West Midlands Bus Area Map and Guides

[Bus Man K2]

Listen to me speaking not angrily, but as someone who spent some years advising the public both as a City Inspector and a Travelshop manager.

Putting the X12/X70 on Nechells Parkway is just confusing and wrong, not only can you not catch it or get off there, some days you won't even see one there. I don't dispute you do your best and will have done a good job correcting many of their errors, but you need to listen to us that you are not always right. It is not just me, but three others have told you about the X12, but we are all wrong.  On a map the X12 (and the X70) should not appear anywhere between The Priory Queensway and Bromford Lane/Bromford Road junction that way no-one walks along any roads looking for a stop with the number on, no passengers on the bus think they can get off there. And the passengers using the bus for valid journeys don't care which way it goes as long as it gets them where they are going on time

I can see where you're coming from Tony. But if they are going to put in the timetables when they produced them that it goes different ways in the cass of congestion then I think it should be show on the area map. Also they have to put it on the main route that it would normally do otherwise passenger are going to think it flys from A to B to pick up the route from Bromfrod. Now I know it wouldn't fly but think if a 'New passenger' was looking at the map they could probably think how does it get from the City to Bromford?

[Tony]

If it is essential that the route is marked from Bromford to the city centre (because I can see people getting confused about it not showing a route), they should probably consider using a different colour to indicate "service does not stop on this road", which they could then use for the other services that are limited stop/direct services. In the case of X12/X70 // X1/X2 that can use multiple routes to get between one place and another, the route marked should be the default route the services are asked to use.

There is no need, and with the X12/X70 there is no default route, drivers are free to take whichever they prefer unless instructed not to by a supervisor.
Heartlands Parkway is shown on the current Birmingham map as blue with the X12/X70 yet as I said you could stand there for hours and not see a bus either way, that should be white.

[Bus Man K2]

If it is essential that the route is marked from Bromford to the city centre (because I can see people getting confused about it not showing a route), they should probably consider using a different colour to indicate "service does not stop on this road", which they could then use for the other services that are limited stop/direct services. In the case of X12/X70 // X1/X2 that can use multiple routes to get between one place and another, the route marked should be the default route the services are asked to use.

That is a brilliant idea. Iwish I thought of that!! 😁 Thanks @ellspurs l.

[Tony]

Also they have to put it on the main route that it would normally do otherwise passenger are going to think it flys from A to B to pick up the route from Bromfrod. Now I know it wouldn't fly but think if a 'New passenger' was looking at the map they could probably think how does it get from the City to Bromford?

Bus enthusiasts care, new passengers don't care. All they worry about is where they can get on, does it stop where they want to get off and that it should take 10 minutes to get there, please take that from someone who has spent years talking to new passengers in person, not sat at a computer screen trying to work out what people want

[Bus Man K2]

Bus enthusiasts care, new passengers don't care. All they worry about is where they can get on, does it stop where they want to get off and that it should take 10 minutes to get there, please take that from someone who has spent years talking to new passengers in person, not sat at a computer screen trying to work out what people want

I am just like you @Tony  the amount of mistakez I've picked up on is astronomica to say the leastl!! 😁 Now I know you've worked in the industry a long time but the people who I talk to have also worken in the industry a long time and still think that they are doing it correct. I'm not disputing it's a hard job but when theres somany things wrong with them I do begin to wonder why thay ask me to look as them as setimes they don't take it on board.

[Stu]

I can see where you're coming from Tony. But if they are going to put in the timetables when they produced them that it goes different ways in the cass of congestion then I think it should be show on the area map. Also they have to put it on the main route that it would normally do otherwise passenger are going to think it flys from A to B to pick up the route from Bromfrod. Now I know it wouldn't fly but think if a 'New passenger' was looking at the map they could probably think how does it get from the City to Bromford?

But to a passenger, if the 'next stop' after the city centre is Bromford, does it really matter which way the bus goes? And vice-versa of course.

[Tony]

But to a passenger, if the 'next stop' after the city centre is Bromford, does it really matter which way the bus goes? And vice-versa of course.

Yes, exactly my experience of dealing with real people.
If someone came in to the travelshop and asked me how to get to Merry Hill, you tell them the X10, next question where do I catch it, then how long does it take. I never got asked which route it took.

[Bus Man K2]

But to a passenger, if the 'next stop' after the city centre is Bromford, does it really matter which way the bus goes? And vice-versa of course.

I suppose you've got a poin there.

Yes, exactly my experience of dealing with real people.
If someone came in to the travelshop and asked me how to get to Merry Hill, you tell them the X10, next question where do I catch it, then how long does it take. I never got asked which route it took.

I like to know which way the buses go and I'm a Bus emthusiast so what's the difference?

I like to travel onthe bus and see which way it goes. Ijust don't ask when I go to the travelshop.

[Tony]

I suppose you've got a poin there.


I like to know which way the buses go and I'm a Bus emthusiast so what's the difference?

I like to travel onthe bus and see which way it goes. Ijust don't ask when I go to the travelshop.

You have just agreed with my point earlier. It is bus enthusiasts who want to know which way a bus goes, not joe public

[Bus Man K2]

You have just agreed with my point earlier. It is bus enthusiasts who want to know which way a bus goes, not joe public

Before I became a enthusiast I was Joe public. So no I don't see your point.

[2206]

Before I became a enthusiast I was Joe public. So no I don't see your point.

The majority of the general public.
As long as its going via a fairly direct route to their destination, I doubt the majority of people are interested in which places it will be going through.

Other errors on the TFWM maps are the 55 - part of Stechford Road should be white. And 28A is not on there for some reason.

[Bus Man K2]

The majority of the general public.
As long as its going via a fairly direct route to their destination, I doubt the majority of people are interested in which places it will be going through.

Other errors on the TFWM maps are the 55 - part of Stechford Road should be white. And 28A is not on there for some reason.

Hi @2206

Which part of Stechford Road should be white?

Also for your other observation I had alreafy noticed that. But thanks anyway

[ellspurs]

As long as its going via a fairly direct route to their destination, I doubt people are bothered about which places it will be going through.

Other errors on the TFWM maps are the 55 - part of Stechford Road should be white. And 28A is not on there for some reason.

Yea, the "certain journeys" part of the 55 doesn't seem to happen at all any more - the bustimes timetable doesn't list it, and Google shows no stops at all on Stechford Road any more (ironically bringing us back to what has been mentioned above!)

[2206]

Hi @2206

Which part of Stechford Road should be white?

Also for your other observation I had alreafy noticed that. But thanks anyway

Nothing operates along the part of Stechford Road between Stechford Lane and Hodge Hill Road.
No bus stops on the other part either.

Yea, the "certain journeys" part of the 55 doesn't seem to happen at all any more - the bustimes timetable doesn't list it

Yes, they were Claribels ran. It was confirmed that they are no longer run as buses are used on school routes now.

[Bus Man K2]

The majority of the general public.
As long as its going via a fairly direct route to their destination, I doubt the majority of people are interested in which places it will be going through.

Other errors on the TFWM maps are the 55 - part of Stechford Road should be white. And 28A is not on there for some reason.

It must be just my OCD playing havock as I think it should show it on all roads that it operates along