THE first of a new generation of bus shelters has been unveiled ready for the introduction of the Sprint rapid bus route next year.
Sprint will provide a continuous cross-city bus priority route between Walsall and Solihull via Birmingham city centre on the A34 and A45. Up to 95 of these state-of-the art bus shelters will be installed along the route.
The new shelter on Birchfield Road in Perry Barr and will be the blueprint for stops all along the line.
It is larger than standard bus stops, features CCTV security cameras and offers easy access to buses – including for pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Bus priority at junctions and new bus lanes aim to improve journey times and ensure reliability of service for passengers as buses bypass traffic jams.
A new fleet of zero emission buses, including hydrogen fuelled vehicles funded by Birmingham City Council, will run on the cross-city bus route from May 2022.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “The bus is by far the most used form of public transport in the West Midlands, and our new Sprint project represents a major investment in improving both the services and infrastructure for the many passengers who rely on the bus each day.”
