Centro cut prompts a shake-up on the buses

Taxpayer-funded bus services in the Black Country are being changed from tomorrow, with some scrapped due to low passenger numbers.

Centro has cut the amount of money it makes available to pay bus operators from £8.6 million to £8.1 million in order to lessen the burden on councils which pay its running costs. But some services are being extended following passenger requests.

Changes in the Black Country come into effect from Easter Sunday. On the 19 bus the last service will run at 6pm from Walsall and 17.27 from Bloxwich instead of on the hour up to 11pm.

The 404A will terminate at Blackheath instead of Cradley Heath.

Passengers using the 406H West Bromwich to Scott Arms service will see the hourly section from West Bromwich to Europa Village scrapped.

The 35 from Druids Heath to Aldridge will get an extra Monday to Friday service at 6.40am but the Sunday service is being scrapped.

Peak time services on the 439 Smethwick to West Bromwich route are being reduced.

The service will leave Smethwick at 7.02am, 8.02am, 4.02pm, 5.02pm and 6.02pm, and West Bromwich at 7.35am, 8.35am, 4.35pm and 5.35pm, and will be operated by Central Buses.

The Sunday journey on the 908 leaving Bloxwich at 5.28am is being scrapped and passengers will have to take the 10 from Rushall to Walsall instead.

The 74 will no longer travel through Chuckery to Walsall. Links from Chuckery will be maintained by an extended 88 service.

The 23 Bloxwich to White Horse Road via Brownhills will still run hourly but the timetables will be the same Monday to Friday as on Saturdays, with services after 1pm on the hour.

Evening and Sunday services on the 332 from Walsall to Lodge Farm will be replaced by the 335 and a half hourly evening and Sunday service to Walsall Manor Hospital.