Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1042 by Coach and Bus Week & Group Travel World

Wednesday June 27, 2012 Issue 1042 | £2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Eurolines lobbies for improved facilities on the continent p8

FINANCE:

Stagecoach FD Martin Grif�iths talks money and megabus p20

BUS:

West Yorkshire PTE heads closer towards Quality Contracts p4

PEOPLE:

Les Warneford gives his �irst 'Face to Face' interview p16

for recru i

JOB ADV tment EVERY WERTS EEK

FOCUS ON

Going for growth: Busway on track p34

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June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 3

THIS WEEK

Coach & Bus Week is published by Rouncy Media, First Floor, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX Switchboard 01733 293240 Fax 0845 280 2927 Web www.coachandbusweek.com Distributed by COMAG

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www.coachandbusweek.com ISSN: 1351-3877 © 2012 Rouncy Media Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or system or in any means without the written permission of the directors. This is considered a breach of copyright and action will be taken where this occurs. This magazine must not be lent, sold, hired or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any authorised cover by way, or by trade, or annexed to any publication or advertising matter without first obtaining written permission from the directors. The opinions and views expressed by authors and contributors within Coach & Bus Week are not necessarily those of the Editor or its publisher Rouncy Media Ltd.

A week of contrasts

t’s been one of those weeks again. On the same day Sir Brian Souter asked delegates at the ATCO Conference (held over due to lack of space) to leave Quality Contracts (QCs) firmly as a last resort and labelled those in favour as “dinosaurs,” we had Lilian Greenwood (MP for Nottingham South and Shadow Minister for Local Transport) announce Labour is considering “deregulation exemption zones” for buses. Fortunately, Sir Brian spoke in the morning and Lilian late in the afternoon. Then there’s the news West Yorkshire ITA Metro is ramping up its crusade towards QCs. Contained on p7 within the ITA’s report is the following interesting extract: “The option to accept the ABOWY partnership proposal on a ‘trial’ basis would provide a means of assessing whether the approach would be successful in addressing the Authority’s objectives and desired

outcomes. However, it would also lead to a further period of uncertainty and the likelihood of inconclusive debate about the reasons for any failure to achieve outcomes... This approach would also risk a further delay to achieving the Authority’s desired outcomes.” I shall leave you to draw your own conclusions. On a final note, I’d like to pay a personal tribute to the late Graham Clinton (see p8), who I had the pleasure of working with at Travel West Midlands Private Hire. Graham is best described as “a true character, who was always full of fun and a real charmer with the customers.” In common with a number of my contemporaries, such as Alex Hornby and Andrew Sherrington, I was fortunate to able to draw on the knowledge of experienced coach and busmen like Graham. Their legacy will be forever with us. Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

The latest from across the coach and bus industry in the UK

Stagecoach Group’s board members and management structure

Jonathan Woodhouse shares his experiences of the graduate scheme

Setting the scene for part one of the in-depth feature plus a brief history

Stagecoach Deputy UK Bus MD Bob Montgomery on his career

An overview of Europe’s most frequent coach service

An exclusive interview with Stagecoach’s UK Bus MD

The latest from Stagecoach East including the Guided Busway

...looks at a range of tachograph and telematics providers

Stagecoach FD Martin Griffiths discusses money and technology

Atmospheric view of a Stagecoach ADL E400 on a foggy morning

A lighthearted look at the industry. Plus Gareth’s Diary!

News

Stagecoach Intro Les Uncovered Finance

Key Data

Face To Face

Operator Update The Big Picture

A Graduate’s Story

Oxford Tube

Essential Guide

Last Stop

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4 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

news

“Biofuel is a bit of an engineering challenge, especially in the winter months – but it was worth the experiment. ” Andy Campbell

briefly Bus Users UK (BUUK) has a new phone number for bus passenger complaints appeals in England: 0300 111 0001. The caller won’t pay any extra to use the new number; 0300 numbers cost the same to call as 01/02 numbers, even from a mobile phone and are included in free minutes on landline and mobile tariffs. BUUK’s general office numbers remain unchanged and passengers in Wales still need to call BUUK’s Cardiff office on 029 2022 1370. “Bus Users UK is working to become yet more effective and efficient,” said General Manager Stephen Morris. “We are improving and expanding our complaints appeals service. Having a dedicated and more memorable phone number is just part of this process.” RMI Petrol Retailers’ Association (PRA) has expressed strong support for the Prime Minister’s concern over the duty rise of 3.02ppl planned for August 1. With the addition of VAT at 20%, prices at the pump will increase by 4.00ppl. Brian Madderson, PRA Chairman said “David Cameron knows it is right to scrap this increase while the country struggles with a second recession. The decision to do so would not be a U-turn, but common sense prevailing as the economic outlook deteriorates. Road fuel is no longer a luxury but an essential part of everyday life. Retail sales only decreased by 1.2% in 2011 compared to the previous year confounding industry and tax experts. The planned duty increase will penalise lower income earners, pensioners and the unemployed and will push inflation up.” Volvo Bus UK has a new iPad App following on from its successful iPhone App. Featuring tablet-ready data and display, the ‘free to download’ App encompass the bigger, more user friendly format of the iPad and places the latest information at people’s fingertips, including a dedicated news and social media feed. Steve Dewhurst, Volvo Bus UK MD, said: “The iPad is an important business tool. The App is part of our drive to use new media proactively across an even wider platform.” www.coachandbusweek.com

