Diamond Bus recently announced that three of their commercially-operated bus services will be cancelled from 15th April 2023, with others up for review, due to them being ‘loss making’ in the current climate.
Diamond Bus are currently reviewing the viability of our Commercial Services operating in the West Midlands County.
Commercial Services are the services which we operate without any level of subsidy. They are funded purely on the income through our ticket sales, the income received though accepting network cards (such as nBus and nNetwork) and National Concessionary Passes.
Unfortunately, all our Commercial Services are loss-making in the TfWM area.
Since COVID we have been working in partnership with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in the hope that these services would recover. Since the end of August 2022 we have continued to sustain losses. The decline in viability of these routes is linked to the escalation in labour and operating costs and the lack of income growth. In January 2023, service revisions were put in place to try and align the income and expenditure of these routes and improve their viability.
This alignment has subsequently failed, and Diamond Bus has now reluctantly taken the decision to cancel our 45, 002 and 226 services from 15th April 2023.
“West Midlands Service Changes” – Diamond Buses, 9th Feb 2023
It has been a concern of mine for some time, that despite increased costs being faced by all businesses – not just bus operators – TfWM have maintained that tickets/fares will remain ‘frozen’ with no increases until 2025. While other businesses have faced having to increase their prices to consumers due to rising fuel/energy/labour costs, as well as other inflation-related increases, bus operators are ‘stuck’ charging the same prices as a couple of years ago.
Through our partnership discussions, the long-established position was that ‘Low Fare Zone’ ticketing would be phased out and all fares would align to a consistent rate across the whole West Midlands region. In simple terms we were advised that the Sandwell & Dudley Low Fare Zone £3 Day Ticket would align to the current West Midlands £4 Day Ticket.
This is now expected not to happen, which means these services will continue to lose money. Diamond Bus, has therefore been left with no choice but to deregister these heavily loss-making services.
Diamond will continue to work with TfWM, as they assess options to maintain service provision in those areas affected by these withdrawals and we will keep passengers updated with further details over the coming weeks.
“West Midlands Service Changes” – Diamond Buses, 9th Feb 2023
Clearly this is a concern for Diamond, who from tomorrow (13th February) are ending m-ticket app discounts and removing the 16A and 50 from the ‘Value Zone’ area.
The discounted ticket offers currently available when purchasing tickets on the Diamond Bus App will end on Monday 13th February.
From this date, M-ticket prices for the following fare zones will align to be the same price as tickets purchased on-board:
- Diamond Value Range
- Sandwell & Dudley Low Fare Zone
- West Midlands Zone
Any pre-purchased tickets will not be affected and will continue to be available in your app wallet and valid for travel.
New purchases from 13th February, will be charged at the full fare rate.
“Diamond App Discounted Ticket Offer Ending” – Diamond Buses, 8th Feb 2023
From 13th February, Service 50 Birmingham to Maypole and Service 16A West Bromwich to Birmingham will no longer be included in the Diamond Value Ticket Zone.
Diamond West Midlands Zone fares will apply along the whole route of Service 50 and Service 16A, these are also valid on all other Diamond services in the West Midlands Zone.
Sandwell & Dudley LFZ fares will apply on Service 16A between West Bromwich Bus Station and Sandwell Crematorium, Newton Rd.
“Service 50 & 16A Diamond Value Zone Changes” – Diamond Buses, 8th Feb 2023
I don’t blame Diamond for doing what they are doing, it’s also worth noting that they declined to participate in the “£2 max single” offer being promoted by the Government, due to concerns about remuneration.
While I fully appreciate the desire of TfWM to keep bus fares low in order to encourage passengers to return to travelling by bus during this “cost of living crisis”, I am also concerned that this will impact on bus operators faced with increased operating costs, who will face difficult business decisions, especially where previously ‘borderline’ commercially-operated services are now unviable, if the same number of passengers are using them at a ‘lower’ price in real-terms.
And not just Diamond, but any other bus operator who operates commercial bus services without any subsidy.
