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Bus contract win in the Netherlands

Posted: 2 April 2012 | Arriva | No comments yet

Arriva Nederland has been awarded a €450m contract to operate buses in north and south west Friesland…

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Arriva Nederland has been awarded a €450m contract to operate buses in north and south west Friesland and will continue to operate bus services on the island of Schiermonnikoog.

The Friesland contract, awarded by the Province of Fryslan, starts in December 2012 and will operate for eight years, with a further two-year extension option.

As part of the contract Arriva Nederland will operate a fleet of 190 buses providing urban, inter-urban and rural services in the Province. The services will be operated by 500 employees who will transfer to Arriva from the previous operator.

The Province is currently drawing up specifications for the fleet which will include EEV (Enhanced Environmental Vehicle) buses which produce lower exhaust emissions, biogas fuelled vehicles and six electric buses. The electric buses will be funded by the transport authority and the remainder by Arriva, representing an investment of some €40m in the local bus fleet. The new buses will enter service with the start of the contract on 9 December 2012.

In addition to new vehicles, Arriva will introduce timetables which better integrate bus and rail services, invest in wi-fi on its Q-liner express bus services and introduce improved ticketing opportunities for frequent travellers.

Arriva will also work with local businesses to encourage the development of services and transport marketing campaigns which support the local business community.

It will also open new kiosks in Heerenveen and Sneek, in addition to the Leeuwarden kiosk, to provide tickets and service information to customers and improve support for passengers using the Province’s ’Opstapper’ (hop-on, hop-off) bus service.

Anne Hettinga, managing director at Arriva Nederland, said: “As sole provider of regional rail services in Friesland and Groningen, this new bus contract will complement our existing operations.

“It will provide a welcome, new opportunity for Arriva to deliver more integrated, high quality public transport for our customers in the Province while offering good value for money to the transport authority.”

The tender award is subject to a six-week appeal period dating from 20 March.

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