(04 Apr 2015, 10:00 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Aye, totally agree. Shopping and football doesn't mix with a poor level of public transport.
Time the operators woke up and realised there is money to be made.
Seeing as every other card has been played in this thread, dare I play the 'QCS card'?
(04 Apr 2015, 8:50 am)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]I haven't told the driver about such things not working, I've told the supervisor. He said and I quote; "As long as the tyres and engine are working, it's a minor problem".
However if I call GNE on a 0191 number, about wifi not working, they'll try their very best to resolve the problem. Arriva just sit around.
I sincerely hope that GNE reenter Ashington and Northumberland, I'll certainly be using them.
As for being 13, no, I'm allowed on the forum. Maybe the forum rules might want to stop autistic members joining too?
I will consider liking Arriva again, if they get their act together. I'm the one paying £7 for a DaySaver for sh***y buses which don't look like they've been cleaned since they've been bought.
As for you being an Arriva driver, enjoy your free bus travel, it won't be long until I inform Arriva of your actions toward other forum members.
All the best,
Tommy
Will-be Go North East customer
Can I just say that Arriva do not have a 'sit around' attitude. When the W-RBB Tridents were transferred to Durham depot, drivers complained about the heating and being underpowered, countless hours were then spent to get them up to standard - hence why they are now at Yorkshire Tiger rather than being scrapped. The same went for the T-FGN deckers. I'm assuming the reason the Ashington inspector said that to you was because he knows who you are and thought he could have a joke, rather than being slagged off on a forum. On a positive though, I challenge anyone to say that Arriva haven't improved from 5 years ago.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:33 am)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]Can I just say that Arriva do not have a 'sit around' attitude. When the W-RBB Tridents were transferred to Durham depot, drivers complained about the heating and being underpowered, countless hours were then spent to get them up to standard - hence why they are now at Yorkshire Tiger rather than being scrapped. The same went for the T-FGN deckers. I'm assuming the reason the Ashington inspector said that to you was because he knows who you are and thought he could have a joke, rather than being slagged off on a forum. On a positive though, I challenge anyone to say that Arriva haven't improved from 5 years ago.
You've just got to look at the fleet don't you really!
Most vehicles on "main" services are pretty new, and most have WiFi etc
(04 Apr 2015, 10:14 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]To some people working in shops in places on Boxing Day the only way to get to work is to get to work is a lift or if you are unlucky a taxi where if you if you work 7 hours that day for minum wage in let's say Primark the taxi fare would probably cost a considerable amount of the wage you'd get for that day with the much of the remainder going on lunch, I reckon it would cost in the region of £20 for me to get from Aycliffe to Darlington and back on Boxing Day.
Sort of defeats the whole point of going to work doesn't it?
When working part time back in the day, I was always of the mindset, that the first hour, should cover the costs in getting to and from work.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:16 am)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Seeing as every other card has been played in this thread, dare I play the 'QCS card'?
Ah go on then. Any excuse
.
Don't forget to give the shareholders a mention
(04 Apr 2015, 11:36 am)mb134 wrote [ -> ]You've just got to look at the fleet don't you really!
Most vehicles on "main" services are pretty new, and most have WiFi etc
5 years ago, no-one would have believed that Arriva would be the first major operator in the North East to be 100% low floor considering the amount of step entrance stock they had.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:37 am)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]5 years ago, no-one would have believed that Arriva would be the first major operator in the North East to be 100% low floor considering the amount of step entrance stock they had.
Just thought of that aye!
Also, you need to look at what it was being used on, two/three years ago the X21/22 was solid Olympian allocation, with the odd B10 thrown in!
As much as I slate Ashington depot, you have to admire them in a way, I know Olympians were very reliable, but to keep 16 year old buses in that good a condition so that they could be sold on for further use, even when they were allocated to express routes every day shows something!
(04 Apr 2015, 11:37 am)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]5 years ago, no-one would have believed that Arriva would be the first major operator in the North East to be 100% low floor considering the amount of step entrance stock they had.
Arriva have made a lot of investment in new stock since 2009 with most depots getting treated to new stock and even ex London cast offs have been given a good refurbishment to a decent standard with some passengers being fooled by thinking the buses are much newer than they actually are.
I don't think Arriva are given as much credit on this forum for some things as they probably should do.
MPD 1771 seems to have broken down somewhere on the 1 route between Ashington and Blyth (sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the area). I'm about 5 minutes away from Ashington and saw it at a standstill on a busy road with a recovery van behind it about 2-3 minutes ago.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:52 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Arriva have made a lot of investment in new stock since 2009 with most depots getting treated to new stock and even ex London cast offs have been given a good refurbishment to a decent standard with some passengers being fooled by thinking the buses are much newer than they actually are.
I don't think Arriva are given as much credit on this forum for some things as they probably should do.
Without wishing to start anything, I'm sure we'd never have heard the end of it if GNE got rid of all of their step entrance stock first...
