Arriva (Beds, Bucks, Herts)

[Deerfold]

You may recall a dispute a few years back when Arriva refused to pay for 757 the Green Line Coach to access the bus station and instead operated from the long stay car park bus stop. Eventually, the Airport backed down

I remember it. It wasn't about Arriva refusing to pay to access the bus station, but about the airport wanting to have just one coach service between the airport and London. The 797 returned by court order, not because the airport backed down (other than by accepting the authority of the court). The ruling of the court was that either all operators should have access or none, with the same rules for all.
I don't see the relevance here.

Because the airport want to make more money?

I understand what the airport may want them to do it. But it's not the airport running the routes.

 

[GusB]

I remember it. It wasn't about Arriva refusing to pay to access the bus station, but about the airport wanting to have just one coach service between the airport and London. The 797 returned by court order, not because the airport backed down (other than by accepting the authority of the court). The ruling of the court was that either all operators should have access or none, with the same rules for all.
I don't see the relevance here.

If there was a court order, there's likely to be a public record. Would you mind providing us with the details of that record, please? You're always so quick to demand that others provide sources.

Thanks

 

[markymark2000]

I understand what the airport may want them to do it. But it's not the airport running the routes

If it's private land, the airport can prevent access or possibly put in high access fees to heavily discourage usage. Same as how they do the parking. Park close by but you have to pay the drop off fee or park half a mile away and get a shuttle for free. In this instance, bus stops closer to the airport cost a lot per departure, bus stops at Parkway are free.

Not saying this is the plan, just giving an example of how the Airport could do it.

 

[Deerfold]

If there was a court order, there's likely to be a public record. Would you mind providing us with the details of that record, please? You're always so quick to demand that others provide sources.

Thanks

Not a problem. No need to be snarky, though.

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5a8ff72960d03e7f57ea8e66#:~:text=Conclusion%3A,ATS%20was%20entitled%20to%20relief.

Conclusion:

The Court ruled in favour of ATS, finding that Luton Operations abused its dominant market position by granting exclusivity to National Express, leading to distortions in the downstream market.
The Court rejected Luton Operations' justifications for exclusivity and held that ATS was entitle to relief.

If it's private land, the airport can prevent access or possibly put in high access fees to heavily discourage usage. Same as how they do the parking. Park close by but you have to pay the drop off fee or park half a mile away and get a shuttle for free. In this instance, bus stops closer to the airport cost a lot per departure, bus stops at Parkway are free.

Not saying this is the plan, just giving an example of how the Airport could do it.

in theory, but they'd struggle to only implement high charges for those travelling to/from Luton Parkway without putting off people coming from Hitchin or Nottingham by bus or coach. I can't see anyone doing that wanting to be dropped off at the parkway to catch the DART. Too many are likely to drive or use a different airport if they make it too convoluted or expensive to get to the airport by public transport.

 

[Haywain]

If it's private land, the airport can prevent access or possibly put in high access fees to heavily discourage usage. Same as how they do the parking. Park close by but you have to pay the drop off fee or park half a mile away and get a shuttle for free. In this instance, bus stops closer to the airport cost a lot per departure, bus stops at Parkway are free.

Not saying this is the plan, just giving an example of how the Airport could do it.

You are probably right but a significant proportion of those using bus services to access the airport are employed there, and not on high wages. They would not want or accept a longer and more expensive journey to work. The obvious solution would be to give them free travel on the DART but then that would remove any benefit from forcing them on to it.

 

[SteveHFC]

Details of the Luton & Dunstable area changes from 2nd June (over and above those for the 100/101/102 already mentioned) have been released ---> https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/changes-to-your-luton-services

In summary

Daytime frequencies remain unchanged across the board.

1 & 4 - Luton to Farley Hill - Revised timetable with additional services early morning and late evening.

12 - Luton to Stopsley - Revised timetable with additional services early morning and late evening.

13 & 14 - Luton to Round Green - Revised timetable

23 - Luton to Sundon Park - Revised timetable with additional evening services and a full Sunday service introduced.

24, 25 & 26 - Revised timetable with additional evening services and a full Sunday service on the 24 introduced.

27 - Luton to Marsh Farm - Revised timetable with additional evening services.

28 & 28B - Luton to Hockwell Ring/Linmere - Revised timetable with additional evening services.

29 - Luton to Runfold - Revised timetable with additional evening services.

31 - Luton to Dunstable - Revised timetable

32 - Luton to Hockwell Ring - Revised timetable with an amended route in Luton Town Centre. Additional Sunday evening services introduced.

321 - Luton to Watford - Revised timetable with more journeys to Watford General Hospital.

F70 & F77 - Luton to Milton Keynes - Extended to run to/from Luton Airport daily. Revised timetable with routes simplified for F70 to serve Tilsworth and Stanbridge, and F77 to serve Stoke Hammond.

A - Dunstable to Luton Airport - Revised timetable

Z - Luton to Dunstable - Revised timetable

 

[RELL6L]

The timetables for the changes in High Wycombe are finally available on Arriva (but only by searching, not linked to the changes page) and Buckinghamshire website, they have been on BusTimes for a few days.

No services now run every 15 minutes except the 3 which will no doubt remain standalone with Streetlites.

Every 20 minutes are the 2, 12 and 13. I was expecting the timetables to be such that they would interwork, or at least could do so in a way that required only 6 buses - at the moment sometimes some quite creative things are done like this. But no, just as the 13 arrives both the 2 and 12 leave and so the three routes look entirely standalone.

