Reaction to reduced service levels from Wednesday 25th March

[Stu]

So the rumours have been confirmed as true, and NX Bus have announced today that they are reducing levels of service for more frequent services from Wednesday 25th March.



There is further detail on the NX Bus website:
https://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/information/service-changes/coronavirus-service-information-update-

I wrote a short article about the 'rumours' yesterday evening, which I have now updated:
https://westmidlandsbususers.co.uk/2020/03/opinion-reduced-service-levels-from-next-week/


What's really astonished me, especially after reading some of the replies to NX West Midlands' tweet today, is how people do not seem to read the whole statement, and take in and absorb what has been said.

I've had similar comments to this on my own Facebook page:

how are we going to get to work??

Erm, by bus?

Can I get my travel card refunded as if it is Sunday service I ain't going to be able to get to work. Work within the nhs proof available ! So no Sunday service please

It's not Sunday service! Read the bloody statement!

Will the 58 60 X1 X2 will be running to normal timetable.

This is probably a good reason why I don't do Twitter myself, because of all the stupid idiots who don't read things in full, just the headlines.

Let's just analyse NX Bus' press release a little.

No bus routes are being taken off, we will just be running some of them less often.

This is the main bit that some people are struggling to understand.  ???

On all routes, times of first buses will be the same or within a few minutes of current times.
    On all routes, there will be no change to the timings of the last bus.
    Sunday services will remain as they are now.
    Any National Express West Midlands all-night bus services will continue to operate.
    Dedicated school routes will not be running due to the schools closing.

...we are trying to minimise the disruption by taking buses off some of our more frequent services, but not making any changes to routes that run less often.

Unless I'm completely misinterpreting what is being said here, this just means that a service like the 50 that runs every 4 mins, will be reduced to run every 6 to 8 minutes.

Why people are whining about service levels being reduced is beyond me, after all NX Bus does this during school holiday periods anyway.

People WILL still be able to get to work, your bus might just run at a different time than usual due to amended timetable, and it might run every 15 minutes instead of every 10 minutes.

But in case you haven't noticed, there is far less traffic on the roads, and there are far fewer people using the buses.

This is just a simple case of 'supply' meeting 'demand'.

If your bus service starts at 5am and runs every half hour, it will continue to do so.

And as for the people asking "will xxx service be affected", which bit of "Please do not contact us about these changes as our teams are working hard to finalise the details and information will be available on Monday" is so difficult to grasp?

Some people seriously need to get a grip. And read the FULL ARTICLE before making assumptions or asking silly questions.

[2206]

Unless I'm completely misinterpreting what is being said here, this just means that a service like the 50 that runs every 4 mins, will be reduced to run every 6 to 8 minutes.

It's not Sunday service! Read the bloody statement!

@Stu see BG garage thread.
Official statement from National Express states:
Sunday service level for buses and Christmas Day service for coaches.

"These declines will be mitigated through significant network reductions, with UK coach reverting to a network similar to its Christmas Day service. This has the effect of removing up to 80% of capacity. UK bus is reducing its networks similar to a typical Sunday service, which amounts to the removal of around 40% of bus mileage."

[Tony]

@Stu see BG garage thread.
Official statement from National Express states:
Sunday service level for buses and Christmas Day service for coaches.

"These declines will be mitigated through significant network reductions, with UK coach reverting to a network similar to its Christmas Day service. This has the effect of removing up to 80% of capacity. UK bus is reducing its networks similar to a typical Sunday service, which amounts to the removal of around 40% of bus mileage."

Why does Stu need to see the BG garage thread (what is BG anyway).

He has just posted exact NXWM information, far more accurate than just 'Sunday service' level. I am presuming you are on of those he is referring to who doesn't bother reading what is posted.

[2206]

Why does Stu need to see the BG garage thread (what is BG anyway).

He has just posted exact NXWM information, far more accurate than just 'Sunday service' level. I am presuming you are on of those he is referring to who doesn't bother reading what is posted.

"Bordesley Green Garage" as the thread is titled.

