Why
call the site Reddibus.com? Reddibus was the brand name
adopted by the National Bus Company subsidiary Midland
Red for its expanding bus network in Redditch when it
was launched on 13th March 1976. This new network of bus
services used 15 vehicles and saw frequencies increase
by 300% and passengers by 100%. The idea for the
Reddibus network was launched on 27th June 1975 at a
meeting of the recently formed Transportation Steering
Group. Redditch had been designated a new town in 1964
as an overspill for the nearby City of Birmingham and in
common with the Runcorn which was another new town in
Cheshire, Redditch was designed around public transport
with the bus being the main transport provider. As well
as having more trees per head of population than
anywhere else in Britain Redditch also probably has more
bus lanes than anywhere else for the size of town. The
town's main circular bus route the services 57 and 58
are each 7.5miles in length with a third of that on bus
only roads. Much of the rest of the route is on roads
with limited car access. The initial network was
expanded in March 1977 when four further vehicles were
added (Leyland Nationals NOE607-10R) and the Redditicket
was launched. This ticket brand name continued in use
until February 2003 when First Midland Red introduced a
range of corporate First branded tickets to Redditch.
The first bus service numbered 17
in Redditch was started on 4th April 1914 and ran from
Birmingham. It started at the Bull Ring in Birmingham
City Centre and ran to Redditch via Northfield and
Longbridge. In 1915 it was rerouted via Cotteridge as
per the present day service 146. By 1925 the route had
been renumbered 126. The Midland Red Garage in Church
Road in Redditch was opened on 1st July 1931 to cater
for the increase in local services within the town.
First Midland Red closed the garage on 21st January 2004
and sold it to a property developer called Mohammad
Farooqui who has rented the building to Pete's Travel on
a 5 year lease. Pete's Travel (latter know as People's
Express) moved into the garage on 13th April 2004.
People's Express moved out on Friday 17th June 2005 and
the building remained empty until the Go Ahead group
decided to reopen the garage. The two blue and white
spot logos at the top of the page represent the Midland
Red Garage "Leopard Spots" for Redditch or garage 18.
The original 28 Midland Red Garages were all given an
individual colour spot logo which until the 1950's were
carried by each bus next to the rear registration plate
to denote vehicle allocation.