No.2 • February 2010
GARAGES BATTLE WORST WEATHER FOR 30 YEARS
NEW ROUTE BOOST Blue Triangle wins transit contract: p3
Snowmageddon! The icy view from head office and, inset, an almost surreal scene.
BIG WINTER FREEZE TESTS TEAMWORK IT’S BEEN a challenging start to the winter with freezing arctic conditions and severe weather warnings, but despite the snow and ice the Go-Ahead London team has been doing its utmost to keep the show on the road. The adverse weather conditions have only helped to highlight what an excellent team of people work for the company. Employees from all parts of the business pulled out all the stops to ensure services ran as safely and as smoothly as
possible during a difficult few weeks of operation. Road manager Sandra McKinley, who is based at Bexleyheath, is full of praise for employees, who she says have worked very well together. “We’ve had some terrible weather – particularly just before Christmas when the snow came down so quickly that we couldn’t keep the buses moving – but everyone has done a great job to get things back to normal as quickly as possible. n Continued on page 2
SPECIAL FEATURE: Why service quality is our priority: p4/5
Officials dig out buses
Sutton’s challenge Cuppa thanks
Who’s our mystery runner? Find out on page 6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: NEWS AND VIEWS FROM YOUR AREA
The big freeze
Driving success: Route 11 uses 80 drivers on day and night services and 25 buses.
n Continued from page 1 “We monitored the weather constantly and put weather warnings out to our employees to ensure they were prepared. “We’ve even had officials out with salt, grit and spades to help dig some buses out of the snow. “It might have been a challenging time, but the camaraderie was good and team spirit was high.” Waterside Way base manager Keith Faulkner is equally impressed with employees’ teamwork and thanks everyone for making it in to work. “It hasn’t been too bad and we’ve been very fortunate that the local council has been gritting the roads – one of the lorries even came into our yard and sprayed on several occasions, which was a great help.” Peter Russell, who is operating manager at Blue Triangle, says that in general the TfL routes were operating OK during the cold snap in January, but that routes into Essex had suffered the most. “Employees have remained professional throughout and I’d like to thank them for their efforts,” said Peter. Sutton garage has faced a challenge, but operating manager Mark Cambridge applauds the team for their efforts. “It’s not been an easy journey into work for some members of staff, particularly those living in Surrey as the weather was much worse there,” said Mark. Ted Dalton, who is operating manager at Stockwell, says he believes many employees have gone over and above the call of duty to try and get in to work. “The conditions have been very icy and we’ve even had to pull a couple of services on some days, but we’ve done everything we can to keep services operating.” As a thank you for their effort, Stockwell employees received a free cuppa.
More buses for Docklands as new route starts THIS March will see the arrival of nine new buses and a new contract for Docklands. Service 300 will run seven days a week on a low frequency and will operate from Canning Town to East Ham. Single-deck buses will be used on the route, which was previously run by East London Bus Group. Acting operating manager Carl Trainor said: “We’re pleased to have secured another TfL contract and this will bring our total number of routes to eight. “We’ll also be welcoming some more drivers to the garage.” 2
BusTalk l February 2010
Stockwell celebrates five-year route retention EXCELLENT performance by Stockwell staff and a competitive bid combined to give GoAhead the edge when Route 11 came before London Buses’ tendering panel. The contract for Route 11/N11 was renewed amid fierce competition from other operators and will operate for a further five years from October 30 with an option for a two-year extension. Route 11 operates between Liverpool Street station and Fulham Broadway. It is known
as one of London’s best ‘tourist’ routes as it passes many popular sightseeing places, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and Westminster. The route has about 80 drivers on both day and night services and uses 25 buses. The current fleet will continue to be used and the new contract remains more or less unchanged. n Blue Triangle lost Route 66 to Arriva in the same tendering round.
Fast, frequent and reliable: Blue Triangle’s transit route IT’S EXCITING times at Blue Triangle as the garage has been chosen by Transport for London to operate the newly created EL1/ EL2 route. The route was due to start on February 20 and is the first phase of the East London Transit (ELT) – a modern bus service that will provide fast, frequent and reliable journeys in the Thames Gateway area and will link to the wider transport network including National Rail, London Underground and other local bus services. The EL1 and EL2 services come under the umbrella of one route, but are slightly different in the way they operate. The EL2 will have a slightly longer route, with high frequency buses running from Ilford to Dagenham Docks on a high frequency throughout the day. The EL1 will be a high frequency 24-hour service and buses will operate between Ilford and Thames View Estate in Barking. Both services replace the existing 369 route, which is currently operated by East London.
