is it fare that arriva bus passengers have to suffer on boxing day

[bwsau cymru]

all my life I have lived in an area served by both arriva buses and trains and generally support them, but every year arriva run no services on boxing day and as they come into the west midlands more and more is it fare that they should take over services and not run them on Christmas day?

Ok the green bus are going to be running services in wm county but should the passenger have to cope with a different bus provider who wont accept arriva passes? or even worse be faced with no service at all!

[Bob]

Least the wm have some bus services!  Cannock do not have a single one and the garage runs several important roites into the wm

[Justin Tyme]

Large swathes of the UK will have no buses at all on Boxing Day.  Stagecoach in Warwickshire, First in Worcestershire and Diamond in Worcestershire are not running on Boxing Day or New Year's Day either.  Presumably there aren't many areas (outside of the larger conurbations) that can sustain commercial bus services on Boxing Day. 

And presumably Centro contracts for 'normal' tendered services do not include operation on Boxing Day, hence the special arrangements where other operators step in.  With the forthcoming budget cuts in mind, I wonder whether any money will be available for tendered services on Boxing Day 2014.

What is perhaps more "unfair" (If that is the right word) is the level of service that will run on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 December, which are not Bank Holidays.  Generally a Saturday service will operate, although some operators such as NXWM are providing a few earlier journeys - a fair compromise to accommodate passengers having to do a normal day's work on either (or both of) those days.  However, Arriva has advertised a Sunday service in much of the Western Midlands on 30 December.  I hope that is an error, otherwise it will be rather hard on people having to work.

[bwsau cymru]

Large swathes of the UK will have no buses at all on Boxing Day.  Stagecoach in Warwickshire, First in Worcestershire and Diamond in Worcestershire are not running on Boxing Day or New Year's Day either.  Presumably there aren't many areas (outside of the larger conurbations) that can sustain commercial bus services on Boxing Day. 

And presumably Centro contracts for 'normal' tendered services do not include operation on Boxing Day, hence the special arrangements where other operators step in.  With the forthcoming budget cuts in mind, I wonder whether any money will be available for tendered services on Boxing Day 2014.

What is perhaps more "unfair" (If that is the right word) is the level of service that will run on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 December, which are not Bank Holidays.  Generally a Saturday service will operate, although some operators such as NXWM are providing a few earlier journeys - a fair compromise to accommodate passengers having to do a normal day's work on either (or both of) those days.  However, Arriva has advertised a Sunday service in much of the Western Midlands on 30 December.  I hope that is an error, otherwise it will be rather hard on people having to work.

I didn't see that !!! I thought that originally diamond was going to operate just the 56 on boxing day in Redditch?
and I do agree its a shame for the poor people that rely on public transport to get about that we have to take time out to plan how we are going to do food shopping, get to work, do normal day to day. not everyone can afford a week off at xmas!

[nx4737]

The West Midlands has buses on boxing day because Birmingham is a city with more people needing to travel... From a business point of view, why should Arriva run buses around places like Cannock etc when they will be carrying fresh air all day?

[Bob]

Why not? They do it every day from their depot at Wednesfield dont they? Lol. No but seriously I can see what you mean, it depends on how people see it ie is public transport a commercial commodity or a public service? It used to be ( in the days of public ownership) a service now its the former.

[Bob]

Personally I prefer public ownership.  Youve only got to look at places like Nottingham and Edinburgh who have excellent  bus services in local authority hands.

[Sh4318]

You say passengers in Cannock suffer with the lack of a Boxing Day service, but don't Worcester and Redditch also suffer?

[the trainbasher]

Personally I prefer public ownership.  Youve only got to look at places like Nottingham and Edinburgh who have excellent  bus services in local authority hands.

Privatization is the way forward IMO...

[Bob]

Personally I prefer public ownership.  Youve only got to look at places like Nottingham and Edinburgh who have excellent  bus services in local authority hands.

Privatization is the way forward IMO...

Why though?  Its been a disaster in the train industry. ..costing more in taxpayer subsidies than it did under public ownership,  and it hasnt really led to much improved service through competition has it like they said at the time itwould? Its led to private monopolies in the end which is okay if you bhave a good operator but look at the state of services that get complained about in certain places where certain big companies are the dominant operator....

[the trainbasher]

Personally I prefer public ownership.  Youve only got to look at places like Nottingham and Edinburgh who have excellent  bus services in local authority hands.

Privatization is the way forward IMO...

Why though?  Its been a disaster in the train industry. ..costing more in taxpayer subsidies than it did under public ownership,  and it hasnt really led to much improved service through competition has it like they said at the time itwould? Its led to private monopolies in the end which is okay if you bhave a good operator but look at the state of services that get complained about in certain places where certain big companies are the dominant operator....

But looking on the other hand privatisation has given innovation, improved frequencies, more competition on some routes. Just because there is no competition in Cannock does not mean that privatisation is a failure!

[Bob]

No agreed but its led to a reduction of services in many other areas as years ago less profitable routes were cross subsidised by paying ones. Again it depends on your viewpoint.  It certainly hasnt led to competition and improvement in the train industry.  Yes BR werent perfect but id rather see taxpayers money go to a publicly owned provider than lining shareholders pockets. Also in areas like stoke on trent/Worcester/etc could you say its aby betterthan NBC days? Or Iin Walsall/Wolverhampton better than PTE days. Im not saying public ownership is always the best option but it works as well as private or better in other areas

[vinh1000]

Even in wythall service 50a will run on a Thursday service where my friend is

[andy]

I am delighted that so many services won't be running and only wish others weren't. Why should people be forced to work on Boxing Day just so that debt ridden consumers can get up at 4am to go and buy more crap that they can't afford and don't need from Next.

If people can't stand to do nothing for two whole days, when they still have the internet to shop on anyway, then I think they need to have a look at themselves.

[nitromatt1]

I am delighted that so many services won't be running and only wish others weren't. Why should people be forced to work on Boxing Day just so that debt ridden consumers can get up at 4am to go and buy more crap that they can't afford and don't need from Next.

If people can't stand to do nothing for two whole days, when they still have the internet to shop on anyway, then I think they need to have a look at themselves.

I couldn't agree more with all of that