YOUR
SAY: p
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No.9 • April 2011
HAVE
GREAT NEWS! EIGHT ROUTE WINS AND SEVEN RETAINED
THE TENDER ROUTES OF SUCCESS
I
T’S BEEN a positive start to spring for Go-Ahead London with no fewer than eight route wins and the retention of seven existing routes.
Routes D6, D7 and D8 have all been won from First London East and will be operated by Docklands garage from September 17 2011. The D6 goes from Hackney to Crossharbour and the peak vehicle requirement is 16 single decks. The D7 goes from Poplar, All Saints station to Mile End station. The PVR is 11 double deck buses. The D8 goes from Stratford to Crossharbour and the PVR is eight single deck buses. The contracts for Route 276 (Stoke Newington to Newham General Hospital) and for Route 376 (Beckton to East Ham)
– currently operated by Stagecoach East London – have also been secured and will start on September 17. The 276 will be operated from Docklands garage and the 376 will be operated from Blue Triangle. The joint PVR is 26. In addition, three school routes have also been won and they are the 624, 625 and 658 from Stagecoach Selkent. The 624 operates between Grove Park Station and Avery Hill (Crown Woods School), the 625 goes from Plumstead Common to Chislehurst, War Memorial and the 658 operates between Woolwich and Avery Hill (Crown Woods School). All contracts will start on December 30 and will be operated from New Cross and Bexleyheath garages.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS for Ana: p2
KEEPING GOOD TIME with Steven: p6
n Continued on page 2
MEET OUR STAR PERFORMERS AT THE LONDON BUS AWARDS: See pgs 4-5
TAKING AIM with Cargil: p6
BACK PAGE: SPECIAL STAFF OFFER FOR THORPE PARK & CHESSINGTON
Ana’s on a learning curve IF YOU have the drive and ambition to succeed then there are plenty of opportunities to climb the ladder at Go-Ahead London…
Experience
Supportive
The tender routes of success n Continued from page 1
Retained services include Route 436 (Lewisham to Paddington) and Route 453 (Deptford Bridge to Marylebone), which will be converted from articulated operation to double deck vehicles (67 PVR) in the autumn. In a further boost, TfL has awarded Go-Ahead London Green Bus Fund money to purchase 31 hybrid vehicles as part of this award. Both routes will be run from New Cross garage. Route P12 (Surrey Quays to Brockley Rise) has been retained and will be operated with slightly longer vehicles to cope with passenger demand. The new contract will start in October and will operate from Peckham garage. Route W19 (Ilford to Walthamstow) has been retained and will operate with existing vehicles (8 PVR), but will move from Docklands to Blue 2
BusTalk l April 2011
Triangle garage. This contract starts in November. The company has also retained Route 89/ N89 (15 PVR), which goes from Lewisham station to Slade Green station. This will continue to be operated by Bexleyheath garage and the new contract will start on January 27 2012. With a PVR of seven vehicles, Route 413 (Morden to Sutton) is remaining with Go-Ahead London and will be run from Sutton garage. Route 655 (Mitcham Fair Green to Raynes Park High School) has also been retained and will be operated by Merton garage. The contracts start on December 3. Operations director David Cutts said: “This is obviously a great set of results and I would like to thank all staff for helping us to win and retain this work.”
THE company’s CPC course is gaining momentum with more drivers than ever receiving their training. Initially, there was just one IMPACT seminar being run by the training school, with 10-15 drivers in attendance, but now an additional training session has been introduced.
“It means that drivers won’t have to wait as long to attend this year’s course and they will be up to speed on the latest legislation and safety messages,” said training and development manager Eric Dale.
Double
IMPACT stands for Incident Management, Preventing Accidents & Cycle Tolerance. The course focuses on the importance of receiving and exchanging the correct details from a third party following an accident as
This is allowing double the number of drivers to achieve their requisite number of hours of periodic training.
Ana Morais is a prime example of an employee who has taken the chance to experience a number of different roles within the company. She joined Putney as a driver originally, but in recent times has enjoyed working as a service controller, working behind the counter at the garage and also assists with the downloading of CCTV data at Putney. “I really like helping out with the rail replacement services at the weekends. I’ve been carrying out the role of service controller and have been positioned in south London. “I like being out on the road and liaising with other drivers and members of the public,” said Ana.
She says that her colleagues have been “really supportive and helpful” in her wish to move up the career ladder. “It’s great to feel involved in all aspects of the business and I’m enjoying gaining as much experience as I can. “I was aware that there was room to grow with the company and I’d definitely recommend my colleagues to pursue other roles and additional training opportunities, too.”
