Arriva Southend

Arriva Southend Ltd is a division of Arriva Southern Counties, a subsidiary of transport group Arriva which operates bus services in and around the Southend-on-Sea and Grays areas of Essex. They operate most routes east of Southend, and are in direct competition with three other local operators with services in the same areas; First Essex, Stephensons of Essex, and Ensignbus.

History

The company was formerly owned and operated by Southend Borough Council and was known as Southend Corporation Transport or Southend Transport. Southend Transport was involved in a price war with Thamesway (now part of First Essex) that resulted in the bankrupting of both companies. Southend Transport was sold to the British Bus group in June 1993cite book |last=Shepperton |first= |title=Buses: Focus on British Bus Fleets Today |origyear=1994 |language=English |isbn=] [cite web | url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1993-07-02/Writtens-1.html | title=Hansard - House of Commons Daily Debates for 2 July 1993, Written Answers Column 635 | author=Mr. Freeman | date=July 2, 1993 | accessdate=2008-07-25] for a reported £1Fact|date=July 2008, which in turn was taken over by the "Cowie" group. [cite web | url=http://www.thurrocktransport.co.uk/html/southend_transport.html | title=Thurrock Transport - Southend Transport | author=Thurrock Transport | date=June 19, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-10] [cite web | url=http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/southend1.htm | title=Southend Corporation Transport History 1901-1986 | author=Peter Gould | date=1999-2005 | accessdate=2008-07-12]

Cowie was renamed Arriva in August 1998 and Southend Transport was renamed "Arriva serving Southend" as part of this rebranding. Although the 'serving Southend' local identity caption has now been phased out, due to the difficulty of keeping them updated as buses were transferred between different Arriva subsidiaries, it can still be seen on the sides of some of their buses.

On January 28, 2000, the old Southend garage at 87 London Road was closed and demolished shortly afterwards, with a new one constructed in Short Street, Southend-on-Sea. [cite web | url=http://www.signal-training.com/ebeg/lrd-bye.htm | title=Goodbye, London Road - Essex Bus News, Essex Bus Enthusiasts Group | author=Richard Delahoy | date=March 2000 | accessdate=2008-07-12]

Arriva Southend had continued the route X1 commuter service to London inherited from Southend Tranpsort, latterly as the Green Line 721 service. [cite web | url=http://www.sct61.org.uk/stxone.htm | title=Southend Transport - The X1 Story | author=SCT'61 and Richard Delahoy | date= January 2, 2004 | accessdate=2008-07-10] In 2001 operation of route X1 was taken over by Stephensons of Essex, which withdrew it in July 2008. [cite web | url=http://stephensonsofessex.com/soefiles/londonlinkexpress.htm | title=Stephensons of Essex London Link Express | author=Stephensons of Essex | date=May 17, 2008 | accessdate=2008-06-21]

A restructuring in 2002 saw overall control of Arriva Colchester and Arriva Southend Ltd pass to Arriva Southern Counties from Arriva East Herts & Essex. [cite web | url=http://www.thurrocktransport.co.uk/html/arriva.html | title=Thurrock Transport - Arriva | author=Thurrock Transport | date=March 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-23]

On 30 March 2008 both commercially run routes from the Grays garage (routes 373 and 383) were withdrawn, with the buses used for these routes moving to Southend garage. The Grays garage now only operates the Transport for London (TfL) contraced routes.

Criticisms

Arriva Southend has been criticised by users and the Southend Area Bus Users' Group for withdrawing services which it considered no longer economically viable due to low passenger numbers even when parts of the route were profitable when Southend Borough Council withdrew bus subsidies of up to £6 per passenger as part of budget cuts in 2005. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1973495.Pensioners_want_better_bus_services/ | title=Echo News: Pensioners want better bus services | author=Laura Smith | date=January 17, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-23] On 21 January 2008 Southend Area Bus Users' Group and Councilor Steve Aylen succesfully campaigned for improvements to route 6A [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/display.var.1967992.0.bus_group_wins_fight_for_offpeak_service.php | title=Echo News: Bus group wins fight for off-peak service | author=Echo News | date=January 16, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-14] after having been withdrawn in 2005. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1986009.Continue_to_use_it__or_lose_it/ | title=Echo News: Continue to use it, or lose it | author=Echo News | date=January 23, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-23] . On 31 March 2008, route 7 was extended at the suggestion of Great Wakering Parish Council and the Rochford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, who are subsidising the service. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/display.var.2142078.0.new_latenight_bus_service_to_wakering.php | title=Echo News: New late-night bus service to Wakering | author=Michelle Archard | date=March 25, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-14] The company also trials the operation of new routes to gague service demand. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/display.var.2257765.0.new_hospital_bus_service_for_patients.php | title=Echo News: New hospital bus service for patients | author=Mike Miners | date=May 9, 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-14]

