Arriva doesn't arrive! Route Change leaves Passengers stranded.

9.08.31am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th May 2010

Arriva Route Change leaves Passengers Stranded

Arriva are making themselves most unpopular in Tring. They have cut a loop out of an important route - without putting any notices at key bus stops and in total disregard of their customers. Now they've retimed morning buses to make it impossible for young people from Tring and Berkhamsted to get to school in Aylesbury. So last week an large number of protesters made their feelings known.

Nick Hollinghurst, the local County Councillor has had a meeting with the head of the Passenger Transport Unit at County Hall in Hertford. Apparently there is no problem with the demand for this service and the change to the route has been made purely for "operational reasons". County officers are due to meet Arriva next week and Cllr Hollinghurst has written to them asking for the changes to be reversed.

He said after the meeting, "Just what is 'operational reasons' supposed to mean? 'For the ease and convenience of the bus company management', perhaps? Doesn't Arriva acknowledge any duty towards their customers? We hope that the new owners of Arriva, Deutsche Bahn, who have a public service ethos as well as a commercial attitude will sort this out quickly. Otherwise their new acquisition will lose revenue as passengers are turned away, their own reputation will become tarnished and our local people will continue to be inconvenienced. Arriva, what are you playing at? These ill thought-out cuts are going to lose you lots of business!"