Driver training sessions increased
It’s great to feel involved in all aspects of the business
well as giving drivers an insight into cycle tolerance.
Licence All drivers with “acquired rights” must complete their first block of 35 hours’ CPC training by September 9, 2013 to ensure their licence is valid.
IMPACT
Drivers show concern for aged Discussing the challenges elderly people face when using buses.
Driver mentor Paul Cooper found meeting with Age Concern really helpful.
Is your driving up with the best? GO-AHEAD London will shortly be inviting drivers to put themselves forward as candidates for the national Bus Driver of The Year competition. The event will take place on Sunday September 11 in Blackpool and will involve more than 100 of the best drivers in the bus industry from across the UK. Notices will be going up in garages shortly and will explain the competition criteria. The company will be selecting applicants based on a scoring system. This will include a driver’s length of service, his or her accident/discipline record and RIBAS scores. Driving Standards Agency observation reports and a driver’s attendance record will also be taken into consideration. Training and development manager Eric Dale said: “Once we have drawn up a shortlist of candidates we will then select the best of those for the final. “They will have the honour of representing Go-Ahead London at the national contest.”
UNDERSTANDING the needs of customers and putting across the views of drivers was the focus of a special event held at Merton in the spring. Representatives from Age UK attended the garage to discuss some of the challenges elderly people may face when travelling by bus.
complaints and a number of them were from elderly people. Inviting members from Age UK to the garage proved the perfect opportunity to find out what their concerns were. “We want to be able to serve all the different people who make up the community of bus users.”
Communicating
Helpful
It was also a chance for drivers to explain how passengers can help them provide a better service by communicating their needs. Operating manager Hannah Self said: “I looked through our recent customer
Paul Cooper has worked for the company for more than five years, (more than three of those as a driver mentor at Merton), and he said he found the visit really helpful. Paul said: “It was interesting to have an
exchange of views and useful to hear about some of the challenges people face when travelling by bus.
Frightening “Most of us consider buses as quite friendly places, but the representatives from Age UK told us that some people can find the whole experience frightening. “We were able to put our view across, too, and say that if a customer has a particular requirement – such as asking for the bus to be positioned closer to the kerb at the next stop – they should let the driver know this.” BusTalk l April 2011
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Star performers at bus awards TFL’S annual London Bus Awards took place on February 23 and celebrated the achievements of individuals and teams from across London. The ceremony honoured employees who have displayed courage, commitment and professionalism throughout 2010. Several Go-Ahead London employees were shortlisted in three separate categories and claimed two winners’ trophies.
In our Face 2 Face column, we chat to Bill Roberts, who is general manager at Camberwell. We ask Bill 10 light-hearted questions.
Q: What is your favourite meal? A: Mixed grill (preferably if someone else has paid for it!) Q: What is your favourite TV programme? A: Waking The Dead. Q: What is the best holiday you have ever been on? A: A three week tour round Austria in 1997. Q: What is your most treasured memory? A: My wedding day in April 1977. Q: What is your greatest accomplishment? A: Successfully running two of London’s busiest bus garages for more than 17 years. Q: Who would you most like to meet? A: Nicole Kidman. Q: If you had the time, what hobby would like to take up? A: Well I’ve always enjoyed my model railways, but more recently I’ve taken up restoring VW camper vans. Q: Which foreign country would you most like to visit? A: Norway. Q: If you won £1M, what would you spend it on? A: I would make sure my children were on the property ladder, and enjoy some of the finer things in life! Q: Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions? A: Not really – I’ve got where I want to be in the bus industry, and I’m
content with that. 4
BusTalk l April 2011
Julie’s just tops with the customers
Sutton driver Julie Jessup claimed first prize in the hotly contested Best Communication with Passengers award category. The judges chose Julie as the winner as they felt she had demonstrated a consistently high level of customer service. Julie has worked for the company for 13 years and regularly drives on Route 80. During her career she has received a number of commendations from passengers for her friendly demeanour, helpful manner, co-operation, considerate driving style and all round positive attitude. Julie said: “I was really surprised to learn that I had won the award but, of course, I’m delighted. “It’s definitely a high point in my career and it’s given me a great confidence boost. It’s nice to know that the customers, the company and TfL appreciate my efforts. “I do pride myself on driving smoothly and I like to give good customer service. I’ve worked on Route 80 for a long time and I have built up a good rapport with my regular passengers. “I enjoyed the awards ceremony and it was nice to meet our Winner: Julie Jessup proudly shows managing her winner’s certificate. director John Trayner.”