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Transport for West Midlands have issued a tender for the continuation of Service 4H on Sundays from 15th April. The service is a vital link between Blackheath & Halesowen and serves roads and communities which are not served by other routes in Coombes Wood
Tenders have now been issued by TfWM for the 45 & Sunday 002
The two bus scenario doesnt work. TfWM and NX advised that in Smethwick to access Oldbury and Bearwood everybody ignored the advice and go via one bus. Nobody with shopping does this. Me and my elderly Mom both have arthritis and I am now purchasing a car ignoring the advice to go by two buses and can get there direct. Weirdly people do go by bus to get shopping despite what some people believe 😉. The advice to go via West Brom was utterly stupid as their are Bearwood and Oldbury buses more nearer Smethwick why TfWM advised this is beyond me as clearly they have never used a bus certsinly not two and never walked more than 5mins. Two buses for relatively short distances especially to shop doesnt work and nobody does it that I know people prefer walking the 15-20mins than hassle of two buses. So no idea why NX said this 🤷♂️
NX Diamond and TfWM have to reach out to the public if they want people to use the bus network (which I dont think they want to anyway) and stop avoiding estates like Yew Tree and sloped areas like mine where large numbers of people live. They arent helping themselves or the general public if they keep avoiding things. They said the Birmingham Rd had traffic issues (which wasnt an issue) yet avoided Albion Estate (which now has no bus) by Hawthorns leaving people isolated who cannot walk extra. These areas are often huge and sloped and hard to reach other than by car or taxi. They arent helping themselves by avoiding these areas and arent providing a service to public and these areas will just turn to car usage holding buses up more. There will just be a further decline in usage as most people live in these areas will fund alternatives🤦♂️
NX Diamond and TfWM fault bus routing is awful in places not a surprise less use things. Constant messing with routes and routing thats added time on and inconvenience to the public. 55 classic example changed to 54a rerouted and nobody by me who used to use 55 in Londonderry and Cape Hill can use it now so are stuck with one 30mins bus missed out half the time and nobody can access Warley and switch bus in Warley. Its people designing routes who are to blame. If they want people to use things put them nearer people and stop avoiding areas. The whole purpose of buses is to pick and drop people off along the routes. The simplification of network is to blame. 54a doesnt even need to go along High St there are loads of buses there to West Brom and Cape Hill its duplication and overprescription 80 87 run extrenely regular and there is 54 and 89 too avoiding our roads is silly and our bus road serves the High St roads anyway so nobody is ‘losing out’ 🤦♂️ not a surprise less are using these routes and people along main roads always use the more frequent buses anyway. Spread the routes out again so us on side roads have options to get to and from where we need to go. No need for a discussion its common sense!
TfWM have to provide a subsidused service as its policy everyone is 400m to a served bus stop. Yew Tree is more than 400m to No 4 from most points so silly to take off a service to then have to put one back on. Regardless whether bus companies are businesses they have to serve people if not they lose passengers anyway. We arent all lucky and have loads of services within short walk 🙄
Passengers dont use services as often there is something wrong with services. Often they dont go where people want them to go or are inconvenient. Its not passengers fault people dont use services its those putting the routes on. NX replied they have to think of the overall network so took 2 services by me off completely ridiculous decision as those buses went where people need them to go. It reduced options and meant links to overall network were poorer. Clearly NX werent thinking of the overall network then and certainly not users by me they were only thinking where they made most money not overall network which means all passengers so all areas have good equal links and services to network and whats best overall not whats best in only certain bits. Plus it was clear NX were obsessed with links to West Brom rather than good links to all parts of the area which people need access to including links to other buses and trains which is what is meant by ‘overall network’ 🤦♂️
If Tfwm and bus operators want more people to use buses, then they should look at the bus routing in many areas. Diamond run 21 not far from me but it goes down roads covered by 12/12a and 48 within a short walk. It could easily cover Smethwick more but they chose not to. Many roads like by me left with no Bearwood and Oldbury service at all and people including disabled and elderly have to get two buses to ‘go up the road’ fir basic shopping, some ridiculous bus routing over the years in my opinion and it doesnt encourage people to use the services. Used to be a number of services by me to various local centres but terrible decisions over the years cut very good local links now getting to Oldbury or Bearwood is a pain and longwinded. Its added journey time and the changes over the years havent benefited long run. And whats so important about West Brom and Warley? which Tfwm and NX seem obsessed about. The changes damaged Smethwick links where more people use buses as less drive cutting important local links from many roads and have put too many services down roads already covered by regular service. The 54a another classic example links to Cape Hill is already on 54 and 89 and people have regular 12/12a. 54a used to cover us but now we dont use it and instead of having more options we have to wait and hope 30mins 89 turns up. Again poor bus routing giving areas and roads who already have lots of service taking it away from areas/roads like mine who barely have a service at all – just stupid decisions 🙄 🤦♂️
Why don’t you get new bus’s and not scrap ones
So it’s gone from having 2 bus providers (TWM) and Diamond to being scrapped!!What happens if you live on Yew Tree Estate now?Since TWM finished it Christmas there have been sizable queues waiting at the Cenotaph… Absolutely ridiculous decision in my opinion….