Eye-catching: The new double-deck WVL buses will have exclusive East London Transit branding.
Camberwell feels the heat
BRILLIANT Blue Triangle was due to take delivery of brand new double-deck WVL buses for the route. The vehicles will carry special bright orange branding on the interior and an eye-catching red, orange and purple design on the exterior. Controller Brad Campbell, who is based at Blue Triangle, said: “This route win is brilliant news for the garage – especially as we will be the first garage to operate it – and we hope that this will be the first of many new routes for us.” Brad is in charge of overseeing the introduction of the route and will be organising route learning and driver training (he will select a special panel of drivers for the service). New drivers are also being recruited to help with the additional workload at the garage. “I’m hoping that the driving team will continue to take pride in their work and enjoy delivering good service to our customers,” Brad said. In a further boost to the service, local government has also been investing in roadside infrastructure, including the installation of state-ofthe-art bus stops along the route.
Brad Campbell: Charged with introducing the new East London Transit route and driver training.
WHILE snow and freezing weather disrupted bus services around the capital during the early part of January, it was a local fire that provided the greatest challenge to Camberwell garage. The fire broke out at a nearby building site at around 2.30 one morning after heavy snowfall, and police asked if they could use the garage canteen as a temporary evacuation centre for local residents. “We lost the use of two roads either side of the garage so we were limited to just one entrance which had the potential to really disrupt bus services,” said general manager Bill Roberts, who arrived at the garage at 3.15am. “The night buses couldn’t get into the garage and had to park on Camberwell New Road. The one exit that was available was used to get buses out but half the fleet was faced the wrong way and had to be turned round first in the garage!” Bill paid tribute to Paul Addley and the night engineers who did a first class job in moving buses and repositioning them so that services were disrupted as little as possible. “Paul really took charge and we all worked to his instructions and the latest bus out was only 15 minutes behind schedule!” said Bill. BusTalk l February 2010
3
SPECIAL FEATURE: In today’s competitive market, G
IT’S ALL ABO In our Face 2 Face column, we chat to Joanne Fowler who is a driver at New Cross and has worked in the bus industry for 11 years. We ask 10 light-hearted questions. Q: What was the last film you saw at the cinema? A: Terminator 2. Q: What music do you like to listen to? A: R&B and reggae. Q: What is your favourite season and why? A: Autumn because it’s not too hot and not too cold. Q: Who do you most admire? A: My mum Ann. Q: If you had the time / money, what hobby would you most like to take up? A: I’d like to buy a piece of land and build my own home. Q: What is your favourite sport? A: Wrestling. Q: Describe your perfect day off… A: Taking my three grandchildren out for the day. They love to go to the park. Q: Which celebrity would you like to have round for Sunday lunch? A: George Clooney. Q: What would you feed him? A: I’d order a Chinese takeaway as my husband Lloyd usually does the cooking! Q: Which country would you most like to visit? A: Australia. 4
BusTalk l February 2010
Balancing act: Service quality general manager Gill Tynan and iBus controller Debbie Tyson.
I
T IS the constant dilemma … providing a first class service at a competitive price. Quality is the cornerstone of a successful operation, but it doesn’t come cheap. Gill Tynan is general manager service quality and it is her job to ensure Go-Ahead London’s bus services perform to the contract agreed with the customer, London Buses. “Quality costs money,” said Gill, admitting that routes lost through the tendering process are more often than not down to price as opposed to performance. “It’s a balancing act and the question we
ask constantly is what is the price of quality – we have decided to maintain and improve, where possible, the level of service we provide to our passengers. But at the same time, we have to look carefully at what all that costs because otherwise we risk pricing ourselves out of the market.” An ‘invitation to tender’ is sent out by London Buses to the capital’s operators when a route is due for renewal. The document sets out the terms of the contract and asks operators to send in their submissions and, most important, how much they think it will cost. Gill said that Go-Ahead London sends in a compliant bid and possibly a non-compliant
bid if the resources to the sta “Our no current ro differ dra existed fi was first Putting work invo managers and, of co “There’s table at th remembe for the wo
Go-Ahead London’s employees are making good service a priority.
