SCANDAL over Five Ways underpass blocked to buses - forever

Dear Trevor

Very many thanks for this.

You wrote,  "The Five Ways Underpass will re-open to traffic in late summer 2021".  This is a lie if it means buses along with your intended frequency of trams.

I would be glad to receive what the latest thinking is on whether buses would ever again be able to return to the Five Ways underpass.  All eleven bus routes, I believe until 2019, used the underpass to speed them on their way.

Please could you confirm that not one bus will be able to use the underpass, ever again, because of the weird and wonderful decision to replace buses directly on roads with "bus on rails" trams going on roads, instead.  This, at a cost of £75 m/Km when rebuilding a railway in Scotland cost £7 m/K in 2015.

As a consequence, we end up with a slower, longer and worse public transport journey from west Brum, Dudley and part of Sandwell into the city centre.  You call this disgraceful state of affairs, "Our offering".  Some offering!

Before sending this email I have, this afternoon, cycled to Five Ways as today's coronavirus exercise, to check on the current state of the underpass.  I spoke to three workmen and saw that the tunnel work now makes it completely impossible for buses to return.  I saw the two highest and most substantial concrete crash barriers I have ever seen.  Crash barriers to prevent trams colliding in the event of coming off the rails.  Massive crash barriers to prevent trams from hitting the tunnel supports to bring the roof crashing down.

We once went from Dudley Castle Hill to Brum city centre by TRAIN.  Part of that railway line was converted to a road.  Another part of the same railway line is being converted to tramway at the most horrific expense.

You all need to immediately stop this foolish and greenhouse gas-guzzling exercise in bringing to pass Sir David Attenborough's dire warnings.  Just give us fareless electric buses on bus priority roads without the idiocy of railway tracks.  And use the transport £15 billion budget to 2040 for regional Fare-Free Public Transport for EVERYONE in the West Midlands - for the obvious reasons:- Covid, climate catastrophe, congestion and polluted city air.

Best wishes for some sanity to return.

Tim