Arriva Aylesbury Website www.arriva-shires.co.uk

The longest running source of information regarding the Arriva Aylesbury garage, and has been reporting News and events since 2005

Website addresses http://arriva-shires.co.uk/ and

http://redroverbuses.wordpress.com/

Email address ansellsweb@googlemail.com

Check on site for weekly updates…you can submit your own News as well

Steve MacDonald writes for us

I have decided to start this months contribution to the newsletter, with a genuine extract from a very recent passenger comment:

‘Today at about 18:10 I was waiting for a bus to take me from the bus stop on the Tring Road/ junction with Parton Road to Aylesbury bus station. The bus appeared at about 18:20, although I clearly signalled for it to stop, and the driver saw me, it failed to stop and pick me and another passenger up…………………..I cannot understand why it failed to stop and pick us up.

Now I am sure we will all have or pass an opinion on this. I am not going to commit mine to press, but would like to pass the following thoughts.

The country is deep in recession and for the first time in a very long time, even the bus industry is affected. The T2 was recently introduced to compete directly with our 500 service between Hemel & Watford. At the beginning of November Star Travel will set up a service 5 in direct competition with the Blue Route 2. These companies are looking to enter Aylesbury and take our work, or simply OUR JOBS. And behaviour as highlighted above does not help.

We are looking at all alternatives to compete and restore the status of the garage, but you only have to look at the last 12 months to appreciate the amount of work that has left the depot. On a plus point we retained the 260/ 261, to be renumbered and timetabled as a 110, but this meant a loss of one vehicle working.

The bad news continues, unfortunately the garage was the victim of theft during the early hours of 1^st October, whereby intruders entered the garage and left with £10K value of new tyres. If I didn’t know better I would suggest the world is against us.

I would like to bring to EVERYONES attention that during the month of October, you will all be given the opportunity to pass YOUR opinion of life here at Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard, with Arriva, through the Employee Survey. Lee Humphreys is your local rep and I ask that firstly, you fully support her and secondly you voice an opinion. We really are interested in your opinions, good or bad. Please do not waste this opportunity.

We recently helped supply transport to the Walkers of the 3 peak challenge and have received fantastic feedback from many happy people. I would just like to place on record my sincere THANKS to all who organised and gave up their own time to drive on Sunday, especially Lee Fisher.

Also beginning in October is the scheme with AVDC, whereby their employees are entitled to the same concessions as Bucks CC. The ETM will have specific buttons for this and staff notices will follow soon.

I apologise once again that the tone of the letter suggests bad news, but these are difficult times and I sincerely thank those of you who continually perform to the best of your ability to do a great job.

  Click on to enlarge

From the pits ( Engineering dept ) Russell Cato writes for us

Russell would like to thank all his staff for their hard work and efforts during the recent Engineering audit. which was showed in the report regarding in the Audit

Well done and thanks

From the desk of  Steve Ellam

New rosters start next week

New Grampian software   (Duty Allocation System).will be introduce in the coming weeks

Basically it will mean new form of posting for rosters.

This will show all work for week in one line + ANY ADDITIONAL WORK in a line of the same number below the original, no need to look at the bottom of rota now.

See example below.

They will also get a Variation listing for those on AD weeks or days, and anyone who has swapped or been swapped .

Any duty with a letter after the duty number shows certain type of work for example a means as detailed work

RD rest day

HOL Holiday day

ASD2  As detailed

OUA  Working at another depot

As guessed by the web author if in doubt consult a Duty manager

Arriva now – Latest edition

Now available online only on Arriva Aylesbury  website courtesy of Arriva plc

Featuring the Aylesbury Depot

Click here for link

Social club updates

Click on poster to enlarge

Greyhound racing

Ladies Nite

Birmingham Bull ring shopping

Staff notices

Articles from the local press

Arriva the Shires and Essex shortlisted for UK Bus Award

Arriva the Shires and Essex Green Line 757 service has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Express Operations Award in the 2009 UK Bus Awards.

24/7 service
The Green Line 757 is a high quality, high frequency express coach service between London Luton Airport and London Victoria. The 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation provides a convenient link for passengers travelling to London for both leisure and business.

Fingers crossed
Linsey Frostick, customer services manager for Arriva the Shires and Essex, said: “We are delighted that the service has been shortlisted for the UK Bus Awards. It is a great achievement and we will keep our fingers crossed that we go on to win.

“The viability and continued success and growth of the Green Line 757 service is a result of closely matching customer demand with service provision and adaptation as the demand changes.”

Greatly expanded
The Green Line 757 service was introduced by London Country in 1980 following coach service deregulation and since 1997 has greatly expanded with the growth of low-cost airline traffic at London Luton Airport (LLA).