I did read what has been announced and this:
"These declines will be mitigated through significant network reductions, with UK coach reverting to a network similar to its Christmas Day service. This has the effect of removing up to 80% of capacity. UK bus is reducing its networks similar to a typical Sunday service, which amounts to the removal of around 40% of bus mileage."

is exactly what National Express have announced here:
https://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/newsmedia/corporate-news/2020/covid-19-update/

Hardly something I have just made up.

[Tony]

"Bordesley Green Garage" as the thread is titled.

I did read what has been announced and this:
"These declines will be mitigated through significant network reductions, with UK coach reverting to a network similar to its Christmas Day service. This has the effect of removing up to 80% of capacity. UK bus is reducing its networks similar to a typical Sunday service, which amounts to the removal of around 40% of bus mileage."

is exactly what National Express have announced here:
https://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/newsmedia/corporate-news/2020/covid-19-update/

Hardly something I have just made up.

There's no BG or Bordesley Green garage. It is BY and Bordesley. Your link is just a general level of service. Stu' is taken from a far more detailed statement about services so doesn't need to refer to a general NX group one.

[2206]

There's no BG or Bordesley Green garage. It is BY and Bordesley. Your link is just a general level of service. Stu' is taken from a far more detailed statement about services so doesn't need to refer to a general NX group one.

Well I just called the thread by what it says. Perhaps it would be an idea to get it changed then.
And the NX website does also refer to it as "Bordesley Green"  and i'm sure I've heard it referred to that when NX have made a call on the radio, while I've been on the bus.
https://nxbus.co.uk/routes/west-midlands/B055/?timetable[day]=monday_-_friday&timetable[direction]=Birmingham+-+Chelmsley+Wood+via+Ward+End&tab=

NXWM website gives no details on what frequency the 55 will be reduced to.

Unless I'm completely misinterpreting what is being said here, this just means that a service like the 50 that runs every 4 mins, will be reduced to run every 6 to 8 minutes.

Since the general NX website states Sunday service levels you would assume it will be down to approximately every 20 minutes, rather than just a frequency reduction from something like every 8 to every 12 minutes, similar to that which normally occurs in school holidays as Stu was suggesting.

Also still lots of people using the buses today.

[Ginger66]

I'm going to miss my daily commute into Birmingham for work but with a vast majority of workers working from home, no schools a reduced service is need and hopefully it is only for a short time.

[Tony]

NXWM website gives no details on what frequency the 55 will be reduced to. Since the general NX website states Sunday service levels you would assume it will be down to approximately every 20 minutes, rather than just a frequency reduction from something like every 8 to every 12 minutes, similar to that which normally occurs in school holidays as Stu was suggesting.

Because if you had bothered to read Stu's posts It tells you the levels of service will be announced Monday!

[Kevin]

Basically.
People can't read
People won't read
People are stupid

[Busboy105]

Took the 17 around 8:00AM. Usually this bus is packed but today it was half full. Felt a little creepy not going to lie.

[Sayeed]

As long the services stay the same for the NHS staff then they will be (obviously) fine with that but it would be better if NX kind enough to introduce early Sunday services for 19 and 48.

[Steveminor]

@Kevin has hit nail on the head. Just look at the toilet roll aisles, although that could now be any supermarket aisle.
Why are people assuming it's going to be a Saturday or Sunday service? There is no mention of that anywhere in the article.

Claribels has no plans to alter timetables at the moment but guys this situation is constantly evolving so any decision from any operator is subject to change at short notice.

[Bus Man K2]

@Kevin has hit nail on the head. Just look at the toilet roll aisles, although that could now be any supermarket aisle.
Why are people assuming it's going to be a Saturday or Sunday service? There is no mention of that anywhere in the article.

Claribels has no plans to alter timetables at the moment but guys this situation is constantly evolving so any decision from any operator is subject to change at short notice.

There was a news article on the West Mids new. That article said that NX would be operating a Sat service during Mon-Fri service from next Wednesday. So all of you are throwing rubish posts on here when clearly some people on here are correct at being worried about services.

[Bus Man K2]

Basically.
People can't read
People won't read
People are stupid

There's no need for this post.

[BK63 YWP]

There's no need for this post.

There is as people ask the questions that have already been answered