Blackheath Bus Services

[richardjones210368]

Maybe they need to start saying the X10 or the 8A or 8C then. As if it's so confusing then they better get used to using the pre fix or suffex of the letters. Then they may get used to it. Not saying that us bus buffins should treat them as idiots. Just treat them as people how don't use the bus often enough to know these things and also for the people how keep asking then maybe treat them as idiots, as they should know better!

Remember a high proportion of users in Edgbaston English is not their first language and that's were the confusion lies mind you for us Blackheath folk our first language certainly isn't the Queen's English as Frank Skinner points out regularly about a lady from the BSR who had aliens land in her garden by St Giles, they had come 1 million miles across the galaxy and understood her perfect  yet I find Harborne folk struggle to understand me funny that!

[Bus Man K2]

From me experience no one uses the prefix I think you will find the 13 & 13A are both operated by NXWM luckily in the Marketplace most Blackheath folk still say has the 140 gone yet sound folk Blackheath folk!

Yes but they don't go to the same place as each other one goes to Oldbury and the other goes to Blackheath. Yes I grant you that they go along the same route for part of their journey but then they deviate to there terminuses. I also grant you that it's normally when another operator is on the route that people have trouble knowing which bus to get. I assumed when you said theres two 13s in Blackheath or the area of  somewhere then one must be operated by another company.

[Bus Man K2]

Remember a high proportion of users in Edgbaston English is not their first language and that's were the confusion lies mind you for us Blackheath folk our first language certainly isn't the Queen's English as Frank Skinner points out regularly about a lady from the BSR who had aliens land in her garden by St Giles, they had come 1 million miles across the galaxy and understood her perfect  yet I find Harborne folk struggle to understand me funny that!

Yes there's that problem as well. You just have to give them the benifit of the doubt when it comes to that. But when it's people how do speak English as there first language Blackheath people included then they shouldn't have any trouble.

[2206]

From me experience no one uses the prefix I think you will find the 13 & 13A are both operated by NXWM luckily in the Marketplace most Blackheath folk still say has the 140 gone yet sound folk Blackheath folk!  the confusion I see at Five Ways with 2 8s and 2 10s has to be seen to be believed.

When I use the X20 regularly, I hear people refer to it as the X20. I've never seen anyone refer to it as the 20, or anyone who still calls it the 98.

[richardjones210368]

Yes there's that problem as well. You just have to give them the benifit of the doubt when it comes to that. But when it's people how do speak English as there first language Blackheath people included then they shouldn't have any trouble.

Not from my experience or I wouldn't be posting I am still asked about 417 in Blackheath now wasn't that a Ludlows service not sure if I have mentioned that in the past........................

[Bus Man K2]

When I use the X20 regularly, most people refer to it as the X20. I've never seen anyone refer to it as the 20, or anyone who still calls it the 98.

I totally agree with you there. It's the same with  the 8 in my area I never/very realy hear any refer to it as the X96. Even I have got uesd to it as the 8 and that's saying something.

[Bus Man K2]

Not from my experience or I wouldn't be posting I am still asked about 417 in Blackheath now  wasn't that a Ludlows service

Yep that was a Ludlow service. Now Diamond as service 4H

[MasterPlan]

When I use the X20 regularly, I hear people refer to it as the X20. I've never seen anyone refer to it as the 20, or anyone who still calls it the 98.

I've heard the X21 referred to as 'the 21' on more than one occasion.

Definitely not the X64 though. That was split between the X21 and X22 anyway.

[richardjones210368]

Yep that was a Ludlow service. Now Diamond as service 4H

Going back onto the topic if you use buses regularly there is no problem with the single digits but for the occasional traveller I am amazed at the confusion it causes and forget even the 289 I am was asked outside Sainsburys this morning has the 238 gone yet in Blackheath it is funny how Edgbaston, Selly Oak & Weoley Castle struggle with my Blackheath accent & on Friday while waiting for the 002 in Field Lane a bloke said to me when asking for peoples thoughts on the 002 "Your not from round here are you mate". Priceless.

[Bus Man K2]

Going back onto the topic if you use buses regularly there is no problem with the single digits but for the occasional traveller I am amazed at the confusion it causes and forget even the 289 I am was asked outside Sainsburys this morning has the 238 gone yet in Blackheath it is funny how Edgbaston, Selly Oak & Weoley Castle struggle with my Blackheath accent & on Friday while waiting for the 002 in Field Lane a bloke said to me when asking for peoples thoughts on the 002 "Your not from round here are you mate". Priceless.

I get where you're coming from but still if a person is asking for the 8 at Five Ways I would say there's no 8 around here unless you want the inner circle 8A/8C. I think when NX think up these single digits they don't think waht confusion to may cause for the unseasoned traveller!!! For us boffins we know what wave length NX work to, but for the unseasoned traveller they don't.

[richardjones210368]

I get where you're coming from but still if a person is asking for the 8 at Five Ways I would say there's no 8 around here unless you want the inner circle 8A/8C. I think when NX think up these single digits they don't think waht confusion to may cause for the unseasoned traveller!!! For us boffins we know what wave length NX work to, but for the unseasoned traveller they don't.

Yes I agree I never came across it before the renumbering.

[Busboy105]

The whole re-numbering scheme is daft, especially now there's multiple services all with the same single digit route number. Even London don't duplicate route numbers, they're all individual.

Apparently they done it "to make the numbers local". I don't see the issue with the old numbering system. It made it local already. If it was in London, it would make more sense considering it's size but not in Birmingham and the West Midlands (excluding Coventry).

[Busboy105]

It's not all about whilst on the ground, what about for infrequent or new passengers that are searching for timetables online that aren't familiar with the network:

Route No 3 search:
https://nxbus.co.uk/search/west-midlands/?site%5Bsearch%5D=3&show%5Broutes%5D=1&utm_source=nav

Route No 4 search:
https://nxbus.co.uk/search/west-midlands/?site%5Bsearch%5D=4&site%5Bsubmit%5D=SUBMIT

Route No 5 search:
https://nxbus.co.uk/search/west-midlands/?site%5Bsearch%5D=5&site%5Bsubmit%5D=SUBMIT

Even on the forum it causes confusion, as people have to post which depot & route number they're referring too

I don't know what's more ridiculous: the fact that the WN25 is in the 4&5 search results or the number of 4 and 5 services we have.

[winston]

Apparently they done it "to make the numbers local". I don't see the issue with the old numbering system. It made it local already. If it was in London, it would make more sense considering it's size but not in Birmingham and the West Midlands (excluding Coventry).

Yes, it was done to make the buses local, but because of the number of duplicate single or double digit route numbers there were, they've then had to resort to using letter prefixes which then put s the route number back up to 3 digits - so for those routes, they've gained nothing.

In addition, whilst having a quick search of NXWM timetables, I notice that NXC 8's & 9's also come up with NXWM search results, but not for other NXC services with the same numbers.

At least the NXC duplicate numbers are operated by a different brand with a different livery.

[Bus Man K2]

Yes, it was done to make the buses local, but because of the number of duplicate single or double digit route numbers there were, they've then had to resort to using letter prefixes which then put s the route number back up to 3 digits - so for those routes, they've gained nothing.

In addition, whilst having a quick search of NXWM timetables, I notice that NXC 8's & 9's also come up with NXWM search results, but not for other NXC services with the same numbers.

At least the NXC duplicate numbers are operated by a different brand with a different livery.

Yes NX link the two websites together so that all services with the same number comes up in the list on the NXWM  site but not the other way. I will contact one of the Marketing executives tomorrow to ask why it doesn't work if searching via NXC website but does when searching the other way around. .