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Late buses spark row
Nov 2 2004
By Ben Hurst, Evening Mail
The city's biggest bus operator today lashed out at transport chiefs, blaming them for disastrous performance figures.
Travel West Midlands chiefs hit out after a Centro report revealed 40 per cent of buses don't arrive on schedule.
The bus company revealed its frustrations over Birmingham City Council decisions such as the suspension of bus lanes in Tyburn Road, one of the busiest routes in the city.
It is furious that cars were allowed back into the bus priority areas over the summer on a six month trial.
Phil Bateman, from Travel West Midlands, said: "There could have been much more dramatic benefit to bus users if we had more bus priority measures in place to aid the bus. Sadly these measures seem stalled.
"In fact Tyburn Road boasts one of the longest bus lanes in the conurbation, but this has been suspended.
"This highlights the problems the bus operator has. It seems unfair that the report does not look into these issues and is, therefore, just a little one-sided.
"We have been imploring local authorities to introduce these bus priority measures quicker.
"But the truth of the matter is that this is not happening.
"There may be many people who will view some of the results indicated in the report as being very good if you consider the problems bus operators have had with issues like the continuing problems caused by the M6, Birmingham city centre and Birmingham's Bus Mall."
A Centro spokesman said: "We agree that bus priority measures would help but that can't be the reason why 38 per cent of buses can't keep to time.
"We are sure that bus companies can do more, particularly during the working day, to get services back on timetable."
