ARRIVA Bus Company has been branded "the bus operator from hell" by Watford and District Friends of the Earth, who claim passengers are fed-up of its "poor services, unreliability" and latest reduction in bus services.

Friends of the Earth, also criticised Arriva, Hertfordshire County Council, and Watford Council, for not turning up at a bus users meeting held on Monday, February 4.

Mr Terry Figg, transport campaigner for Watford and District Friends of the Earth, said: "Bus passengers in Watford are treated as if they are no more than an irritating nuisance by Arriva.

"They have cut services without little notification to passengers and many buses don't even carry the new timetables.

"The help line is nearly always busy, some drivers don't know the route, buses don't have the right number on them, and some even have different numbers on the back and the front of the bus. They truly are the bus operator from hell."

He said Hertfordshire County Council also needed to take the issue of cut-backs seriously.

Terry Figg said: "Arriva is continuing its scorched earth policy of cut-backs, poor management, low investment, and do-minimum, that saw a contraction of bus services in countries south of the Thames - such as Surrey in recent years. This is now being repeated in Hertfordshire.

He added: "I feel that Watford's bus users have been let down by Arriva. They have also been let down by Watford Council and Hertfordshire County Council.

"Can someone please explain why it is that in other areas of the country bus patronage is up, and in some areas like Brighton, operators have managed to give drivers a pay rise too?"

Justifying Arriva's action, Marketing manager Mr David Shadbolt, said: "Arriva welcomed the re-establishment of the bus user group and attended the inaugural meeting before Christmas.

"Arriva received an invitation to attend the Monday, February 4, meeting on Thursday, January 31.

"Nick Knox, general manager, was unable to change a prior commitment at such short notice and asked for the date of the meeting to be changed because he felt it vital that he should be there to discuss the recent service changes.

"He was told that this couldn't be changed because the purpose of the meeting was to prepare the groups response to the Hertfordshire County Council Bus Strategy Consultant Document, which has to be in by Friday, February 15. Nobody was available at such short notice.

He said since the service changes were introduced, reliability had improved substantially and Arriva always welcomed feedback from its customers who can call the Customer Service team on 08701 201088, or email on, customerservice@arriva-shires.com.