Bearwood set to benefit from £15m bendy bus to Birmingham
Residents in Bearwood look set to benefit from a £15 million rapid transport service that will connect them with Birmingham city centre.
The hybrid Sprint bus will initially be trialled between the city centre and Quinton.
The route will include a number of stops on Hagley Road West, Bearwood.
The Sprint has been dubbed 'Metro's Little Sister' by Centro, the authority behind the plan. The bendy bus will run along dedicated lanes with priority traffic signalling to speed up journeys. Similar systems are in use in Swansea, Las Vegas and Lyon.
It will be fitted with a diesel-electric hybrid, making it cheaper to run and less polluting than conventional buses. The bus will also be more luxurious and offer WiFi. It will also be fitted with high definition CCTV.
Sandwell Council ward member for Bearwood, Councillor Bob Piper, said: "Not only will it encourage more people to live in the area and commute to Birmingham, but it will also bring people from Birmingham into Bearwood at a time when we are seeing major investment in the high street.
"I can see a time when people will finish work in Birmingham, climb on the Sprint system and travel to the newly-restored Lightwoods house and park."
Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said: "Sprint is part of the vision we have for a world-class public transport system in the West Midlands. We believe we can get more people on to public transport, thus reducing traffic congestion that costs this region's economy £2.3 billion a year."
If the plans are approved, construction could start in 2015. People can share their views by visiting www.centro.org.uk – the deadline for consultation is September 21.