It has also been criticised by Southend Borough Council for the age of its bus fleet, as some of its buses are over 20 years old and many do not have low-floor, easy-access step-free entry [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1589539.___Buses_are_too_old_for_town_____/ | title=Echo News: ‘Buses are too old for town’ | author=Geoff Percival | date=August 2, 2007 | accessdate=2008-07-23] which is important for older people, as Southend has an ageing population with the most senior citizens in the country. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1031455.New_bill_won_t_help_town_s_bus_service_/ | title=Echo News: New bill won't help town's bus service | author=Geoff Percival | date=November 20, 2006 | accessdate=2008-07-23] Arriva Southend did introduce some new Dennis Trident 2 Alexander ALX400 low-floor double-decker buses branded for use on routes 7 and 8 in 2000, but they were subseqeuently redistributed to Arriva Maidstone [cite web | url=http://www.busspotter.fire-bug.co.uk/newsite/AK&S.HTM | title=BusSpotter.com: Arriva Kent & Sussex | author= | date=July 21, 2005 | accessdate=2008-07-23] and Arriva East Herts & Essex in 2004/5 [cite web | url=http://www.busspotter.fire-bug.co.uk/newsite/AEH&E.HTM | title=BusSpotter.com: Arriva East Herts & Essex | author= | date=July 21, 2005 | accessdate=2008-07-23] as Arriva decided that they were not getting enough passengers to justify their use.

Current routes

"For a list of all bus services in Essex please see List of bus routes in Essex".

outhend routes

These routes are run from Southend garage.

Route branding

In 2008, Arriva Southend began branding some of its low-floor Dennis Dart buses for specific routes with red and yellow vinyl stickers, beginning with route 29 as "the twenty-nine", then route 13 as "...the sutton shuttle..." and route 5 as "Basildon direct", with associated dedicated web sites for the 5 and 29. Some routes had previously been colour-coded, with route 1 red, route 5 dark blue, route 9 light green, and route 17 purple.

Named buses

The four route 29 branded Dennis Darts were named by students at the Fairways Junior School in Belfairs in conjunction with the launch of "the twenty nine" [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1873709.Buses_are_easier_to_use/ | title=Echo News: Buses are easier to use | author= | date=December 3, 2007 | accessdate=2008-07-25] :
*3391 - Blue Bird
*3392 - Friends of Fairways
*3421 - Pride of Fairways
*3431 - Bus Lightyear

Fleet

Arriva Southend currently has a fleet of 69 buses in service, consisting of 60 single-deckers (48 low-floor), 23 double-deckers, one Ford Transit staff shuttle van, F580, one Ford Transit mechanics' van, V168, and one forklift truck, FLT80.

Single deckers:
*6 Dennis Dart/East Lancs EL2000
*4 Dennis Dart/Northern Counties Paladin
*1 Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer
*1 Volvo B6-50/Plaxton Pointer: YDT515 (Driver Training Vehicle)
*26 Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer
*8 Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2
*14 Scania SLF/Wright Pathfinder

Double deckers:
*4 Leyland Olympian/Eastern Coach Works
*13 Leyland Olympian/Alexander RL
*6 Leyland Olympian/Northern Counties

Beginning in July 2008, some Dennis Dart buses from the Southend depot began to have CCTV fitted, their roller blind destination displays replaced with scrolling LED displays, and a repaint, similar to previous mid-life refurbishments performed for Operation Overdrive.

Low floor easy access buses are usually used on routes 1, 5, 9, 13, 17 and 29.

See also

*List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

References

External links

* [http://www.arrivabus.co.uk Arriva Buses UK company website]
* [http://www.basildondirect.co.uk/ Route 5 "Basildon direct" website]
* [http://www.thetwenty-nine.co.uk/ Route 29 "the twenty-nine" website]