‘We don’t want their cast-offs’

Apr 2 2009 by Nick Moreton, Skelmersdale Advertiser

BUS users in Skelmersdale are angry after it was revealed the town has been given second hand buses from Wirral.

Ten buses were recently delivered to the town by Arriva North West - at the same time that Birkenhead received a fleet of brand new double deckers costing £170,000 each.

Arriva says the move comes as a result of “prioritising the most frequently used services” and insists the buses, despite being 14-years-old, are an improvement on what were already in Skelmersdale.

But bus goers described the situation yesterday as “unfair” and even voiced concerns about the damage the buses could do.

Arthur Sanderson, who has previously made complaints about the environmental impact of bus drivers leaving their engines idling as they wait at the bus station at the Concourse, said getting second hand buses would only make the problem worse.

He said: “It’s unbelievable that this can be allowed to go on and if it’s going on throughout the country it’s a national scandal.

“We should have equal rights to Wirral and everywhere else, but I doubt we ever will.”

And Dawn Hinds, from Digmoor, said: “It’s not very fair, is it?

“Why should we get their second hand buses while they get brand new ones?

Ward councillor Neil Furey said:

“I will be writing to the managing director of Arriva North West to ask why Skelmersdale never receives brand new buses and always ends up with the old ones.

“If new buses are good enough for it's Merseyside passengers then they're good enough for it's West Lancashire passengers.”

A spokesman for Arriva North West said: “The 10 double deck buses recently added to the Skelmersdale fleet have a greater capacity than the previous vehicles, they have electronic destination blinds, are coach seated, double glazed and provide a marked improvement in customer comfort.

“It is true that the vehicles were previously used in Birkenhead, but as no brand new vehicles are planned for the Skelmersdale area in the immediate future, the double deck buses provide an improved level of service on our Wigan to Southport service 375/385.

“Arriva will have invested in excess of £28 million in new buses by the close of 2009 in the North West alone, the decision on where the new buses are allocated is often made by prioritising the most frequently used services.”