UK Bus Awards: The Big Book of Big Winners 2018 by Passenger Transport Publishing Ltd

PASSENGER

TRANSPORT

THE BIG BOOK OF BIG WINNERS 2018

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CONGRATULATIONS TEAM GO-AHEAD, IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

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WELCOME

A welcome message from Mark Yexley, Chairman of the UK Bus Awards

■ Alzheimer’s Society 0300 222 1122 www.alzheimers.org.uk

■ Alzheimers Scotland 0808 808 3000 www.alzscot.org

ay I wish you a very warm welcome to the 2018 UK Bus Awards souvenir brochure, The Big Book of Big Winners. As ever, we are here to recognise, reward and inspire as we highlight everything which is good and great about the bus industry. So, what can you look forward to this year? I don’t need to labour the point that this year has been unusually full of challenges for the bus industry – who would have thought, for example, that events in Russia would affect running buses in Salisbury? But they did. And in the wider piece there has been a whole litany of issues confronting the industry – changes in shopping habits, working patterns, emission standards, possible changes to funding streams if BSOG is hit, changes to levels of congestion and legislation and, of course, Brexit. But the bus industry has never been short of resilience and determination in meeting these challenges. Change is just a simple fact of business life. You will read a bit about companies which have discovered that their traditionally highly effective way of doing things has lost its magic. They have gone back to look critically at everything they do and to ask what more they could explore to try and find the winning touch again. You will be introduced to other operators,

confident that they have a rock solid business, who have pushed on to build more and more on top of this. Another theme you will notice is the copying of ideas highlighted at previous Awards and very successfully too. You will also have a spotlight shone on other businesses which have been willing to invest large sums in proportion to their size, to use technology to attack costs or to offer something new to their customers. And, most important of all, these Awards will introduce to a wider world the drivers, engineers, supervisors, managers and even the odd director or two who have made all the difference or who are the future talent of this industry. The world has been changing for the UK Bus Awards too. In February, Chris Cheek let us know that he wanted to step back from the full-on role he has had with the Awards since they started 23 years ago. We will have much more to say about that role when we celebrate a quarter centenary. Suffice to say, without Chris’s commitment and bulldog-like determination, it is unlikely that the Awards would have lasted this long and we all owe him a huge debt for enabling the Awards to continue to this day. But in working through the considerable transition which this has entailed, we have taken the opportunity to look at how we do things and started to change a few things which have passed their sell by date. You will have seen two changes already. We had the “Big Reveal” to announce the shortlist for this year’s awards. It seems to have gone down really well and we will pick up on the suggestions for making it even more full of drama and suspense next year. We have also adopted a new charity – The Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimers Scotland. Why? Well, Alzheimer’s is a condition which is highly relevant to this audience both personally and professionally. If I asked everyone who has had experience of dementia, either through family or friends, to raise their arm there would have been a forest of hands. And in a work setting, many operators are running CPC courses with sessions put together in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society or Alzheimers Scotland. They are designed to help your front-line staff to understand the true nature of the condition and how they can be supportive both with people using their bus who are in the early stages and also with friends and relations. It is a condition which causes fear and huge distress. We need to do more. We are wide open to more ideas, so we can keep the Awards fresh and relevant. I hope you enjoyed this year’s event and find this edition of the Big Book of Winners a permanent reminder of those who hit the heights at Troxy on 20th November.

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k n a h T u yo

M A TE

rds. a w A s u KB U e h t t a gain a s e c n a rform e p e m o Awes GOLD

ROB HUTCHINGS

Arriva London Young Manager of the Year Award

SILVER

MICHAEL GATENBY

Arriva Yorkshire Leadership & Inspiration Award

SILVER

DAVID HARRIS

Top London Bus Driver Award

BRONZE BRIXTON

London Bus Garage of the Year Award (following up gold last year)

BRONZE

OLIVER MONAHAN

Southern Counties Leadership & Inspiration Award

BRONZE

CHRISTINE WATKINS Top London Bus Driver Award

BRONZE

MERSEYTRAVEL & PARTNERS

(supported by Lisa Pearson ANW) for ‘Better by Bus’ The Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year

arrivabus.co.uk

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CONTENTS

PEOPLE AWARDS

27 OPERATIONS AWARDS

Bus Operator of the Year

Top City Operator

Top Shire Operator

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL AWARDS

Environment Award

New Horizons Award

Top Independent Operator

Making Buses a Better Choice: The Peter Huntley Memorial Award

Top National Bus Depot

Top National Bus Driver: The Chris Moyes Memorial Award

Award for Innovation in Road Safety

Leadership & Inspiration Award

Young Manager of the Year

Bus and the Community Award

Unsung Heroes Award

Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year

Engineer of the Year

The Award for Sustained Marketing Excellence

Putting Passengers First Award

Services to the Industry

LONDON AWARDS

ABOUT THE UK BUS AWARDS

London Bus Garage of the Year Luke Rees-Pulley Charitable Trust Award for Top London Bus Driver

Judging the UK Bus Awards Sponsorship

UK BUS AWARDS 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chairman: Mark Yexley Director of Sales: Steve Cresswell Event Director: Jamie Cash MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Convenor of Judges: John Owen obe Management Committee Members: James Freeman (First Bus), Andrew Garnett (Passenger Transport magazine), Alan Hill (ATCO), Alex Hornby (Transdev), John Miller (ROSCO), Ray Stenning (Best Impressions) and Claire Walters (Bus Users UK).

PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

Accountants: The Shepherd Partnership Administration: Lauren Cresswell Event Catering: Party Ingredients Event Production: Paul Ashlee (Awesome Events) and the team at Troxy, London Press and PR: Chloe Leach-O'Connell (Leach-O'Connell Consultancy) Video: Paul Broadie (Manto Films) PRODUCTION

The UK Bus Awards 2018 - The Big Book of Big Winners - has been produced by Passenger Transport magazine. 5

Designer: Keith Simpson (keith@one-creative.com). Distribution: Courtesy of Bus and Coach Buyer, BUSES, Coach & Bus Week, Passenger Transport. This publication and the UK Bus Awards logo is copyright Â© The Bus Industry Awards 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. The Bus Industry Awards Ltd, organisers of the UK Bus Awards, Albion House, Rope Walk, Otley Street, Skipton BS23 1ED. Telephone: 0300 010 3450 Email: admin@ukbusawards.org.uk Web: www.ukbusawards.org.uk

Media partners transporttimes

6TH FEBRUARY 2019 QEII CENTRE, BROAD SANCTUARY, WESTMINSTER, LONDON SW1P 3EE

The 5th annual UK Bus Summit will take place in London on 6th February 2019. The UK Bus Summit is the premier bus event covering all parts of the UK. Held right at the heart of Westminster to elevate the importance of bus at the centre of local and national decision making. The event allows the opportunity to compare and contrast bus policy throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This year the focus will be why we need a long term bus investment strategy, air quality and, also how to get passengers on board buses. Buses are Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most neglected form of transport and must be taken seriously if Britain is to avoid crises of carbon, congestion and capacity on its roads. Despite carrying more passengers than all other forms of public transport combined, the bus remains the only major form of transport with no long-term investment strategy. The UK Bus Summit will allow stakeholders the opportunity to exchange views on why a long term bus investment strategy is needed. Transport Focus consult more than 40,000 passengers a year to produce the Bus Passenger Survey, and in his sessions their Chief Exec Anthony Smith will chair a host of speakers who should be able to shed some light on how customers can be at the core of decision making. Finally the focus will also be on why buses are an integral part of the solution to Clean Air Zones rather than a problem, examining how to put buses at the heart of air quality.

For more information please visit www.transporttimes.co.uk or call 0207 828 3804

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Supported by

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FOREWORD

Nusrat Ghani, the minister responsible for buses in England, believes technology and innovation will transform mobility

very year the UK Bus Awards showcases the ability of the bus industry to deliver high standards of service for all passengers, innovate and adopt new technologies, and drive sustainable outcomes, and this year I am delighted to see from the range of high calibre finalists from across the UK that this continues to be the case. I am encouraged by the increasing understanding within the transport industry of the need to deliver transport services in an inclusive way. The Inclusive Transport Strategy published in July outlines the Government’s ambitions for building a more inclusive transport network for all people and we will work with the bus industry to improve experiences for passengers with visible and less visible disabilities. The Government recognises the need to support smaller bus operators to achieve the ambitions set out in the Strategy, with £2 million of funding to be made available to smaller bus operators for installing audio visual equipment on buses. In summer, the Government invited feedback on using the Open Data powers within the Bus Services Act 2017 to require the provision of information about bus routes, timetables, fares, tickets and the operation of services. Providing better data to customers will improve their passenger

experiences, with the aim of attracting more customers to grow the overall bus market. It is pleasing to see the number of finalists at this year’s UK Bus Awards recognised for their contribution to improving our environment and air quality. The Government is supportive of this and continues to assist the bus industry in transitioning to low emission buses, with an announcement in March of £48 million of funding to help bus operators and local authorities purchase ultra-low emission buses and supporting infrastructure through the Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. Ongoing partnership between the bus industry and the Government in this area will ensure the UK is at the forefront of the design, development and production of these types of vehicles. Looking ahead, technological change and business innovation have the potential to transform how people move around our cities over the coming decades. Our forthcoming Future of Urban Mobility Strategy will outline the principles which will guide our approach to emerging mobility technologies and services within cities. The Government looks forward to working with the bus industry to take full advantage of opportunities in the future to improve the lives of people across the UK, ensuring we continue to be one of the most open environments in the world for transport innovation.