(04 Apr 2015, 11:54 am)MarcTheA4 wrote [ -> ]MPD 1771 seems to have broken down somewhere on the 1 route between Ashington and Blyth (sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the area). I'm about 5 minutes away from Ashington and saw it at a standstill on a busy road with a recovery van behind it about 2-3 minutes ago.
Hmm, is this before you crossed the river?
(04 Apr 2015, 11:13 am)Tommy_1581 wrote [ -> ]The conclusion;
- Arriva services are late, dirty and unprofessional
- Arriva employees don't care if power sockets and WiFi don't work and will do nothing about it
- Complain about the poor service and get rude responses
- Don't get on anything which is as dull as Eeyore's bottom
- Drivers don't care if they run late
- Leave vulnerable people waiting for 40 minutes at a cold bus stop
Talk about sweeping statements...
Just because your perception is that your local services are having issues, does it really mean that every other service Arriva run is the same? I have problems with the X12/X2 timing, but the 56/57/57A are generally spot on (apart from capacity issues). The problems I have with the former are being investigated directly by the depot management team, and to be fair, I've noticed an improvement as of late.
Where does the dirty, unprofessional, and rude responses come from? Can't say I've experienced any of this. Even when I deem customer services to be 'useless', they're still always courteous and polite about it. As are the driving staff, depot staff, and even those at HQ that I've dealt with.
There's only so much a driver can do about running late. There are usually points in a route where time can be made up safely and within the law. If they're using that flexibility and the service is still late, then it's up to the company to review the timetable, and ensure it's fit for purpose.
The last point you've made is a very serious accusation, and I'd urge you to write to them directly if there's any substance in your point.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:33 am)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]Can I just say that Arriva do not have a 'sit around' attitude. When the W-RBB Tridents were transferred to Durham depot, drivers complained about the heating and being underpowered, countless hours were then spent to get them up to standard - hence why they are now at Yorkshire Tiger rather than being scrapped. The same went for the T-FGN deckers. I'm assuming the reason the Ashington inspector said that to you was because he knows who you are and thought he could have a joke, rather than being slagged off on a forum. On a positive though, I challenge anyone to say that Arriva haven't improved from 5 years ago.
I recall similar conversation recently in the GNE thread, and it was fast pointed out that members of the forum do not know what goes on in the background. The same almost certainly applies here.
It was a good while before WiFi was sorted with last year's GNE order, but it was pointed out that this was in fact an issue that a third party supplier were resolving. Who's to say that there isn't a similar issue on some of the Sapphire vehicles? Just because we haven't got someone from Arriva HQ on here telling us what's happening, doesn't mean that nothing is happening.
Oh and I'd take the Tridents back over the Lowlanders any day of the week.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:52 am)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]I don't think Arriva are given as much credit on this forum for some things as they probably should do.
I totally agree with you there. I personally feel that they neglect where I live, but when you look at the region as a whole, they're actually providing a very good service on the most part.
(04 Apr 2015, 11:57 am)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Hmm, is this before you crossed the river?
Not sure, I wasn't really taking notes on the journey, I was listening to music through my earphones.
(04 Apr 2015, 12:03 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote [ -> ]Not sure, I wasn't really taking notes on the journey, I was listening to music through my earphones.
Haha
was just trying to pinpoint where it was
(04 Apr 2015, 12:02 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]I totally agree with you there. I personally feel that they neglect where I live, but when you look at the region as a whole, they're actually providing a very good service on the most part.
Agreed, some totally slate Arriva on here. When Arriva do something wrong people go on and on about the topic but if Go North East did the same thing nothing would be said. For example when the ex demonstrator EcoCitys entered service on the 21 people went on and on about a bit of air coming through a gap in the doors and it went on and on about it including people who have never been on that bus then a few days later I posted a picture of a WTX Citaro with part of the door sticking out on the breeze which could cause harm to people and the only reply was "it didn't affect my journey" sorry but how is this okay.
Everytime a MAX and Sapphire isn't on the service it's branded for there is mass complaints on here and yet I had a manky old President on the 309 without the advertised features and this is a booked working and this is okay but I bet people would complain about a non Sapphire bus on the morning 7 dupe and you wonder why gtom went off his nut about the 21!
(04 Apr 2015, 12:22 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Agreed, some totally slate Arriva on here. When Arriva do something wrong people go on and on about the topic but if Go North East did the same thing nothing would be said. For example when the ex demonstrator EcoCitys entered service on the 21 people went on and on about a bit of air coming through a gap in the doors and it went on and on about it including people who have never been on that bus then a few days later I posted a picture of a WTX Citaro with part of the door sticking out on the breeze which could cause harm to people and the only reply was "it didn't affect my journey" sorry but how is this okay.
Everytime a MAX and Sapphire isn't on the service it's branded for there is mass complaints on here and yet I had a manky old President on the 309 without the advertised features and this is a booked working and this is okay but I bet people would complain about a non Sapphire bus on the morning 7 dupe and you wonder why gtom went off his nut about the 21!
