A double-decker bus lost control and crashed into a bus stop on a slippery Birmingham road, as freezing conditions caused chaos across the city's transport network.
Midday Collision on Aldridge Road
The incident involved the number 997 service, which runs from Birmingham city centre to Walsall. It struck the stop on Aldridge Road, close to the One Stop Shopping Centre, at around midday on Saturday, January 2.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The damaged bus was subsequently towed from the scene, and repairs to the bus stop infrastructure began swiftly.
Widespread Travel Disruption from Black Ice
This was not an isolated incident. Freezing temperatures turned roads across the West Midlands into hazardous ice rinks, leading to multiple collisions and significant disruption.
Eyewitness Adam Slater described the conditions. "I returned home at 12 to find the bus crashed into the bus stop," he said. "It was extremely slippy everywhere like black ice."
The severe weather impacted numerous bus routes. At one point, around 15 National Express West Midlands services were affected by the dangerous conditions. Problems were reported in several areas, including:
- Buses stranded on Queslett Road.
- Vehicles skidding at the Romsley Road terminal in Bartley Green.
- Cars sliding into each other in Handsworth and Hockley.
Council Response and Gritting Plans
In response to the deteriorating conditions, Birmingham City Council mobilised its winter service teams. A council spokesperson confirmed that gritters would be deployed from 5pm on January 2 to treat all designated routes.
"Our winter service crews will carry out a precautionary treatment on all routes from 5pm today," the council stated. "Footway teams will follow with early‑morning treatments from 4am tomorrow to help keep priority areas safe."
While many bus services resumed their normal routes as the afternoon progressed and treatment began, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the travel dangers posed by sudden winter weather.
