Review on better bus service to New Cross Hospital

A series of meetings have been held between Wolverhampton City Council, hospital bosses and National Express West Midlands to look at a strategy for improving access to the Wednesfield site.

This includes possible highway improvements which could help buses to and from New Cross.

It comes as work begins at the hospital on a £4million multi-storey car park, which has been increased to 527 spaces from 250 because of the demand for spots.

Earlier this week hospital chief executive David Loughton branded the car park 'a waste of money' and called for more people to use public transport, particularly staff who live close to the site.

Wednesfield councillor Milkinder Jaspal said that authorities had 'failed miserably' to provide adequate public transport access to the hospital in the past few years.

He said free buses to New Cross from the city centre would help manage the parking situation in and around the hospital.

Councillor Jaspal added: "It really needs to be done but the reality is people won't come out of their cars to use public transport unless it's much cheaper or free.

"Everyone wants to use their cars as it's easier and we're left with a very difficult situation.

"The council encourages people to use buses to the hospital but is failing miserably.

"The hospital should really be in the city centre but this is the situation we're in and we have to try and deal with it.

"At the end of the day public transport to New Cross has got to be cheaper for people than private cars.

"We have free buses in-between university sites, so why not from the city centre to New Cross?

"But no one will stump up the cash to do it."

In a letter to transport authority Centro's chairman John McNicholas, Wolverhampton Councillor Sandra Samuels stressed the importance of improving the current situation.

The health cabinet member said: "Public transport access to New Cross is clearly a critical issue for the residents of Wolverhampton and will remain an issue that the health and wellbeing board are committed to improving.

"In order for the hospital facility to be utilised to its full potential by patients, visitors and employees from all areas, the site needs to be accessible by all models of transportation, particularly public transport."