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OPERATIONS

UK BUS OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

This is the ‘grand prix’ of the UK Bus Awards. Pre-eminent amongst bus operators in the UK, the UK Bus Operator of the Year, more than any other, delivers consistently excellent customer service and demonstrates its success through sustained effort over the long term. The crème-dela-crème, the UK Bus Operator of the Year is selected from the highestscoring contestants in the awards for Top Independent Operator, Top Shire Operator and Top City Operator.

Go South Coast MD Andrew Wickham (second from right) and colleagues

Graham Smith, Olga Kens and Cllr Brian Parbutt from Nottingham City Transport Ross Newman from Ensignbus GOLD WINNER

GO SOUTH COAST

from an outdated municipal to the modern forward thinking operator of Swindon's Bus Company. SILVER WINNER

NOTTINGHAM CITY TRANSPORT

advanced exhaust treatment systems to 185 diesels, upgrading them to Euro Vl standard is underway. By the end of next year, and by purchasing 67 more biogas double deckers, NCT will be running a complete Euro VI fleet through a three year delivery plan. BRONZE WINNER

ENSIGNBUS

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OPERATIONS

TOP CITY OPERATOR

Sponsored by

This award is open to operators of registered bus services based in, or operating wholly or mainly in the city region areas and other major cities with populations of more than 250,000.

Nottingham City Transport

Stagecoach Manchester Stagecoach Merseyside GOLD WINNER

NOTTINGHAM CITY TRANSPORT

Nottingham City Transport celebrates its 140th anniversary this year. With a 94% Transport Focus Customer Satisfaction score, NCT carries the second most satisfied bus users in the country. Nottingham bus use per head of population remains second highest outside of London, with NCT stabilising passenger numbers against a national 2.2% decline last year. A significant 'green' investment has occurred, with the world's largest fleet of biogas double deckers. A programme fitting advanced exhaust treatment systems to 185 diesels, upgrading them to Euro Vl is underway. By the end of next year, and by purchasing 67 more biogas buses, NCT will be running a complete Euro VI fleet through a three year delivery plan. n A well written entry providing plenty of evidence impressed the judges from the start, who went on to pick out initiatives such as moving towards an entire Euro VI fleet, a high Transport Focus customer satisfaction score of

94% (second highest in the UK), larger bays on all buses for pushchairs and wheelchairs and all buses having next stop visual announcements with 90% also having audio announcements. Good social media and a good travel app were also noted, as well as the offer of six months free travel for residents of new housing developments to encourage continued bus use. An all-round excellent service backed up with a high mystery traveller score. SILVER WINNER

STAGECOACH MERSEYSIDE

Stagecoach in Liverpool has continued to focus on investment in customers, staff and services resulting in operational improvements and sustained patronage growth.

and working to protect the environment. It focusses on what its customers tell the company is important; providing safe, high quality, good value and accessible travel. The company continues to improve its service delivery, and this year achieved its highest ever customer satisfaction figure of 91%, up 9% on the previous year. Through partnership with regional transport operators, people travelling in Greater Manchester also benefit from the availability of multioperator ticketing. By simplifying and increasing accessibility of the scheme, more customers are now choosing this option. Stagecoach Manchester is part of its local communities, and as well as helping customers get to where they want to go, the company also supports events, activities and fundraising for local charities.

BRONZE WINNER

STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

Stagecoach Manchester is the leading bus operator in the region, connecting communities, supporting economic growth,

FINALISTS

n Lothian n National Express West Midlands n Plymouth Citybus

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TOP SHIRE OPERATOR

Sponsored by

The award for operators in the shire areas of the UK, covering all areas outside our major cities. GOLD WINNER

GO SOUTH COAST

As last year's proud winner, Go South Coast has actively continued to improve and make its customers' journeys as seamless as possible. In the last 12 months, the company has continued to develop and enhance its routes, especially where other operators have pulled out, giving customers more choice and achieving market growth, bucking the national trend. Contactless payments and a new ticketing app have been introduced, and Go South Coast has invested in new buses. The company claims to have the cheapest weekly ticket in the country. The latest addition to the Go South Coast family, Thamesdown, has seen a complete re-brand from an outdated municipal to the modern forward thinking operator of Swindon's Bus Company. ■ Customer growth of 14% over the past six years and the highest Transport Focus customer rating in the UK of 96% for Southern Vectis, are just two of the aspects that judges picked out in the Go South Coast entry. These sit alongside many excellent initiatives across the company’s brands including over 400 drivers qualifying as Dementia Friends, diversity ambassadors and additional holiday given to the company’s top employees. Excellent mystery traveller scores pushed Go South Coast to Gold.

continues. Whether it's the drivers, high quality branding and marketing, strong customer focus or simply attention to every single detail, the company cares about the communities it serves. Over the past 12 months Reading Buses has expanded, rapidly moving from being a local, to a regional bus company, having taken over routes from other operators and won contracts beyond Reading boundaries. The company has demonstrated the agility to do big things while showing flexibility, energy and passion to make things happen quickly, to a high standard, positively changing customer perceptions - all while keeping its existing show on the road! Despite ever challenging congestion, Reading Buses is outstripping industry trends with 5% customer growth. Whether it's innovating with new ideas, becoming a flagship for change with Open Data, achieving Earned Recognition, inspiring its people to be better or investing in ultra-green buses, the company is always finding new ways to delight its customers and champion bus use. It aims to be Britain's best bus company, and a role model for best practice across Europe!

BRONZE WINNER

METROBUS

Metrobus started operating from its Crawley depot in 2001 when the existing operator declared operations in the town to eb unviable. Since then it has grown the network from 47 buses to 151. Four services operate, commercially, 24 hours a day. Metrobus has embraced new technology fitting Wi-Fi and USB charging sockets to its buses, as well as making use of GPS satellite tracking to improve reliability of services and help customers know where their bus is. The company has moved on from just accepting cash, having introduced smartcards and mobile apps as a more convenient way to pay. Metrobus has seen unprecedented growth, investment in fleet and depot infrastructure. The depot has an enviable reputation for quality, investment and customer service. FINALISTS

■ Oxford Bus Company ■ Stagecoach East Scotland

SILVER WINNER

READING BUSES

With its network of vividly-branded, brightlycoloured buses, together with improvement in already excellent customer service and innovation, Reading Buses' success story Go South Coast

Reading Buses

Metrobus

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OPERATIONS

TOP INDEPENDENT OPERATOR

Sponsored by

This award is for smaller bus companies with fleets of fewer than 100 vehicles, not owned by a public limited company (plc) or holding company which owns three or more bus operating subsidiaries.

Ensignbus

Prentice Coaches GOLD WINNER

Scarlet Band Bus and Coach SILVER WINNER

ENSIGNBUS

PRENTICE COACHES

Essex-based Ensignbus is a proud independent bus operator running a fully commercial network in one of the UK's most congested areas suffering some of the worst congestion in the country. Passenger growth, punctuality and profit have all improved in the course of the past 12 months bucking the trend across most of the UK. ■ Frequently noted as an impressive operation in the congested operating area of the Essex side of the Dartford river crossing, alongside improving punctuality and passenger growth, the judges were also impressed with the company’s ability to maximise commercial opportunities. These include working with Amazon to help get its 2,000 staff to a new distribution depot and specific vehicles running for almost 100 days in partnership with Tilbury Cruise Terminal. On top of that the company provided over 2,000 private hires over the last year and supplied vehicles for 800 weddings! Mystery traveller scores backed up the judges view that Ensignbus was the top independent operator this year.

Prentice of Haddington is a family owned and run multi award winning bus and coach operator based in Haddington, the county town of East Lothian in Scotland. The company was established in 1991 originally and primarily as a coach operator, but has also run bus services almost constantly since 1992. This area of the operation has expanded considerably in recent years and it now accounts for over 60% of the business, to the point where the company plays a vital role in the county's transport infrastructure. Prentice is a forward thinking innovative company that believes in running modern ecofriendly buses, using state of the art ticketing equipment, kept in immaculate condition, coupled with an old fashioned customer care ethos delivered by staff who take immense pride in delivering 21st century transport to their community.

still operating in the UK, and is about to enter its 98th year of operation. Still based on the original site for the business in West Cornforth, County Durham, the company has recently expanded and become the largest operator of tendered bus services for Durham County Council. This includes the Durham Park and Ride contract, where the firm's familiar red and cream buses operate around a million miles. Still known by many customers as the 'Blenkybus' after founder Sid, and son Arthur, Blenkinsop who owned the company for its first 86 years, Scarlet Band prides itself on its independence and local identity. Its customers recognise that it offers a quality service, arguably better than some larger corporate organisations, but the operator is still seen as the small firm with its base deep in ex-mining County Durham. Additionally, the company re-invests profits generated into improved bus services, rather than distributing them to anonymous shareholders and multinational owners outside the UK.

