18 Jul 2005
Arriva’s airport bus service is set to fly!
Arriva, local bus operator and leading European transportprovider, is set to make travelling to and from Liverpool JohnLennon Airport a truly European experience.
And the local bus operator is keen to extend the Airlink 500 busservice and build the route in readiness for the huge influx ofpeople expected to visit Merseyside during the Capital of Cultureyear in 2008.
Taking over the Airport services which provide transport betweenthe Airport and Liverpool City Centre, Arriva is spreading the wordabout its services and will be working with international agenciesto ensure that visitors are aware of the local transport networkbefore they arrive.
Multilingual timetables will be available at the Airport and onthe Internet ( www.arrivabus.co.uk ). Arriva is alsoestablishing links with Airports across Europe to get theMerseyside message across.
Previously operated by local bus company Selwyns under contractto Merseytravel, this is the first time that the service will runon a commercial basis, with no local authority funding. And Arrivahas bought three new single deck buses to improve comfort andreliability.
Councillor Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, said:
We launched the Airport service as part of ourobjective to provide the best possible public transport system tomeet the needs of all the travelling public onMerseyside.
It has proved to be extremely popular and we're pleasedArriva has now taken over responsibility for thisroute.
Robin Tudor, Liverpool John Lennon Airport's corporate affairsmanager added:
Arriva has been instrumental in improving publictransport access with the Airport in recent years, bringing newservices that provide links throughout the region.
The 500 city centre express service has been an amazingsuccess and the Airport is already impressed with Arriva's plans tofurther enhance this essential service. Customer care is clearly apriority for Arriva and their commitment to offer as seamless aservice as possible can only help to achieve the airport's aim ofattracting more passengers to use public transport.
Bob Hind, managing director of Arriva North West and Wales,said:
Liverpool is a wonderful city with lots to do and see.We want to make sure that visitors are well informed before theyarrive, so they can take advantage of the bus network and use it toits full potential. The airport is a major gateway to the city: wecan provide visitors' transport on arrival and throughout theirstay in Liverpool.
We will continue to provide the same excellent servicelevels that customers have come to expect. However we will beimproving the timetable in time to better integrate with flightlandings and departures, to give a more seamlessservice.
Arriva is also extending its popular multi-journey tickets to beavailable on the Airlink 500 service – bringing even morevalue for money. And customers arriving at the Airport can buytheir Liverpool multi-journey ticket on board – in eithersterling or euros.
Airlink 500 also provides a useful fast link for commutersworking at business parks near to the airport, with services every30 minutes, seven days a week. All vehicles are fitted with thelatest CCTV equipment.
Notes to editors
In Merseyside
- Arriva's buses travel some 35 million miles in Merseyside everyyear – that's the equivalent of travelling to the moon and backmore than 70 times.
- Arriva is one of the top five employers with some 2,500employees in Merseyside.
- Arriva is Merseyside's biggest bus operator, providing around65 per cent of the region's bus services.
- More than 93 per cent of Arriva's Merseyside services operatewithout any local authority funding.
And across Europe:
- Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers ofpassenger transport in mainland Europe, employing more than 30,000people and providing more than one billion passenger journeys everyyear.
- Arriva operates buses, trains, commuter coaches and water busesin eight European countries including Denmark, Italy, Germany, theNetherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
- Arriva is one of the UK's largest bus operators, with over6,000 buses. It is the biggest operator in London, its 1,400 busesproviding nearly 20 per cent of the capital's bus services.
- Outside London, Arriva's local bus services operate in majorurban areas like Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, Glasgow andNewcastle. There is a strong presence in the Midlands and HomeCounties, with a mix of interurban trunk routes and market townurban networks. Arriva buses also provide important links in ruralareas like North Wales.