On The Buses. (Arriva)

Member Name: Tray0098

Product:	Arriva
Date:	07/02/03 (1012 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gets you places, Shoooooosh!, Comedian Drivers.

Disadvantages: Expensive

Those of you that know me will know I'm lacking in the driving skills department. This is the reason that I have to use buses to get anywhere during daylight hours while hubby is working at his other job ( his primary occupation being my chauffeur )

Where I live ( Luton ) the main bus company is Arriva. It appears from their website that Arriva buses also operate in the West Midlands, half of Wales, Glasgow, The North ( Newcastle and surrounds ) Leeds, York and surrounding area, and the rest of the South East including London, Southend and as far south as Hastings. So, they have alot of the UK covered then.

I'm going to base my review of Arrivas actual bus service in Luton, as I have so far only had the pleasure of using my local Arriva services. They call our local company ' Arriva ~ The Shires and Essex '. Apparently, this local subsidary runs 680 buses from 11 operating centres in the Northern Home Counties, providing employment for 1,680 local people, of which 1,200 are bus drivers.

The buses that Arriva provide in Luton are very good. They are cream and a lovely green colour, with bright orange fittings inside. Most have recently been modernised, and all single deckers have a special pushchair / wheelchair area at the front of the bus, that is big enough to take a large double buggy or 2 single buggies ( at a tight squeeze though! )
I'm no engineer, so I'll explain this bit as best I can. When the bus stops, the driver can make the bus floor level with the pavement outside, making it really easy to get on and off with your wheelchair / buggy. When the driver does this, it makes a lovely ' Shoooooosh ' noise. Magic.

I've found the majority of Arrivas local drivers to be really lovely, helpful people. Many, I believe, are moonlighting for the local stand up comedy venue. If they aren't, they should be.
I've had the odd hair raising experience on my bus journey, one driver
> in particular seemed to think that his bus was above the national speed limits. However, I haven't seen him for ages, so maybe his career in Formula 1 has now taken off.

The fares charged by Arriva seem expensive to me, particularly for short journeys. I have to pay 1 shiny pound for a return journey that is half a mile there, half a mile back.
Yesterday I caught the X66 from Luton to Milton Keynes. This cost £3.65 return, and the journey took 1 hour and 10 minutes. This, I felt, was very good value.

I know there are special deals for travellers, such as the Explorer card, which costs £6. This card is valid for up to 4 people ( of which 2 can be adults ) and you can use it on any Arriva Shires and Essex bus on the day of purchase. I've found this to be a cheap, fun way to spend a day during those long summer holidays.

If you need to use the buses daily, it's worth considering a period ticket. For example, an adult wishing to travel on any routes in Beds, Herts and Bucks ( except London! ) can pay £18 for a weekly pass, or £49.50 for a monthly pass. Very good if you're travelling a long way to work.

On paper, the timetable offered by Arriva looks very good, with buses on popular local routes running every 15 minutes or so. In reality, it doesn't seem to work as well. How can I have to wait 30 minutes for a bus that runs every 15 minutes? A mystery.
To be fair though, I have found the less regular buses, such as the X66 to MK, which runs once an hour, to be much more reliable.

Overall, until I master my driving skills, I'm stuck with Arriva. It's not so bad though, they're definately improving. And while ever stand up comedy is part of the drivers training, at least you get a free laugh.

Summary: