Arriva accused of ‘bullying’ tactics

18 October 2006

Chester City Council is taking legal action against Arriva North West and Wales over claims the company is trying to undermine the proposed sale of Chester City Transport.
The council has started proceedings under the Competition Act 1998 against Arriva for registering with the Welsh Traffic Commissioner to operate local bus services in and around Chester from January 2007.
Arriva is accused of engaging in ‘anti-competitive action’ by planning to flood Chester with loss-making services, in order to force Chester City Transport – also known as ChesterBus – out of business. Many of Arriva’s proposed bus services are ‘almost exactly the same’ as those run by ChesterBus, including departure times, intermediate times, the actual route, and the route numbers, the council claims.
‘We cannot allow such bullying tactics to go unchallenged, particularly as the extra buses Arriva proposes to introduce will cause chaos in the Chester Bus Exchange and city centre bus stops – and by driving out competition this will ultimately be to the detriment of bus users,’ said Councillors Paul Roberts and John Price, in a statement.
But Bob Hind, managing director of Arriva North and West, hit back at the council, describing the allegations as ‘unfounded and inaccurate’.
He said the company’s proposal for Chester bus services would secure local jobs and lead to a new fleet of buses – while also giving the council the opportunity to retain the depot site for development.
‘We have made it clear that our intentions were not to disrupt the market, but to create a seamless transfer,’ he added. ‘The council’s determination to take legal action, at taxpayers’ expense, is unnecessary. We are available to talk at any time.’
Arriva North West and Wales operates 80% of Merseyside’s bus services.

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Arriva accused of ‘bullying’ tactics

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