Merton ‘s mentors make their mark
Merton’s mentor team of nine highly trained employees also came top in their award category – Bus Service Support. The team was praised for its effective, efficient running of the garage and its routes and for helping to provide the foundations for excellent customer service. The award recognises employees who consistently strive to provide a reliable, passenger focused service. The work drivers Leroy Anderson, Mavis Ayim-Owusu, Paul Cooper, Peter Growns, Andrew Karn, Natasha Lambert, Martin Neasmith, Steve Riches and engineer Simon Simpson carry out in addition to their normal duties has made a real
difference to service quality. Bob Childs of Bexleyheath was shortlisted in the Best Travel Experience category. David Brown, TfL’s managing director of surface transport, said: “The bus network is one of the capital’s great success stories over the last decade, now carrying more than 2.3 billion passengers a year. “This could not be delivered without the hard work and dedication of the staff who work on the buses. “The London Bus Awards are an important opportunity to recognise those who put outstanding customer service at the heart of everything they do.”
Shortlisted: Bob Childs, above, with wife Isabel. Winners: Merton’s mentor team.
Garages are eager to adopt colour coding GO-AHEAD London’s innovative colour-coded parking allocation is continuing to roll out across the garages. Merton and Camberwell were the first garages to go live with the system and the others are following swiftly behind. The aim is to improve safety and efficiency in the garages and to make life easier for drivers to find their vehicle. Every site will use the same colour coding so if drivers are seconded to another garage or transfer to another location they will be familiar with the layout. Engineering manager John Hanby said Sutton was “ready to go” with the new parking allocation at the end of March and Putney was just in the process of rolling out the programme. “Following thorough risk assessments, we’ve had a full re-think of the walkways and how we can make the garages even safer. We’ve also been working on barriers, signage and painting. “We’ve been keen to keep staff in the loop from the word go as communication is very important. As well as notifying them about the changes, we told them the expected date of implementation. “This colour-coded system is ideal for new drivers, but we hope it will have all round benefits for everyone.”
Alarm bells at Sutton
ALARMS warning drivers when they have left the handbrake off in their cab are to be installed in buses over the next 18 months. Sutton garage is currently having the alarms fitted to its buses, as are any vehicles that are being refurbished. The news comes after a number of incidents involving drivers leaving their cab with the handbrake off. Once the alarm is fitted, a sound will alert the driver if he or she tried to leave the bus without applying the handbrake. Chief engineer, Richard Harrington, said: “As a professional, drivers should always apply the handbrake automatically but we are installing alarms because we have had some incidents when drivers have not used the handbrake and have then left the cab. “Even once the alarm has been fitted, drivers should not rely on it to remind them to put on the handbrake – they should do it anyway.” BusTalk l April 2011
5
N THE YI LIFE
A DA
It’s all about timing...
Steven keeps his eye on the clock.
HAVE you got the time? It’s a frequently asked question, and in the case of Steven Rowe it’s also very apt… Steven, you see, is a scheduler, and a large part of his job involves dealing with time. Steven is one of a team of nine plus two tendering colleagues based at GoAhead London’s head office in Merton. A key part of Steven’s day-to-day workload includes the compiling of time and duty schedules and the rotas, which are needed so the drivers know when they are required to work. In addition, he produces duty cards which show the trips that each driver needs to cover. When the rota is complete he will then upload these to TfL’s CAESAR (Central Automated Electronic Schedules Application and Repository), which requires not only timetable information but also full details of all empty bus journeys and driver duties, in order that the iBus system can accurately record information and journey data. This ensures that bus stop Countdown displays work correctly, giving passengers accurate real time information. Where certain routes underperform the tendering team will compare scheduled times, to actual journey length, find out where time is being lost, and propose changes. Steven will then incorporate these into new
timetables and schedules. “We are constantly endeavouring to improve on existing timetables and route timings,” Steven explained. “This ensures that customers receive the best possible service, and GoAhead is seen to be proactive in the monitoring of its routes,” he added. When called upon Steven also works in conjunction with the tendering team. When routes come up for tender, management will decide which ones to target for possible acquisition. Once these have been selected for the tendering process, the tendering team compiles running times for the chosen routes. Steven will recommend an appropriate number of drivers required to successfully operate the service. Other key tasks performed by the schedules team include ordering bus blinds, uploading schedules to the Grampian Garage System and creating individual route records describing roads served, stand workings and recommended dead runs for each route operated. With most monitoring of route running time reliability being conducted on computers by the tendering team, Steven tends to be office based most of the time. On occasion schedule compilers like to get out on the road to see how their schedules are working. Even with computers, sometimes there is no substitute for seeing the schedules in action!
