Almost 60 little-used Birmingham bus stops are to be scrapped in a bid to SPEED-UP journey times for passengers.

The stops are based along some of the city's busiest routes and will be suspended for a six-month trial starting on Sunday, October 1.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which oversees the region's bus stops, says some stops are just 130 yards apart. Others have fallen into disuse as businesses have closed or shopping habits changed.

TfWM spokesman Jon Hayes said: "As time has gone on, many of these stops are simply no longer needed yet are still occasionally used.

"Increasing congestion, and particularly at this time of year, is continually eating into passenger journey times and we know that this puts people off using the bus adding further to congestion.

"We need to try and break this cycle, encourage more people to use the bus and take cars off the road. Removing bus stops we don't need any more is one way of tackling this."

It is estimated each stop adds at least 35 seconds to a journey.

TfWM insists that, even after the cut, every home will still be within 400 metres of a bus stop.

Tom Stables, managing director of NXWM, added: "Every time a bus stops to allow one passenger to get on or off can take up to 35 seconds.

"Add that up along a whole route and that can result in a significant impact on overall journey times.

"This trial will help us and TfWM balance our passengers' need for bus stops that are easy to get to with bus journeys that get them where they want to get to on time."

The redundant stops will not be physically removed during the trial but notices will be fixed to inform passengers they are no longer in use.

The 59 bus stops being dropped are along these major routes in south Birmingham;

  • 8a/8c – Inner-circle;
  • 50 - Alcester Road;
  • 45/47 - Pershore Road;
  • 63 - Bristol Road.

TfWM is also aiming to cut congestion by putting in a series of improvements at congestion hotspots like Holloway Head in the city centre and the Scott Arms junction in Great Barr.

It is also tweaking traffic lights to give priority to buses at key junction.

Congestion on the region's roads has now passed the pre-financial crash peak of 2007 - with 8.5 billion vehicle miles driven in 2016.

Over that time, bus speeds have reduced by 20 per cent in the morning and 14 per cent in the evening rush hours.