ARRIVA

UNRELIABLE
Although the council promotes public transport, buses are not convenient and using them as your preferred mode of transport can often add hours onto your journey time.

Arriva, for example, don't run for the convenience of passengers, (stopping to pick up people disrupts the time-table). On a typical route the timetable will state that there's a bus every 8 minutes. This is an average. In practice, it's normal to see three buses within 4 minutes and then a wait of 40 minutes for the next one.

Their buses often travel in pairs leap-frogging each other during the day then, when the majority of people wish to return home from work in the early evening, the frequency of the service is reduced - similar to a restaurant closing for lunch. In order to avoid running late, parts of the route are often missed out.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE
Just how much longer do we have to put up with the totally unreliable so-called 'service' provided by Arriva? Mackworth has a 'Bermuda Triangle' as far as this company is concerned.

For every three buses that enter, only two (at best) return. Arriva are not only unable to run to their timetable, but don't even keep to the route. A message on the back of their buses reads: "Find out where this bus goes" followed by their website address.

Presumably they require people to let them know where their buses are disappearing to. When an Arriva inspector, who lives on an Arriva bus route (who also gets free bus travel) uses his car to commute - well, it says it all. Len Parker

ARRIVA PROFIT
Arriva's bus operations achieved an operating profit of Ł65.4m, compared to Ł68.4m in 2002, on a turnover of Ł559.8m.

ARRIVA

Page 1 | 2 | 3

The Arriva bus service has always struggled to meet its own timetables and if it was subject to the same regulations as the rail companies it would have been out of business years ago. As a bus driver, you spend most of your day battling the traffic in and around Derby city centre, with the various roadworks, diversions and queues. If you miss a trip you just write it down and wait for your next trip as there isn't any allowance these days for spare drivers to cover missing journeys. From being a council-run concern, through employee buyout after privatisation, being bought out by British Bus, then sold on to Arriva, two major mistakes have made matters far worse than they need have been.

The first was getting rid of the radios where drivers could radio an inspector to let them know of any problems. The second was removing the spare driver allocation to cover missing trips during peak times. At the moment the company has a deficit of some 30-40 drivers so it's no surprise it can't run a timely service. Combine that with computerised running times that make no allowance for the "human factor", administration based in Leicester and the odd driver who may be less than conscientious and you're on to a loser before you even leave the depot.

Then you have the passenger perspective. If you rely on public transport to get you into and out of Derby during peak times then you could well be waiting long enough to book a fortnight's holiday, which you'll need if you regularly have to survive waiting for a bus. The minibuses have always been a contentious issue. They were not designed for peak times as they don't have capacity and are often sent on roads where double deckers can't go, so they end up being blocked by poor parking.

Ultimately, there isn't a quick fix for these problems. It will take investment by Arriva to make sufficient drivers available, timetables that have a degree of flexibility, and a package attractive enough to keep drivers. The council also needs to make its mind up about the traffic flow. How many times has Victoria Street been changed around in the last 20 years? When will the council finally ban cars from Albert Street, Victoria Street, etc and get them to use the inner ring road? Will the council ever consider de-privatising the buses so that the public of Derby benefit and not the shareholders?

As for the bus station, if it really must replace one of the few remaining examples of 1930s architecture, then why not "donate" the bus station to the museum at Crich so the fans of the bus station can still visit it? I'm just happy that I no longer live in Derby. If you think waiting for a bus is bad now, wait until they start on the new station. Andy Gaucher

Arriva is looking for undercover travellers to act as secret inspectors on buses. The firm is trying to encourage more people onto its routes. Managing Director, Neil Barker, said, "The inspectors will score each journey for factors such as cleanliness, seat comfort and luggage space. In return for sharing their opinions, they will get free travel for one week." Notice again, there's no mention of reliability, punctuality, convenience or driver safety standards and this excercise will prove a complete waste of time and do nothing to convince more people to wait for a bus that may, or may, not turn up.

All bus journeys include mobile phones continually ringing. Mobile phone calls culminate in the same result which begins with the ring tone getting progressively louder as the owner searches for it. You then hear, "Hello?" and after a short pause, "I'm on the bus". In addition, people coughing over you and unruly, screaming kids do nothing to attract passengers.

Arriva is buying a Ł2m fleet of new buses for its services in the city. The firm, based in Ascot Drive, said it would introduce the 13 double-deckers on its 22, 24, 44 and 45 routes. The company has also teamed up with Derby City Council to introduce improvements to bus shelters and road junctions on the routes. The state-of-the-art buses will have closed circuit television for extra security and low floors for wheelchair users and baby buggies.

Arriva has attracted criticism from the city council and passengers for the age of some of its buses. The fleet is 10 years old on average and includes vehicles at least 15 years old. The investment would bring the Derby fleet in line with a Government target for fleets to be eight years old or younger, the firm said. Arriva Derby managing director Ken Clarke said, "Arriva Derby has made a significant investment in new, easy-access, buses. We continue to work with local authorities to develop quality bus partnerships, which bring about improved bus infrastructure and priority measures."

Arriva will replace all buses on its 22 and 24 routes from the city centre to Chaddesden, Oakwood and Scarborough Rise and its 44 and 45 services to Alvaston. Some of the younger buses that the new vehicles will replace will, in turn, take the place of older buses on the company's 40 and 41 routes. The oldest buses will be taken out of service. The 13 new ALX 400 buses, made by East Lancashire Coachworks, are part of a Ł190m modernisation of the company's UK fleet.

Arriva spokeswoman Kate Flint added, "There is a chance there will be more new buses for Derby next year." Derby City Council is talking to Arriva Derby about putting more bus shelters and bus priority measures on the 22, 24, 44 and 45 routes. Funding has not yet been agreed but the proposals are likely to cost about Ł100,000 according to the council. The new buses will have equipment that enables screens at bus stops to tell passengers when the next bus will arrive. Bus schedules on the 22, 24, 44 and 45 services will not change.

David Pratt, of the Derby branch of the National Federation of Bus Users, said, "Reliability is the number one concern of bus users, so if the new buses improve that, this has to be good news." City council leader Councillor Chris Williamson said, "Arriva's investment in new buses for Derby is great news. I'm sure the work we'll be doing improving bus stops and enhancing bus routes will make the services more attractive."

Next >>>--