Having a midlife crisis...? Quite possibly! REACHING a significant birthday milestone has had quite a significant effect on Ian Bates. He’s decided to tackle not one, but two
Cargil is shooting to the top Cargil loves his clay pigeon shooting.
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BusTalk l April 2011
CLAY PIGEON shooting may seem like an unusual hobby to some but Cargil Finegan believes it is the best way to relax after a hard day at work. Cargil has been clay pigeon shooting for almost four years. He is a driver at Waterside Way garage and first started driving for Go-Ahead London more than two years ago. It was a friend who originally sparked Cargil’s interest in the sport, inviting him to a session at the Dragon Clay Club in Colgate, West Sussex. “I have a friend who asked me to go so I went with him and have not stopped going since,” he said. “I find it really relaxing, good fun and enjoy meeting up with the other members for a pint and a chat.” Cargil does not compete in competitions but is dedicated to moving up the rankings at his club. He said: “I have not competed in any competitions. “At the club they have an AA class, an A class, a B class and a C class so you can always improve.” Despite often being busy with his job, Cargil does not plan on giving up clay pigeon shooting any time soon. “I really enjoy my hobby and hope to continue clay pigeon shooting for a long time.” So if you want to try something new, perhaps give clay pigeon shooting a go, it could be the sport for you too.
marathons – all in one week – to mark his 40th birthday. While Ian’s hoping to complete the Brighton Marathon on April 10 in about four hours, he’s expecting the London Marathon, which is just seven days later, to be a huge challenge – but then he will be dressed in a huge dinosaur costume! “Stupidity is the word that springs to mind,” said Ian, who is engineering manager at Merton. “Or maybe it’s just marathon amnesia!” He’s no stranger to marathons, having tackled the London Marathon more times than he cares to remember, but he knows covering 52.4 miles in such a short space of time will be a daunting experience. “I want to raise as much money as I can for charity and this year I’ll be collecting funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. “My dad died from MS so I want to help give something back to the society that supports other sufferers,” said Ian. Hoping to entertain the London crowd with his costume, Ian says he hasn’t yet worked out how he’s going to drink any water, let alone run that far. “It’s like running in a duvet so it’s going to be fun!” Ian added. If you’d like to sponsor Ian, please visit his web page at www.virginmoneygiving. com/ianbates
Ian is going to run more than 26 miles dressed like this!
Got a story?
DO YOU have any story ideas that you would like to put forward for consideration by the Bus Talk editorial team? If so, why not get in touch? This is YOUR magazine and we want to carry the kinds of stories that you want to read. You might think that a particular part of the company would make a good departmental spotlight or you
may want to put yourself forward for a ‘day in the life’ type feature. We’re always on the look-out for articles about our readers so give us a call on 01932 243400 or email us at blazefield@ruxley.
co.uk
COMMENDATIONS BEXLEYHEATH n THE pleasant and helpful attitude of driver Lee Allen has been noted by Ms Westron. She wished to praise Lee for helping a disabled passenger and she said Lee was “a very nice man”. CAMBERWELL n Driver James Slingsby has been described as “a credit to London and your bus service” by Ms Law. She explained that James had been extremely helpful when she and a friend were trying to reach Kings Cross railway station to catch a train. The bus was delayed due to heavy congestion and James advised the two passengers to get off a stop earlier and walk the rest of the journey to ensure they made their onward connection in time. “He was cheerful, friendly and pleasant to all his passengers…we made our train and we are very grateful to him,” said Ms Law. n JUNIOR Scarlett has been commended by a customer for his polite manners and consideration towards passengers with mobility difficulties. Mrs Daly said Junior made sure the passengers were sitting comfortably before moving away from the stop. MERTON n COMING to the aid of a customer has earned Rajan Ghimire a commendation. Ms Simmons said she had suffered chest pain while on the bus, but fortunately Rajan had been quick to make a decision and call the emergency services. Mrs Simmons wished to thank Rajan for his kindness. NEW CROSS n IMPECCABLE service provided by driver Tunde Williams has earned praise from Mr Mawson. He said Tunde was a “credit to London Buses” both in terms of customer care, driving and safety. STOCKWELL n ROUTE 88 driver Jamie Gooding has been commended by Ms Scarlatti for waiting for a customer who was running to catch the bus. n CUSTOMER Ms Begg wished to “put in a good word” for driver Karen Ryan. Ms Begg said Karen was “friendly and helpful” and explained which buses to catch. “My journey was far easier and quicker because of her knowledge and willingness to help. I wish all London bus drivers were like her!” n THE calm and professional nature of driver Ian Burke has been observed by Ms Leigh. She travelled with Ian on Route 196 and said she was impressed with the way Ian helped a wheelchair user and how Ian had dealt