Arriva Southend

File:Southend Transport 713.JPG which was run by Southend Transport.]]

File:Southend Transport bus 398 (A698 EAU) Leyland Olympian Northern Counties Nottingham Standard.jpg bodied Leyland Olympian in 1980]]

File:Southend Transport coach 250 (A250 SVW), 2011 Clacton Bus Rally.jpg bodied Leyland Tiger which was run by Arriva Southend.]]

File:Arriva Southend bus 3308 (R308 CMV), 2008 Canvey Island bus rally.jpg bodied Dennis Dart SLF at Canvey Island bus rally in 2008]]

File:Arriva Southend bus 5403 (H263 GEV), 2009 Canvey Island bus rally.jpg at Canvey Island bus rally in 2009]]

File:Arriva Southern Counties 3132.JPG bodied Dennis Dart at Cobham bus rally in 2007]]

The company was founded in 1901 as Southend-on-Sea Corporation Transport, and was renamed Southend Transport in 1974. It began operating motorbuses in 1912, and became a limited company on 26 October 1986 due to the Transport Act 1985.{{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 | access-date=12 July 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080621001434/http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_transport_history/fleetlists/southend1.htm| archive-date= 21 June 2008 | url-status= live}} Southend Transport was involved in a bus war with Thamesway (now part of First Essex).{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-issue11/page/23/mode/1up?q=%22southend+transport%22|title=RMs versus minis:Southend Showdown|magazine=Coach & Bus Week|issue=11|date=2 May 1992|publisher=Emap Automotive}} Southend Transport was sold by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to the British Bus group in June 1993{{cite book |last=Shepperton |title=Buses: Focus on British Bus Fleets Today |year=1994 }}{{cite web | url=https://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=2 July 1993 | access-date=25 July 2008}} for a reported £1,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bjuWDwAAQBAJ&q=%22southend+transport%22+british+bus|title=South East England Buses in the 1990s|author=David Moth|date=2018|isbn=9781445679587|publisher=Amberley Publishing}} 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=19 June 2008 | access-date=10 July 2008}}

Cowie was renamed Arriva in August 1998 and Southend Transport was renamed Arriva serving Southend as part of this rebranding. The 'serving Southend' local identity caption has since been phased out.{{cite web | url=http://www.thurrocktransport.co.uk/html/arriva.html | title=Thurrock Transport – Arriva | author=Thurrock Transport | date=March 2008 | access-date=23 July 2008}}

On 28 January 2000, the original Southend garage at 87 London Road dating from the foundation of Southend Corporation Transport 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 | access-date=12 July 2008}}

Arriva Southend had continued the service X1 coach service to London inherited from Southend Transport, 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= 2 January 2004 | access-date=10 July 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080706115309/http://www.sct61.org.uk/stxone.htm| archive-date= 6 July 2008 | url-status= live}}

A restructuring in 2002 saw overall control of Arriva Colchester and Arriva Southend pass to Arriva Southern Counties from Arriva East Herts & Essex.

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

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 in 2005.{{cite web | url=http://archive.echo-news.co.uk/2008/1/17/267966.html | title=Echo News: 'Pensioners want better bus services' | author=Laura Smith | date=17 January 2008 | access-date=2 February 2010}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}} On 21 January 2008 Southend Area Bus Users' Group and Councilor Steve Aylen successfully campaigned for improvements to Service 6A{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/1967992.print/ | title=Echo News: 'Bus group wins fight for off-peak service' | author=Echo News | date=16 January 2008 | access-date=2 February 2010}} after having been withdrawn in 2005.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/1986009.Continue_to_use_it__or_lose_it/ | title=Echo News: 'Continue to use it, or lose it' | author=Echo News | date=23 January 2008 | access-date=23 July 2008}} On 31 March 2008, service 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=25 March 2008 | access-date=14 July 2008}} The company trials the operation of new services to gauge 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=9 May 2008 | access-date=14 July 2008}}{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/2227296.new_bus_services_for_town/ | title=Echo News: 'New bus services for town' | author=Geoff Percival | date=28 April 2008 | access-date=27 July 2009}} and makes services permanent if there are enough passengers to support them being run.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/4061995.Shoppers__bus_has_first_birthday/ | title=Echo News: 'Shoppers' bus has first birthday' | date=21 January 2009 | access-date=27 July 2009}}

In 2007, Arriva Southend were criticised by Southend Borough Council for the age of its bus fleet, as some of its buses at the time were nearly 20 years old and many did not have low-floor, easy-access step-free entry{{cite web | url=http://archive.echo-news.co.uk/2007/8/1/255427.html | title=Echo News: 'Buses are too old for town' | author=Geoff Percival | date=2 August 2007 | access-date=2 February 2010}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}} which was important for older people, as Southend had an ageing population with the most senior citizens in the country, although most areas did not have full low-floor networks at the time, and buses were built to have working lives of about 20 years.{{cite web|url=http://archive.thurrockgazette.co.uk/2006/11/20/241657.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070522032327/http://archive.thurrockgazette.co.uk/2006/11/20/241657.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 May 2007 |title=Thurrock Gazette: New bill won't help town's bus service |author=Geoff Percival |date=20 November 2006 |access-date=2 February 2010 }}

