Cannock Garage

[Tony]

Second day running 3004 has been on the 61
http://wmbusphotos.com/Arriva/3004.html
I hope it does something more productive elsewhere in the duty, because a Citaro on here is a bit of a waste

[Bob]

Saw Fk52 MML leaving  Walsall  on a peak time journey on the new 3 route half empty , on a trip that used to be prettybusy in 33 days, I tthought  the amount of passengers was one of the reasons mpds were ditched in favour of cadets.  Obviously not required anymore. ...

[Bob]

Thinking about the Sapphire 1 & 2 services, and the changes.  The original idea was to improve standards of quality and comfort and Increase ridership & cusfrequenciesaction?  Right?

Then let's look at the changes, and reasons.

The two conclusions I came to were either..

The above really worked & to p## passengers off ( which according to many fab page comments & on board remarks they've managed, royally) theyve reduced the frequency and made both routes slower with a longer running time

Or

It didn't work, ridership didn't increase and they reduced frequency. ..

Which ever way you look at it there were three direct buses and two slow ones per hour previously between Cannock and Walsall,  now there are four slow ones...

A success?

[winston]

Or could it be a simple as Arriva wanted the 2 extra Sapphire buses to be able to add extra journeys to the 110 which is growing passenger numbers & the Sapphire 1 & 2 frequency was sacrificed pvr reduced to provide them?

[Steveminor]

That scenario wouldn't make sense why sacrifice one route to provide for another unless the first round was failing anyway & if it was failing then why not look at the reasons why & try to fix it rather than make things worse.

[winston]

As the 1 & 2 don't appear to be making the returns / achieving the growth that Arriva had hoped, where as the 110 is. Therefore, the asetts are being re-deployed on that service or additionally the 110 could be being enhanced to compete with NX Sutton's Lines over similar lines of route?

[Bob]

Why make the routes longer and such a ball ache for passengers though?  Caught the 2 home today it had one paying passenger!  It takes for bloody ever now going down roads in Wysupp  where nobody  boarded or alighted then back onto the a34 then back on itself round cheslyn hay one way loop. Sure about three stops between the essential garage and hilt on lane now have a 15 minute frequency but who the hell would want the 2.

The exterior and interior branding still lists the 2a & says the 2 serves Longford.  Looks really unprofessional.  the 1 ran for like 6 years at a 20 min frequency sapphire was supposed to build on that, you could argue that upgrading it f### it up. Certainly hasn't improved it has it? Lol.

Only arriva could be this crap.  Time for some competition I think, arriva would probably lose out at the present!

[Bob]

That should say Wyrley

[Steveminor]

29 min frequency.  When chase & twm were there it was more frequent than that & carried more passengers

[Kevin]

But you have to admit back then the trains weren't the level they are now through Cannock.
Not trying to excuse Arriva, mind, I agree it doesn't look good on their part

[Bob]

Are the trains hourly or half hourly?

[2206]

Are the trains hourly or half hourly?

half hourly @Bob

[Busman Jamie]

2290 on x70 is this back on Cannocks fleet or loaned?

[winston]

The post below appeared on another forum regarding the future of Arriva UK Bus, I think it sums the current situation in some subsidaries quite well:

You have summed it up a treat. They reduce or withdraw services that are profitable or non loss making, just not profitable enough for their margin. This in turn drives bus users in the area away resulting in lower ridership on other services too, and as you correctly say reduces the usability and demand for multi journey tickets.

In turn it allows other players who don't require the same margin of profit to get a shoe in where they previously had no chance. Then suddenly Arriva end up fighting mini battles everywhere, which in itself has a cost. It is an express route to decline, as proved by First in many areas, particularly the former Midland Red West which they totally destroyed using this business model. I really hope Arriva realise the error of their ways before it is too late.

[Tony]

half hourly @Bob

Hourly most of the time, only half hourly Saturdays & peak