Dear Sir,
Is the Arriva number 7 service, between Darlington and Durham, the worst route in the county?
On Saturday 30th April we went for the 11.02, number 7, bus from Woodham Way, Sunningdale to go to Darlington. We arrived in good time, however, no bus turned up. We waited for the 11.22 which turned up at 11.26, so around a half hour wait. For our return journey we went for the 17.02 from Tubwell Row, which did not turn up, neither did the 17.22. The 17.42 arrived at 17.46, nearly an hour wait. By the time the bus did arrive so many people were waiting that the bus became so full that the driver did not stop at any of the stops on North Road until Morrisons, where someone wanted to get off. By this time it was cold and raining and old people and families were left standing at the roadside having to watch the bus, they may have waited up to an hour for, sail past and be left with no idea when, or if, another bus would turn up.
The sad thing is that this is not uncommon. I will only use Arriva if I absolutely have to, and then I always go for at least one bus earlier than the one I need to have any chance of getting to Darlington in time.
If they did not have a monopoly Arriva would surely go out of business.
Tony Knight