Bus 370 & 373

I provide the response below in answer to an issue raised at last week's online forum:

The background is that the 370 and the 373 evening service was provided under contract to Tfl, which Thurrock contributed to, because the level of income on these services was insufficient to cover the costs of providing them and the overall performance of the two routes was not strong enough to maintain them on a commercial basis.

The 370 and 373 formed part of the London Bus Network between Corbets Tey and Romford.Tfl were unhappy with the reliability of the service and unfortunately, the extra level of resource needed to increase recovery and running times could not be justified commercially. Following discussions with Tfl they decided to take responsibility for the 370 in its entirety between Lakeside and Romford but expressed no interest in the 373. When they assumed the 370 they stopped funding the 373 evenings and Sundays and Arriva therefore withdrew the service.

Subsequently, Thurrock put the service out to tender with Ensign winning the tender. Now Ensign operates the evening 373 which is now called 73 under contract to Thurrock Council.

Ensign does not include the Shannon Way, Usk Road loop in its route as drivers who had worked for Arriva and now working for Ensign have expressed their concern about the safety of the drivers, passengers and damage to vehicles if they where to do so. The loop is omitted and the route continues from Mill Road on to Romford Road to its destination at Upminster.

The last bus that Arriva operates from Grays to Usk Road is 18.45. Ensign operates the evening 73 from 1918, Grays to Upminster, the last bus being 2310 from Grays.

Concessionary Fares

Cabinet have approved the continuation of the Concessionary Fares Scheme.

As of April 2007, the local scheme we have been running will become part of the national scheme; however the national scheme will run reduced hours as it starts from 9.30am instead of the 9am start we have in Thurrock.

We have therefore decided to sponsor the extra 30mins, so that there will be no reduction in service for our residents.

Additionally, although the national scheme will end at 11pm, again Thurrock Council is sponsoring additional times to keep the status as it is.

Free travel is also planned to be provided on the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry, but is subject to negotiation with the ferry operator

Overall, users of the scheme should not notice any difference in the time frame.


See link:
http://democracy.thurrock.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=10020

Bus 33 - New Service

Ensign Bus plan to operate a new service 33 that will run from
Lakeside Bus Station
Fenner Road
Fleming Road
Chafford Hundred Station
Galleon Road
Mayflower Road
Lancaster Road
Warren Lane
Clockhouse Lane
Drake Road
Devonshire Road
Hogg Lane
Lenthall Ave
Hathaway Road
Orsett Road
Stanley Road
Crown Road
Maidstone Road
Grays Bus Station

It is planned to operate Monday - Friday and an hourly Saturday service.

The proposed starting date is also 10th November.

X80 Revised Bus Services

Ensign Bus

Plan to alter the X80 bus route due to the recent delays due to many long waits at the Dartford Tunnel making the service not reliable at all especially for those who live in the Chafford Hundred area.

They are going to split the service so the X80 will operate as it does now but only from Chafford Hundred Rail Station,Lakeside then on to Bluewater and from Bluewater, Lakeside then Chafford Hundred Rail Station. The Sunday X80 has no changes.

The proposed starting date is the 10th November.