News4,5.indd 4

Operator Update p34

QCs recommended for West Yorkshire Previous partnership offer from operators rejected due to no inclusion of integrated ticketing system West Yorkshire’s Integrated Transport Authority (ITA) members are being asked to support the introduction of England’s first Quality Contract framework for the county’s bus services. Metro is to recommend councillors approve the introduction of a Bus Quality Contract Scheme, which it claims provides significant customer benefits including integrated ticketing, higher service standards, network stability and pricing structure and improved local accountability for service standards. Metro Chairman Cllr James Lewis said: “Around 180 million bus journeys are made in West

Yorkshire each year, representing 90% of all public transport use, so we value our relationships with local bus operators. If approved, this new framework is an opportunity to develop the strong partnerships we already have, based upon aligned incentives and with risks and rewards shared between partners.” The recent partnership offer made by ABOWY, the Association of Bus Operators of West Yorkshire, was rejected by Cllr Lewis as it did not offer a common integrated ticketing system - like London’s. Cllt Lewis claimed ABOWY’s offer failed to address concerns regarding value for money raised by a recent Competition Commission investigation nor provide sufficient certainty about its delivery. “When ITA colleagues and I attend public meetings on transport

Metro-branded buses could be commonplace in West Yorkshire

FirstGroup Scottish award success FirstGroup picked up three awards at the Scottish Transport Awards on June 14 in Glasgow. ScotRail took two awards including the much coveted, ‘Public Transport Operator of the Year’. In addition Perth based train driver, Ricky McLeod, who has never been sick, late or involved in an

operational incident in a career spanning three decades, collected Frontline Employee of the Year. First Aberdeen won the ‘Transport Team/Partnership of the Year’ for its modern learning centre, where staff can develop basic or advanced skills, including literacy and numeracy. Tim O’Toole, FirstGroup CEO, said: “It was a tremendous night for FirstGroup. These awards reflect the quality, commitment and hard work of our staff across all our Scottish operations. “I am particularly pleased

it is clear people across West Yorkshire are unhappy with some bus services - reflected by a steady drop in passenger numbers over the past 10 to 15 years,” continued Cllr Lewis. “Because councillors are listening to the public, Metro’s work towards the Quality Contract framework has received cross-party backing from the ITA. “No matter what party they represent, colleagues recognise buses are vital to West Yorkshire’s economy and wellbeing. The current deregulated framework, has led to fragmentation, lack of long term planning, instability, inadequate rewards for some and excessive profits for others. It’s not working. Annually, Metro spends £23m subsidising local bus services, £50m on the county’s concessionary fares scheme and £1m on infrastructure. Cllr Lewis said his ITA colleagues understood the potential risks involved in developing and implementing a bus quality contract scheme but currently no cost figures have been released. A spokesman for Metro said the scheme was within its current level of expenditure so there would be no additional costs. “I can understand why operators perceive the change as a threat,” concluded Cllr Lewis. “But declining patronage and passengers saying they have nowhere to voice any dissatisfaction with services, they cannot want to continue with the current framework which is failing.” ScotRail won Public Transport Operator of the Year. Its performance goes from strength to strength and it’s carrying more passengers and running more services than ever before.” There was reason for double celebration at ScotRail, as it also scooped two prizes at the Network Rail Partnership Awards. It won the Sustainable Excellence title for environmental performance during 2011/12 and the Investing in People Award for its staff training and development schemes.

