Baffled passengers criticise station

Bus users have complained about electronic doors not opening when buses approach leaving them stranded in the waiting area. Often people are forced to find another exit and walk around the station to catch their bus.

Passengers also say that bus numbers on the vehicles are not visible from the stand windows meaning many do not realise their bus has arrived until it is too late. Susan Smith, aged 60, from Quinton, who catches the 002 to Weoley Castle from Stand E every week, said although the doors facing the Queensway were supposed to open when a bus approached but often they stayed shut. She said passengers were often forced to walk out the back of the stand and around the side of the station to catch their bus.

Mrs Smith added: "Some doors open all the time and some don't seem to open at all. People have to walk all the way round just to catch their bus."

Retired carer Barbara Woodward, aged 60, from Hasbury, said people sat in the waiting area at Stand D often missed their bus because they had their backs to the doors so they couldn't see them arriving.

She added: "You can't see the bus number and they don't always have the number on the side. You can sit here and not see the bus and it ends up going without you."

Hilda Cotterill, from Oldbury, who travels to Halesowen by bus once a week to go shopping, said: "I got off at the wrong side of the stand once expecting the doors to open and didn't realise they are only activated by the buses so we had quite a walk round to get into the station."

Retired sales representative Ronald Twine, aged 82, travels to Halesowen every day from Quinton. He complained there was no mirror on the side of the station to enable passengers to see buses approaching around the corner.

Centro has now told drivers to ensure they drive around the block if the doors to the stand do not open the first time so that passengers can catch their bus.