'Warm banks' for Acocks Green
Liberal Democrat Councillor working for Acocks Green Learn more
by Roger Harmer on 27 January, 2010
Not surprisingly the shockingly badly mismanged changes to local bus routes imposed by National Express West Midlands continues to cause much anger in Acocks Green, Hall Green and beyond.
In principle some elements of the changes make sense, but the overall package and the way it has been carried out, with no consultation and very poor information to bus users, has turned what could have been a manageable exercise into a horrendous mistake, which will cause significant problems to many local residents. If National Express WM had been prepared to have real consultation, and make some amendments to the changes, instead of just imposing them, it might have been possible to have reached a solution, which met most of the needs of those who will lose out. But they weren’t interested in such an approach.
Apart from complaining to National Express directly we have (through Cllr Jon Hunt, Birmingham City Council’s lead member on buses) contacted Centro (the regional public body that looks after public transport issues) and asked them to organise a mini bus review in our area, with, this time, real consultation. Centro asked National Express to suspend the changes ahead of such a review. However, I have just heard that, not content with ignoring their customers, National Express, have now ignored Centro too and have refused to suspend the changes to allow such a review.
We will not let things rest at this and have asked Centro to arrange a meeting with senior managers at National Express. John Hemming, Yardley’s Lib Dem MP will attend, as will pretty all Acocks Green and Hall Green’s local Councillors. It is essential that these senior National Express managers understand what a mess up their Acocks Green team have made and how needless much of it is.
I understand also that this will also be discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Fox Hollies Green Neighbourhood Forum at 7pm at the Fox Hollies Leisure Centre (in the Fitness Suite). I look forward to what I imagine will be a lively meeting!
1 Comment
Although I agree that National Express West Midlands have failed to provide any information (it only appeared on their website on 27/01/2010) with regards these changes; I believe that they are to the advantage of the majority of bus users overall. The 41 bus was unreliable at the best of times and people would only use it as a link to a faster bus route (Baldwin’s Lane to Stratford Road to catch the 6). Many routes will be covered by the 3, 3A, 31 and 42 services from Sunday and in some cases new roads are also being included. In reference to other people’s complaints that I have seen previously: There will still be a bus connecting Shirley and Hall Green with Acock’s Green; Streetsbrook Road and Solihull Lane will now have service to Shirley and Solihull. Also, there are the benefits for the citizens living in west Hall Green and Yardley Wood who will now have a bus route to Solihull and Acock’s Green. If anything the only thing that NXWM can be condemned for is their complete lack of information, as you stated above; if only they had provided leaflets and maps then people may have accepted these changes.