Arriva clean up again!!!

[Bob]

which routes that?

[Discodave]

arriva are not that brilliant then espically if its a route they do in the week and lost it on evenings and sundays etc

[andy]

Arriva don't prioritise tendering for routes they operate on commercially, a bit like NXWM don't seem to.

It's all about revenue and what fits in with the other work available. For instance they didn't make much effort to retain evening and Sunday work in North Warwickshire and sat back and watched Stagecoach take it all off them and weren't particularly bothered as the work in West Mids and Staffs was keeping the rotas full anyway.

When they get to a stage where they need that work again to fill lines on rotas then they will probably tender more competitively.

Loads of weekend tenders are no good to you if you have nothing in the week to complete the rota line.

[Bob]

so which route have Arriva lost then? is it one of the Cannock ones?

[winston]

Info only at the moment from my contacts should be published end of week

Yes, not officially announced yet. I think Centro are at the stage where they have told operators what they have won then waiting to see if anything gets thrown back to them before doing the general release.

I hear Arriva have done well, but haven't cleaned up. Some interesting wins including another operator winning a tender on an Arriva route!

Have Arriva won a number of the tendered services that Midland currently operate? Could that be what prompted the sale of the business to Arriva

[Discodave]

That looks more likly winston they need to make some money now they have spent out

[Ck]

Does anybody know what routes they have won and what route they have lost

[Ck]

I see on the vosa website that they are starting operation of midland routes on the 23rd of september

[woody38]

here is the link to the tender changes from October 2012, inless some are missing Arriva are not mentioned
http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/web/FILES/BusServiceChanges/ServiceChanges211012.pdf

[Tony]

here is the link to the tender changes from October 2012, inless some are missing Arriva are not mentioned
http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/web/FILES/BusServiceChanges/ServiceChanges211012.pdf

Correct. Arriva have won absolutely nothing! Thank Hansons for that.

Arriva put in a bid that included operating most of the tendered services up for grabs. The bid they put in was a price for all of these services. This was accepted by Centro as the cheapest bid to cover these services and hence rumours of Arriva mopping up. But they didn't count for Hansons ruining the party by deciding to register one of the services in the bid commercially (287 I think). This then cancelled the whole Arriva bid as that route was included. Every other route then went to the lowest individual tender for that route, and none of them were Arriva's.

[danny]

Haha clever hansons something tells me they knew exactly what they were doing lol

[PM]

Haha congratulations to Hanson's thats great-really clever!! Bet arriva wont use this tactic ever again!!!

[andy]

Haha congratulations to Hanson's thats great-really clever!! Bet arriva wont use this tactic ever again!!!

I admire Hansons for taking on the big boys.....however I wouldn't sing and dance about this tactic. Let's see how long they persist with their commercial registration. I wouldn't be surprised if they ditched it further down the line and Centro will then have to tender again creating extra cost and inconvenience.

What beats me is why an operator is allowed to tender for a group of routes in this way as that creates an unfair advantage over smaller operators who either can't afford or don't have the capacity to use the same tactic. Seems to me the system needs ripping up. Another reason that the London system is preferable in my opinion.

[PM]

True-it is unfair for the smaller operators. However, some of these can have lower costs eg vip!! who I notice havent won anything if Im right.....

[Stu]

Seems to have been WMSNT who were the winners, gaining a lot of contracts off Blue Diamond!

Would anyone find it off-putting to catch a public service operated by West Midlands Special Needs Transport though?  ::)