands for many years.

[PB2938]

Good old 500 through the 90s using branded Leyland National mk2s these lasted until 1997.

Not sure what was used until 1999 then brand new optare solos. Think the route lasted until 2005 then was Withdrawn .

[PB2938]

Theres been centrebus Birmingham routes in the past.

From the 80s soley Centrebus 101. In 1991 the 76/101 was combined the 101 was still known as centrebus branding occured 1996 onwards green stripe. By January 2000 this Service was alterted to Colmore Row due to City Roadworks.

A new Free Centrebus 10 minute service was operated by BC using Volvo B10Ls. This route Transferred to LH using mercs sometime summer 2000. It lasted until 2001 and was Withdrawn and replaced by Petes Travel offering a 20P flat fare. Think this lasted until 2003. Dont think there was anymore anyone know?

[Lukeee]

Theres been centrebus Birmingham routes in the past.

From the 80s soley Centrebus 101. In 1991 the 76/101 was combined the 101 was still known as centrebus branding occured 1996 onwards green stripe. By January 2000 this Service was alterted to Colmore Row due to City Roadworks.

A new Free Centrebus 10 minute service was operated by BC using Volvo B10Ls. This route Transferred to LH using mercs sometime summer 2000. It lasted until 2001 and was Withdrawn and replaced by Petes Travel offering a 20P flat fare. Think this lasted until 2003. Dont think there was anymore anyone know?

Zaks ran a stationlink service that ran between snow hill, new street, moor street and digbeth coach station with branded solos, didn't last long though

[sonic84]

Didn't the 103 (now 24) also have centre bus branding. I seem to remember this used to take a different route around the city centre compared with the 21, 22, 22 and 29 for quite some time.

Have NXWM also considered the 16 to be a sort of centre bus as this has always sort of looped the city centre. I'm sure there was a peak 16B variant that used to go to and from Upper Bull Street only during the 2000s

[Tony]

There was also a 100 centrebus which went the opposite way around to the 101 for a time

[Ian Hardy]

Wakefield has one:
https://www.wymetro.com/buses/free-town-and-city-buses/wakefield-freecitybus/

Leeds did have one until March 2011
Sheffield had one in 2008 but it got withdrawn soon afterwards.

Due to city centre road closures from January 2020 Liverpool will get one:
https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travel-updates/Pages/city-centre-bus.aspx

For some people:-
Any TfL route operated with Bendybuses or Borismasters :)

[mikestone]

At least one Borismaster route now only has front door boarding.

[Solo1]

Didn't walsall have some sort of city centre shuttle

[Westy]

Didn't walsall have some sort of city centre shuttle

Yeah they did.

Using Metroriders.

Didn't last long.

[PB2938]

Didn't the 103 (now 24) also have centre bus branding. I seem to remember this used to take a different route around the city centre compared with the 21, 22, 22 and 29 for quite some time.

Have NXWM also considered the 16 to be a sort of centre bus as this has always sort of looped the city centre. I'm sure there was a peak 16B variant that used to go to and from Upper Bull Street only during the 2000s

103 around 1997 was known as Brindleyplace shuttle using branded orange Stripe metrobuses at Quinton.
2526 2531 2599 2722 2723 2736 2745

Between 1992-1997 had the blind Centrelink on 103

[Roy]

What more do you want?  A free city centre bus service around Birmingham for two nights only!
https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/information/useful-information/service-666-birmingham-zombie-bus-to-ghoulsville

[Wumpty]

What more do you want?  A free city centre bus service around Birmingham for two nights only!
https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/information/useful-information/service-666-birmingham-zombie-bus-to-ghoulsville

Maybe we spook too soon!