Further criticism came from passengers when Arriva Southend and First Essex decided to withdraw their "Day Rover" ticket, which allowed unlimited journeys on the day of purchase on buses operated by both companies regardless of which company issued the ticket, so day tickets can now only be used on the buses of the company issuing them. They replaced it with a more expensive "Octopus" ticket which is issued by and can be used on any buses operated by Arriva Southend, First Essex, NIBS, Regal Busways and Stephensons of Essex in the Southend, Rochford and Castle Point districts, covering more bus operators and a wider area of Essex.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/2394391.m5ec/ | title=Echo News: 'Bus-users hit in the pocket by ticket axe' | author=Laura Smith | date=15 July 2008 | access-date=28 July 2009}}

On 8 February 2009, Arriva reduced the frequency of services 7 and 8 to some areas, which angered some residents in Hockley and Hawkwell, as it made it very difficult for them to get to and from Southend Hospital and Clements Hall Leisure Centre on time due to the 7 and 8 either running very late in the Shoebury area, or buses turning back before reaching their terminating point.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/3966936.Fury_at_plans_to_cut_bus_services_to_two_an_hour/ | title=Echo News: 'Fury at plans to cut bus services to two an hour' | author=Michelle Archard | date=11 December 2008 | access-date=23 July 2009}}{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/rayleigh/3999581.Protesters_lose_battle_to_save_2_bus_routes/ | title=Echo News: 'Protesters lose battle to save 2 bus routes' | author=Michelle Archard | date=24 December 2008 | access-date=23 July 2009}} The move also dismayed Rochford councillors.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/rayleigh/4005557.Councillors_annoyed_by_cuts_in_bus_routes/ | title=Echo News: 'Rochford councillors annoyed by cuts in no. 7 and 8 bus routes' | date=30 December 2008 | access-date=27 July 2009}} The Hockley Residents' Association also said that the figures for low customer numbers used to justify the frequency reduction were flawed.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/southend/4089584.Residents_say_bus_figures_are_flawed/ | title=Echo News: 'Residents say bus figures are flawed' | author=John Geoghegan | date=2 February 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009}} After receiving numerous complaints from Hockley residents, on 7 June 2009 Arriva Southend extended some service 7 buses to Hockley Spa instead of terminating at Ashingdon Schools. It is likely that this extra service is now going to stay after a review in December 2009.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/rayleigh/4257252.Villagers__victory_as_council_funds_extra_bus_service/ | title=Echo News: 'Villagers' victory as council funds extra bus service' | author=Geoff Percival | date=4 April 2009 | access-date=27 July 2009}} Hawkwell residents then sent further complaints to the Essex County Council about service 8 not having evening services after 6:30pm since 2002. They demanded that one of the service 7 evening buses to become an 8 and divert to Hawkwell. Essex County Council said it would not be possible to add an evening service to service 8.{{cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4305441.Give_us_back_our_evening_buses__villagers_demand/ | title=Echo News: 'Give us back our evening buses, villagers demand' | author=John Geoghegan | date=20 April 2009 | access-date=23 July 2009}} Arriva Southend have also been criticised for running all of their services in the Shoeburyness area via Asda, after they changed the route of Service 1 to run through Asda instead of Elm Road.{{cite web |url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/3572932.print/ |title=Echo News: 'Passenger fears over Arriva shakeup' |date=6 August 2008 |access-date=27 July 2009}}

Arriva Southend has started using an "undercover passenger" scheme to attempt to better understand problems and complaints with the changes they have made to their services, encouraging passengers to participate by offering them a week's free bus travel for rating the services they use.{{cite web |url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4148947.Bus_firm_seeking_people_to_test_ride_services/ |title=Echo News: 'Bus firm seeking people to test ride services' |author=Geoff Percival |date=24 February 2009 | access-date=27 July 2009}}

There has been crictism from passengers frequently using Service 29, which was merged with Service 13 to provide a through service from Belfairs to Temple Sutton since 27 March 2011. The route merger resulted in drivers not given sufficient time to complete the whole route, which has caused buses to turn back before reaching their terminating point, missing out certain bus stops and leaving passengers stranded from over 45 to 90 minutes to wait for the next Service 29.{{cite web|url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/southend/9001402.New_bus_timetable_leaves_us_stranded/ |title=New bus timetable leaves us stranded (From Echo) |publisher=Echo-news.co.uk |date=2 May 2011 |access-date=28 December 2011}}

Twelve new low-emission (Euro 5-compliant), CCTV-fitted Optare Versa V1110 midibuses were bought at a cost of £1.8 million for Service 9 and entered public service in November 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/landing.aspx?id=15968|title=Arriva Bus}}

In 2016, 18 new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC buses were bought for Southend for Service 1 and entered public service at the same year. The vehicles have free 4G Wi-Fi and USB charging points. They feature ‘stop-start’ technology that reduces fuel consumption by stopping the engine when the bus is stationary and then re-starting it when it is ready to pull away from bus stops or traffic lights. {{cite web|url=https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/18-adls-arriva-southend/ |title=18 ADLs for Arriva Southend |date=19 October 2016 }}

Arriva Southend also has two Wright Pulsar and one Wright Pulsar 2.

There's plans that Enviro400 MMCs will be replaced by Geminis in the future.

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{commons category|Arriva Southend}}

• [http://www.arrivabus.co.uk Arriva Buses UK company website]
• [http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/serviceInformation.aspx?id=12469&r=UK Arriva Buses Southend website]

{{Arriva Group UK}}

{{Bus companies in East England}}

Southend

Category:Companies based in Southend-on-Sea

Category:Transport in Southend-on-Sea

Category:Transport in Thurrock