Arriva invests in Medway & Kent

Travel company Arriva has announced a £600,000 improvement to the bus network in Medway.

The improvements, to bus route 116, will see five brand new buses fitted with free Wi-Fi, along with ongoing improvements to the bus network.

At a recent opening ceremony, the Major of Medway – the councillor Ted Baker - and other guests including Medway council members and representatives attended the launch of the new buses at the Universities of Medway campus in Chatham.

The improvements, part of an 8 year project which has seen Arriva spend more than £14million on new buses, includes an investment to provide free Wi-Fi on the buses.

Richard Lewis, regional press manager for Arriva, said: “This is the first kind of service to happen in the area. People who use a laptop or have a smart phone can use the service, which is completely free.”

The investment will provide a brand new look for the buses, which has seen the route renamed as the ‘X-BUS 116’. Eye catching vinyls will provide a fresh new look for the buses, along with more-comfortable seats and environmentally-friendly engines.

Arriva’s Managing Director, Heath Williams, said: “I’m delighted that we have once again been able to make a major investment in new buses for the Medway Towns.”

The 116 route runs between Chatham and Hempstead Valley, serving the universities, Mid Kent College, Gillingham town centre, Medway Maritime Hospital and Rainham on the way.

The free Wi-Fi has also been introduced on the 101 service between Maidstone and Medway, with the company planning to expand the service in the near future.

“We want to see how this goes before we look to expand the service,” Richard Lewis said. “We’re waiting for feedback.”

For full details of the 116 timetable, call 0844 800 4411 or view the timetable online at www.arrivabus.co.uk.

Pictures courtesy from Wikipedia

*a piece I submitted as part of my portfolio at the University of Kent