Press releases

Arriva joined local authorities and other bus operators today at the launch of a major new report by the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

The report 'Moving Forward - New Opportunities, New Passengers' indicates that improvements to bus services in Merseyside through partnerships between local operators and transport authorities could boost bus use by 13 per cent, cut congestion and improve the local environment.

It reveals the potential for 14 million extra bus passenger journeys in Merseyside per year resulting in 1.8 million fewer journeys by car and an annual CO2 emissions reduction of 3,000 tonnes – it would take 15,000 trees 100 years to erase this amount of carbon dioxide from the environment.

Phil Stone, managing director of Arriva North West and Wales, commented: "The number one priority for bus users is that buses arrive on time. If people have confidence that services will be punctual, they are more likely to consider using the bus for at least some of their journeys.

"Road congestion stops buses being punctual. Give bus users more road priority and bus service times improve. That's where partnership working between local authorities and bus operators can deliver great results for people who choose a more sustainable form of transport."

He added: "Arriva has made significant investment in new buses for Merseyside and has pledged to add to that if bus users are given more priority measures on the roads."

Moving Forward – New Opportunities for Bus Growth, can be downloaded in full from from the Confederation of Passenger Transport's website: www.cpt-uk.org.

Image caption: Launching the report (L-R): Phil Stone, Managing Director, Arriva North West; James Bradley, Director of Resources, Merseytravel; Nigel Featham, NW Regional Chairman, CPT; Tom Wileman, Regional Director, Stagecoach Merseyside; Stephen Pearse, Policy Specialist, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry