There appears to be a lot of excitement at money becoming available for new 100
mph rolling stock on the London Euston Line and for a fleet of new
“super-buses”. Problem is both will operated on congested rail and road
networks. By contrast London is granted billions of pounds for the Thameslink
service.
My good friend Cllr Jon Hunt is now leading on buses on the PTA, problem is,
like Khalid Mahmood MP he hates the tram. OK, but neither has any other
modernisation idea to put forward as far as I can see. I’ve asked them enough times. Perhaps it’s these gentlemen who are responsible for beginning to paint the trams in outrageous colours!
I use the number 11, a show case route. It now has real time information at
stops. Piy about the buses though. Today I saw that the next bus was due in 7
minutes, but so was the following one. The next one was 28 minutes. The times of
the first two eventually reduced to 6 minutes only to revert to 7! They stayed
at that while the 3rd bus reduced to 18 minutes. Were the others going backwards.
There is, of course a real problem on the number 11 route which the former
administration were tackling by improving junctions and introducing bus lanes.
Len Gregory, in control(?) for 3 years now seems to have taken things backwards,
like the no. 11 bus with closure of lanes. Improvements proposed 4 years ago
such as the Perry Barr underpass have vanished apparently. Menawhile congestion
increases apace.
I like using the tram for all the reasons I dislike the bus. It doesn’t get held
up and is usually more reliable. I say “usually” because that service seems to
be falling into disrepair. Most of the station real time indicators don’t work,
and on the trams the information system is not operating. It’s not so bad if
it’s switched off but sometimes it gives the wrong information.

The transport system in Birmingham and the West Midlands seems to be moving
backwards – like the politicians in charge of it. We deserve something better. A
whole lot better!
Jon Hunt on the tram. 15 June 2003: Public Object to proposed Midland Metro extension
According to a recent poll conducted people living near to the A34 Walsall Road in Great Barr object to the proposed Midland Metro extension. The survey, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, shows that 90% of those asked think that the tram system would create more congestion than it would solve. A local Councillor, Jon Hunt, says that the main worry of people in the area is that their access into the area will be made too difficult with ‘over ambitious public transport schemes’. Centro, the local PTE, have said that no extension would be built without major public consultation.
Source: icBirmingham