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June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 5

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Unite strike in spite of Johnson offer Despite the offer of a financial package of £8.3m, on Friday, June 22, two-thirds of bus services in London failed to run, provoking a furious reaction from Boris Johnson and many Londoners. Unite said support for the 24hour stoppage among its members at 17 operators was solid, warning further strikes would be bigger. Mayor Johnson said it was “disgraceful” the offer he brokered for bus workers was not put to union members. The sum was sufficient to give all drivers at each depot with one or more routes affected by the Olympics the £500 bonus Unite has been demanding. He said: “This is an absolute dereliction of duty by union

leaders and Londoners have faced unnecessary disruption. “Many bus staff who defied the strike will be working hard during the Games with no extra pay. They will believe this offer is more than fair and find it difficult to understand why this strike action could not have been postponed. “Militant union leaders failed to bring London to a standstill. I thank those drivers who turned out, enabling us to run a third of services across the morning period. “I feel sorry for drivers currently sitting at home wondering whether to come in for their shifts and who face losing a day’s pay for striking yet still don’t know what was offered to them. I hope more of them choose to come into work, recognising the offer made to resolve this dispute.” Unite vowed to appeal against a High Court injunction granted to three operators which prevented its members from joining the walkout.

Go-Ahead Group has launched Go-Learn, an education programme to help children improve their knowledge of public transport. Go-Learn uses the theme of public transport to deliver resources which help pupils (aged four to 14) develop skills and confidence for independent travel. The resources, mapped against the National Curriculum, can be used to support literacy and numeracy (for ages four to seven and seven to 11) and elements of Personal Social

and Health Education (PSHE) and citizenship (for ages 12-14). GoAhead claims to be the only major UK transport operator to provide resources of this kind. David Brown, Go-Ahead Chief Executive, said: “Our bus and rail services have a key role in the communities they serve and are an increasingly important mode of travel for the next generation. It’s important we equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to travel independently and with confidence on our buses and trains. Go-Learn is an ideal way of introducing young people to public transport and promoting the social, economic and environmental benefits of using buses and trains rather than cars.”

Children go learn with Go-Ahead

London Regional Secretary Peter Kavanagh said: “Support for today’s strike action is solid and shows bus workers are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder to get the recognition they deserve in keeping London moving during the Olympics. “Today’s strike comes as bus

Boris Johnson condemned the strike as “disgraceful” after offering enough cash to cover Unite demands for all London bus workers affected by the Olympics Similar work is already carried out by Go-Ahead subsidiaries. The Plymouth Citybus ‘Dennis Dart’ programme promotes road safety and encourages safe bus use through visits to the majority of Plymouth’s primary schools. James Lumber, Assistant Headteacher at Hamworth Middle School in Poole where Go South Coast operates, said: “Equipping young people with these skills should be on every school agenda. The Go-Learn materials give teachers a range of useful tools to get young people thinking about how buses and trains work and will really capture their interest.” Go-Learn consists of fact sheets and worksheet topics which are free for teachers to download from

operators hide behind an antidemocratic court injunction and refuse to settle the dispute. We will fight to get the injunction overturned and further action will be bigger if TfL and the bus operators continue to bury their heads in the sand. “The strike should be a wakeup call to the bus companies and TfL. They now need to negotiate meaningfully about rewarding bus workers for the massive increase in workload they will face over the Olympics.” Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: “It is now clear the leadership of Unite was intent on a strike all along. They pursued this unnecessary course of action despite an extra £8.3m being brokered by the Mayor which would allow drivers in London from garages where one or more routes are affected by the 2012 Games to gain, over the 29 days of the competitions, about £500.” Go-Ahead’s website. The material covers: n Different forms of public transport and their relevance in urban and rural settings n Bus tickets (coins, change and working out fares) n Environmental benefits n Timekeeping and understanding timetables n Safety when using public transport n The causes, consequences and impacts of anti-social behaviour n The importance of team work and communications in the workplace To view and download the material visit www.goahead.com/go-learn

www.coachandbusweek.com

News4,5.indd 5

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£140m

news › BUSeS

The current yearly turnover of megabus.com in America

briefly The date for the 2012 CPT Northern Bus Summit has been confirmed as Thursday November 15 at the Manchester Conference Centre. The Summit is aimed at all local transport authorities, PTEs, LEPs, Chamber of Commerce, Transport Planners, bus operators and many others with an interest in promoting the value of bus transport to local economic growth. This event is being organised by CPT’s three northern regions – North West, Yorkshire, and North East. For further details please contact North Western Regional Manager Phillipa Sudlow at: phillipas@cpt-uk.org Council leaders have described bonuses awarded to four Lothian Buses directors as “excessively high.” The figures published in The Scotsman revealed bonuses ranged from £42,900 to £47,200. Municipallyowned Lothian Buses paid Managing Director Ian Craig a salary of £159,675 last year, as well as a bonus of £47,200. His colleagues pay levels were similar. Cllr Hinds said the local authority was likely to have more say in how Lothian Buses was run in the future, including bonus levels for senior staff and the make-up of its board. Cllr Hinds said she was “amazed” at the level of bonuses being paid out to directors, adding: “I have never heard of anything like it,” though she stopped short of calling for the firm’s bonuses to be scrapped. Lothian Buses, which made a profit of £13m in 2010, won UK city bus tour operator of the year, while its tours are the second most popular paid-for attraction in Scotland. Mr Craig defended the pay outs: “Directors are remunerated fairly and in line with their roles and responsibilities. The board independently sets directors’ salaries and any bonuses paid are performance-related.” Arriva Midlands has stopped evening and Sunday buses on its route 32 to Littleover and has reduced route 28 and 29 to every 12 minutes. The operator blamed failing passenger numbers and rising fuel costs which inevitably would have led to either a rise in fares or service cuts. www.coachandbusweek.com