BRONZE WINNER

SCARLET BAND BUS AND COACH

Established in 1921, Scarlet Band Bus and Coach is one of the oldest bus company's

FINALISTS

■ Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent ■ Uno Bus Northampton

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Congratulations to all of our employees recognised at the 2018 UK Bus Awards: Gold - Making Buses a Better Choice

Stagecoach UK Bus, Bus Developments in New Residential Developments Guidance Gold - Unsung Heroes

Matt Begg, Stagecoach Midlands Gold - Engineer of the Year

Terry Absalom, Stagecoach London Silver - New Horizons

Stagecoach East Scotland, How Do I Catch a Bus? Silver - The Bus and the Community

Stagecoach Group, #BeNiceBus Silver - Engineer of the Year

Bronze - Top City Operator

Stagecoach Manchester Bronze - The Bus and the Community

Ben Coghlan, Stagecoach Merseyside

Stagecoach North East, Christmas Fundraising Campaign

Silver - Top City Operator

Bronze - Making Buses a Better Choice

Stagecoach Manchester

Stagecoach Yorkshire, X10 Stagecoach Express

Silver - The Award for Sustained Marketing Excellence

Bronze - Putting Passengers First

Stagecoach East Scotland, Express City Connect Silver - Top National Bus Depot

Stagecoach East Scotland, St Andrews

UK BUS AWARDS 2018

Stagecoach East Scotland, How Do I Catch a Bus? Special Commendation - Unsung Heroes

Thomas McGovern, Stagecoach East Scotland John Millar, Stagecoach East Scotland

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE FINALISTS AND WINNERS AT THE UK BUS AWARDS 2018

0203 195 8800 www.ticketer.co.uk support@ticketer.co.uk

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OPERATIONS

TOP NATIONAL BUS DEPOT

Sponsored by

SILVER WINNER

BRONZE WINNER

ST ANDREWS STAGECOACH EAST SCOTLAND

This award is designed to recognise and reward high standards of operation and customer care throughout the UK. The award is open to bus depots or garages which operate buses on local routes outside London. The award is made to the garage which, in the opinion of the judges, delivers the highest operational standards to its customers. GOLD WINNER

CRAWLEY METROBUS

Metrobus started operating from its Crawley depot in 2001 when the existing operator declared that operations in the town were unviable. Since then, the company has grown the network from 47 buses to 151. Four services operate, commercially, 24 hours a day. To manage this unprecedented growth, investment in fleet and depot infrastructure, the depot has embraced new technology to provide staff with the latest tools to improve the service, such as GPS tracking on the entire fleet to help improve reliability. The depot has recently been refurbished to provide staff with better rest facilities and more space for office based staff to do their work in a professional environment. The depot has an enviable reputation for quality, investment and customer service. ■ While noting the success that the Metrobus Crawley depot has had in previous years, the judges were once again impressed with this outstanding entry. From how the company looks after and rewards it staff, through its investment in depot facilities and its increased community outreach, the depot has once again taken the top spot. Mystery traveller scores showed that services from the depot were good on the ground.

Stagecoach East Scotland's St Andrews depot serves the ancient university town, the 'Home of Golf ', and the surrounding rural areas. While Taylink99 shuttles to and from Dundee every 10 minutes, the remaining routes offer lower frequency links into the city or rural services throughout the region and to Stirling. The professionalism and care shown by the depot team is reflected in high operational standards, customer satisfaction and high staff morale. The team is a valued part of the local community, providing the network of services necessary to bring the large number of inward commuters into the town that the university, retail and local tourism sectors rely on, given the small scale of the town itself. In addition, staff are the focal point for many of the visitors welcomed by the town each year. Such is the standing of the St Andrews depot team that its staff were chosen to test new solutions for customer service and staff engagement on behalf of the Stagecoach Group during 2017/18.

NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT GO SOUTH COAST - SOUTHERN VECTIS

Operating from Go South Coast's Newport depot on the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis is proud to say that it has the highest customer satisfaction rating in the UK, as reported by Transport Focus. The depot's passion is to deliver the best possible service, operating a fully commercial network for residents and tourists. As one of the Island's largest employers, Southern Vectis plays a key role in the community and wants to keep the island sustainable and encourage bus travel by working with partners and investing in the latest Euro Vl engines. FINALISTS

■ Shrewsbury, Arriva Midlands ■ Heckmondwike, Arriva Yorkshire ■ Grimsby, Stagecoach East Midlands ■ Sharston, Stagecoach Manchester ■ Intack, The Blackburn Bus Company

Metrobus

Go South Coast - Southern Vectis Stagecoach East Scotland

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VOLVO BUS

Proud sponsors of Top National Bus Driver

Congratulations to Aaron Johnson from Nottingham City Transport, gold award winner of Top National Bus Driver: the Chris Moyes Memorial Award. Aaron was recognised as an extremely worthy winner of the Volvo Bus sponsored award, which is presented to the bus driver who has best demonstrated excellent performance from a customer perspective, in the 12-month period to the end of May each year. With excellent customer service skills, consistent outstanding driving performance with no accidents in the last 20 years, a superb attendance record and 24 customer commendations, Aaron was always a front-runner to receive the commendation. Volvo Bus recognises the vital role bus drivers play in endorsing products and providing key industry feedback and is very proud to sponsor the award.

VOLVO BUS

Wedgnock Lane, Warwick CV34 5YA Tel: 01926 401777, www.volvobuses.co.uk

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TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL

ENVIRONMENT

This award is presented to the scheme which, in the opinion of the judges, constitutes the best contribution by a bus operator, authority, manufacturer or any group or individual within those organisations to one or more of the following: further improving the environmental friendliness of the bus; improving the environment in which buses operate; improving the environment for bus users and potential users.

Optare Lothian Buses

Nottingham City Transport GOLD WINNER

WORLD'S LARGEST FLEET OF BIOGAS DOUBLE DECKERS NOTTINGHAM CITY TRANSPORT

Nottingham City Transport is home to the world's largest fleet of biogas double deckers, which it claims are the greenest on the road. Using fuel produced from waste through anaerobic digestion, these buses avoid harmful pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere from landfill and have an almost carbon neutral well-to-wheel footprint. The recent £16.4m investment in 53 brand new, environmentally friendly biogas buses, and installation of a biogas fuelling station, marked the beginning of NCT's three year programme to upgrade its entire fleet to Euro VI. With a further 67 biogas buses planned, and an exhaust treatment upgrade system being installed on 185 young diesels, NCT has embraced and is making a significant contribution towards Nottingham's aim to be the UK's greenest city.

■ The judges praised NCT’s approach to working with Scania, with ADL coming onboard, to jointly develop a vehicle type that didn’t exist, creating the world’s first double deck bus that runs on biogas. Satisfying all NCT’s requirements, 53 have been delivered with a further 67 to follow next year. The judges were impressed with this serious strategy to improve air quality across the city, alongside upgrading 185 diesels to Euro VI.

cities. The long term benefits of the Optare Metrodecker EV mean a 60% reduction in well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions when compared with diesel equivalents, improving air quality and reducing health risks where these vehicles operate. There is also potential for well-to-wheel emissions to reduce further as more electricity is generated from renewable sources. BRONZE WINNER

SILVER WINNER

ELECTRIC VEHICLES LOTHIAN BUSES

WORLD'S FIRST ZERO EMISSION ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKER OPTARE

Optare is a leading British manufacturer of urban buses with a modern assembly facility near Leeds employing around 350 people. Its range of innovative buses feature a radical light-weight design and it has now delivered the world's first truly zero emission electric double decker. The Optare Metrodecker EV represents a major step towards zero emission bus transport in all of the UK's major

By investing heavily in creating one of the greenest fleets in the UK, Lothian is at the forefront of environmental improvements in bus services, making a real difference to the air quality and noise pollution of the Edinburgh communities it serves. FINALIST

■ Liverpool Bus Alliance, Merseytravel and partners

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Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at the UK Bus Awards 2018...

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED HCT Group Gold Winner: Bus and the Community

Nottingham City Transport Gold Winner: Environment

Stagecoach Bus Gold Winner: Making Buses a Better Choice

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@passengertransport

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TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL

NEW HORIZONS AWARD

Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

VECTIVE VECTARE

Technology and customer interests and expectations continue to develop at a rapid pace; the bus industry needs to embrace these changes, and react to the challenges coming from an evolving mobility and social landscape. The New Horizons Award is intended to be a showcase for creativity and innovation. As such, a successful nomination for this award needs to demonstrate development of an original or novel idea, or the application of a technological solution that achieves one or more of the following: improves the image of the bus; stimulates interest in, or desire for, the bus product; improves the viability or efficiency of the industry. This award will be made for the innovation or application which most contributes to the improvement of the bus product.

