‘Enforcement is essential’ for new West Midlands bus lane, councillors say

The £15.5 million Cross City Bus Package 6 West scheme will see bus priority measures created between Birmingham City Centre and West Bromwich, supporting the Number 74 service with the aim of improving journey times and reliability.

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But members of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Board said the busy Soho Road attracts a lot of parking issues with people flocking to visit the specialist jewellery shops in the area.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham cabinet member for environment and transport, said talks were ongoing about expanding a car park to alleviate problems.

Works to be carried out as part of the project include a new bus gate, peak hour bus lanes, junction improvements, pedestrian crossing enhancements and passenger facilities, along with CCTV coverage at 15 bus shelters.

Coventry councillor Jim O’Boyle raised the issue of enforcement and said it was ‘very difficult to control it and enforce it’.

He said: “Bus stops in Coventry are regularly used for parking and no enforcement takes place which is irritating to put it mildly. It’s got to come with that enforcement.”

Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said: “This is a notorious area for people double parking. Is there not something we can do to make sure enforcement works before we spend all this money on a bus lane?

“People come from all over the place and come by car. They are not going to come by bus.

“They are taking very expensive jewellery. They’re going to walk across the road to the car park? I don’t think so.”

Councillor Mahmood, who went to school in the area, said: “I welcome this scheme as it’s a new bus corridor in the region.

“We are working with the Soho bid already. We have got a car park there but we want to expand it so we’ve got some funding coming through the city council.

“As well as the schools, we’ve also got Handsworth College, a couple of health centres, the gurdwara is probably the largest in the city if not the country as well.

“They’ve also got a plethora of nurseries. There are quite a lot of people who will be happy with this bus scheme.

“Soho Road is not just a local centre for Birmingham, it is a local centre for the country. You get people coming from everywhere just to shop on Soho Road because they’ve got specialist jewellery shops there.”

He added: “We’ve got a mobile enforcement vehicle now which goes around the city and flagging cars on bus stops, red routes, keep clear signage.”

Solihull councillor Bob Sleigh added: “We have bus lane monitoring in Solihull and it’s very effective.

“Very few people actually enter the bus lane because they know they are going to be monitored and fined. It does massively improve journey times. I hope this whole route can be monitored that way.”

This is one of six Cross City Bus schemes being proposed in Birmingham. The overall programme will go before WMCA Board in the summer.