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First upgrades Bristol - Weston X1 route Funding for the improvements was obtained from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund First buses on the X1 route, connecting Weston-super-Mare and Bristol have been upgraded with leather seats and free WiFi. The changes add to improvements made by First in April when it increased daytime frequency on the service from half-hourly to 20 minutes. The X1, which is a well subscribed commuter route and a popular service for day trippers visiting Weston-super-Mare from Bristol (and vice versa), is part of the Greater Bristol Bus Network scheme, which was formally

launched in March 2012. The improvements were paid for by ‘Kick Start’ funding obtained by North Somerset Council through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. ‘Kick Start’ is designed to give operators financial support for two years, enabling them to improve routes and services. To mark the improvements to the service First, in conjunction with North Somerset Council, is running a focused marketing campaign around the new service. A number of fares between key destinations have been reduced and around 26,000 homes along the route are being sent mail drops telling them more about it and offering them a free journey aboard the newly

First’s Marc Reddy and Cllr Elfan Ap Rees, with Enviro400 in attendance

DfT first quarter bus stats for 2012 The Department for Transport has released statistics for bus travel between January and March 2012. The figures include projections for the financial year and are estimated using a panel survey of the largest bus operators and are seasonally adjusted. The key provisional annual results are: n Bus passenger journeys in England increased slightly between 2010/11 and 2011/12, with a 0.6%

increase over this period. n Within England, there was an annual decrease in bus passenger journeys of 2.3% in metropolitan areas and 0.2% in nonmetropolitan areas, but an increase of 2.4% in London. n Bus passenger journeys increased by 1.0% in Scotland and 1.8% in Wales, between 2010/11 and 2011/12. Comparing Q1 2012 with the same quarter in the previous year: n There was an increase in bus passenger journeys of 1.7% in England with a 3.9% increase for London, no change in metropolitan areas, and a decrease of 0.6% in non-metropolitan areas.

improved buses. In addition, the company handed out goodie bags to around 500 lucky travellers last week, which provided more information about services in Weston-super-Mare and the attractions accessible by bus in the area. Focused predominately on day trippers the promotion will be followed with another aimed specifically at commuters. Marc Reddy, First’s Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director, said: “These special touches do make a difference and we expect commuters and leisure travellers using this service will appreciate the difference. We hope customers, particularly those who live along the route of Service X1 who have not used it before, will see this as an opportunity, giving the bus a try; we expect people will be pleasantly surprised by all the service has to offer them.” Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, Deputy Leader, North Somerset Council, added: “We hope this improvement, which is supported by our investment in dedicated bus lanes and new live information at bus stops en route, will usher in a new era of bus transport and encourage local residents and visitors to switch to regular bus travel between Weston and Bristol, avoiding congestion and parking issues as well as the increasing personal fuel costs.” n Over the same period there was an increase of 2.5% in passenger journeys in Scotland, and an increase of 0.6% in Wales. Comparing the last two quarters, between Q4 (October to December) 2011 and Q1 (January to March) 2012: n There was an increase in bus passenger journeys of 1.6% in England (2.0 per cent in London, 1.7% in metropolitan areas and 0.6% in non-metropolitan areas). n Over the same period there was an increase of 0.5% in passenger journeys in Scotland, and an increase of 0.9% in Wales. To view and download the data visit www.dft.gov.uk

25/06/2012 23:34

The number of years Stagecoach UK Bus MD Les Warneford has been in the bus industry

All NCT buses now wheelchair accessible Nottingham City Transport’s 330-strong fleet is now fully accessible for wheelchair users, thanks to the introduction of five new buses onto its Yellow Line this week. This level of accessibility has been achieved a full five years ahead of the UK’s legal requirement. In addition, 84 vehicles now have next stop audio announcements to assist blind and partially-sighted customers to get around the city. NCT Marketing Manager, Anthony Carver-Smith said: “As a business which provides a vital service for the people of Nottingham, we have a responsibility to ensure all our passengers are able to get in and around the city quickly, easily and in comfort. “We made it one of our top priorities to become fully accessible as soon as possible, so to see this happen five years ahead of the legal deadline is satisfying for us, but more importantly hugely beneficial for our customers.”

