Arriva service changes 3rd September 2016

[Kevin]

Warwickshire Council confirms Central Buses services 16/X16/X17 will provide a half hourly service between Tamworth and Kingsbury and an hourly service onto Birmingham.

Hahahahahaha!!!!!
Love it! Someone's getting the upper hand here

[andy41]

A word or two on what is happening to Arriva in this area.

What we have is a terrible collision between the original Deregulation act of 1986 and the austerity policies of 6 years of this awful government. It is no coincidence that deregulation worked pretty much without distress (although I opposed it at the time, but being 12 there wasn't much I could do about it...) until we got this government in 2010.

The balancing act between bus companies and local authorities has been a fine and tight one since day one, but the saving grace has always been the local authority grant that government has always had to fund, whatever has been going on with the economy or politics in general. Until Osborne.

Local Authorities have had their allowances recalculated in wholly disproportionate equations. The result being that some of those with the highest costs when it comes to public transport (due to their rural nature and lack of existing infrastructure) have lost more per head of population than others who whilst having more population to provide for, are already better set up to take the hit due to having alternatives and good existing infrastructure. A sort of poll tax for transport.

In the days of operators that were focussed solely on one area, the company would simply have to make the most of what was there and be innovative in growing their commercial appeal to make up for the shortfall that the LA was withdrawing. It wouldn't be perfect by any means, but it would be in the operators' interest to make an effort in order to have a sustainable and robust future and therefore still be there to reap the benefits of a change of policy in the future. (these are never far away in this political climate)

The problem is that we don't have these operators. We have multinationals with vast fleets in all areas of the country. Their policy is to invest when and where the LA does, and to retrench when the LA has to cut. And that is what we have with companies like Arriva. They will shift focus from one year to the next and if their figures tell them that a bus can achieve a better return in Luton or Watford because the LA is still funding evening services and pays a better rate per head on ENCTS than Staffs or Shrops now can, they simply move the buses.

That is just one example of how they do it. You can apply the principle anywhere in the country, because there are now vast differences between our LA's and what they can and can't pay anymore. And now we have the Buses Bill to inject further discrepancies. Companies like Arriva will continue to play Chess with their assets, paying no concern whatsoever to the needs of those left behind, as long as the margin per vehicle and depot is looking favourable.

The skeletal service they keep in place, as they have for instance in Stafford, is an insurance policy to a) keep redundancy expenses to a minimum, b) keep a foot in the door should LA policy suddenly change and the gravy train starts running again and c) retain an asset which can eventually be sold rather than full scale retrenchment which raises no revenue.

They actually drive down demand for their own product by making it unattractive, and then blame the reduced demand that they have created themselves when cutting further. They do this as a complete gamble, based on the odds that there are few left in the industry that can afford to comprehensively move into the gaps they create and that they therefore, despite their half hearted operation, will remain as the dominant operator. 9 times out of 10 the gamble pays off and they either sell up and raise capital (see Burton) or are still around to cash in when the money kicks in again. One can only assume that they think that may happen round here when the LA's digest the Buses Bill in full, and consequently they are leaving a toe dipped in.

Maybe they will pay for this approach, maybe they won't.

[Bob]

Cannock actually had more choice and competition in the regulated days with WM PTE Midland Red Green Bus Service Blue Bus of Rugeley Stevensons and independents.  Now what we have is a German state railway owned firm operating a fleet of rubbish cos they can. Cheers Mrs T

[Solo1]

They also had an operator with a Leyland national think it was
on service 19 in  Cannock some years back

[Bob]

Yea that's the independent.  At one point it was an L reg national in nbc leaf green

[Tosher]

A very well placed account of the issues that are now industry wide. Of course, this is where the deregulated bus industry married to a climate of austerity and funding cuts has and will continue to fail marginal communities. We can be certain that rural services will be the first casualties and that more will be to come, regardless of the operator.

A word or two on what is happening to Arriva in this area.

What we have is a terrible collision between the original Deregulation act of 1986 and the austerity policies of 6 years of this awful government. It is no coincidence that deregulation worked pretty much without distress (although I opposed it at the time, but being 12 there wasn't much I could do about it...) until we got this government in 2010.

The balancing act between bus companies and local authorities has been a fine and tight one since day one, but the saving grace has always been the local authority grant that government has always had to fund, whatever has been going on with the economy or politics in general. Until Osborne.

Local Authorities have had their allowances recalculated in wholly disproportionate equations. The result being that some of those with the highest costs when it comes to public transport (due to their rural nature and lack of existing infrastructure) have lost more per head of population than others who whilst having more population to provide for, are already better set up to take the hit due to having alternatives and good existing infrastructure. A sort of poll tax for transport.