OUT THE QUALITY iBus controllers get the big picture
Mark’s hands-on approach to service
PERHAPS the most important word in a service controller’s vocabulary is ‘headway’. All high frequency routes have a set headway – the time gap between buses on the same route with the same number. Controllers in the iBus rooms monitor the progress of their garage’s routes on screens, while their colleagues do a similar job at the roadside. Debbie Tyson works at Camberwell ensuring the garage’s buses are maintaining a reliable service. If the service needs to be adjusted, for example where buses are bunching, she is able to contact a driver via iBus to give him or her the appropriate instructions. “The iBus controllers have the advantage,” said Debbie, “of being able to track buses throughout their entire journey whereas our colleagues at the roadside only see them at specified points. “The advantages they have over us, of course, are that they can see exactly what needs to be done in emergencies and they can spot other things that we can’t possibly monitor, like the presentation of a bus and blinds not properly displayed. “Whatever happens,” said Debbie, “it’s the controller’s job, whether monitoring services via iBus or at the roadside to maintain service reliability.”
MARK SPENCER has been with Go-Ahead for 10 years. He cut his teeth driving, then joined the ranks of service controllers and now combines those duties with membership of the seven-strong service quality squad. “It’s a super job,” he said. “It’s hands-on, there’s plenty of variety and you never quite know what’s going to happen next.” A significant proportion of Mark’s work is long term, for example helping controllers find out why a particular route is performing below the required standard and sorting it out. He and other members of the squad also assist when it comes to planning services around road works and the numerous events in London that cause disruption. “We are in constant touch with service controllers to find the best solutions to the challenges we know are going to happen. “But then there’s the unexpected and we come into our own then because we have the flexibility to go immediately where help is needed. “Take a burst water main, or anything else that might cause a diversion. We’ll try to help our own drivers and controllers and those working for other companies to minimise disruption to passengers. “It’s about keeping London’s bus services going.”
company believes greater s are necessary to operate the route andard required. on-compliant bid will be based on oad conditions, which will probably amatically from the conditions that five years earlier when the contract issued.” a bid together is hard, serious olving Gill, road managers, general s, tendering and scheduling staff ourse, all the directors. s a lot of experience round the hose times,” said Gill. “We have to er that other major operators bidding ork are putting the same sort of
We risk pricing ourselves out of the market weight in as we are, taking a long view of the quality issues and hoping to come up with a competitive, yet realistic price.” It’s good news and Go-Ahead London has won the contract. Now it’s time for people with long experience in another field to take over – that of service quality. There are well over 130 regulators, controllers and their managers – all reporting to Gill – to look after more than 100 routes operating out of 15 garages in Go-Ahead London’s operation. The recent award of the EL1, EL2 and 300 services is a direct reflection of the improvement in service quality in East London.
Finding solutions: Service controller Mark Spencer.
BusTalk l February 2010
5
Support our own marathon man
Keep on running: Merton’s Ian Bates.
Salsa fan Alex is beating the drum for Latin music AS A YOUNGSTER, Alex Raymond collected biscuit tins of different shapes and sizes, filled them with cloth to create different sounds and beat them as if they were a set of drums. Little did the Camberwell driver realise that years later, in another continent, he would go on to form two bands of his own and get the opportunity to play in front of an audience of 20,000 at a Latin American carnival in London. Alex, who grew up in Columbia and changed his name by deed poll after moving to England when he was 22, specialises in playing salsa and he and his band members are often in demand at weddings, parties and festivals. “Ever since I was a child I have loved music and playing in a band is the perfect way for me to relax,” said Alex, who has mastered the timbale drums as well as the trumpet and percussion instruments. His band ‘Salsabor’ is made up of five people – a pianist, violinist, two drummers and a singer while his other band ‘The Alex Ray Orchestra’ is much larger, with up to 12 members. 6
BusTalk l February 2010
JOGGING is not only a great way to keep fit, but Ian Bates has found it an effective means of raising money for worthy causes. On April 18 he’ll be taking part in Brighton’s first marathon and this time he’ll be running in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. “I lost my mum to cancer a few years ago so I wanted the money from this marathon to go to a cancer charity,” said Ian, engineering manager at Merton. He has taken part in several marathons in the capital but wanted to try a different city this time because places for the London event are difficult to secure. This year, he has high hopes of beating his fastest time of three and a half hours, which he achieved in 2002. “The marathon starts at Preston Park in Brighton and ends up on the seafront so it might be on level ground for some of the way,” said Ian. “I know it’s not about how fast you can do the course in, but there’s a competitive side in me that says I need to do better.” If anybody would like to sponsor Ian, he can be contacted at em.al@londongeneral. co.uk or on 07792 296553.