Every 30 minutes now are the 6/7, 10, 11 and 800/850. Again I was expecting more obvious interworking. I suspect the 11 will break from the 800/850 and interwork with the 10. These two together might then interwork also with the 6/7 or 800/850 although these might all be standalone. It could, in my view, have been more efficient had the 6/7 left Wycombe at 05 & 35 instead of 20 & 50 so that the lot could run 800/850 => 10 => 11 => 6/7. Probably 24 vehicles in total during the interpeak period instead of 28.

The 4 switches to Carousel with a good increase in service to every 30 minutes although via a different route, meaning the Sands area west of the A4010 loses its service.

The level of service has deteriorated sharply over the last week with far more breakdowns. Last Tuesday in Henley fitters were attending to an E400 on one side of the road and a Citaro on the other at the same time. The Citaro (3012, not tracking) was barely delayed but the E400 left after the attention almost an hour late, closely followed by the next 800. I think only 23 vehicles have been out today, the daytime requirement is 28 with 1 or 2 more in the peaks. The 800/850 are not helped by the road between Marlow and Henley being closed with lengthy delays. 3007, 3027, 3029, 2953, 2956, 2982 and 4212 have been off service or rarely out for some time. At this rate they won't have enough vehicles here even after the service reductions.

Meanwhile the App has, for several days, said "There are no services on this date" for anything I have searched for. They just seem to be giving up.

 

[markymark2000]

in theory, but they'd struggle to only implement high charges for those travelling to/from Luton Parkway without putting off people coming from Hitchin or Nottingham by bus or coach. I can't see anyone doing that wanting to be dropped off at the parkway to catch the DART. Too many are likely to drive or use a different airport if they make it too convoluted or expensive to get to the airport by public transport.

You are probably right but a significant proportion of those using bus services to access the airport are employed there, and not on high wages. They would not want or accept a longer and more expensive journey to work. The obvious solution would be to give them free travel on the DART but then that would remove any benefit from forcing them on to it.

I agree with both of you in that it would be a daft idea. I was merely saying how they could try to do it to push buses to drop off outside. Let's be honest, it's not like some airports aren't already doing it such as Edinburgh Airport and hence why Ember and Flixbus only serve Ingliston Park and Ride rather than Edinburgh Airport.

 

[KX03HZY]

Arriva Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

In not altogether surprising news, Arriva is proposing to close Aylesbury and Wycombe depots.

Proposed closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots
We have taken the difficult decision to begin consultation with our colleagues on the proposed closure of our Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots. Despite extensive efforts to turn the situation around, including making network changes to better reflect local demand, both sites continue to be loss-making.

There will be no immediate impact on services and we will work with local authority partners to explore ways to minimise the impact, should we withdraw services.

We will keep our customers and our employees updated throughout this period.
If the closures go ahead, Arriva will no longer operate the following services:

o X7/X8 – Aylesbury to Oxford
o X9/X90 – Aylesbury to High Wycombe
o 2 – High Wycombe to Booker
o 3 – High Wycombe to Castlefield
o 4 – High Wycombe to Lane End
o 5/5a – High Wycombe to Bourne End
o 6/6a – High Wycombe to Bourne End
o 7/7a – High Wycombe to Bourne End and Maidenhead
o 10 – High Wycombe to Downley
o 11 – High Wycombe to Penn
o 12 – High Wycombe to Micklefield
o 13 – High Wycombe to Totteridge
o 800/850/X80 – High Wycombe to Henley on Thames and Reading
o X9/90 – Aylesbury to High Wycombe.



If the closures go ahead, the X5 (Aylesbury to Hemel Hempstead) would continue to operate running from our Hemel Hempstead depot instead.


Arriva will continue to operate the contracted services listed below on behalf of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Councils for the remainder of the agreed contract term:

Authority
Route
Details
Oxfordshire
800
Specific journeys diverted to serve Binfield Heath
Oxfordshire
800
Mon- Sat evenings
Buckinghamshire
11
Sundays
Buckinghamshire
11
30 min frequency
Buckinghamshire
12
Evenings
Buckinghamshire
12
Sundays
Buckinghamshire
7
Evenings
Buckinghamshire
7
Sundays
Buckinghamshire
800
Evenings
Buckinghamshire
800
Sundays
Buckinghamshire
6
Specific journeys
Buckinghamshire
11
Evenings

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Arriva Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

In not altogether surprising news, Arriva is proposing to close Aylesbury and Wycombe depots.

Staff were told this afternoon - got tipped off about it. Absolutely no surprise and, I fear, not the last we've seen. Feel sorry for the decent people (locally) who are battling against the corporate mismanagement of that business.

 

[northern506]

Staff were told this afternoon - got tipped off about it. Absolutely no surprise and, I fear, not the last we've seen. Feel sorry for the decent people (locally) who are battling against the corporate mismanagement of that business.

I'm sure you might have called this happening a while back! I'm not surprised in the slightest either.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the North East depots are next - Redcar in particular seems to be operated appallingly with maintenance that bad journeys are missing everyday despite having enough drivers.

 

[GusB]

Posts concerning the closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots have been moved to a separate thread:

Arriva to close Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/proposed-closure-of-aylesbury-and-high-wycombe-depots In not altogether surprising news, Arriva is proposing to close Aylesbury and Wycombe depots. Well, can't say I'm all that surprised. Thought Aylesbury would go before Wycombe, but I guess it makes...

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