In the days of operators that were focussed solely on one area, the company would simply have to make the most of what was there and be innovative in growing their commercial appeal to make up for the shortfall that the LA was withdrawing. It wouldn't be perfect by any means, but it would be in the operators' interest to make an effort in order to have a sustainable and robust future and therefore still be there to reap the benefits of a change of policy in the future. (these are never far away in this political climate)

The problem is that we don't have these operators. We have multinationals with vast fleets in all areas of the country. Their policy is to invest when and where the LA does, and to retrench when the LA has to cut. And that is what we have with companies like Arriva. They will shift focus from one year to the next and if their figures tell them that a bus can achieve a better return in Luton or Watford because the LA is still funding evening services and pays a better rate per head on ENCTS than Staffs or Shrops now can, they simply move the buses.

That is just one example of how they do it. You can apply the principle anywhere in the country, because there are now vast differences between our LA's and what they can and can't pay anymore. And now we have the Buses Bill to inject further discrepancies. Companies like Arriva will continue to play Chess with their assets, paying no concern whatsoever to the needs of those left behind, as long as the margin per vehicle and depot is looking favourable.

The skeletal service they keep in place, as they have for instance in Stafford, is an insurance policy to a) keep redundancy expenses to a minimum, b) keep a foot in the door should LA policy suddenly change and the gravy train starts running again and c) retain an asset which can eventually be sold rather than full scale retrenchment which raises no revenue.

They actually drive down demand for their own product by making it unattractive, and then blame the reduced demand that they have created themselves when cutting further. They do this as a complete gamble, based on the odds that there are few left in the industry that can afford to comprehensively move into the gaps they create and that they therefore, despite their half hearted operation, will remain as the dominant operator. 9 times out of 10 the gamble pays off and they either sell up and raise capital (see Burton) or are still around to cash in when the money kicks in again. One can only assume that they think that may happen round here when the LA's digest the Buses Bill in full, and consequently they are leaving a toe dipped in.

Maybe they will pay for this approach, maybe they won't.

[Grinder]

In a post the closure of Stafford Garage I referred to the Deutsche Bahn takeover of Arriva and still remain convinced that they were only ever really interested in the rail franchises.  I am sure that government policy has a part to play in Arriva's moves but it is just one part, albeit a large one, of the whole picture.

[Ck]

Service changes with some timetables now on arriva website Stafford town has certainly been hit hard shoppers only service on old route 1 baswich

[Cheese]

Service changes with some timetables now on arriva website Stafford town has certainly been hit hard shoppers only service on old route 1 baswich

825 will be going along the 824 route all day so will go through part of Baswich, not the top end of Baswich Lane though like the 1 did.

[Grinder]

PD0000478/1 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
Variation Accepted: Operating between Stafford, Gaol Square and Porlock Ave, Babbacombe Ave or Walton, Cedar Way given service number 1/2/3 effective from 03-Sep-2016. To amend Route and Timetable.

This is not supported by the new timetable on Arriva's website.  Service no quoted on timetable is 1B and it goes no-where near Babbacombe Ave or Walton, Cedar Avenue.  Babbacombe should read Widecombe Ave. The service to Walton was dropped last year.

[winston]

PD0000478/108 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Tamworth, Victoria Road and Tamworth, Victoria Road given service number 5/5A effective from 03-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/311 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Halesowen and Merry Hill Centre given service number 17 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/312 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Brierley Hill and Brierley Hill given service number 13 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/338 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Wolverhampton and Fordhouses given service number 63/64/65 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/339 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Wolverhampton Bus Station and Bilston Bus Station given service number 57 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/342 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Wolverhampton and Perton given service number 10/10A/10B/10S effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/411 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Merry Hill Centre, Bus Station and Blackheath, Halesowen Street given service number 12 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Timetable.

PD0000478/436 - ARRIVA MIDLANDS NORTH LTD T/A ARRIVA MIDLANDS, THURMASTON GARAGE, 4 WESTMORELAND AVENUE, THURMASTON, LEICESTER, LE4 8PH
    Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Bilston Bus Station and Penderford Business Park given service number 25 effective from 04-Sep-2016. To amend Route and Timetable.

[Westy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but should Nwm have updated the timetable outside my house for the 2 & x51, as the timetable is still dated January 2016?

Nwm are normally good at updating the roadside stops, if not as good at the hard copy leaflets!

[Cheese]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but should Nwm have updated the timetable outside my house for the 2 & x51, as the timetable is still dated January 2016?

Nwm are normally good at updating the roadside stops, if not as good at the hard copy leaflets!

You would have thought so, the updated times for the 2 at least have been on Traveline for long enough, would assume the X51 has also been updated by now also so the data should be there for them to do it. Mind you, NWM still hadn't updated the 110 on Traveline from the 24th July change (and they have been reminded more than once to pull their finger out and do it) and they haven't bothered to update the 35 based on the changes this week either so they seem to be slipping somewhat.