Mystery runner: Ian dons his Mr Tickle fancy dress for a fundraising marathon.
The wonder of William’s team FOOTBALLER, fundraiser and record-breaker – William Ritchie claimed all three titles in one day recently! The Camberwell driver was taking part in a charity soccer match to raise money for UNICEF and ensure his 11-a-side football team made it into the record books. William plays for The Wanderers Football Club – an amateur club based at Oval – and he and his team members became Guinness World Record breakers when they competed against Oxford University FC Old Boys. He said: “The two teams now hold the record
for the longest time between football fixtures (126 years)! “The Wanderers Football Club was one of the leading clubs in English football in the 1860s and 1870s and won the FA Cup five times. There can’t be many bus drivers who have played for a team that has that kind of record!” The event took place at Iffley Road Sports Ground, Oxford (the scene of Roger Bannister’s record-breaking four-minute mile). “I believe we raised around £500 for charity, which is great, and we all enjoyed being part of the momentous occasion,” added William.
William Ritchie (back row, 2nd from right) with his record-breaking team.
COMMENDATIONS
go-ahead people making a real difference BEXLEYHEATH n PRAISE for Donald McFarlane from passenger Michael Fitzpatrick. The weather on December 22 of last year was “appalling and the roads were extremely dangerous, but your driver drove slowly and carefully”. BLUE TRIANGLE n DRIVER Mark Gosney dealt with passengers “very well” on a crowded bus, says S. Boythorpe-Walton. He also says Mark “took time” to give directions to a gentleman and his son – “very courteous, very professional”. CAMBERWELL n SPECIAL thanks for a driver who showed concern. Mrs L. Golding was waiting for a bus to Lewisham on a freezing cold day. Route 484 driver Leon Gibbons was going in the opposite direction and told her there was no service on Vicar’s Hill owing to ice. He suggested she caught his bus and explained how to get to her destination a different way. CAMBERWELL and MANDELA WAY (MW) n REGULAR bus user John Horsfield congratulates the Go-Ahead Group on the quality of its driver training. “Your drivers,” he says, “are more courteous and aware of passenger safety and comfort than those of any other London operator.” He makes particular mention of the drivers on Routes 12 and 453. MANDELA WAY (MW) n PASSENGER Ms A. Powell describes driver Christopher Sharpe, who is normally based at Camberwell, as “very nice and kind to passengers”. Ms. Powell also says he drove very carefully. MANDELA WAY (MA) n HELPING an elderly passenger on and off his bus got driver Andrew Johnson noticed by Debra Gosling. She was a passenger when Andrew got out of his cab to help the man, who was shuffling along with a walking stick. Andrew, who is described as a “great bus driver”, also waited for the man to sit down before driving off. n ROUTE 185 driver Tejan Cole is praised by Tara O’Brien for his professionalism on a particularly difficult journey during the worst of the winter weather. She says there were delays and Tejan “kept us informed the
whole time … and checked to see if the last remaining passengers, myself and another woman, were okay”. NEW CROSS and STOCKWELL n REGULAR passenger Julian Smalley praises the company and its drivers on Routes 36, 436 and 196. He travels from Crystal Palace to Paddington and back for work and says drivers provided a “great service” despite “awful” weather and road conditions during the worst of the winter. NEW CROSS n ROUTE 36 driver Abedayo Adenegha is commended by passenger Ms J. Hussey for driving safely, his courtesy and helping passengers. PECKHAM n PASSENGER Terence Smyth praises Route 63 drivers “stuck at the top of Forest Hill Road” for their “valiant efforts to get their buses moving in the snow and ice” at the beginning of January. “They deserve recognition for their commitment and good humour in terrible conditions.” PUTNEY n DRIVER Paul Fairs is praised by passenger Barbara Cohen and her husband for driving smoothly and showing “courtesy and consideration to his passengers”. STOCKWELL n PASSENGER Ms S. Brook commends driver Juan Rodriguez for “containing the situation well” when an abusive man boarded his bus. SUTTON n TWO drivers are praised by passenger Mrs D. Olsson-Hildick. They are Ronald Stanley and Mervyn Joseph. Both are thanked for waiting while she ran to catch the bus.
