Abbots Langley residents have been left frustrated with local bus services.
As reported in the September issue of ABBOTSnews, the Harlequin Travel 318 bus that took passengers from Abbots to Watford was axed after “rising costs” made the service “unsustainable”.
The Arriva 10 bus is now the only option left for local residents travelling to Watford, with several people speaking out against the service.
Elaine Milnes said: “We never know if and when they will turn up. The electronic boards at the bus stops might as well not be there; they are never correct. It’s not good enough.”
Lisha Miller said: “We do so need our local 318 bus route back; without it, lots of us don’t go out.”
Paula Vaux said: “It takes 45 minutes to get to Watford on a journey which used to take about 20. We just need a simple, straightforward run from Abbots to Watford and back.”
A spokesperson for Arriva said: “In recent months, our services across the region have unfortunately been impacted by the well documented national bus driver shortage.
“This has resulted in serious challenges on the delivery of our timetabled services on a daily basis. We want to assure you, our customers, we’re exploring every avenue to rectify this situation.
“We’re mindful of how negatively we are affecting some of our customers and our communities every day, and for this are we genuinely sorry.”
Councillor Phil Bibby, executive member for highways and transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We are aware of reliability issues with bus services in Watford generally, and this includes the 10. This is due to the shortage of drivers at Arriva’s Hemel Hempstead garage which operates the Watford services. It is hoped the driver issue will be resolved in the new year, as around 12 drivers will be freed up with the handing back of the 357 contract to Hertfordshire County Council.”
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