Merry Hill bus changes spell upheaval for users
Bus passengers are facing upheaval after changes to around a dozen services including routes to a hospital and Merry Hill shopping centre.
National Express West Midlands has revised around 12 services under a shake-up of routes affecting parts of Dudley and Sandwell.
Some of the changes result in roads previously served by regular buses being missed out altogether.
The revisions, which came into force this week, have caused anger from some passengers who claim the changes were not adequately communicated.
Among the changes is the 127 service from Birmingham to Warley and Blackheath.
This has been extended into Dudley to replace the 205/205E.
The 205 service will no longer serve Blackheath and now only links Dudley to Russells Hall Hospital and Kingswinford and Wall Heath.
Also among the services affected is the 297/297A to Merry Hill shopping centre, Brierley Hill and Russells Hall Hospital from Halesowen, Old Hill and Cradley Heath.
Now the service is only from Merry Hill to Gornal Wood via Brierley Hill, Russells Hall Hospital and Pensnett.
One resident, who does not wish to be named, says bus services on Station Road, Old Hill, from its junction with Beauty Bank, and Lodgefield Road, Halesowen to its junction with Coombs Road, have now been axed in the change.
They say services to Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital are vital but they now face disruption trying to find alternatives.
He said: "This is an almost two-mile stretch of residential area which has been served continuously by buses since at least as long ago as the Second World War.
"As far as we know the only place where this has been advertised is on the National Express WM website and not everyone, including the elderly have a computer."
National Express West Midlands spokesman Jack Kelly said: "We have worked hard to ensure that residents were given notice of these changes and that they have as small an impact on existing customers as possible.
"We apologise for any inconvenience these changes cause."
It comes as several bus routes affecting passengers travelling in the Black Country and Staffordshire have also found timetables changed and services axed.
Aviva Midland has announced a host of changes which saw the 32 bus serving Hednesford, Cannock, Heath Hayes and Brownhills, axed.
Other services in Cannock and Walsall have also had their timetables changed.