VecTive is a school bus service management system for independent schools. Vectare provides schools with a bespoke website, in the school's house colours, which details timetables, fare and bus routes, and provides personalised journey planning (integrated with Google Maps and NAPTAN) and an online booking form. Journey requests are recorded and mapped on an annual basis, helping schools to identify geographical areas where potential demand for bus services may lie. Software multi-tenancy is used to keep prices low for schools, in recognition that most independent schools lose money on their school bus services rather than generating a profit. Multi-tenancy allows one website to be created, and use one database per school to make this website appear completely customised for each school. The system has been in place at a HMC independent school in the East Midlands for two years, and during that time, annual passenger numbers for passengers making one off journeys have tripled, despite the pupils coming from a socio-economic group that is typically least likely to use the bus. ■ The judges described this as Uber for private schools! They praised the well thought out software which makes planning travel to and from school easy for parents and pupils, as well as the school. Importantly, the system achieves modal shift at the peak school run times. The judges wondered if the same technology could be applied to large employers on business parks. SILVER WINNER

generation has different priorities and accessing the bus needs to be an easier choice. So the company embarked on a mission: a rapid, disruptive deep dive into how to catch a bus. Partnering with Deloitte Digital, Stagecoach East Scotland worked relentlessly, identifying pain points, engaging customers and staff in fact finding missions to identify barriers and try new things. Confusion and uncertainty were stopping people from travelling by bus. So new timetable designs, revised signage at stops, new displays explaining how to catch a bus, and a chatbot were all trialled. But it didn't end there. One area that could not be ignored which would have a meaningful impact on customer experience was the company's staff. Their voice and sense of belonging needed to be raised. So a platform was created to play positive customer messages into the drivers' room and they also got decent coffee! BRONZE WINNER

ON-BOARD PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM LOTHIAN

Lothian re-launched the On-Board Passenger Information Systems on its Airlink and Skylink services to and from Edinburgh Airport. The on-board screen layout was changed to show the next three stops in a larger format, including connections and points of interest. In what Lothian believes to be a first in public transport in the UK, it introduced British Sign Language translation to accompany this information. FINALISTS

HOW DO I CATCH A BUS? STAGECOACH EAST SCOTLAND

Stagecoach East Scotland is seeking a new generation of bus users. The bus can ease the strain of congestion, reduce emissions and keep communities alive, but this new

■ Connected Apps, Arriva London ■ BusMark, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport ■ Bus Driver Routeway, Go North East ■ Social seating, Go South Coast Swindon's Bus Company

Vectare

Lothian Buses Stagecoach East Scotland

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30/11/2018 11:27

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL

MAKING BUSES A BETTER CHOICE: THE PETER HUNTLEY MEMORIAL AWARD Sponsored by

Peter Huntley had a long career in public transport, working in transport coordination for local authorities, as a consultant at The TAS Partnership, as a journalist and writer, and as an inspirational managing director of bus company Go North East, between 2006 and 2011. He was tragically killed in a climbing accident in February 2012 at the age of 55. Peter helped to found the UK Bus Awards in 1995 and this award is dedicated to his memory as the category that best represents the breadth of his interests and his passion for excellence.

Stagecoach Bus

Transport for West Midlands and Partners GOLD WINNER

BUS SERVICES IN NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS GUIDANCE STAGECOACH BUS

Faced with evidence that the needs of bus users and bus operators were poorly understood in the design of new developments, Stagecoach plunged into the complex world of town planning and urban design to provide a clear and consistent set of guidelines on how best to incorporate buses into high quality placemaking. Aimed at professionals in the worlds of planning, development and highways engineering, a concise illustrated guide to best practice was prepared following a national programme of research, building on Stagecoach's existing increased engagement with the development sectors. They provided guidelines that all stakeholders could use across the UK, to ensure that significant housing development proposals are designed to be bus-friendly. Their guidance led and fed into a range of work by other national stakeholder organisations as they separately set out to maximise the contribution of sustainable modes to personal mobility, at a time when most towns and cities in England are faced with a housing growth programme not seen since the end of the 1960s.

Stagecoach Yorkshire

■ The judges were thrilled to receive this entry and praised Stagecoach very highly for creating such a well written document that could be a game changer for the whole bus industry if adopted nationally. They added that it would be good to include non-residential developments where many people would need to get to work. The judges hoped that the work could be shared with the other bus groups. A very worthy gold winner.

benefits that might otherwise be achieved through franchising, but without the need for contractual relationships and associated costs. At an event to celebrate the first two years of the alliance during the Coach & Bus UK Show, members signed up to a brand new Bus Alliance agreement, investing a further £150m and fulfilling 50 pledges by 2020 to meet objectives, including rigorous new standards on emissions and tackling congestion in the region.

SILVER WINNER

WEST MIDLANDS BUS ALLIANCE TRANSPORT FOR WEST MIDLANDS AND PARTNERS

The West Midlands Bus Alliance was established to further strengthen partnership working between stakeholders, drive patronage growth, increase passenger satisfaction and provide a bus network to support economic development in the region. The Bus Alliance provides formal governance to support this, and ensures there is greater buy-in from the diverse bus operators in the region as well as the highways authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships by providing shared ownership of objectives and delivery. The original intention of the alliance was that by working closely together, all of the

BRONZE WINNER

X10 STAGECOACH EXPRESS STAGECOACH YORKSHIRE

Stagecoach Yorkshire introduced a new service X10 Stagecoach Express, between Barnsley and Leeds in October 2017 designed to create new, quick and direct links between the two places and offer viable alternatives for commuters and shoppers over other modes of transport. FINALISTS

■ Winchester Bus Station, Hampshire County Council ■ Liverpool Bus Alliance, Merseytravel and partners ■ Route 64, Stagecoach South

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30/11/2018 11:28

PUTTING PASSENGERS FIRST

Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

MAKE MY MAINLINE THE BURNLEY BUS COMPANY

Delivery of excellence in customer service is vital to the future of the bus industry. This award is designed to promote its delivery and improvement by rewarding excellence, best practice and innovation in this essential area. Ideally, the winner of the award will set ambitions for the future and thus blaze a trail for others in the industry to follow.

The Burnley Bus Company describes Make My Mainline as a masterclass in customer research and product development that makes buses better for customers. Never has the company undertaken a research project which has gone into such depth to explore what its customers want, and to develop a product tailored to their every need reaching out to the local market so openly. Mainline has changed the vehicles, branding, customer delivery and style of operations of buses in Burnley to meet the needs of the local community. â&#x2013; The judges thought this was a comprehensive, well researched and implemented service re-launch creating a cluster of routes that was clearly a big hit with customers. The company invested in 30 new custom-designed vehicles that took onboard suggestions from customers. The judges were pleased to note that managers and supervisors are expected to travel by bus and that staff are empowered to put passengers first. SILVER WINNER

HELLO LONDON TFL AND STEPS DRAMA LEARNING DEVELOPMENT

The bus industry in the UK has never seen a training course so ambitious in its scale, in its aims or in the means of its delivery as Transport for London's ground breaking "Hello London". All London bus drivers, regardless of their experience, participated in a two-day customer experience course. It took two years (to March 2018) for 25,000 drivers, garage supervisors, support staff and TfL frontline staff to complete it. The course's aim was to ensure all bus drivers felt committed,

able and supported to provide excellent customer service, to encourage those who already did, and to persuade the rest, and so bring about a sustained improvement in the customer experience. To maximise its impact, the training was delivered with the use of drama, with TfL and all the London bus operators working with Steps Drama (new to the bus industry) to present to an audience unaccustomed to innovation in training. It demonstrated the power of peer-to-peer learning and also used interactive voting technology to further engage attendees with the course and its key messages. Since the course began, bus driver commendations have doubled. BRONZE WINNER

HOW DO I CATCH A BUS? STAGECOACH EAST SCOTLAND

Uncertainty, confusion and a lack of clarity are some of the biggest barriers to attracting new passengers to bus travel. The rise of digital and instant reassurance, transparency and services tailor-made to personal preferences is on the rise, while bus travel is falling behind with a traditional mindset. Stagecoach East Scotland, in partnership with Deloitte Digital, focussed on addressing this challenge for six months. Customers and staff were engaged in a series of interviews, sessions and live experiments which were undertaken to establish how to catch a bus today, and how it might be made easier for customers who expect and need more from their bus service, today and tomorrow. FINALIST

â&#x2013; Re-building confidence in using the bus, East Coast Buses

Stagecoach East Scotland

TfL and Steps Drama Learning Development

The Burnley Bus Company

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30/11/2018 11:29

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL

ROSCO AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN ROAD SAFETY Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

LYTX DRIVECAM NATIONAL EXPRESS WEST MIDLANDS

This award will go to the organisation, operator or employee who, in the opinion of the judges, has made the most innovative contribution towards safety and safe driving during the past year.

National Express West Midlands has installed Lytx DriveCam technology in its entire bus and coach fleet to improve safety and help its drivers. The system identifies driving habits which may be risky, which are then addressed with top-up training. The leading technology of this type, its power lies both in the data analytics it generates and the videos it allows to be reviewed. It gives the company an important management tool that allows tailored and targeted training. It also allows National Express West Midlands' drivers to record incidents where they have been the victim of bad, or even criminal, driving. And drivers who demonstrate exceptional driving skills, such as avoiding potential accidents, receive a formal certificate of commendation. Since introducing this system, there has been a 23% reduction in collisions and annualised insurance costs have reduced by 30%. n National Express is well known for its emphasis on safety, so the judges were interested in this large scale scheme to fit the Lytx DriveCam system to all its buses in the West Midlands. After the first year, collisions are down by 23% and near collisions by 21%. SILVER WINNER

TECHNOLOGY + EMPOWERED EMPLOYEES = SAFER BUSES READING BUSES

Reading Buses is trying to make buses the safest they can be, through innovation and technological development. From its DriveWell driver telematics system and engaging drivers in new ways through to a GPS-based tree branch strike detector, the company is doing things differently. Reading Buses combines technology and

continuous management closely creating a fusion between new innovative technology, current technology and making sure people are involved, engaged and empowered to get the best results. Through focussing on all the operational data and details, and investing in people, training and technology, the company has reduced blameworthy accidents by 55%. BRONZE WINNER

