Arriva improves bus services in Winsford after complaints from passengers, says councillor

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill has been reassured by company bosses that issues raised by infuriated passengers will be addressed.

The Liberal Democrat for Swanlow told Winsford town councillors at a meeting on Monday evening that he has had several meetings and is confident the bus operator will remedy the problem.

The councillor raised complaints from infuriated residents about Arriva buses being late, breaking down or simply not turning up.

"I have been dealing with Arriva for past 18 months," he said. "I had a very useful meeting. They admitted their buses were not reliable, some routes were ridiculous and bits of the timetable were not being followed.

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill has been pressing Arriva to improve bus services in Winsford

"Within weeks they introduced a new maintenance regime at Winsford and appointed a new operations director. They promised to drastically reduce the age of the bus fleet which they have done."

The company's depot at Winsford employs 100 drivers plus maintenance staff and cleaners.

Cllr Gaskill says he has now been given a commitment that the firm intends to keep the depot open, protect jobs and has vowed to restore a reliable bus service in the town.

Arriva is reviewing routes, he said, and changing the type of vehicles being used in Winsford.

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He said: "Arriva has appointed a new engineering manager at the depot and I forecast that the age of the buses will come down by five years. They plan to take routes into consideration for what people want rather than where they want to run them.

"For the last three months I have not received a single complaint from anybody about the standard or quality of the service, reliability or vehicles breaking down.

"They will deliver a service the public need and deserve."

Cllr Gaskill plans to meet with Arriva bosses again shortly.

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