End of the road for ‘Big Brum Buz’ city tour
ONE of Birmingham’s most visible tourist attractions has come to the end of the road on the eve of its 10th anniversary.
The Big Brum Buz was the mechanical soul of an open-top magical mystery tour of the city of 1,000 trades.
Founded by guide Sue Behan from Birmingham Tours, its city trips would run from April to September three times a day on Saturdays and Sundays from Colmore Row.
The tour was run as a not-for-profit business but has now reached journey’s end.
Ms Behan said: “I’ve come to a sticky end. The tour is over – I’ve sold the bus and that’s that.
“Last year it just broke down so many times and I got fed up of the major problems of mechanics just messing me around.
“When it happened the last time, I just thought it’s time this came to an end.” Ms Behan is continuing to advertise herself as a guide for walking tours. She said: “Even though I ran the Buz as a n o t- f o r- p r o f i t business, we never had any support from the city council – the people there were just not interested, it just depends how all some people see things. The big bus companies weren’t interested in helping us either as we didn’t fit in with their commercial costs and plans.
“You just get sick to death knocking on people’s doors.
“The worst thing was that every weekend you just would not know who would turn up and if you were going to cover your costs.”
In 2015, Birmingham’s tourist office was closed at the Library of Birmingham, a year after Marketing Birmingham closed two dedicated tourist information offices at Birmingham Airport and in New Street. of