Arriva’s demand-responsive minibus service ArrivaClick, which was put on hold in Liverpool when the coronavirus lockdown came into effect, will not be returning to the whole city after restrictions ease.
The 211 Speke zone will continue to run however, as it has done over the entire pandemic period.
In a statement released last week, the company said: “We would like to thank our customers over the years and also give you sufficient notice to make alternative arrangements for your travel outside the new zone. We’re proud to have served Liverpool and we’re grateful to our customers and partners in supporting us.
“ArrivaClick has proved to be popular with our customers and we understand how disappointing this news will be. We have tried everything we can to increase passenger numbers and make the service sustainable.
“This wasn’t a decision we have taken lightly. We are extremely grateful to our customers for their support since we launched the service.
“Our ambition for the service was to get people out of their cars and onto public transport and we’ve had some successes. 52% of ArrivaClick customers previously used private cars and taxis, showing that there is a strong need for DRT-style bus services in the UK.
“Despite these successes, the ArrivaClick service in Liverpool is not performing strongly enough in a tough commercial environment. Our experience in Leicestershire has shown us that this service performs most strongly when it is partnered with other streams of support.”
