Trentbarton Managing Director Tom Morgan has criticised Arriva Midlands for what he says is its “bizarre and perplexing move” to end a 30-year partnership by those operators and their predecessors on route X38 between Burton-upon-Trent and Derby.
Until 30 August they will jointly provide a 20-minute daytime frequency on that corridor. However, Arriva recently signalled its intent to terminate that by registering a 20-minute headway of its own from the following day, which will be combined with an extension to Derby bus station and the addition of later journeys than those it currently runs.
In response, Trentbarton will run X38 journeys every 15 minutes from 31 August, putting the two operators in head-to-head competition. Trentbarton journeys will serve what the operator says is a better-sited location in the centre of Derby than the current terminus.
When announcing its changes, Arriva said they were in response to customer feedback and that serving Derby bus station will deliver better connections.
In an obvious slight directed at Trentbarton, Arriva Midlands Head of Commercial Toby France says that the group is “happy to be able to deliver a really good bus service that I am sure will be really well received.” Trentbarton has long described itself as “the really good bus company.”
In what may be another intended snub, Mr France notes that Arriva has “a strong record of reliability and punctuality.”
Mr Morgan has questioned the decision to end the current collaborative approach. “The unilateral and surprise decision by Arriva to run X38 buses at the exact time of ours marks the disappointing end of what has been a friendly partnership which since 1995 has worked well for the public on this key connection between Burton on Derby,” he says.
“It is a bizarre and perplexing move by a massive company owned by a USA private equity firm against a locally run, locally owned bus company which has been serving the people of the East Midlands for 110 years.”
He adds a belief that Arriva is trying “to muscle us out” from the X38 corridor and says that Trentbarton was “blindsided” by the decision of Arriva. Mr Morgan alleges that the Wellglade Group business asked Derby City Council (DCC) to facilitate a meeting to work through the matter, “but Arriva would not engage.”
Arriva has refuted that allegation. It says that in April, it approached Trentbarton via DCC to explore the evolution of the X38, but that “TrentBarton chose not to engage in the discussion at that time and we have had no representation from [it] since.”
The group has clarified that its decision to run journeys every 20 minutes followed customer feedback and comments made “on the reliability of services provided by other operators.” It has also said that a statement released by Trentbarton in relation to the matter “is not entirely accurate.”
Mr Morgan has gone as far to question whether Arriva shares the independent operator’s view “that partnership working across the East Midlands is the best way forwards.”
That refers to comments made by Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward. Prior to being elected in May, Ms Ward said that while she intends to improve bus services in the region, franchising moves will only follow if work via partnership with operators does not deliver.
Mr Morgan says that Arriva’s action on the X38 corridor “seems a very strange thing to do” at a time when Trentbarton is underlining the position to Ms Ward that bus franchising is not necessary. It is known that one other large operator in the East Midlands unconnected to the spat has carried out similar engagement.
“Arriva’s actions appear to reinforce the outdated perception that private operators are more interested in fighting over market share than serving the needs of the customer,” he adds.