Volvo Bus Arthur Argyle to retire after 23 years Regional Commercial Manager, Arthur Argyle is retiring from Volvo Bus this week. Having worked for the company for 23 years, joining in 1989, Arthur has become an extremely wellknown and respected figure within the industry. His retirement brings to a close an impressive 48 year career. Arthur began as an apprentice in Darlington in 1964 at United Automobile Services. He worked there for eight years as an electrician in an Area role. In 1973 he relocated to Plaxton in Scarborough, where he still lives. Arthur worked as an electrician on the production line and then subsequently in production

News6,7.indd 7

June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7

0.6%

Increase of bus passenger journeys in England between 2010/11 and 2011/12

SHARE WATCH

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, June 25. Optare saw the greatest proportional rise while 21st Century experienced the biggest proportional drop. Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

279.95p

Price: Year High: 334.80p Year Low: 241.00p

From left to right, Wayne Brophy (Cast UK Ltd – main event sponsors); Ann Marie Slavin (Finance Director Network Warrington); Maureen Banner (Chair Network Warrington); David Squire (Managing Director Network Warrington) and Nigel Kirkwood (TACL – award sponsor)

Network Warrington wins CILT North West Award Network Warrington won the Industry Best Practice Award at the North West Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport 2012 Award ceremony, held at Cranage Hall, near Knutsford on June 22. This was the first time the company had entered the awards, which are designed to celebrate and promote excellence in the logistics and passenger transport industries. The company made it through to the finals and was the only bus

Arthur Argyle has worked in the industry for 48 years engineering for Plaxton. He then moved into sales including a 12 month spell in London, before returning to Scarborough. In 1989 when Volvo bought Leyland, Arthur became part of a four-strong Aftermarket sales team at VL Bus and Coach alongside the late Norman McIlwraith. Arthur established himself as reliable and knowledgeable part of the team. He became a key member of the Volvo Bus team under Steve Dewhurst and for the last four

operator to do so. Commenting on the award, MD, David Squire said: “The judging panel was impressed by our submission, which described the company’s modernisation process, and showcased some of the results that the company is already seeing, such as achieving customer service excellence and winning green bus fund funding to assist in the purchase of our first diesel – electric hybrid buses.” years under Phil Owen. Arthur said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Volvo Bus and my career as a whole. A particular highlight has been the great strides we’ve made alongside our partners at Wrightbus, in establishing a good presence and selling vehicles into Municipal operators such as Warrington, Isle of Man, Blackpool and Rossendale Transport.” Volvo Buses UK MD Steve Dewhurst said: “Arthur has been a fantastic servant to the business and his experience and professionalism will be greatly missed. Among other things, he has been a central figure in the company’s sales successes over the last 23 years and I am sure everyone, not only from Volvo but from the wider industry, wish him well in his retirement.” He is succeeded by Dan Barwick, a recent recruit from Scania Coach and Bus, who takes over full responsibility for regional customers in the North of England.

212.95p

Price: Year High: 375.60p Year Low: 189.50p

1168.5p

Price: Year High: 1606.0p Year Low: 1074.0p

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-2.35 on last week

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FTSE 100

5,451

Index: Year High: 6,104 Year Low: 4,791

-40

on last week

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25/06/2012 23:35

8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

news › coaches

briefly The TUC (Trade Union Congress) has informed CPT there is likely to be a national demonstration in London on Saturday October 20 and a large number of coaches are likely to be required for the event – the last such event attracted 500,000 attendees. “Please bear this in mind when taking bookings for that date,” the CPT advised. The TUC will provide CPT with further information which will be available in due course. The Highways Agency says moderate delays are expected on the A1 between Barnsdale Bar and Darrington due to resurfacing. The southbound carriageway will be closed between 2000 and 0600hrs this week until Monday (July 2). The signed diversion is via M62 eastbound A19, A638, and A635. At the same time, the M62 J32a eastbound exit slip road to A1 southbound and the southbound entry slip and A162 southbound at Ferrybridge will also be closed, with the same signed diversion route. Main construction work on the upgrading of a substandard section of the London to Brighton road is due to begin on Monday (July 2). The A23 in West Sussex between Handcross and Warninglid – just south of Gatwick Airport is to be widened to three lanes in each direction. Advance environmental work has been underway on the site since April 2011 and last October site clearance and tree felling began. Main civil engineering work will start on next week and will involve narrow lanes and a temporary 40mph speed limit through the work site. These restrictions will be installed during six overnight closures, starting on Thursday (June 28). CPT Northwest Regional Manager Phillipa Sudlow is appealling for information from coach operators about their own, or their drivers’ experiences of Cumbia. She wants to know which points of arrival they drop-off at and how they would describe their experiences. Contact: 01925 229497 or send details via e-mail to: phillipas@cpt-uk.org www.coachandbusweek.com