WALKING AND CYCLING IN LONDON RATP DEV LONDON

Much more needs to be done to protect two highly vulnerable groups of road users: cyclists and pedestrians. The latter, in particular, are too frequently involved in accidents with buses. RATP Dev London is, therefore, keen to improve matters and is piloting a one-day course to ensure that its drivers are aware of how to share road space safely. The first half of the course addresses the hazards surrounding pedestrians, while the second part addresses issues related to cyclists. The course culminates with a brief bike ride to remind attendees how it feels to be on two wheels in London traffic. The course is being run in partnership with the London Cycling Campaign, with support from Transport for London (which is interested in the programme and attended part of a recent course). The course is in its early stages, but the plan is to hold one every two weeks or so for maximum impact. There are up to six drivers per course plus a manager. RATP Dev London's safety team recognises a course such as this is vital and that the more conducted, the greater the possibility of reducing accidents with cyclists and pedestrians. FINALIST

n Accident prevention days campaign, RATP Dev London

RATP Dev London

Reading Buses National Express West Midlands

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30/11/2018 11:30

BUS AND THE COMMUNITY AWARD

Sponsored by

This award is designed to recognise and reward a scheme, project or other activity which has provided benefits to local people. The judges look for nominations which place the bus industry (in its widest sense) at the heart of the local community in the area served, by raising funds for a local charitable project or helping the local community to achieve an objective of its own. HTC Group

Stagecoach Group GOLD WINNER

DRIVE ON HCT GROUP

HCT Group believes passionately in the role of the bus industry in our communities. As a social enterprise, it seeks to go beyond laudable acts of CSR, helping to tackle serious social issues. One project, Drive On, provides a path to sustainable employment for ex-offenders as bus drivers. Sixty percent of offenders re-offend within a year of release from prison. The biggest factor in reducing re-offending is employment, yet 75% of prisoners are released to unemployment. Drive On is a partnership between HCT Group and Blue Sky, part of The Forward Trust, specialists in working with ex-offenders. Blue Sky recruits and selects the participants, ensuring that they are appropriate for the programme. HCT Group provides the training for a full PCV licence. Participants then start work as bus drivers, with additional support and guidance from Blue Sky, during a review period, after which they are confirmed in post at HCT Group. To date, HCT Group has trained two cohorts whose retention and achievement rates are at least as good as non-offender trainees. Noone involved in the scheme has re-offended.

Stagecoach North East

■ The judges highly praised this courageous scheme which challenges perceptions and creates a new pool for potential bus drivers. They noted that the scheme had been well thought out, partnering with organisations with a lot of experience in working with offenders, and had produced good retention and achievement rates, and no re-offending. The judges thought this scheme could be used elsewhere in the country. SILVER WINNER

THE #BENICEBUS STAGECOACH GROUP

Stagecoach partnered with the Diana Award charity to launch the UK's first and only #BeNiceBus – a refurbished bus which travels the UK sharing an anti-cyber bullying message by carrying out on-bus workshops at schools across the country. In its first year the #BeNiceBus travelled to almost 60 schools in Scotland, England and Wales, delivering more than 150 workshops, and its message reached more than 22,000 young people, with 100% reporting that the bus is a good or excellent way to educate young people about cyberbullying and its impact. The #BeNiceBus continues to go from strength to strength as the project enters its second year.

BRONZE WINNER

CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN STAGECOACH NORTH EAST

Last December, Stagecoach North East's Christmas fundraising campaign raised over £20,000 for local charities around the region, whilst receiving an additional uplift from a new initiative. Led by driving staff in Newcastle, and delivered by the hard, collaborative work between key departments within the company, the project was immensely successful both from a fundraising and PR perspective. An old training vehicle was transformed into a Santa's Grotto using bespoke, illustrated vinyls designed in-house; it was a huge hit with customers and employees alike. FINALISTS

■ BUSter's Beach Party, Yellow Buses ■ Charity of Choice, Lothian Buses ■ Second Chance, RATP Dev London ■ Charity and Community, Reading Buses ■ Newham Safer Travel Project, Stagecoach London

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30/11/2018 11:31

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL

THE AWARD FOR MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by

This award is for successful promotional ideas and campaigns which get the message about services over to the target market through advertising, PR activity or sales promotion schemes. It’s about creating an impact, winning ‘hearts and minds’, creating or developing a strong brand or improving the image of bus travel, and helping to change public perceptions and/or consumer behaviour. Merseytravel and Partners

Warrington's Own Buses

Uno Bus GOLD WINNER

SILVER WINNER

THE COMET, COME FLY WITH US UNO BUS

THE POPS AND THE CHESHIRE CAT WARRINGTON'S OWN BUSES

The Comet, a new bus brand introduced by Uno Bus in September 2017, is a good example of how focusing a business on getting the product, service and customer offer just right for your market can lead to impressive passenger and revenue growth. With an engaged team, encouraged at every step to forget the ordinary and deliver the extraordinary, Uno Bus is already seeing year on year passenger growth reach an impressive 20%. n A good entry that demonstrates that the formula of creating the right route to universities works, the judges praised the way the service had been marketed to its target audience, and beyond, through a variety of channels. They also noted excellent partnership working with stakeholders at the university as well the county council and Transport for London.

Warrington's Own Buses is making a host of improvements to reposition the company, aiming to provide buses that customers, colleagues and stakeholders love. This started with two new networks - 'The Pops' and 'The Cheshire Cat' - which have seen new buses, marketing, better fares, punctuality and reliability improvements and better customer service. The company has worked with Warrington Borough Council with the aim of making the town multi-modal and accessible as well as taking away sources of anxiety that might prevent new customers trying the bus. BRONZE WINNER

using bus travel throughout Liverpool City Region. The audiences were clearly defined to ensure that a stand-out campaign was created with a flexible identity and it was supported by a suite of bespoke key messages. A fun and interactive website, mobile games and competitions, as well as out of home advertising through billboards and digital screens, were all part of the campaign. An interactive and engaging school assembly was developed in-house incollaboration with young people to co-create the Better By Bus Club activity books, which were given to each child who participated in the assembly. The activity books featured a range of fun and unique characters who all had their own reason for taking the bus. FINALISTS

BETTER BY BUS MERSEYTRAVEL AND PARTNERS

The Better By Bus campaign promotes the health, environmental and cost benefits of

n Big Days Out campaign, Go North East n Service 10, Stagecoach North Scotland n Meet Violet, she's on her way, Uno Bus Northampton

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30/11/2018 11:32

THE AWARD FOR SUSTAINED MARKETING EXCELLENCE Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

M1 AND M2 GO SOUTH COAST - MOREBUS

This award is designed to recognise marketing excellence over a sustained period that is likely to be measured in years rather than weeks. The award goes to the organisation that best demonstrates how an active, customerfocused marketing strategy, consistently applied over time, has driven business improvement, won extra journeys and captured new customers, ideally through a shift of travel from car to bus.

The m1 and m2 are a huge success story for Go South Coast's morebus operation. With focussed marketing efforts, continued investment, and ongoing efforts into improving the customer experience, these routes have seen growth of over 110%. In a competitive environment, there has been over £15m investment in new vehicles, as well as added extras and improvements to services. Marketing is at the forefront of this story, with essential research, creative campaigns and imperative communications to create a desire for bus travel and to ensure that customers are the priority. These routes, now running up to every three minutes, are a key way to travel across the conurbation. ■ Impressive was the word most used by the judges to describe the outcomes of the ongoing marketing efforts of Go South Coast’s morebus m1 and m2 routes. They liked the comprehensive entry that showed how the company has achieved significant passenger growth on the routes, and they also praised the development of night buses and Boxing Day services and how the company listens to its customers. SILVER WINNER

EXPRESS CITY CONNECT STAGECOACH EAST SCOTLAND

Express City Connect is the jewel in the crown of the Stagecoach East Scotland operation. It is a high profile network

recognised by both customers and politicians as playing a vital role in the transport needs of Fife and the surrounding areas. Continual investment in fleet, service provision, infrastructure and promotions rightly place the network at the forefront of developments within the industry and as such a strong ongoing marketing engagement with existing and potential customers is vital. The varied sociodemographic, geographic and seasonal markets served by the Express City Connect network require a wide and varied range of marketing activities in order to create awareness of the network's reach, the luxury proposition and alignment with customer aspirations in order to achieve modal shift and ultimately improve the customer experience. BRONZE WINNER

123 BLUESTAR, SHINING ACROSS THE CITY GO SOUTH COAST - BLUESTAR

Go South Coast's Bluestar operation has grown significantly in the last few years, increasing service levels and embracing new technologies. Establishing itself as the leading operator in and around Southampton, it always looks out for the needs of its customers, keeping bus travel as simple as possible and offering service with a smile. Its eye-catching marketing campaigns have been essential to this growth. FINALIST

■ 125, Go North East

Go South Coast - Bluestar

Stagecoach East Scotland

Go South Coast - morebus

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30/11/2018 11:34

CONGRATULATIONS ROB HUTCHINGS, ARRIVA LONDON SOUTH UK BUS AWARDS YOUNG MANAGER OF THE YEAR The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is proud to sponsor the UK Bus Awards Young Manager of the Year Award. We provide the essential networks, knowledge and know-how for career success within passenger transport professions. For more information about how we can support your career, visit:

ciltuk.org.uk/benefits

NER WInN ar ager of the Ye

Young Ma

CILT offers a wide range of networking opportunities specially tailored to the Bus and Coach industry. This includes a specialist benchmarking club BusMark which helps to drive up standards and improve efficiency. For further information about BusMark please contact us today T: +44 (0)1536 740168 E: busmark@ciltuk.org.uk

CILTUK.ORG.UK/BCFORUM For further information about BusMark please contact us today: T: +44 (0)1536 740168 E: busmark@ciltuk.org.uk

