Making a Difference: They have the technology: but Arriva fail to communicate to their passengers in 2015!

The Arriva London North [Night ]  Team won an award for Making a Difference in 2014. It is a pity that the day duty team on 1st May 2015 failed to maintain this high standard

The key technology used by Arriva is the three screens of the iBUS desk which are used to monitor the progress of each of the passenger vehicles and are used to communicate to the driver/operator of a particular vehicle. 

Unknown to me, on Friday 1st May at around 10:30am the traffic signals went "kaput" on the Cambridge Roundabout A10/A406/A111junction leading to horrendous traffic queues in all directions. To maintain a bus service on route W6 vehicles were operated from Southgate LUL to Palmers Green (Hedge Lane, Bourne Hill) where they were instructed by iBUS controllers to turn back to Southgate LUL using the bus stand at the Hedge Lane/Green Lanes junction. The communication failure by Arriva London North was that the on line omnibus data available to iPads, Tablets and the street side "Countdown" signs was not being updated, so evening peak hour passengers were still being "promised" that if they waited long enough their bus was going to Edmonton Green when it wasn't! Shame that if they took the first bus when they arrived at the Hedge Lane?bourne Hill bus stop passengers were being "dumped" to await the arrival of a bus that might not come.

I met an elderly gentleman who had been gamely waiting for 40 minutes and the real time Tfl data on his iPad/Tablet was still promising a buses to Edmonton Green in 1, 8 and 9 minutes. The first two buses Running No E66 and Running No E68 were turned back to Southgate; the third W6 PDL104 (Vehicle reg index LJ54 BBO) which eventually arrived, was bursting at the seams.

A plea to Arriva London North, you have the technology please use it so that your passengers can consider making alternative travel arrangements!

The standing Instruction  from TfL is that bus passengers with an interrupted journey should be given "transfer tickets" so that the passenger does NOT pay a second time. If transfer tickets were NOT issued please complain to TfL Customer Services at 0343 222 1234 to claim your refund which will be credited to your account (Oyster or Contactless travel card). Have your Oyster/Contactless Card to hand when you call!