Friday 04 March 2005 11:22 pm
North London bus operator Arriva - operators of the very busy 73, 19, and 38 routes as well as the 254, 476 and 141 services - has reported a 15% rise in full year pre-tax profits to £116.3 million.

Islington's low car ownership and our position on the A1 mean we have some of London's best-used bus routes. While this profit is good news for Arriva's shareholders, it would be even better to see the profits re-invested in Islington's bus services. Residents tell us they want to see clean, safe, reliable buses with courteous, well-trained drivers.

Instead of cramming in passengers and creaming off a profit, Arriva should spend some of that money improving services on the busiest routes.

Most of all, passengers will want to know why Ken Livingstone forced through above-inflation fare rises when the bus operators clearly have cash to spare.