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30/11/2018 12:00

PEOPLE

TOP NATIONAL BUS DRIVER: THE CHRIS MOYES MEMORIAL AWARD Sponsored by

This Award is presented to the bus driver who has best demonstrated excellent performance from the customer perspective in the 12 month period to the end of May. To win the title of Top National Bus Driver, entrants need to go that extra mile to provide the customers’ ideal; a driver who is friendly, helpful, conscientious, mindful of passengers’ comfort and well-being – in short, a true professional and a worthy ambassador for the job. This award is presented in memory of Chris Moyes, whose distinguished career in the industry was tragically cut short by his death in 2006. Formerly chief executive of Go-Ahead Group, Chris was passionate about the importance of people to the industry. GOLD WINNER

AARON JOHNSON NOTTINGHAM CITY TRANSPORT

Aaron Johnson is an exceptional bus driver with an equally exceptional record at his employer Nottingham City Transport. He has excellent customer service skills and frequently goes above and beyond, demonstrated by receiving 24 customer commendations in the last decade. Poorly

passengers, people who have fallen on the pavement near his bus, school children on trips and a lady with learning disabilities who became anxious when she missed her stop have all praised Aaron. His attendance record is remarkable, with just one day sick, and he has never been late for work since he joined NCT in 1997. Aaron's driving skills mirror his fantastic customer service skills and he hasn't had a blameworthy accident in 20 years. Aaron's on-bus telematics driving performance score is a good 10 points below the company average, placing him at the very top of NCT drivers for providing customers with a safe, comfortable ride. ■ The judges described Aaron as quite outstanding, citing his excellent customer service, impeccable time-keeping, flexibility and adaptability and years of good driving. A brilliant demonstration of a driver that goes above and beyond. SILVER WINNER

ADAM DAVIES TRANSDEV BLAZEFIELD

Adam Davies is one of the most cheerful and well-respected people you could wish to meet, says his employer Transdev Blazefield. Loved by his customers, he goes beyond the traditional role of a bus driver by making sure they receive a first class service every time. He is also keen to add to company communications by engaging with customers one on one, and on his own Twitter page, to let his customers know what is happening. This year Adam has shone by being the face of Coastliner on ITV's This Morning and the BBC's Breakfast progamme, as well as many more radio and newspaper interviews, after the route was voted the country's most scenic.

He had expanded his role beyond the role of driver by helping out with the operation of the York races shuttle buses, which take race goers from the railway station to the racecourse, an important part of the depot operation. BRONZE WINNER

JAMES KEARNEY TRENTBARTON

When trentbarton's own mystery judge was assessing driver James Kearney as part of its 2018 really good service awards, one customer within earshot turned to another and said: "Wow, isn't he great?" She received the immediate reply: "He's always like this." As a bus driver, James is as good as it gets and then some. As a person, he makes you feel like you've been his best friend for ages. James has a kind word for everyone and does not hesitate to leave his cab to offer help where necessary. If anything out of the ordinary should happen, he will always turn to his customers to tell them what is going on. A true professional, he manages all this, and plenty more, while sticking perfectly to his timetable driving skylink Nottingham, the route he moved to earlier this year from the mainline. Coupled with an unblemished record (no accidents in the past three years and no days off work), James is a standout driver and employee. FINALISTS

■ Robbie Bartle, Go South Coast - morebus ■ Garry Williams, National Express West Midlands ■ Simon Crumpler, Stagecoach West ■ Joanne Morgan, Stagecoach Manchester ■ Steven Irvine, Stagecoach Manchester

Adam Davies

Aaron Johnson

James Kearney

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30/11/2018 11:38

PEOPLE

LEADERSHIP & INSPIRATION AWARD

This award is designed to recognise and reward outstanding performance in middle or senior management in the UK bus industry.

Oliver Monahan

Michael Gatenby

Jim Thorpe GOLD WINNER

JIM THORPE UNO BUS

Managing Director Jim Thorpe is an entrepreneurial and compassionate leader who inspires and motivates his team at Uno Bus to deliver a service that keeps the customer as its central focus. He is dedicated to creating innovative solutions and to advance customer satisfaction, which has stimulated passenger growth. Over the past two years he has secured a ÂŁ3.5m investment in new buses, on board enhancements and refurbishments. He has lifted customer satisfaction scores to an average of 95% across his network and many routes are now showing double digit growth. He has coupled this investment with a culture change programme led by his innovative 'People Against Ordinary' initiative. n Shining out above the other candidates, Jim Thorpe received much praise from the judges for his strategic vision and exceptional leadership in creating a bus service that produces very high customer satisfaction. They also picked out the culture of continuous improvement and how staff are empowered to make changes.

SILVER WINNER

MICHAEL GATENBY ARRIVA YORKSHIRE

Operations Manager Mick Gatenby faced his biggest challenge over the last 18 months as he almost single-handedly kept Arriva Yorkshire's Selby depot afloat. The garage was struggling financially following a number of tender cuts, and a dip in patronage and revenue. Something radical had to be done to keep the depot open and turn things around. The drivers agreed to take a pay cut to help ensure the long term future for their much loved depot, but almost 50% of the 67-strong team of drivers decided to leave. This could have proved disastrous, but one man kept things running through grim determination and commitment to his team. Mick Gatenby not only managed to recruit and retain enough drivers to replace the exodus of leavers, but he also managed to avoid lost mileage through staff shortages. Mick is a local Selby lad who didn't want to let the people of Selby down and worked tirelessly nearly seven days a week, often up to 10-12 hours a day, to keep everything running smoothly. Mick

is a much loved and very popular manager who regularly goes above and beyond what is expected of him. BRONZE WINNER

OLIVER MONAHAN ARRIVA SOUTHERN COUNTIES

Joining Arriva Kent and Surrey in late February 2017, Oliver Monahan had had no previous experience in the bus industry and has been a breath of fresh air. Breaking all the rules traditionally followed by seasoned bus professionals, Oliver has turned a struggling business in a state of managed decline into a streamlined and efficient operation that actively seeks out new opportunities. Taking the lead across the business, Oliver drove a new multi-million pound depot in Tunbridge Wells from conception to opening in only eight months. He has driven profitability and formed new and exciting relationships with local authorities and external stakeholders. Oliver is approachable and thinks on his feet. He also develops the people around him taking them forward with him and has driven a greatly improved public image for Arriva in the area.

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30/11/2018 11:38

YOUNG MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

BRONZE WINNER

ANDY TURNBULL TRANSDEV BLAZEFIELD

This award focuses on the talent we will all rely on to deliver our bus services for the next 20 years and more: the young managers, currently delivering and planning services at the sharp end - but whose skills will be vitally important over the coming years as the bus increasingly comes to be seen as an aid to reducing carbon emissions and fighting climate change.

GOLD WINNER

Andy Turnbull is a senior bus industry leader in the making. He has made a very quick and tangible impact on the business since joining Transdev Blazefield in 2016. Despite there not being a graduate trainee scheme in place, the company knew that Andy could play an important role in improving the business. Since then, he has demonstrated a flair for figures, successfully casting his eyes over the network and identifying areas for improvement based on financial performance and KPIs - and the results are there to see. Standards are being raised across the board, thanks to Andy's work with staff

and stakeholders. He has improved avenues of communication, introducing innovative ways of getting information to drivers on the road, as well as raising vehicle and driver presentation standards. And his commitment to improving customer communications is already raising satisfaction, not least in producing the region's best Transport Focus scores. Transdev Blazefield now has closer ties with business,local government, and the community, thanks to Andy's ongoing hard work in both establishing and nurturing new partnerships and relationships. FINALISTS

■ Ben Coghlan, Stagecoach Manchester ■ Elizabeth Richards, Stagecoach West

ROB HUTCHINGS ARRIVA LONDON SOUTH

Rob Hutchings is a talented and driven individual who joined Arriva after five successful years with Stagecoach. Rob is the General Manager for Brixton and Norwood garages in south London where he continues to lead his teams through example. Both Brixton and Norwood produce exceptional performance results including table topping Expected Waiting Time performance, engineering and staff lost mileage, and above network average mystery traveller scores. Brixton won the London Bus Garage of the Year award at last year's UK Bus Awards and has continued to deliver outstanding results through a committed team with everyone playing their part. Rob is at the forefront of Arriva's transformation programme, with Brixton setting the pace for the rest of Arriva UK Bus. He has overall responsibility for his teams and is a great example of a committed young bus manager in the industry. ■ In a very close-run contest, the judges agreed that Rob Hutchings deserved the top spot, citing his wide range of management attributes including strict budgetary control and good people skills to produce good outputs in some difficult locations. The judges noted his leadership at Arriva’s Brixton depot, last year’s London Bus Garage of the Year.

Rob Hutchings

SILVER WINNER

ALEX CHUTTER GO SOUTH COAST

Alex Chutter joined the Go South Coast family in April 2011 as a graduate trainee, and the company recognised this young talent. In just a few short years Alex has progressed to become a General Manager, and now looks after two brands, Salisbury Reds as well as the company's most recent bus acquisition, Thamesdown, now Swindon's Bus Company. Alex has played a significant part in the latter operation's transformation.

Alex Chutter

Andy Turnbull

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30/11/2018 11:42

PEOPLE

UNSUNG HEROES AWARD

Sponsored by

This award is presented to one or more individuals who perform junior or middle management roles in the industry and are known for their hard work, loyalty and devotion to duty. In many cases, the ‘Unsung Heroes’ are those who keep the wheels turning against the odds; no transport operator can do without such people – even though their highest award is usually the personal satisfaction in a service delivered and a job well done.