Flagship
The Green Line 757 is the flagship of a coaching brand that has linked London and the Home Counties for nearly 80 years and has seen its patronage grow by 35% over the last two years.

Winner?
Arriva the Shires and Essex will now attend an awards presentation and ceremony at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London on Thursday 12th November to see if they are the overall winners of the Express Operations Award.

£4.5m investment
A fleet of 16 new Van Hool T917 Acron coaches entered the Green Line 757 service in December 2008, representing an investment of over £4.5 million to give customers a smooth and comfortable ride in what are amongst the most impressive coaches to be seen in squadron service at the southern end of the M1 motorway.

Distinctive
The 13 bright green and three orange Green Line coaches are a distinctive sight in Luton, on the M1 motorway and in North London, serving airline travellers as well as local people commuting to and from work or travelling for study or leisure purposes

The brand has its own website which can be found at www.greenline.co.uk.

In the picture
Our pictures show the shortlisted entrants at the recent ceremony, and Linsey Frostick, customer service manager, and Maq Alibhai, depot manager for Arriva the Shires and Essex.

Have your say over Vale transport

Have your say over transport between 2011 and 2026

What do you want to see in transport plans for Aylesbury Vale?

That is the question being posed for an event in Aylesbury town centre next week.
The Bucks Herald has been invited along to the event where there will be experts from the transport field discussing ways of improving the county’s transport plans for the next 17 years.
A series of workshops will be held on October 13 and we want to take your ideas and views to the decision makers for the Local Transport Plan 3, covering 2011 to 2026.

Changes also at MK Metro…. Arriva in Milton Keynes

SERVICE 1B BETWEEN OLNEY AND NORTHAMPTON

Service 1B between between Olney and Northampton will cease to be operated by MK Metro/Arriva after operation on 24 October 2009. Full details of the revised timetable and operator will be available from Northants County Council and Traveline 0871 200 22 33 www.traveline.info shortly.

Please note that MK Metro Saver tickets will not be sold or accepted by the new operator. Customers still in possession of a valid MK Metro weekly or 4 weekly Saver at 26 October 2009 who require a refund should write to our Customer Services Dept, Free Post ANG 7624, Luton LU4 8BR.

We would like to thank all our passengers on the this section of route for their valued custom.

Service 1B between Olney and M Keynes will operate to a revised timetable, but with a similar frequency, from 26 October 2009. Details will be available from Traveline 0870 200 222 33 www.traveline.info. One MK Metro/Arriva peak journey in each direction will continue to link Stoke Goldington, Ravenstone and Weston Underwood with Newport Pagnell and M Keynes. And there will be some exciting new timetable changes by MK Metro/Arriva from the same date between Lavendon, Olney and Milton Keynes.

CHANGE OF BUS OPERATOR ON SOME MK METRO ROUTES

From 25 October 2009 some MK Metro routes in Milton Keynes will be operated by diferent bus companies. The routes afftected are:

Services 3E, 17A, 17B, 18, 26E, 30 and 31.

We would like to thank all our passengers on these routes for their valued custom.

In addition some journeys on certain other routes will transfer to a new operator:

Saturday Service 29 between Bletchley and CMK. Look out for details of an improved MK Metro/Arriva Saturday service on route 5 from 31 October.

Sunday service on route 33. Look out for details of MK Metro/Arriva improvements to the Monday to Friday service on route 33 from 26 October.

Certain peak journeys on Service 20 between Westcroft and CMK. Look out for details of MK Metro/Arriva improvements to Ser 20 between Station/CMK and Walnut Tree from 26 October 2009.

Alternate Mon – Fri Service 6 journeys between CMK – Bletchley. Look out for details of a new direct MK Metro/Arriva service from Tattenhoe, Emerson Valley and Furzton to MK Station and CMK starting on 26 October.

The changes are a result of re – tendering of contracts by Milton Keynes Council. Details of the new operators are available from MK Council on 01908 252542.

Please see note above in Service 1B item about MK Metro/Arriva season ticket validity on the changed routes

This time, Taken from the MK Council website, Which you can view by clicking me!

Bus route changes from 25 October 2009

Other  operators  in bold red
There are changes to bus routes within the Milton Keynes borough from 25th October 2009. To find out more please see the information below or alternatively contact traveline public transport info 0871 200 22 33.

Route 1: Central Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell – Olney – Bedford
Route 1B: Central Milton Keynes -Newport Pagnell – Olney – Northampton
Route 1C: Central Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell – Astwood Bedford
Revised timetables will be introduced on routes 1 and 1C.

