Cleaner Sweeping to Success

As part of boosting the public image of local bus travel, Travel West Midlands, the region’s largest bus operator, has begun trialling the use of a pilot peripatetic cleaning project on two routes in and around Birmingham.The mobile cleaner has been operating for five days per week between 9.30am and 3.30pm on two of our busiest bus routes. The cleaner starts at Druids Heath on the popular number 50 service sweeping off the rubbish, mopping up spills including bio-hazards if necessary (which stops the need for the bus to go back to the garage and therefore keeps the 50 service running smoothly).Then in the afternoon the cleaner moves to Solihull rail station to go through the same process on the number 37 service - on which new buses are now operating, representing a further £2.5m investment into the fleet.The scheme has been running well with very positive feedback from the public.Paul Thomas, Area Director Birmingham south said today; "We have been very pleased with our customer’s response to this initiative. The 50 bus service is one of the most important routes that we operate in Birmingham. It’s a high frequency route with heavy demand. Because the bus is worked so hard it is often difficult in a busy day in normal circumstance, to get the rubbish dropped by passengers cleaned up. This pilot project is however proving very successful and we are looking for it to continue.The 37 is very similar in profile to the number 50. Once again it is a heavily used bus service linking Solihull to Birmingham city centre, and the service has benefited greatly from the rubbish removal programme. We continue to evaluate this project and the company is pleased that customers have noticed the difference."

Published 26th January 2007