£88m Sprint bus service linking Walsall and Birmingham gets go ahead
New tram-style buses will hit the roads in the Black Country after the £88 million scheme was signed off by transport bosses.
The Sprint service will run along the A34 between Walsall and Birmingham, via Great Barr, and include routes to Birmingham Airport and Solihull.
The buses will use designated lanes and be given traffic light priority at busy junctions to ensure journeys are as fast and smooth as possible, and will be similar in design and operation to trams that run on the Midland Metro.
Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board have now approved the full business case for the project, including funding and the timetable for the project.
The Sprint bus scheme has been a source of controversy in Walsall, with residents and businesses along the A34 complaining about loss of parking and trade.
Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward said the service was and "important piece of infrastructure to encourage people to shift from cars to public transport".
