Major campaign to boost bus reliability across three key Birmingham routes - plans approved - here's where
A campaign group has called for major plans to improve bus reliability across Birmingham to implemented as soon as possible as plans for three key bus routes are approved
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has published results of consultations for three proposed routes, which are part of the Cross City Bus scheme, with the majority of respondents in support.
Now, Better Streets for Birmingham has called for the scheme to be developed to improve services in the city.
Cross City Bus aims to make services in Birmingham quicker and easier to access for passengers.
Measures will include new bus lanes, bus priority at busy junctions and improvements to stops to provide more reliable, regular and predictable journey times.
When implemented, the new cross city services will reduce the need to change buses in Birmingham city centre.
The three routes which TfWM has published consultation results for are Longbridge to Sutton Coldfield, Hockley Circus to Holyhead Road and Bordesley to Chelmsley Wood.
A total of 901 responses were received for the Longbridge to Sutton Coldfield with 67 per cent in support, 19 per cent opposed and the rest neutral.
The Hockley Circus to Holyhead Road consultation garnered 304 responses with 72 per cent in support, 13 per cent against and 15 per cent neutral.
And 2,565 people responded to the Bordesley to Chelmsley Wood proposal with 89 per cent in support, just one per cent against and 10 per cent neutral.
The main reasons given for supporting the routes were they would enhance punctuality of buses, save journey times and the general improvements would be welcomed.
People who raised concerns felt the routes would cause more congestion, no major benefits to the journeys and reliability of existing services needed to be improved first.
Martin Price, Chair of Better Streets for Birmingham, said: “The positive results of these consultations shows the demand for making bus routes more reliable.
“This news comes at a time of year where buses become frustratingly unreliable as they get stuck in Christmas congestion.
“We look forward to seeing the plans develop further and for them to be implemented as quickly as possible, so that buses can better serve the 675,000 trips that happen every day, while becoming a trustworthy option for getting around the region.”
