New data highlights the West Midlands bus services with the highest reported crimes during the second half of 2025, revealing which routes passengers should be cautious of. BirminghamLive has obtained figures indicating the frequency of offences reported to police while on board buses across the region.
Leading the list is the infamous number 74 service, running from Birmingham to Dudley via West Bromwich, with 62 offences recorded between July and December. Violence against the person was the most prevalent crime on this route, with 21 incidents involving assaults or fights. Theft was also common, with 20 reported cases.
Other routes with significant crime reports include the number 11A and number 6 services, recording 43 and 42 offences respectively. The number 14, which operates from Birmingham to Chelmsley Wood via Alum Rock, also made the list.
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While these figures may be concerning, officials emphasize that the vast majority of journeys throughout the West Midlands are safe and incident-free. Passengers travel daily for work, shopping, and social visits with minimal issues.
The main types of crimes on these routes were violence against the person, arson, criminal damage, and theft. However, when viewed against the millions of trips taken each week, the overall risk remains very low.
West Midlands Police assure the public that the likelihood of becoming a victim on a bus is “very low” and that patrols in and around the transport network have been increased to deter crime.
A spokesperson for National Express West Midlands stated: “With around four million passenger journeys each week, there is only one reported crime for every 60,000 rides. Although any incident is one too many, we work closely with policing teams through the West Midlands Safer Travel Partnership to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.”
Passengers are encouraged to report emergencies by dialing 999. For non-emergency incidents, the Safer Travel’s See Something, Say Something initiative provides a discreet text service. Commuters can text “SeeSay” along with incident details—such as time, date, location, and route number—to 81018 to help maintain safety on public transport.