Arriva Strike

[childwallblues]

RE: Arriva Strike
As has been said before the only winner appears to be Stagecoach.

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva Strike

(15/11/2017 08:02)wimdebusse Wrote:  When the multiple day strikes happen, will Merseytravel step up to the mark and fulfil their remit, which is to ensure an adequate bus service? , I don't know about Liverpool, The Wirral or St Helens, but large areas of Southport will have no bus service! It's OK Merseytravel to say, yes, but six out of the twelve bus routes are operating, but they all work along or near to the A565, leaving most of the inland side of the town including the Hospital without any service. A few years ago Cumfybus attempted to operate a bus route connecting Crossens, High Park, Blowick & Birkdale to the Hospital, a link not provide by MTL but they were forced off by Arriva's predecessor MTL, all the areas that are now solely served by Arriva. I for one will not be using Arriva in Southport in future.

St Helens is a ghost town when Arriva are on strike. Apart from Stagecoach on 10A, Cumfybus on 139, Hattons on 297 (only services heading west), Link Network on 329 and Hattons on 141 and 28 (heading East), Hattons on 140 and Halton on 17 (heading south) and the 137, 156 from HTL (heading North) there is nothing. This sounds like quite a few services but given that the 10A, 139 and 297 practically all head the same way, as do Halton 17 and Hattons 140. No one in St Helens looks for alternative arrangements. They see Arriva are off and cancel all plans. Unsure about elsewhere.

(15/11/2017 08:04)childwallblues Wrote:  As has been said before the only winner appears to be Stagecoach.

*psssst* and Link Network

[Barney]

RE: Arriva Strike

(15/11/2017 18:52)iMarkeh Wrote:  St Helens is a ghost town when Arriva are on strike. Apart from Stagecoach on 10A, Cumfybus on 139, Hattons on 297 (only services heading west), Link Network on 329 and Hattons on 141 and 28 (heading East), Hattons on 140 and Halton on 17 (heading south) and the 137, 156 from HTL (heading North) there is nothing. This sounds like quite a few services but given that the 10A, 139 and 297 practically all head the same way, as do Halton 17 and Hattons 140. No one in St Helens looks for alternative arrangements. They see Arriva are off and cancel all plans. Unsure about elsewhere.

*psssst* and Link Network

In 2010 Arriva was acquired by DB, the German state-owned transport provider. Since then, this organisation has transferred its profits back to Germany to help finance that country's public transport system. It doesn't seem fair to me that the staff who help create these profits are being vilified in some quarters for striking for a reasonable pay award.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Arriva Strike
On strike days, St Helens is only reasonably served in the evening as all the contracted services are run by HTL. There are some routes which in these circumstances don't have a daytime service but have an evening service (30, 33, 35 as examples).

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva Strike
I do agree there. Evenings you are fine but in the day when all the shops are open, you can't get anywhere

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Arriva Strike

(15/11/2017 20:34)iMarkeh Wrote:  I do agree there. Evenings you are fine but in the day when all the shops are open, you can't get anywhere

One of the best examples of this is Knowsley Road. When the strike is on, there are only 4 (yes 4) buses in the day with the 153 but in the evening it's a quite intensive 30 minute frequency on the 35E which is actually better than the 10A after 9pm which is down to every 40 minutes.

[wimdebusse]

RE: Arriva Strike

(15/11/2017 20:03)St Helens Rider Wrote:  On strike days, St Helens is only reasonably served in the evening as all the contracted services are run by HTL. There are somei routes which in these circumstances don't have a daytime service but have an evening service (30, 33, 35 as examples).

Better than Southport 15/15A & 40 (Cumfybus) finish about 1800, 347 (Holmeswood) ladt bus 1630, X2 last bus towards Liverpool 2030 and to Preston 2230 this route is hourly after1830/2030, last 2 2230 to Preston again hourly

[Bevan Price]

RE: Arriva Strike

(15/11/2017 19:33)Barney Wrote:  In 2010 Arriva was acquired by DB, the German state-owned transport provider. Since then, this organisation has transferred its profits back to Germany to help finance that country's public transport system. It doesn't seem fair to me that the staff who help create these profits are being vilified in some quarters for striking for a reasonable pay award.

Yes - it probably isn't fair - but it is also the reality and the only change is likely to be service cuts when profits decline due to the strikes. I don't know where the story came from, or if there is any truth in it, but earlier this week, another passenger on my local Arriva route (St. Helens 37) asked me if I had heard any stories about its future.

And (sadly) redundant former Arriva drivers sat at home, wondering how to pay the bills whilst hoping to find jobs with cowboy bus operators, or changing into lorry drivers.

[Barney]

RE: Arriva Strike

(16/11/2017 21:23)Bevan Price Wrote:  And (sadly) redundant former Arriva drivers sat at home, wondering how to pay the bills whilst hoping to find jobs with cowboy bus operators, or changing into lorry drivers.

Who knows when this dispute will end. Hopefully very soon.

As far as I am aware no Arriva bus driver has been made redundant since the company was established and the biggest problem that these "cowboy operators" (Avon, Cumfybus, HTL etc.?) is recruiting and retaining staff. There aren't many days of the week when I don't see Arriva (or Stagecoach) training vehicles on the road.

You may recall that during the 12-week strike in 1968, many road staff resigned and when the strike was finally resolved the employers were offering cash inducements to former staff to return to their former employment.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva Strike
The biggest reason smaller firms struggle to retain staff is rate of pay, one of them is nearly £3 less per hour than either Stagecoach or Arriva and for the work involved its no wonder people leave for those firms.