WM Bus Photos Forum

West Midlands Buses in Discussion => Arriva => Topic started by: PM on July 11, 2014, 06:39:51 PM

Title: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: PM on July 11, 2014, 06:39:51 PM
I know Arriva used to produce very good area guides for Walsall, Wolverhampton and also Sandwell and Dudley.

However, I haven't seen any available for a while at West Brom, Walsall or Wolverhampton bus stations and Halesowen only have the outdated April 2013 S and D one. Wolverhampton have some pathetic timetable printouts for the 891 etc.

I was wondering if anyone knew if they still make such guides and if so, where they'd be available from, as I find them a lot easier when planning a dayout!!

Do they also do Lichfield, Derby, Cannock, Leicester, Telford and Stafford area ones?

Thanks :)
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Westy on July 11, 2014, 06:59:39 PM
I did ask them on the Facebook site and they were considering it.

They should make it a Black Country & South Staffordshire combined guide personally.

They put the Lichfield guide in Walsall for some reason.  They should have put the Cannock guide in there instead!
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: PM on July 11, 2014, 07:06:15 PM
Quote from: Westy on July 11, 2014, 06:59:39 PM
I did ask them on the Facebook site and they were considering it.

They should make it a Black Country & South Staffordshire combined guide personally.

They put the Lichfield guide in Walsall for some reason.  They should have put the Cannock guide in there instead!

Guess Black Country and South Staffordshire would be pretty weighty.

The Walsall one I have only has the 35 group in there to Lichfield-nothing else...

Arriva are usually pretty good at publicity so it would be useful if they did them again...
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Bob on July 11, 2014, 07:08:54 PM
The billboard at cannock stn was still displaying x60/x31/72 up until recently and may still be  lol. Excellent with publicity
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: PM on July 11, 2014, 07:10:44 PM
Quote from: Bob on July 11, 2014, 07:08:54 PM
The billboard at cannock stn was still displaying x60/x31/72 up until recently and may still be  lol. Excellent with publicity

I did say "usually" and "pretty" good tho tbf ;)

Generally, they tend to have guides for most if not all their services in the NE at least. Until recently, their WM printed publicity was better than any other operator produces.
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Tony on July 11, 2014, 07:42:38 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on July 11, 2014, 07:10:44 PM
Quote from: Bob on July 11, 2014, 07:08:54 PM
The billboard at cannock stn was still displaying x60/x31/72 up until recently and may still be  lol. Excellent with publicity

I did say "usually" and "pretty" good tho tbf ;)

Generally, they tend to have guides for most if not all their services in the NE at least. Until recently, their WM printed publicity was better than any other operator produces.

Would that be because no other operator generally produces Timetables etc, instead paying money to Centro to produce combined ones?
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: PM on July 11, 2014, 07:46:56 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 11, 2014, 07:42:38 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on July 11, 2014, 07:10:44 PM
Quote from: Bob on July 11, 2014, 07:08:54 PM
The billboard at cannock stn was still displaying x60/x31/72 up until recently and may still be  lol. Excellent with publicity

I did say "usually" and "pretty" good tho tbf ;)

Generally, they tend to have guides for most if not all their services in the NE at least. Until recently, their WM printed publicity was better than any other operator produces.

Would that be because no other operator generally produces Timetables etc, instead paying money to Centro to produce combined ones?

Indeed-unfortunately... In the Metro area, operators produce in-house publicity meaning fares etc can be shown. The Centro ones are hardly award-winning publicity in action!
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Westy on July 12, 2014, 12:30:47 AM
Quote from: DiamondDart on July 11, 2014, 07:46:56 PM
Quote from: Tony on July 11, 2014, 07:42:38 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on July 11, 2014, 07:10:44 PM
Quote from: Bob on July 11, 2014, 07:08:54 PM
The billboard at cannock stn was still displaying x60/x31/72 up until recently and may still be  lol. Excellent with publicity



I did say "usually" and "pretty" good tho tbf ;)

Generally, they tend to have guides for most if not all their services in the NE at least. Until recently, their WM printed publicity was better than any other operator produces.

Would that be because no other operator generally produces Timetables etc, instead paying money to Centro to produce combined ones?

Indeed-unfortunately... In the Metro area, operators produce in-house publicity meaning fares etc can be shown. The Centro ones are hardly award-winning publicity in action!

And never seem to be on time either.

Last lot of Walsall change leaflets were patchy availability for first week,  in fact the following weekend,  the Centro bus was in town and they had more than the Travel Shop round the corner!

(Plus the bird on the Centro bus liked my Camra cider t shirt! )
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: D10 on July 12, 2014, 01:42:37 PM
Quote from: DiamondDart on July 11, 2014, 06:39:51 PM
I know Arriva used to produce very good area guides for Walsall, Wolverhampton and also Sandwell and Dudley.

However, I haven't seen any available for a while at West Brom, Walsall or Wolverhampton bus stations and Halesowen only have the outdated April 2013 S and D one. Wolverhampton have some pathetic timetable printouts for the 891 etc.

I was wondering if anyone knew if they still make such guides and if so, where they'd be available from, as I find them a lot easier when planning a dayout!!

Do they also do Lichfield, Derby, Cannock, Leicester, Telford and Stafford area ones?

Thanks :)

Leicester has individual leaflets for services.

As to Stafford, I posted a thread last year, where I picked up the Stafford "Area" guide, but it very unhelpfully only in fact contains routes to the South East of town!
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: stuartn on July 12, 2014, 04:57:55 PM
the Hinckley Bus operations have a booklet with all the timetables and route maps in but it doesn't include the 79 and 208 routes.
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Westy on October 03, 2014, 11:33:12 PM
Any  news on new guides for the West Midlands services?
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: Bob on October 03, 2014, 11:48:02 PM
They need to do them pronto considering half the time you cant even download the bloody timetables off the website
Title: Re: Arriva Area Guides
Post by: derningtona on October 04, 2014, 09:48:56 AM
The new website is nothing like as good as the old one. No starting dates and as you say impossible to download and print easily unless I'm missing something. Unfortunately, printed guides are always partly out of date no time at all after they come out.