News8,9.indd 8

Eurolines rallies for better coach provisions across EuropeNat National Express-owned organisation calls for the study and development of coach facilities on the continent Senior figures in the European Union met last week to acknowledge more could be done to improve infrastructure for coaches in European cities. At a roundtable event in Brussels chaired by the President of Eurolines, John Gilbert, passenger organisations joined industry representatives in calling for the development of an integrated and comprehensive approach to support coach transport. Brian Simpson MEP, Chairman of the Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament was the special guest speaker at the roundtable. He said: “The European Parliament is very much in favour of intermodality and integrated Public Transport but regions and cities have also a key role to play in supporting the

M1 chaos this weekend Coach drivers are being warned to allow extra time to negotiate an important section of the M1 in Bedfordshire this weekend. The motorway is due to be closed in both directions for 16 hours between J11 (Luton north) and 13 (A421, Bedford) while an overbridge is demolished. The closure, scheduled for between 2000 on Saturday (June 30) and noon on Sunday (July 1), will see the 1,400-tonne bridge at J12 removed using hydraulic breakers. Northbound traffic will be encouraged to leave the M1 at Junction 9 to prevent the A5/A505 junction in Dunstable becoming congested. Drivers will be diverted from J9 along the A5 through Dunstable and Milton Keynes,

development of stations that allow passengers to seamlessly transfer between coach and other public transport modes.” John Gilbert said more can be done by transport authorities to improve the coach passenger experience. “Coach is the most flexible, green and affordable transport mode available for European citizens, yet the lack of infrastructure such

John Gilbert, the popular President of Eurolines, chaired the meeting where it will join the A509 Portway and re-join the M1 at J14. The Highways Agency says the diversion is expected to add 25 minutes to journey times. Southbound traffic will be diverted from J13 along the A421 to the A1, down the A1/A1(M) to the M25 and either continue its journey or go back up the M1 to Luton. Up to an hour should be allowed for this diversion. The reinforced concrete bridge, which carries the old A5120 over the M1 and has not been used since a new bridge opened in May, needs to be demolished to make way for new slip roads at J12, as part of the M1 J10 to J13 managed motorway scheme. According to the Highways Agency, the first phase of managed motorway between J10 and 11 is almost complete, with testing now being carried out ahead of it becoming fully operational this summer.

as interconnected and well located stations holds back its development. This is a wake up call for Europe as coach travel can help reduce personal car use and combined with better access to stations it will encourage intermodal travel”. The participants at the Roundtable agreed that the issue warranted further action. Eurolines called on the European Commission’s DG MOVE represented at the roundtable to launch a study of facilities and terminals for coach passengers – particularly for disabled passengers and also set up a web page with a list of coach stations in Europe, their facilities and their connections. It was also agreed that bus operators should undertake a study on how elderly people use coach services in Europe. These measures will help identify where improvements can be made, particularly for the most vulnerable passengers. Obituary

Graham Clinton Popular West Midlands coachman and bus driver Graham Clinton passed away aged 74 on June 16. While employed by Central Coachways, he drove the London to Birmingham express service, the London Liner, which later became Central Liner. After its closure, Graham drove buses at Travel West Midlands’ (TWM) Walsall Garage. After he retired, he drove for TWM Private Hire on a casual basis. Having passed his annual medicals, he continued to drive private hires until recently for TJ Travel. John Cooney of Polesworthbased TJ Travel, said: “We’re all devastated. Customers would ask for him. They loved him. I certainly won’t forget him.” Graham’s funeral will be held on July 5 at 1330hrs at Bushbury Crematorium, Wolverhampton.

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“The industry is such that you’ve got to take and engage in friendly banter. You can’t go in somewhere and expect instant respect.” Jonathan Woodhouse

Irish coach tourism at a loss Fáilte Ireland has released a report into the coach tourism industry which shows the entire sector is running at a loss. The Irish tourist development body’s data suggests the average daily hire-out rates are not sufficient to cover operating costs. The report, entitled, Coach Tourism: A Sectoral Study, used a confidential questionnaire sent to 66 coach tour operators listed on the Discover Ireland website. An accountant conducted follow-up case studies of a smaller number of coach operators in which the finances of those companies were examined. The report shows that since 2006 the number of coach touring visitors is down 16%, hire-out rates are down 5% and the price of diesel

June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 9

Face to Face p42

has risen 108%, in part because of the removal of the excise rebate. Gerry Mullins, CEO of the Coach Tourism & Transport Council said: “It confirms what we have said for some time; coach tourism is going through a particularly difficult time, and that the ever-increasing tax burden placed on coach tourism companies is unjust. “Fuel is our biggest input, and the cost of diesel has shot up in recent years because of government policy. We can’t be expected to pay more and more in fuel tax while our rates and the number of tourists in the country are down. “Last year the government cut VAT for hotels and restaurants, but has increased VAT for coach companies. It’s blatantly unfair, and not healthy for the tourism industry. Our visitors deserve the most modern and comfortable coaches when touring Ireland, but because of high fuel taxes, coach companies cannot replace their vehicles, and the national fleet is ageing rapidly.”

