Medway cross town services given Kickstart investment by DfT

Arriva and Medway Council are delighted to announce nearly£600,000 of investment to improve the frequency of the 176service from Walderslade and Gillingham to Chatham as a result ofKickstart funding announced today by the Department for Transport.Improvements to the service will now be implemented early nextyear.

Kevin Hawkins, commercial director for Arriva Southern Counties,said:

We are delighted this popular route will receivefurther investment, including a more frequent 12-minute timetable,giving even better access to hospital visitors and customers withdisabilities and parents with pushchairs.

In recent years, Arriva has invested heavily inimproving bus services in the Medway towns and we are delightedthat the Department for Transport has provided Kickstart funding tohelp Arriva and the local Council working in partnership tocontinue to improve this important bus service.

Councillor Phil Filmer, Medway Council's portfolio holder forFront Line Services said:

We are equally delighted to have received this fundingto enable a further improvement in this important bus service forMedway. This will serve a number of key growth areas and help toprovide an attractive alternative to the car. We look forward toworking together to achieve these improvements.

Full details of the improved service will be available nearerthe start date.

Notes to editors

• 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 provides transport services including buses, trains,commuter coaches and water buses in eight European countries– Denmark, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,Sweden and the UK.
• Arriva is the largest private bus operator in Italy, Denmarkand the Netherlands and is London's largest operator. Arriva wasthe first private company to be awarded rail contracts inDenmark.
• In the last five years, the turnover of Arriva's mainlandEuropean operations has increase by more than 250 per cent to£514.8 million (Euro £746 million).
• Arriva was the first UK transport company to become a signatoryof the European Road Safety Charter –http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/roadsafety/charter.htm.