Press releases

• One million more journeys now taken on Arriva buses in Merseyside
• £40 million investment over five years has turned people on to buses
• Customer focus delivers confidence and growth

Major investment and a commitment to improving the journey experience for customers has led to a million more passenger journeys on Arriva buses in Merseyside.

Figures have this week revealed that the number of trips taken by people on Arriva buses in Merseyside during 2004 increased by one million compared with 2003.

Bob Hind, managing director of the Merseyside-based bus operator, said:

This is very good news. We have made significant improvements to services over the past five years, with an investment of some £40 million in people, facilities and new vehicles in the region. That's a staggering £20,000 investment from Arriva every day.

People are beginning to see real, tangible improvements and I think the increase in those choosing to travel with us reflects this. We have focused strongly on improving the confidence we want customers to have when using our buses, by working hard on getting the basics right whilst delivering quality services that people choose to use.

He added:

It is also clear testament to the hard work and commitment that is shown by some 2,500 people on Merseyside who work for Arriva.

One of Arriva's biggest investments has been the £5 million redevelopment of its depot at Birkenhead . The work created a better working environment for employees and saw state of the art equipment to help maintain buses installed.

Arriva is Merseyside's biggest bus operator, providing around 65 per cent of the region's bus services. More than 93 per cent of its services operate without any local authority funding.

Note to editors - did you know that in Merseyside:

• Arriva's buses travel some 35 million miles in Merseyside every year - that's the equivalent of travelling to the moon and back more than 70 times;
• Arriva is one of the top five employers with some 2,500 employees in Merseyside

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