Matt Begg GOLD WINNER

MATT BEGG STAGECOACH MIDLANDS

Revenue Protection Inspector Matt Begg is quite simply an exceptional employee who any business would be proud to have as part of their team. No one at Stagecoach Midlands is more dedicated, conscientious and committed to providing its customers with a high quality service. Matt is both respected and well liked by driving staff, the management, the Trade Union, and many outside organisations. The title of Revenue Protection Inspector does not reflect the sheer range of his responsibilities. Matt organises and controls many of the company's Silverstone contract operations as well as

monitoring services to the University of Warwick each term. This involves allocating duplicates as required, liaising with the students and recommending changes to timetables and running times to reflect the many fluctuations in demand. He also works closely with council representatives to help determine the routeing of new services, roadworks diversions and suitable bus stop locations. Matt's professionalism, knowledge, helpfulness and commitment are reflected in many testimonials. If there is ever an issue, Matt Begg is always willing to assist, no matter what time of day, the short notice or the difficulty of the task. n Professional, dedicated and well respected is how the judges described Matt Begg. They

noted that he has become an established point of contact for stakeholders and praised his work as contract manager for the University of Warwick and his work on the Silverstone transport contract. HIGHLY COMMENDED

n Janet Cameron, Abellio London n Margaret Skinner, First Scotland East n Steve Ilbury, RATP Dev London n John Millar, Stagecoach East Scotland n Thomas McGovern, Stagecoach East Scotland SPECIALLY COMMENDED

n Cameron Dyche, First Aberdeen

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30/11/2018 11:43

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

TERRY ABSALOM STAGECOACH LONDON

This award is designed to recognise, reward and inspire management talent in the engineering disciplines of the UK bus industry. The award is promoted with the assistance of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers. It is open to all people employed at, or above, the supervisory grade in the engineering function of bus operating, maintenance or manufacturing companies or organisations. Shortlisted nominees are required to make a presentation to the judges, and take part in a question and answer session with them.

Engineering Manager Terry Absalom was tasked with turning round Stagecoach London's Bow garage in East London. Terry took a simple approach – set the vision and inspire the team. Taking at least 18 months, these steps have evolved into a blueprint to take a reasonably performing garage and get it to the next level in terms of consistent service delivery. Terry has systematically got rid of the distractions and distracters and developed an elite team who not only 'see round corners', but now have the drive and tenacity ingrained in their DNA. ■ Terry impressed the judges with his peoplecentred approach to his role, citing his assertion that his job is more about people than buses. The judges liked his realisation that the work that he and his team do affects passengers directly, and that the customer is paramount. Not all engineers have this view! SILVER WINNER

BEN COGHLAN STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

In just 18 months Fleet Engineer, Ben Coghlan, has lead Stockport depot to become one of the top performing Stagecoach depots in the country. Ben joined the Stagecoach apprentice programme in 2007 and soon won First Year Apprentice of the Year. He has gone on to support, develop and motivate

his team and mentor a number of people who have progressed in their engineering careers. His proactive approach to achieving the highest in engineering standards has seen him introduce a programme of preventative maintenance that has resulted in the Stockport team delivering reductions in breakdowns and lost mileage whist improving overall maintenance standards and vehicle cleanliness, all within budget. Ben works closely and effectively with staff at all levels in particular his depot operations team, to provide Stagecoach Manchester customers with the best service. His motivation, enthusiasm and commitment to achieving engineering excellence both for himself and his team make him a great asset to the company. BRONZE WINNER

COLIN BARNES GO NORTH EAST

Originally joining Go North East in 1992 as an apprentice technician, Colin Barnes has since risen through the ranks to become Head of Engineering and now oversees the overall engineering management of seven operational depots and a fleet of over 650 vehicles and over 250 staff. Colin champions the company's vision of 'journeys taken care of ' and has pioneered a wide range of efficiency measures and bespoke training. HIGHLY COMMENDED

■ Graham Smith Nottingham City Transport

Colin Barnes

Ben Coghlan

Terry Absalom

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Congratulations! Congratulations! Claire, and the the whole whole Claire, Hannah Hannah and team to send send our our team would would like like to congratulations to all all the the congratulations to winners at the the winners and and finalists finalists at

UK Bus Bus Awards Awards 2018 UK 2018

We wish wish them continued We continued success in the future. success future.

project management • commercial support • marketing support • design

project management • commercial support • marketing support • design wearebuzz.co.uk wearebuzz.co.uk

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30/11/2018 16:29

PEOPLE

SERVICES TO THE INDUSTRY

Claire Haigh

Professor David Begg

Sponsored by

GOLD WINNER

PROFESSOR DAVID BEGG

The Award for Services to the Bus Industry recognises a significant and sustained contribution to the success of the industry by an individual who has gone consistently beyond the call of normal duty to improve and promote the bus industry for its users or the wider community. The annual recipient of the award is decided by the management committee.

The bus industry needs no introduction to the huge issue that traffic congestion represents to running buses, and the increasingly destructive cycle of higher costs and falling revenues. Progress hinges on overcoming the reluctance of politicians to grasp the nettle, and champion measures to use road space effectively. Given the enormity of this issue, the UK Bus Awards Management Committee decided to make two awards to people who have been to the forefront of pushing the issue of congestion back onto the agenda. These two have taken collaboration and close cooperation on this issue to new heights; they are also married to each other.

David Begg has been variously described as “Britain’s foremost transport guru”. David is well known as Publisher and Chief Executive of Transport Times, along with being a member or chair of countless committees and boards. A visiting professor in sustainable transport at Plymouth University, he is frequently called upon to advise on transport matters and has always been willing to give free advice to those who would most benefit from it. In the 1990s, he was the political lead on transport on Lothian Region and then the City of Edinburgh councils. Between 1999 and 2005 he advised the government on transport policy as Chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport. On the subject of traffic congestion, David has said: “The way in which we run our roads is like the last remnant of a Stalinist state. We ration demand by queuing, just as the former Soviet Union used to ration bread.” GOLD WINNER

CLAIRE HAIGH

Claire Haigh has been described as someone who “sparkles with belief and real energy about the work that she does, and the positive difference that it can, and indeed does, make to the UK bus industry”.

Claire is the passionate and highly articulate Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, a coalition of the UK’s major public transport groups and other supporters committed to encouraging people to make more sustainable travel choices. She was previously Project Director for Journey Solutions, where she was responsible for the creation and implementation of PLUSBUS the national integrated bus/rail ticket. Under her leadership, Greener Journeys has produced a stream of influential reports including The Impact of Congestion on Bus Passengers, which she co-authored with David. The report vividly illustrated the scale of the problem and pointed to ways in which buses could be made quicker and more reliable to make our cities work better - if there is the political will and public understanding. Commenting on the importance of bus services, Claire has said: “There isn’t a single area of our daily lives that doesn’t in some way depend on buses – from getting to school, to work, to the shops, to connecting up friends and family. Buses literally join up the dots in our society and our economy. Buses are also key to reducing congestion on our roads and carbon emissions. Reducing car travel is going to be essential if we are to achieve an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. Switching from car to bus is an immediate cost effective step towards achieving this goal.”

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30/11/2018 11:45

LONDON AWARDS

TRANSPORT FOR LONDON AWARD FOR LONDON BUS GARAGE OF THE YEAR Sponsored by

This is the award which benchmarks the performance of bus garages in London, and rewards the best with a cash prize to be used on facilities to benefit the team that delivers the best service on a day-to-day basis. GOLD WINNER

TWICKENHAM ABELLIO LONDON

Team Twickenham is Abellio London's jewel. Consistently named as depot of the week for outstanding performance, it also maintains top of the league table results and has gone from strength to strength once again over the past year. New recruits actively look to work there. The garage stepped up further last year and took on several new routes temporarily until the Southall Depot was ready to open. The team took everything in their stride and enjoyed every minute of it!

n The judges were impressed with the well written and detailed entry from Abellio Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twickenham garage. With operating scores consistently making it depot of the week, even when taking on new services, the judges also noted the very low staff sickness rate and considered it to be a worthy gold winner. SILVER WINNER

TOLWORTH RATP DEV LONDON

Everyone who works at RATP Dev London's Tolworth garage understands that they must place the customer at the heart of everything they do. Every member of the team is clear about the contribution he or she is expected to make towards providing great journey experiences and is accountable for it. Managers are convinced that it is the strong teamwork ethic and personal accountability that are behind the garage's success. Barriers to teamwork, such as a 'them and us' culture, are disappearing fast. Members of each discipline work together, respectful of each other and the contribution each makes to the garage's success.

BRONZE WINNER

BRIXTON ARRIVA LONDON SOUTH

Arriva London's Brixton garage staff like to be known as Team Brixton. They continually strive for excellence and have seen several improvements over the past year. The garage ended 2017 without any staff lost mileage and consistently topped TfL's Excess Waiting Time table all year. Lost mileage has also improved, as has the MOT pass rate. The garage has built upon its mileage performance strategies to include root cause analysis to help prevent breakdowns and reliability. Staff engagement and morale has been strengthened with open forums and newsletters keeping everyone motivated towards targets. The garage has invested in new staff and engineering facilities and the team also works with the local community in support of Lambeth Bus Day, as well as school and Scout trips to the garage. FINALISTS

n Perivale, Metroline n Barking, Stagecoach London

Twickenham

Tolworth

Brixton

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30/11/2018 11:46

LUKE REES-PULLEY CHARITABLE TRUST AWARD FOR TOP LONDON BUS DRIVER Sponsored by

Luke Rees-Pulley was passionate about buses throughout his life, which was tragically cut short by murder. The trust founded in his name seeks to rekindle the pride and status of bus drivers in the capital to the levels seen in the 1930s - when to be a bus driver was to be a respected professional providing an essential service. This award is part of that process, recognising and rewarding top quality service and commitment. The award is presented to the London bus driver who has best demonstrated excellent performance from the customer perspective in the 12-month period to the end of June each year.