It's a bit like the 'Coast & Country' debate yesterday. Discussing why 'Coast' was in the name of a brand that doesn't serve the coast was considered as over thinking and a lot of fuss, yet that wasn't the case when me and others were slating the decision not to refurbish the green flooring on the Arriva Omnicity MAX refurbs.
As it turned out, someone posted about the impracticality of doing so (the way it's laid + cost involved), which is good input into a debate. At the same time, I've no doubt in the coming weeks we'll find out why that brand has been named as such. We just don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but it doesn't mean we should avoid
constructive debate on here. If you make a point, provide your argument behind it, then I can't see the problem. Nowt irritates me more than people posting that something is 'shocking' or 'rubbish', but then not providing anything to say why they think that.
I'd like to think that this applied to all operators, and not just Arriva and Metro, as often the case seems to be.
I have to say I agree with the comments made by aureolin and Jimmi.
If Go North East's Riverside had half a brand with no branded vehicles on, would we stir up a big fuss? Yes, but nothing as extreme as what I see in these threads.
If Blyth or Ashington put just one branded vehicle off-route, no matter what circumstances, would we stir up a big fuss? Absolutely, some members would go into orbit over one allocation.
Think about all the good things Arriva have done over the past couple of years! They've introduced MAX and Sapphire to our streets on quite a few routes now, and are continuing to do so. They've held massive launches for these brands, which is another commendable thing. The list goes on.
Not saying we should slate other companies or depots, but maybe just back off a bit about little things like a few branded buses off-route. At the end of the day; yes it shouldn't be happening, but surely it isn't the end of the world.
(04 Apr 2015, 12:48 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]It's a bit like the 'Coast & Country' debate yesterday. Discussing why 'Coast' was in the name of a brand that doesn't serve the coast was considered as over thinking and a lot of fuss, yet that wasn't the case when me and others were slating the decision not to refurbish the green flooring on the Arriva Omnicity MAX refurbs.
As it turned out, someone posted about the impracticality of doing so (the way it's laid + cost involved), which is good input into a debate. At the same time, I've no doubt in the coming weeks we'll find out why that brand has been named as such. We just don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but it doesn't mean we should avoid constructive debate on here. If you make a point, provide your argument behind it, then I can't see the problem. Nowt irritates me more than people posting that something is 'shocking' or 'rubbish', but then not providing anything to say why they think that.
I'd like to think that this applied to all operators, and not just Arriva and Metro, as often the case seems to be.
Can't stand it when people just go on random rants about how crap Arriva or any other operator any time there bus is a few minutes late. If you are going to complain about any operator on here it should be constructive criticism as I feel there should be a reason behind your argument such as the MAX Omnicitys not having a full refurbishment quality valid argument would be "I don't like the colour scheme it just doesn't look right" that is fine in my opinion whereas "Stupid penny pinching Arriva you are crap" is not constructive criticism in my mind.
People always find excuses for Go North East not putting buses with enhanced features such as WiFi but everytime a non MAX bus turns up on a service even when people have no idea as to why the allocation has happened it ends up becoming another Anti Arriva argument. Sorry to say this but it's true and some wonder why gtom was so vocal when it came to the allocations on the 21.
I think some of us need to rethink the way some of us think and some opinions need to be balanced and I think we have to try and stop taking one operators side, although that is difficult at times when if like me you can only realistically use one operator as the others don't operate in your area.
(04 Apr 2015, 1:18 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Can't stand it when people just go on random rants about how crap Arriva or any other operator any time there bus is a few minutes late. If you are going to complain about any operator on here it should be constructive criticism as I feel there should be a reason behind your argument such as the MAX Omnicitys not having a full refurbishment quality valid argument would be "I don't like the colour scheme it just doesn't look right" that is fine in my opinion whereas "Stupid penny pinching Arriva you are crap" is not constructive criticism in my mind.
People always find excuses for Go North East not putting buses with enhanced features such as WiFi but everytime a non MAX bus turns up on a service even when people have no idea as to why the allocation has happened it ends up becoming another Anti Arriva argument. Sorry to say this but it's true and some wonder why gtom was so vocal when it came to the allocations on the 21.
I think some of us need to rethink the way some of us think and some opinions need to be balanced and I think we have to try and stop taking one operators side, although that is difficult at times when if like me you can only realistically use one operator as the others don't operate in your area.
This is exactly how I feel about posts on the Go North East section of the forum, and it's even more difficult when you are limited to what you can say but know some of the posts are utter garbage...
It's certainly not unique to Arriva, and you'll find it's mainly the same people with the positive and negative comments about the same operator. I can certainly guess who's going to moan about something and be proven right at some point..!
By no means do I think we should all agree, but we should at least aim to see the alternative side of the argument and listen to all points made.
Let's put this so-called "unconstructive" discussion to bed now, shall we?
Had a great day today, only seen four Arriva buses.
