We’re getting nowhere fast... (From St Helens Star)

The residents of Billinge deserve an explanation Arriva?

9:18am Thursday 26th July 2012 in Letters By Reader letter

THOSE who took the trouble, spent an interesting two hours in the Town Hall, last Friday, questioning those in charge under the auspices of MerseyTravel.

With the representative of Northern Rail absent, probably too ashamed to face the travelling public, I took the opportunity to register my protest against the overcrowded, clapped out 30 year old rejects from other parts of the country and question why ,when we ever get electrification, it won't be new trains but again rejects flogged up and down the SE of England.

As its contract is up in two years it should be a condition we get new trains and at least 3 or 4 units on the Wigan-Liverpool line. Will the form I completed to protest ever see the light of day?

We were all asked what would we see a success of these forums? The answer was simple as the next time we the public came, we would have little to complain about.

However Arriva! I took the opportunity to speak to their boss to complain over how we always get 3 buses together through Billinge or that the timetable is for "illustrative purposes only".

It does not happen was the reply. On leaving the Town Hall at 3.10 I went to the Billinge bus stop to find a queue stretching down to the end, Billinge bus was late again, (This does not happen?)

In came a Warrington bus at 3.20 with a Chain Lane bus behind, followed immediately by the Billinge bus who took one look at the queue and drove off!!

At 3.50 a Billinge bus finally came. I got on only to see another Billinge bus behind. I was so angry I got off and caught the Arriva representative in his office to tell him that what does not happen, has just done so with two buses in the station. He said he would look into it.

I got the next Billinge bus only to see, as we drove away, yet another 352 bus coming in and to make matters worse when I landed at Billinge there were yet another two buses in convoy heading for St Helens.

The residents of Billinge deserve an explanation, as it is the drivers that get all the flak.

As the Arriva man said, this does not happen!!! Forums are great for blood pressure especially when you can see that whatever you are saying is some fairy story I am making up. Next time I will preface all my queries with "Once upon a time!"

Cllr.Bill Bradbury, Clifton Road, Billinge.