Anthony Banks-Walker

Christine Watkins

GOLD WINNER

ANTHONY BANKS-WALKER RATP DEV LONDON

The perfect London bus driver may well be encapsulated in Anthony Banks-Walker, enthuses his employer RATP Dev London. Smartly dressed, courteous, knowledgeable about London and possessing great driving skills, Anthony is a credit to his garage. He has only been a bus driver for 18 months and yet he regularly attracts customer commendations praising a faultless journey experience. Anthony doesn't just exhibit Hello London values, he lives them, and in doing so endears himself to all who step aboard his bus. If you're lost in Anthony's area of London, you're in safe hands as he has driven most routes running out of Fulwell garage and has tried to memorise most of the main streets. He usually has an A-Z in his cab, as a back-up. Anthony has good knowledge of the whole public transport system in London so he can usually give travel advice to people who need to make their onward journey on the Underground. As well as getting on well with his customers, Anthony also enjoys a great relationship with supervisors, the service control team and his driver colleagues. ■ In a category in which the judges are looking for all-round excellence - driving and customer service - they considered that Anthony was the best bus driver in London. He regularly receives commendations from customers and always greets passengers as they board. The judges also noted that Anthony’s driving is smooth and courteous, making him a worthy gold winner.

David Harris SILVER WINNER

DAVID HARRIS ARRIVA LONDON

When joining Arriva London at the end of 2016, David Harris immediately stood out from the crowd with his pleasant and friendly demeanour. His smile was instantly noticeable and can only be described as contagious, having an effect on everyone he meets. It was clear from the start that David was destined for great things, which has subsequently been shown in the plethora of commendations that he has received in a very short period since his appointment.

her determination to deliver good customer service. Christine has received countless commendations from members of the public praising the way she has done her job. Likewise she is a very popular figure amongst her work colleagues. Adults remember travelling on her bus when they went to school. Always ready to go the extra mile to deliver excellent customer service she leads by example. Christine is the ultimate ambassador for Arriva, TfL and the whole bus industry when it comes to dealing with the public. SPECIALLY COMMENDED

■ Decosta Skyers, Go-Ahead London

BRONZE WINNER

CHRISTINE WATKINS ARRIVA LONDON

Christine Watkins will shortly complete 20 years' service with Arriva London as a bus driver. Throughout her career, Christine's approach to the job has been exemplary. In carrying out her duties, her helpfulness and beaming smile says everything about

FINALISTS

■ Jim Hart, Abellio London ■ Dean Golding, Go-Ahead London ■ Natasha Smith, Go-Ahead London ■ Patrick Lawson, CT Plus ■ Leighton Shannon, Uno Bus

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30/11/2018 11:49

BU 2 S 018 AW U AR K DS

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30/11/2018 16:11

JUDGING ENTRIES

Distinguishing between so many top quality entries has become increasingly difficult. John Owen obe, Convenor of Judges, explains the process behind the judging of the UK Bus Awards

fair, impartial and wellrun judging and mystery travelling process is absolutely essential if UK Bus Awards is to deliver on its mission to ‘recognise, reward and inspire’ all that is best in the UK bus industry. To fail to have such a rigorous examination of entries would not only devalue the Awards but also not do justice to the hard work of all who make the effort to enter. Over fifty people from a wide range of backgrounds and organisations covering the whole of the UK give of their time freely as members of the six expert panels assessing the large number of entries and/or by mystery travelling to ensure that service delivery meets the claims made in the written submissions. For the judges, considerable effort goes into reading, assessing and scoring every entry, and reviewing all supporting information online - all of that prior to the time they spend at the panel meetings in London where they confirm their scores and discuss their views before coming to final decisions. As ever this year, the judges were faced with some extremely hard choices. Even selecting finalists, let alone Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners, has become much more difficult. The quality in some of the categories was such that, even after fairly robust discussion, the judges found it very tough to decide who should be included as a finalist if shortlists were to be kept to a manageable level. Hence some very good entries indeed did not make it! However, this is good news. It shows how far the commercial bus industry has come

since the Awards started twenty-two years ago. Entries that would have won just a few short years ago struggle to get short-listed these days. It also emphasises why the whole process has to be so thorough if the right people and companies are to be recognised and rewarded as the industry’s best. One of the things that sets UK Bus Awards apart is the requirement, In the operational categories, to assess the quality of the finalists on the ground. The service quality audit system, originally developed by the TAS Partnership and which enables very different operations in different parts of the UK to be compared fairly, was reviewed and updated successfully this year. In 2018 no less than in previous years, those mystery traveller quality checks have influenced the results. While the quality continues to improve, there were again some entrants who did not do themselves justice. Results and outputs are extremely important. Please respond to ALL sections – if you say nothing, the judges cannot give you a score! Do not exceed the word limit – if you do you will be penalised otherwise it is not fair on the vast majority who do abide by the rules. So please read the criteria and guidelines carefully – they are there to help you make the best case possible for your entry. The UK Bus Awards team is determined that what we do remains dynamic, reflecting the environment in which the industry operates as well as the needs of bus companies, local authorities and other stakeholders. The categories and criteria are kept under review, as are the entry and judging arrangements. The input of judges and mystery travellers to setting, maintaining and updating the process is much valued and appreciated. We do recognise how important your time is so, subject to maintaining the integrity of the Awards, we will continue to do all we can to simplify the entry process. Please remember these are YOUR Awards, and we are always happy to receive feedback and suggestions as to how things might be improved. Your thoughts and ideas are always very welcome. As ever, my thanks go to all judges and mystery travellers. We are very grateful also to Claire Walters, Gavin Booth and Bus Users for organising the service quality checks – and to Alan Hill this year for his work in updating the mystery traveller manual and result weightings. Last but certainly not least, and on everybody’s behalf, may I thank Lauren for her hard work in bringing together all aspects of the entry and judging process. This was Lauren’s first year in the role and, with Pat being such a hard act to follow, it reflects great credit on her that things went almost without a hitch despite what must have been a very steep learning curve.

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Thank you to everyone who attended the 2018 UK Bus Awards for your generous donations Alzheimer Scotland is Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading dementia charity. There are over 90,000 people across Scotland living with a diagnosis of dementia. As this number continues to rise, we need to make dementia care, prevention and awareness a national priority. We know that strong and accessible bus links play a vital role in helping to support people with dementia to remain active, social and independent. Working in partnership, we can create a positive travel experience for people with dementia across all UK bus service routes. To get involved, contact Claire Du Preez on cdupreez@alzscot.org

Alzheimer Scotland - Action on Dementia is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland 149069. Recognised as a charity by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, no. SC022315 160 Dundee Street, Edinburgh, EH11 1DQ, 0131 243 1453, www.alzscot.org

PROUD SPONSORS OF

THE UK BUS AWARDS

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR LONDON COLLEAGUES

TOP LONDON BUS DRIVER ANTHONY BANKS-WALKER, FULWELL GOLD

TOP LONDON GARAGE TOLWORTH GARAGE

INNOVATION IN ROAD SAFETY

SILVER

WALKING & CYCLING IN LONDON BRONZE

UNSUNG HERO STEVE ILBURY HIGHLY COMMENDED

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR OTHER FINALISTS TOLWORTH GARAGE - SECOND CHANCE PROJECT INNOVATION IN ROAD SAFETY - ACCIDENT PREVENTION DAYS

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SPONSORSHIP

AWARD SPONSORS

We are grateful to our sponsors and supporters. Their support is vital to the UK Bus Awards MOST IMPORTANTLY

We are profoundly grateful to all our sponsors, stakeholders and entrants over the last 23 years, and express our thanks to the sponsors, supporters and patrons who have worked with us for all or virtually all the years in which we’ve run the scheme. Thank you. WHAT DO OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS GAIN FROM THEIR SUPPORT?

When a variety of methods of communication are researched as to effectiveness, from writing a letter to video presentation, the results are clear, the ones that are closest to human interaction, face to face are the most effective. This is why the awards represent the best possible vehicle through which to get your message seen and heard. The annual presentation ceremony provides an excellent occasion for memorable corporate hospitality and with the additional benefit from the prestige and authority of the awards. If you could walk among hundreds of potential customers for a few hours and at some point get your message across to them all at once, what would you pay? Our event offers a unique opportunity to do just that. No other marketing is so targeted and direct.

WHAT DO OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS GIVE WITH THEIR SUPPORT?

■ The ability for us, as a not for profit company, to continue and build on the positive message that our industry is friendly, helpful, effective, efficient and looks back with pride and forward with positivity. ■ To help all companies small or large by reinforcing the benefits of best practice and raising the motivation of their staff. ■ Sharing of innovative thinking and practice to benefit the whole industry. ■ Sponsors and supporters make ours, the premier event in the bus industry. We attract many entries from numerous organisations which gives the awards a real feeling of worth.

PATRONS

WHO DOES IT ALL AND HOW?

The awards are owned and run by The Bus Industry Awards Limited (BIA). This is an independent not-for-dividend company specially set up to own and run the awards for the benefit of the industry. BIA is wholly owned by Transport Events Group. Organisation of the awards is delegated by the company to a management committee which is responsible for key decisions, including award categories, judging and venues/formats. The committee comprises representatives of the key stakeholders in the UK bus industry. ■ More information: www.ukbusawards.org.uk