Here's hoping we'll be seeing many more First buses on the streets around south Essex very soon; I sent First an email the other day putting forward some ideas so fingers crossed we'll be seeing some new routes in the Southend/Rochford/Rayleigh/Leigh area very soon 🤞😎
They are only temporary, once First have created new routes and taken over in places like Southend and Colchester you'll see some proper investment 😏 I live in Rochford and the Arriva service is shit; we're all sick of them here, I speak to a lot of my fellow passengers and we all pretty much want either Arriva off the 7/8 or for them to cancel the services and let a new operator run our bus service. I have to admit that the main thing I would like is Arriva out of the Rochford and Hockley areas, it's time for change here 👍😎
@@glenjoshuawattsjoshua520 Just seen your interesting message I too live in Rochford its a pity Stephenson's can't take over the 7/8 service as what was a 10 minute service is 20 mins if bus even turns up ,so a few years back I changed to going to work at Southend on Gtr Anglia trains as it's only a 12 minute walk to the station for me 🙂
@@markstoggall41 It would be nice as they are a Rochford based company but I don't think they have the fleet size to take on the 7/8, I complained to Arriva about the timetable but they just ignored it. I think First should do in Rochford what they've just done in Great Wakering and launch a rival service. Also there is absolutely no way the 9/9A is gonna work, the fact the government are funding it proves they know it's not gonna make money. Arriva made the mistake back in 2016 of axing the more direct 4/4A and replacing it with a revised 7/8...the only reason its lasted this long is because until recently the 7/8 was the only bus service in Wakering. The 9A takes people miles out the way of where they want to go, who is gonna wanna go to Southend from Wakering the long way round when the 21/21A goes almost in a straight line direct into town. In Rochford I'd like to see First launch a rival service, something like a 21B to create a network of buses that allow passengers to travel around the whole area on a single bus network that links all the major things in the area like the Airport and Hospital.
@@glenjoshuawattsjoshua520 I think that First did have a short lived 6 Ashingdon minibus route using ex Bristol Transits back in 1992 ish when I moved to Essex from London ,so yes they could do the 7/8 route Arriva seems to reduce its services and fleet here every time there is a route change lol
@@markstoggall41 I don't remember that but I know First have got the evening 7's between Rayleigh and Hockley from next week and they also operate service 63. I was told by an Arriva driver last week that if First go into Rochford then that'll be Arriva finished in this area. Honestly I have to say that I think this is the beginning of the end of Arriva in Southend and Colchester, people here in Rochford and Hockley areas have had enough of them. I'm sick of the stress the rubbish 7 timetable causes me, you waste half you day hanging around either at bus stops or at your destination because you've had to leave way too early just in case they cancel a bus. What First mite do now that they have the evening 7's is introduce an alternative 7A route or something to rival Arriva, I know they are introducing additional service 4 journeys so fingers crossed they'll do something similar with the 7 🤞😄
Here's hoping we'll be seeing many more First buses on the streets around south Essex very soon; I sent First an email the other day putting forward some ideas so fingers crossed we'll be seeing some new routes in the Southend/Rochford/Rayleigh/Leigh area very soon 🤞😎
The only thing that is ruined on that bus is the bodywork
Nice video ,still seems odd ex Arriva mid life deckers being bought by First lol
They are only temporary, once First have created new routes and taken over in places like Southend and Colchester you'll see some proper investment 😏 I live in Rochford and the Arriva service is shit; we're all sick of them here, I speak to a lot of my fellow passengers and we all pretty much want either Arriva off the 7/8 or for them to cancel the services and let a new operator run our bus service.
I have to admit that the main thing I would like is Arriva out of the Rochford and Hockley areas, it's time for change here 👍😎
@@glenjoshuawattsjoshua520 Just seen your interesting message I too live in Rochford its a pity Stephenson's can't take over the 7/8 service as what was a 10 minute service is 20 mins if bus even turns up ,so a few years back I changed to going to work at Southend on Gtr Anglia trains as it's only a 12 minute walk to the station for me 🙂
@@markstoggall41 It would be nice as they are a Rochford based company but I don't think they have the fleet size to take on the 7/8, I complained to Arriva about the timetable but they just ignored it. I think First should do in Rochford what they've just done in Great Wakering and launch a rival service.
Also there is absolutely no way the 9/9A is gonna work, the fact the government are funding it proves they know it's not gonna make money. Arriva made the mistake back in 2016 of axing the more direct 4/4A and replacing it with a revised 7/8...the only reason its lasted this long is because until recently the 7/8 was the only bus service in Wakering. The 9A takes people miles out the way of where they want to go, who is gonna wanna go to Southend from Wakering the long way round when the 21/21A goes almost in a straight line direct into town.
In Rochford I'd like to see First launch a rival service, something like a 21B to create a network of buses that allow passengers to travel around the whole area on a single bus network that links all the major things in the area like the Airport and Hospital.
@@glenjoshuawattsjoshua520 I think that First did have a short lived 6 Ashingdon minibus route using ex Bristol Transits back in 1992 ish when I moved to Essex from London ,so yes they could do the 7/8 route Arriva seems to reduce its services and fleet here every time there is a route change lol
@@markstoggall41 I don't remember that but I know First have got the evening 7's between Rayleigh and Hockley from next week and they also operate service 63.
I was told by an Arriva driver last week that if First go into Rochford then that'll be Arriva finished in this area. Honestly I have to say that I think this is the beginning of the end of Arriva in Southend and Colchester, people here in Rochford and Hockley areas have had enough of them. I'm sick of the stress the rubbish 7 timetable causes me, you waste half you day hanging around either at bus stops or at your destination because you've had to leave way too early just in case they cancel a bus.
What First mite do now that they have the evening 7's is introduce an alternative 7A route or something to rival Arriva, I know they are introducing additional service 4 journeys so fingers crossed they'll do something similar with the 7
🤞😄