Questions for Simon from Arriva

[Simon@Arriva]

3701-3704 are they for Thurmaston or Wigston Depot Simon

Both I think - cover for the Euro 6 conversions.

[Brick60000]

Noticed this afternoon on my ticket that it was valid to Wildwood loop. With this being programmed into the new machines, is it an indication of an intention to re-serve Wildwood estate now that the Select 73 has stopped? Perhaps with a loop round using the 74 for what must only add 5 minutes or so into the journey? It's quite a big estate to have now lost all coverage, particularly with the new estate that's being built on the site of the former police station as well.

If it's not a sign of any intention, do you think it's likely that it will see another Arriva service in the near future?

[Westy]

https://www.facebook.com/683173491770389/posts/2215938551827201/

Your company deserves a right of reply at least!

[Simon@Arriva]

https://www.facebook.com/683173491770389/posts/2215938551827201/

Your company deserves a right of reply at least!

Thanks for this link.  I will pass on to the PR team and talk locally about what we might say.

We all work really hard to try and be as good as possible and the new management team in Cannock are starting to make some differences.  We haven't always been as good as we should be so people are entitled to have complaints.

[evo mark]

the only way you can get people to come back to the buses is to run longer hours and 7 days a week so people can travel when they need to

[Simon@Arriva]

the only way you can get people to come back to the buses is to run longer hours and 7 days a week so people can travel when they need to

Nice idea but we have to balance cost with revenue.

[l.murphy123]

Nice idea but we have to balance cost with revenue.

Are you working towards bringing back some Sundays or is that still nowhere near a viable option at the moment?

Also how are the January changes going? i.e. X61, H, 826...? The 60 from Cannock after 5pm is now on time it was often as much as 15 or 20 minutes late before January so whatever you did there has worked!

[Bob]

Which routes in Cannock are next for the axe/cuts? Has patronage declined badly on the 3? As its now usually run by half empty solos.

[Simon@Arriva]

Are you working towards bringing back some Sundays or is that still nowhere near a viable option at the moment?

Also how are the January changes going? i.e. X61, H, 826...? The 60 from Cannock after 5pm is now on time it was often as much as 15 or 20 minutes late before January so whatever you did there has worked!

Good news about the 60 - thanks for the update.

Not much more I can say on the rest.

[Simon@Arriva]

Which routes in Cannock are next for the axe/cuts? Has patronage declined badly on the 3? As its now usually run by half empty solos.

I don't think you can really expect me to answer that.  We all work really hard to make our bus services the best they can be.  We have a new manager at Cannock and he is getting stuck in to the job really well.  We are always looking at how we can do things better and how we can continue to be a profitable company.  We have some plans (as we always do) that are being worked up but I can't say more than that.

[DJ]

Hi Simon, is there any plans for an open day at Cannock in the future? I thoroughly enjoyed the one at Tamworth last yeah and I'd love to check out Cannock too.

[Simon@Arriva]

Hi Simon, is there any plans for an open day at Cannock in the future? I thoroughly enjoyed the one at Tamworth last yeah and I'd love to check out Cannock too.

Hi,

Not at the moment.

[Westy]

I don't think you can really expect me to answer that.  We all work really hard to make our bus services the best they can be.  We have a new manager at Cannock and he is getting stuck in to the job really well.  We are always looking at how we can do things better and how we can continue to be a profitable company.  We have some plans (as we always do) that are being worked up but I can't say more than that.

All we can say Simon, is you need a hell of a lot of luck there, to get back to somewhere near the glory days of Midland Red!

On the subject of open days, I suppose this would come down to paying a driver unless they volunteered themselves, have you ever thought of sending a bus over to Aston Manor in Aldridge on one of the Sunday running days?

It might help with the company's public image.

(There was a old Midland Red towing vehicle, which I put a pic of on Arriva's Fb page earlier this week, there, plus Tamworth did send one of its Sapphires to the Cannon Hill bash a couple of years as well!)

[Brick60000]

I don't think you can really expect me to answer that.  We all work really hard to make our bus services the best they can be.  We have a new manager at Cannock and he is getting stuck in to the job really well.  We are always looking at how we can do things better and how we can continue to be a profitable company.  We have some plans (as we always do) that are being worked up but I can't say more than that.

Does this also cover my earlier question regarding a possible diversion via Wildwood going from Wildwood Loop being on the new tickets? Understandable if you can't say anything due to it being commercially sensitive?

[Simon@Arriva]

Does this also cover my earlier question regarding a possible diversion via Wildwood going from Wildwood Loop being on the new tickets? Understandable if you can't say anything due to it being commercially sensitive?

We have no intention of diverting the 74 back into Wildwood. It does add on 5 minutes to each journey. There isn't enough slack in the timetable to do this. We feel it also detracts  from the "fast and direct" Cannock to Stafford service. We tried this before a number of years ago, and it wasn't popular.