With the exception of one Monday to Friday return peak journey route 1B between Olney and Northampton will be replaced by new route 36.

Route 2E: Wolverton – Greenleys – Central Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell The operator of some journeys will change.

Route 3E: Wolverton – Stantonbury – Central Milton Keynes – Westcroft
The operator of some journeys will change.

Route 5: Wolverton – Central Milton Keynes – Bletchley – Lakes Estate Saturday daytime route increased in frequency.

MK Route 6: Bletchley – Tattenhoe – Furzton – Hospital – CMK – Bradville
Some Monday to Friday journeys between Bletchley and Central Milton Keynes will be operated by Z & S International.

Route 7: Wolverton – Stantonbury – CMK – Bletchley – Lakes Est/Fenny Stratford/Newton Longville
A revised Saturday timetable will be introduced.

Route 7A: Wolverton – Gt Linford – CMK Journeys extended to Bletchley via Furzton replacing route 9. A revised Saturday timetable will be introduced.

Route 7E: Fenny Stratford – Bletchley – Granby – Central Milton Keynes
Some Monday to Saturday evening journeys extended to Fenny Stratford. A Sunday route will be introduced.

MK Route 8: Bletchley/Woburn Sands – Kingston – CMK – Westcroft
Change to Monday to Friday evening peak journey.

MK Route 9: Bletchley – Furzton – Central Milton Keynes
Journeys will be renumbered and will form part of route 7A. The frequency of the Monday to Friday service will be enhanced.

MK Route 14: Deanshanger – Stony Stratford – Central Milton Keynes
Additional Monday to Friday peak journeys will operate between Stony Stratford and Central Milton Keynes.

Route 17: Central Milton Keynes – Kingston – Moulsoe – Cranfield
Peak journeys will be revised to operate as route 17A.

MK Route 17A: Central Milton Keynes – Moulsoe – Cranfield Additional journeys will be introduced.

Route 17B: Central Milton Keynes – Newport Pagnell – North Crawley – Cranfield
Revised timetable. Journeys will be operated by Vale Travel.

Route 18: Woburn Sands – Bletchley – Woughton on the Green – Central Milton Keynes
Morning and afternoon peak journeys will be introduced replacing journeys on route 17.

Route 18E: Central Milton Keynes – Kingston – Woburn Sands – Central Milton Keynes
Revised route and timetable.

MK Route 20: Bletchley – Westcroft – Central Milton Keynes – Hospital – Open University – Walnut Tree
MK Route 20A: Tattenhoe – Westcroft – Central Milton Keynes – Hospital – Open University – Walnut Tree
Some peak route 20 journeys between CMK and Westcroft will be operated by

Grant Palmer Passenger services.

Route 25: Newport Pagnell – Kingston – Open University – Hospital – Bletchley
Introduction of new Monday to Saturday daytime route.

Route 26E: Kingston – Walnut Tree – Central Milton Keynes – Furzton – Bletchley
Monday to Saturday evening journeys will be operated by

Z & S International.

Route 29: Bletchley – West Bletchley – CMK – Crownhill – Shenley Church End Saturday journeys between Bletchley and Central Milton Keynes will be operated by

Z & S international

Route 30/31: Newport Pagnell – Willen – Stantonbury – Wolverton – Bletchley
A revised timetable will be introduced. Journeys will be operated by

Z & S International.

MK Route 33: Northampton – Roade – Hanslope – Wolverton – Central Milton Keynes
Introduction of additional Monday to Friday peak journeys between Wolverton and Central Milton Keynes.

Sunday routes will be operated by Z & S International. A later return journey from CMK to Hanslope will be introduced.

Route 36: Olney – Stoke Goldington – Hackleton – Northampton
New Monday to Saturday route replacing journeys on service 1B.

On a Mission
Route 44: Lakes Estate – Bletchley – Far Bletchley – Leadenhall – Fishermead – Central Milton Keynes
Route 44A: Stewkley – Lakes Estate – Bletchley – Far Bletchley – Leadenhall – Fishermead – Central Milton Keynes
Introduction of new Monday to Saturday daytime route.

Stagecoach
Route 89: Northampton – Towcester – Stony Stratford – Central Milton Keynes
A revised timetable will be introduced and journeys diverted to serve the Central Rail Station.

MK Metro
Route X9: Lavendon – Olney – Central Milton Keynes
New Monday to Friday route operating direct between Lavendon and Central Milton Keynes via Olney.

Grant Palmer Passenger Services
Route X34: Flitwick – Ampthill – Central Milton Keynes
Introduction of new Monday to Friday daytime route.