Improvements made for coaches visiting Chatham An agreement has been reached regarding coach drops and parking in Chatham after concerns were raised that Chatham Waterfront bus station only allows local buses to use the facility. Tourist coaches visiting Chatham town centre and the theatres can now drop off and pick up passengers at stand D19 in Waterfront way. Coaches are permitted to wait 15 minutes,

Coaches visiting Chatham now have a dedicated drop-off/pick-up point

although pre-booking is necessary, at least 48 hours in advance. The post code for Sat Navs for the bus station is ME4 4SL. No parking is allowed but coaches can park at the Acorn Wharf coach park in Rochester. An email must be sent to both cwbs@medway.gov.uk and parking@medway.gov.uk with the following details: n Date of visit n Estimated arrival time n Preferred pick-up time n Coach company name and contact details (including phone, email and address) n Vehicle registration number (if known) n Reason for visit

For more details visit www. visitmedway.org or www. medway.gov.uk

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news › REGIONAL

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Bus Éireann has ramped up the frequency of buses on two of Cork City’s busiest routes. Buses now run every 10 minutes on the 208 route, and there are extra weekday and weekend services on the 205 route. The improvements follow a review undertaken by the National Transport Authority on public transport services in Cork. Route 205 now provides 61 services daily. Buses now run every 15 minutes between 0630 and 0715hrs and every 30 minutes after 1915hrs, Monday to Friday. At weekends services run every 30 minutes and a new midnight service operates from the railway station. The improvements to route 208 provide 83 daily services including a bus every 10 minutes between 0710 and 1820hrs, Monday to Friday, and every 20 minutes after 1820. Weekend frequency has increased to every 10 minutes between 1150 and 1800hrs and the service on a Sunday is every 20 minutes, with two earlier departures at 0920 and 0940. Joe Fitzgerald, Bus Éireann’s Regional Manager in the south, said: “The newly improved timetables will provide more services, additional late departure times and improved connectivity with rail services at Kent Station for our customers. “The aim of the new timetables is to deliver an increased level, range and quality of public transport which will allow Bus Éireann to better serve the ever changing needs of current and potential public transport users.” Earlier this year, 15 new Wi-Fienabled vehicles were introduced to Bus Éireann’s Cork City fleet, as well as electronic real-time signs on certain routes.

NORTH

Lancashire County Council announced a series of changes made to bus services in the Ribble Valley. The authority has agreed a number of changes with Holmeswood Coaches which runs most of the subsidised routes, in a bid to improve frequency, reliability and connections on key routes. Within the current budget of £1.46m, a trial evening service on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, between Longridge and Clitheroe, has also been implemented. www.coachandbusweek.com

RegionalNews.indd 10

Coach & Bus Week takes a look at the big issues where you live in our round-up of the regions. If you’ve got a local issue you would like us to cover, contact James Day at james.day@rouncymedia.co.uk.

KEY

SCOTLAND NORTHERN IRELAND REP OF IRELAND NORTH WALES MIDLANDS EAST LONDON SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST

Lancashire County Councillor Malcolm Barron, lead member for buses, said: “I hope these improvements are welcomed by everyone who uses buses in the Ribble Valley. We’ve added extra services to some routes and changed some times to improve coordination of the timetable and establish better connections between services. “I know how important these rural buses are to people and I’m very pleased that these changes will make a real difference to them, especially the extra services we’re putting on which will allow people to travel at the weekend or later into the evening.” Leading members of Greater Manchester’s transport committee were appointed at the authority’s Annual General Meeting. The Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Committee is a joint committee of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and advises the Combined Authority on transport policy. Members oversee public transport, the management and maintenance of traffic signals and, alongside districts and the Highways Agency, the management of road network strategy and promoting road safety. A total of 33 members were appointed to the committee, representing 10 district authorities in Greater Manchester. The following key appointments included:

n Chairman - Councillor Andrew Fender (Manchester) n Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Capital Projects & Policy sub-committee - Councillor Roger Jones (Salford) n Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Bus & TfGM Services subcommittee - Councillor Mark Aldred (Wigan) Councillor Andrew Fender said: “We are making significant progress on the 15 major transport projects that form part of the historic £1.2bn Greater Manchester Transport Fund, and I am sure the coming municipal year will be full of important milestones. “The investment has been crucial to securing the City Deal agreement, which has brought us to the start of another new path full of even more opportunities, including devolution of significant transport powers from Whitehall to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. “These are incredibly exciting times to be involved with transport and I am really looking forward to the busy year ahead.”