respectively with a young person who did not have the money to pay the fare. n ADELINE ANDRADE has been praised by a customer for providing professionalism to a very high standard. Mr Mazur said the N11 buses had been running late and a number of customers had become frustrated. Mr Mazur said Adeline gave a good explanation to a number of complaining customers why the buses were running late. n MUSTAF ABUKAR’S smart appearance and courteous nature was much appreciated by Mr Guest. He says Mustaf’s driving was “considerate and competent” and that Mustaf is “a credit to your company”. n THE courtesy and consideration driver Mark Henry gave towards a disabled passenger has won praise from a customer. Ms Gatherer said Mark was also courteous to other passengers and showed good driving skills. SUTTON n HIGH PRAISE for driver Christine Sebi after she impressed a customer with her steady and smooth driving skills. Not only had Christine waited for Ms Ede as she ran to catch the bus, but she had dealt with the traffic competently. WATERLOO n EXCELLENT driving skills from Jose Assuncao have been noted by customer Mr Carruthers. He was keen to thank Jose for driving smoothly and wanted to compliment Jose for his “keen sense of road craft in anticipating other traffic”. BusTalk l April 2011
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Retirements
John’s not quite ready to put his feet up... MANY drivers dream of a retirement where they can spend some wellearned time with their feet up, but not John Hassett. It has been 26 years since John first started driving for Go-Ahead London and he will cease working full-time from the end of June. John will, however, continue to work as a part-time driver. John hopes that once he has started working part-time he will be able to relax and enjoy a few of life’s simpler pleasures. “I don’t plan to do too much – just a bit of gardening and reading. “I may even take up golf!”
A BRAVE driver who witnessed a young man being attacked may have saved his life with quick thinking. The driver, who is not being named for security reasons, came across the incident while driving route P5 in Acre Lane, Brixton. The driver positioned the bus so that the group attacking the young man dispersed and then called him on to the bus. Bus Talk understands that a colleague from Stockwell, also
Bruce bids farewell
AFTER over 13 years as a driver at our Putney garage, Bruce Boissiere has retired. Bruce, originally from Trinidad, drove the 74 and 430 routes and retired at the end of March. He was well respected by staff and will be missed by all those who worked with him.
SPECIAL STAFF OFFER
£25
per adult
£20
per adult
Hire a Bus with the Commercial Department to THORPE PARK and CHESSINGTON and get discounts on the entrance fees! The Commercial Department is pleased to announce a new partnership with Merlin Entertainment, the company behind Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures. If you are planning a group day out, then why not take a visit to Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures? Book a private hire with the Commercial Department and receive discounted ticket prices of £20* per adult at Thorpe Park or £25* per adult at Chessington. For Children’s prices please speak to the Commercial Department when booking your bus. For further details on hiring a bus, please contact the Commercial Department on 020 8545 6110. *Applicable to groups of 10+ Prices will vary during peak periods during the year, for more information please contact the Commercial Department.
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BusTalk l April 2011
Driver’s alertness saves the day a driver, then provided further assistance. Camberwell general manager Bill Roberts and the company’s directors have praised the driver’s actions. “When I saw what was happening, I could not believe it, I knew someone had to do something,” said the Camberwell driver. “I feel proud that I did intervene. The young man would probably have been killed otherwise.”
Green issues
IF YOU have enjoyed reading our previous editions of the Go-Green newsletter you will be pleased to hear that another issue will be on it’s way soon. The next issue will be packed full of interesting articles, news about the company’s plans to further reduce its carbon footprint and much more besides. For those of you who want to do their bit we have even included an energy-saving guide detailing 12 easy steps that will help you save energy in your own home.
Have your say The directors are keen to hear from staff on what they think about the way the company communicates with them. The introduction of new technology has dramatically changed communication and Go-Ahead London wants to ensure that it continues to share important information and news in a meaningful way. That is why a survey has been sent to you for your completion. It is being evaluated independently of
Go-Ahead London so your anonymity is guaranteed. The survey is an important part of a wider review of Go-Ahead London’s communications and the findings will help the company shape its future strategy. Your feedback is important so please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Completed surveys will be collected until Friday 29 April, and the results will be shared with you in the June issue of Bus Talk.
Published by Go-Ahead London. Produced by Ruxley Communications, Walton-on-Thames. Printed by Evolve Print Solutions, Rickmansworth.