Buses I Have Known (2) : MCW Metrobus

Towards the end of the 1970s and into the early 1980s the Fleetlines so common on Birmingham's roads began to be joined by a new bus, the Metrobus. Soon it was dominating the WMPTE fleet and when i went to secondary school, and had to get the bus every day, it was often a Metrobus and not a Fleetline that turned up. By the end of my time at school it seemed to be Metrobuses all the time.

The Metrobus seemed to follow me as i went to college and then university, even when i started work though by the mid-90s. When i started work at BCU in 2001 my office was next to the Perry Barr garage, all i could see from my office window were the roofs of numerous Metrobuses! By then Metrobus domination was starting to give way to other types though it remained in service in Birmingham until 2010.

To be honest i didn't like the Metrobus at first. I found the buff coloured interiors with its abstract flowery pattern rather dull compared to the blue of the Fleetline. They also stank in the winter of damp. Upstairs a river would flow along the side of the seats under the window. Sudden stops could make the murky water slosh over your shoes! But i came to like the Metrobus and it was a big part of my life for a long time... or at least got me to it.

Three Metrobuses at Aston

Route 101 Metrobus