People in Dudley will soon be able to wait in comfort at 250 new bus shelters, and then relax in style on board dozens of brand new National Express buses which run to time thanks to a series of bus friendly highway improvements
These are just some of the enhancements the borough’s bus passengers will see phased in over the next two years following the signing of a groundbreaking Voluntary Partnership Agreement by West Midlands public transport authority Centro, National Express West Midlands and Dudley Council.
The agreement, endorsed today (30th September) at the Conservative Party Conference with Shadow Transport Minister Stephen Hammond, makes Dudley the first borough in the West Midlands to benefit from a series of revolutionary improvements set to transform its bus network.
The aim of these improvements is to have more reliable and punctual buses, reduced journey and waiting times and a more comfortable journey from when passengers leave the house to when they get off the bus.
The improvements to bus services include:
- 40 new National Express buses, and many more vehicles being fully refurbished to an “as new” standard to be introduced within 12 months
- Highways improvements, including junction upgrades and traffic light priority measures in the next two years ensuring buses are more punctual and reliable
- Phased introduction of 250 new bus shelters, with several new and existing shelters being fitted with electronic information displays or solar powered lighting
- National Express West Midlands and Centro will introduce a Passenger Charter with refunds and Dudley Council will lead a programme of route and highway improvements
Five key routes in Dudley – the 9, 126, 256, 311/246 and 558 – will benefit from even more enhancements including Real Time Information, showing passengers exactly how many minutes until the next bus is due, and an intensive cleaning regime to stops and shelters on the routes.
The enhancements build on the route and timetable changes brought in during April which aimed to provide Dudley with a bus network that is up to date with the modern borough.
Bus interchanges at key centres such as Kingswinford will also see a series of improvements including upgraded shelters and information. A “Safer Routes to Bus Stops” programme providing walking routes with better lighting to main stops and interchanges is also being introduced.
Stephen Hammond MP, Shadow Transport Minister, said: “Centro, National Express and Dudley Council are taking the lead in showing that public and private sector organisations can work together in partnership on their own initiative to achieve great benefits for the travelling public.
“Residents and visitors to Dudley will see a great improvement to their bus services thanks to the agreement, and this in turn will play a key role in encouraging people to opt to use the bus as a viable alternative to the car.”
Neil Barker, Director of UK Bus and Coach at National Express, added: “We understand that our customers want services that run safely and reliably. We need support to do this, and that is why this partnership is so important.”
Angus Adams, Cabinet Member for Transportation at Dudley Council, said: “The people of Dudley deserve a bus network that reflects the success of the borough, caters for our modern society and attracts residents and visitors to our local centres.
“This partnership, where three key organisations have come together to provide an up-to-date network of accessible, reliable, and high quality bus services will be a great step forward in providing this.”
Geoff Inskip, Chief Executive of Centro said: “The route and timetable changes in Dudley have already led to significant improvements to bus services in the borough, taking people where they want to go at times they want to go there.
“The next step is to work with our partners to build passenger confidence further by improving the overall travel experience.
“Thanks to this Voluntary Partnership Agreement we can do just that by providing a better waiting environment with accurate timetable information, modern, clean, accessible buses and the right Highways Improvements to make sure they run to time.”
Gary Clarke, Chairman of Centro added: “This agreement is a significant step forward in improving bus services in the West Midlands, building on the hard work we have already done by working in partnership with bus operators and local authorities.
“The next step is to repeat these voluntary agreements across the region so that everybody can benefit from better bus services, and have the choice to leave their cars at home.“
National Express is also working with Centro to provide satellite technology and Real Time Information on as many services as possible, which will be available via at stop displays, the internet, text message (TextTime) and mobile internet services (MobiTime).
The three partners will be assessing the outcome of the improvements, undertaking studies to look at other key routes for extra enhancements and using “mystery shoppers” going incognito to make sure the high standards of customer service and reliability are being maintained.
Picture shows: L – R: Cllr Jon Hunt, Lead Member for Bus & Highways on Centro; Geoff Inskip, Chief Executive of Centro; Cllr Angus Adams Cabinet Member for Transportation at Dudley Council and lead member for the borough on Centro; Shadow Transport Minister Stephen Hammond MP; Neil Barker, Director of UK Bus and Coach at National Express and Cllr Gary Clarke, Chairman of Centro all endorse the Dudley Voluntary Partnership Agreement set to bring significant bus service improvements to Dudley at the Conservative Party Conference.
