Arriva took over from Merseyside Travel Limited (MTL) in early 2000. This was seen as a lifeline to the laughing stock of the North’s bus services. Delays, high fares, buses that turned up only when the company had enough money to fill them with petrol, dirty vehicles and millions of ... Read review
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Advantages: New fleets for new routes, and the majourity of the older buses repainted if not completely refurbished both inside and out., Lots of new training buses, whih mean more employment and better services., Improvment to local travel as a whole. Disadvantages: High fares for all services (although I hope these are only to cover short term losses and will be reconcidered when all services are stable). No change what-so-ever on the already shambolic train front. Bad customer relations when it comes to info.
Arriva took over from Merseyside Travel Limited (MTL) in early 2000. This was seen as a lifeline to the laughing stock of the North’s bus services. Delays, high fares, buses that turned up only when the company had enough money to fill them with petrol, dirty vehicles and millions of pounds of debt put off generations of people off public buses and into their cars which caused many problems for Liverpool and the surrounding area. Arriva knew ... ...size of MTL, and so Arriva promised the people of Merseyside a first class, quality bus service within 5 years.
3 years on, and what a difference already! 95% of the fleet have been re-painted, with just under half being completely redecorated. New, reliable timetables have been introduced, along with completely new routes added, and a whole new fleet of buses for metro-services. New ticketing and customer service machines have been ... more
Arriva took over from Merseyside Travel Limited (MTL) in early 2000. This was seen as a lifeline to the laughing stock of the North’s bus services. Delays, high fares, buses that turned up only when the company had enough money to fill them with petrol, dirty vehicles and millions of pounds of debt put off generations of people off public buses and into their cars which caused many problems for Liverpool and the surrounding area. Arriva knew the task it was taking on, and the many problems it would have to overcome. But it also knew of the major monopoly that MTL had on Merseyside bus services, and the franchise MTL held with Merseyrail. CMT, the nearest competitor, was a fraction of the size of MTL, and so Arriva promised the people of Merseyside a first class, quality bus service within 5 years.
3 years on, and what a difference already! 95% of the fleet have been re-painted, with just under half being completely redecorated. New, reliable timetables have been introduced, along with completely new routes added, and a whole new fleet of buses for metro-services. New ticketing and customer service machines have been introduced, and new bus shelters erected. It has also got Merseytravel (the company responsible for Merseyside travel as a whole and controller of the travel operators) to completely re-build the Liverpool Bus Station, which has been transformed from a dirty, smelly, depressing dump full of shells of bus shelters into a completely new, modern and clean travel centre.
However, I do still find some buses quite dirty on the odd occasion, and some of the older MTL buses which haven't been replaced or refurbished are scruffy and uncomfortable. There are still a number of old double deckers which haven't seen as much care as the newer, single decked buses.
Also, sometimes, changes to bus numbers and routes are carried out and unless you check all the travel notice boards or read the local paper in-side out, then you may not know about the changes until you are on the bus!
There are a number of training buses on the streets too. These older buses which have since been replaced by newer models, are used to train more drivers, and so create jobs, and more bus services.
But all this improvement has cost Arriva a lot of money. And so, the fares have increased, which maybe isn't fair to the people who for years have put up with MTL's escalator system of fares. For example, for an adult to travel into the city centre from a Liverpool suburb, this is £1 each way. But Merseytravel have introduced the SaveAway, a one-day off-peak travel tickets to get around on any form of transport anywhere in Merseyside for just £1.10 (Liverpool area, Area C. For further a field in Merseyside, tickets are £1.70). And so, if you are travelling around Merseyside on bus, ferry or train and don’t require travel from 8.00-9.30 am and 4.00-6.00 it makes sense to buy a SaveAway whatever the journey. These are available from Travel Centres and sweet shops ect. But Arriva have simplified child fares, with a flat fare of 50p anywhere in Liverpool, with lower fares if travelling further a field in Merseyside (e.g. Southport, Birkinhead).
But the train services haven’t improved. They are still rather dirty, uncomfortable, old and expensive, but hopefully the company will be tending to these after the bus service has been re-vamped.
In 5 years, hopefully fares will have come down, and the travel services MTL neglected to run to pay the fat cat bosses, will have become the first class standard the people of Merseyside need and deserve.
Advantages: Clean buses, kneeling buses Disadvantages: see op
I know it should be route 66 but I promise you that route 61 is far more interesting a journey. So many problems have occured on this particular route that it has become a standing joke between my friends.
As I don't drive (Keep putting learning as my new years resolution and then finding excuses not to) I rely on lifts from hubby and public transport.
My most used route is the number 61 as it goes from the end of my road to within a short walk ... ...by Arriva.
The route it takes is long, drawn out and to be honest comletely ridiculous. A simple 10 min journey to one of my friends takes a staggering 56 mins on this bus (I know if I want speed I should get a taxi) and yes I have timed it! That time is on a traffic free day and without any of the problems that normally occur.
The buses themselves are very clean and have a good amount of leg room. Most routes feature Kneeling buses and on my route ...
AlexW 12.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Arriva Merseyside
Quality of Rooms
Customer service
Frequency of bus / buses
Value for money
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Advantages: Cheap, but certainly not cheerful. Sucidal more like. Disadvantages: Dirty, smelly, understaffed (and even then they are unhelpful and rude), unrelaible........
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Advantages: Proves I have patience Disadvantages: Its all been said before
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ADDED VALUE
I am really lucky (sarcasm suits me), there is a local station about 5 minutes from where I live. To get into Liverpool, I catch one train (North Western), then walk 50 yards or so, through a tunnel, onto an adjoining platform and get on Arriva Trains Merseyside. The train USED to run straight through to Liverpool, but many moons ago, a wise executive decided to make a break in the line at Kirkby, hence the additional ?added value? of exercise, which is no bad thing in itself.
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Advantages: Fantastic day out with lots to do Disadvantages: Cannot do everything in one visit
14 or Junction 12 on the M53. The Zoo is also clearly signed on the A41 Chester road.
By Rail & Bus
From Chester Main Line Station: Take taxi (app. 2 miles), or bus to Town Hall bus exchange. Mon - Sat, First Crosville number 1 half hourly to main entrance, or number 4, half hourly to pedestrian entrance. Bank Hols, 1 only. Suns and Bank Hols, Arriva 411, 412 to main entrance.
From Merseyrail Bache Station: First Crosville 1, (Mon - Sat and Bank Hols) from Mill Lane, or Arriva (Sun and Bank Hols only) 411, 412 from Liverpool Road. All Arriva Trains Merseyside manned stations sell combined rail/bus/zoo tickets.
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Julieshobs 17.11.2006 (24.01.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chester Zoo