Top angler Paul nets 2009 cup
Paul Sharkey with the 2009 winner’s cup. BEXLEYHEATH Angling Club has been the scene of a battle royal as Paul Sharkey has retaken the top angler title from veteran winner Derek Comrie. After a summer of close contests in league matches, the championship winner was decided on at the last match on a cold day in the Kent countryside. Paul claimed the title by just a couple of pounds. Paul accrued 620 points over a ninematch year with Derek collecting 585 to take second place. Jim Young came third with 575 points. Bexleyheath’s angling committee is once again staging the London Busman’s challenge shield, LBCS – now in its seventh year – at Monks Lakes angling complex in Kent on June 15. For further information contact Tony Cox or Marco Quickenden at Bexleyheath on 01322 304153.
WATERLOO n PASSENGER Yoly Hermoza thanks driver Earl Allen for his knowledge and excellent customer service. n A MRS ROWLAND praises driver Jose Assuncao for his patience and calmness when he was harangued by an “obnoxious” female passenger. The bus’s Oyster machine failed to work and Jose was trying to fix it as the woman was banging on the protective screen.
OBITUARY: DAVID JONES BUS TALK is sad to report the sudden death of long serving employee David Jones. A respected member of the team, David had worked for the company for more than
34 years and enjoyed 23 years as a driving instructor. His funeral was held on February 15 at the Holy Trinity Lamorbey church in Sidcup and then at the Hillview Cemetery in Welling.
Another big catch for angler Paul! BusTalk l February 2010
7
RETIREMENTS
A new way of life for Bob
In the blood: Bob Wiltshire retires after nearly 45 years in the bus industry. WITH five grandchildren to amuse, Bob Wiltshire won’t be left twiddling his thumbs when he retires on March 31! He’ll also be spending more time with his wife Doreen, enjoying a spot of clay pigeon shooting and making trips down to the coast where he keeps a holiday caravan. This year, the Bexleyheath driver celebrates a career spanning nearly 45 years. He started with London Country Bus Services in May 1965 as a conductor at Swanley. By September 1966, he’d become a driver and in 1974 he re-located to Sidcup garage. He’s been a driver at Bexleyheath for the past 22 years. “I suppose I was always destined for the buses! My mum was a clippie for two years
during the war and my uncle and father-inlaw both worked in the bus industry,” said Bob. Having been union chairman since 1988 and an active member of the sports and social club, Bob says he’s had a busy and enjoyable working life. “It’s been a good job. It offered security and I’ve worked with a nice group of people. I’ve enjoyed helping with driver training, the private hire work, the railway work and the coaching jobs. I also liked taking part in the driver of the year competition and attending the long service award ceremonies. “I’m sure retirement will take a bit of getting used to, but it’s time to learn a new way of life,” he added.
‘Battling Betty’ will continue her fight for equal rights ONE of the most well-known and wellrespected characters in London’s bus community retired after more than 42 years’ service last month (February). Betty Gallacher, renowned for her work with the trade union movement and, more recently, Gay Pride, has often been referred to as ‘Battling Betty’, but is affectionately known as ‘Mum’ among members of senior management. Betty joined the industry at Mortlake garage in 1970 as a conductor. She transferred to Putney in 1983 and was union rep until 2004, when she was elected London General convenor. She was a member of the Go-Ahead Group’s pension committee and promoted the benefits of membership. Betty has always stood up for her beliefs and told Bus Talk that among her greatest achievements was winning the Natalia Muir award for outstanding contribution to equality and diversity in London’s bus industry. “The fight for equality is,” she said, “perhaps the one most important campaign I would like to be remembered for.” Of her retirement, Betty said: “I’ll miss the people and the buzz of my work, but I am determined to continue helping Unite and representing individuals where possible.”
Pulling together for cancer funds BEXLEYHEATH employees just keep on giving to charity – they’ve now handed over a cheque for £2,400 to The 2Simple Trust Joshua Deller Appeal. A donation of £1,400 is also on its way to Help for Heroes. The money was collected following the employees’ fundraising bus pull last year. Garage administrator Darin Pearman said: “It’s great to be able to give money to charity. The bus pull was good fun, it was a chance to boost team spirit at the garage and enabled us to help local people.” n Joshua Deller was born in May 2008 and has neuroblastoma – a rare and often fatal childhood cancer. The appeal is helping to fund research into treatment and benefits children suffering from neuroblastoma. 8
BusTalk l February 2010
Fundraisers extraordinaire: Bexleyheath employees with their cheque for £2,400.
Published by Go-Ahead London. Produced by Ruxley Communications, Walton-on-Thames. Printed by Evolve Print Solutions, Rickmansworth.