Transport chiefs are watching passengers at bus shelters and labelling them “angels, wallflowers or window-wipers” depending on how they behave.

Officers from Centro are keeping their eyes peeled at bus shelters to see how they can be altered to make sure people do not put themselves at risk or barge their way onto buses ahead of others who queued.

Those who wait patiently are labelled “angels” in surveys while those who stay behind, rushing to the front once the bus arrived are “wallflowers”.

And those who stand at the side, ready to barge their way along the kerb are known as the “window-wipers”.

The survey was conducted in Birmingham city centre as part of a review to see if buses could be allocated departure slots at stops to improve punctuality.

Centro spokesman Mark Langford said: “In looking at the new infrastructure for bus-stops our team have closely monitored how people use them.

They have then created interesting terms to describe the characteristics of different behaviour patterns at bus stops, such as wallflowers, angels and window wipers.

“We don’t have any numbers for wallflowers, angels and window wipers; this merely reflects the observations of behavioural patterns.

“What this has done is influence how the new stops are being designed to make sure they are best used by people to reflect today’s way of waiting for buses and being protected from the elements.

“We can’t make people stand in a queue but what we can do is design the facility in such a way that it does deter people from waiting in dangerous places.”

Wolverhampton Councillor Judith Rowley, who represents the city on the transport authority, said: “I think the survey is good because we need to make sure shelters are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the travelling.

But she added: “I wouldn’t be happy to be labelled like that.

“I think it’s cheap and gimmicky.”