MIDLANDS

For the summer months, Arriva Midlands’ route 9a from Leicester to Burton-on-Trent has been branded The National Forest Hopper. Arriva Midlands teamed up with Leicestershire County Council, National Forest Company and North West Leicestershire Promotions

to launch reduced fares, vouchers for attractions and activity packs for children. The campaign includes two-for-one, discounted or free entry offers on a number of attractions in the area. All the vouchers offered are valid when produced together with the bus ticket for the day. Keith Myatt from Arriva Midlands said: “The 9a runs up to every hour daytime Monday to Saturday and provides an ideal way to visit these popular attractions. “We have a range of multi journey saver tickets at discount prices available from the driver for bus users to hop-on and hop-off to visit these locations. And the voucher in the leaflet allows up to five people to travel together for just £9 – a saving of £3. This is a great time to leave the car at home and travel on the 9A. It’s much less fuss by bus!” It is claimed visitors and local residents can’t miss the bright and colourful bus covered in children’s characters from the story books and activity packs available at key events where the bus service will be promoted. Details of the attractions are on the buses and the bus stops will have maps helping visitors find the attractions when they alight. Penny Wilkinson from the National Forest Company said: “Many people do not realise they can reach these fantastic attractions by bus. Every hour - Monday to Saturday. It is so easy. Plus, kids love travelling by bus – it is all part of the adventure.” £50,000 is being spent on designs for a potential new bus station in Nottinghamshire. The county council is looking for suitable land in Worksop for the project, which would replace the existing facilities in Hardy Street. The authority said it was committed to building a new station, as those in Retford and Newark had increased bus use. The council has also confirmed it will be taking over the running of the town’s travel information office from Stagecoach. Many residents have campaigned for a new station, saying the current on-street hub was difficult to use. Councillor Richard Jackson said: “We know Stagecoach is pulling out of the information facility and the time is right for us to take that over. I hope it is just for the short term because we will have a modern bus station in Worksop just as soon as we possibly can. But we didn’t want to leave Worksop

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news › REGIONAL

without any information point at the moment so it was only right that we step in to keep that service going.”

SOUTH EAST

Reading Green Party Councillor Rob White has objected to plans for a new park and ride scheme in the town, claiming the service would “worsen” traffic. The scheme, which aims to reduce car pollution and congestion, would involve Palmer Park and Clayfield Copse car parks near the town centre. The council said the scheme would make the “most efficient use” of existing car parks and promote public transport. White, who represents Reading’s Park ward, said park and ride schemes “normally get sold along the lines of reducing congestion and pollution”.

However, he added this plan would attract people away from other nearby town centres and towards Reading. He said: “The council isn’t going to close any town centre car parks, this is additional car parking, for additional travel by additional cars.” The proposal would be to charge £4 for up to 16 hours and offer a free bus service into central Reading. A briefing report on the proposal stated the car parks would provide an extra 250 long stay spaces. White claims the two car parks in question are currently free and a return bus journey costs £3.60. A council spokesman said the proposal was “to promote sustainable transport in Reading, not to make a profit”. The public consultation closes on July 5.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Reading Transport’s popular Great Knollys Street Open Day takes place this Sunday (July 1) between 1100 and 1600hrs

2012 n July 1 Reading Transport Great Knollys Street Open Day. 11-1600hrs. 0118 959 4000.

www.reading-buses.co.uk

n July 15 Alton Bus Rally & Running Day. Mid Hants Railway, Alton, Hampshire.

www.watercressline.co.uk

n July 16-18 TPM. The tenth annual conference of the Transport Practitioners Meeting (TPM) will be held at the John Moores University, Liverpool www.ciltuk.org n August 3-5 Bedford OB GetTogether. South Cerney Airfield, Cirencester, GL7 5QB. Contact the organiser Tim Wootton by email on tim@tjcs.freeserve.co.uk. Visit http://www.bedfordob.com/

New Opare Solo SRs have been introduced on the ruddington connection into Nottingham operated by trent barton, as part of a £750,000 investment. The first of the buses entered service June 18, providing more space for passengers travelling between Clifton, Ruddington and Nottingham and facilitating a link to Ruddington Fields Business Park. It is part of a larger scheme involving the upgrade of 10 routes in Nottinghamshire as part of an investment worth around £18m. Improvements include tracking devices which could give late-running buses traffic signal priority, extra cameras to make sure other motorists don’t use bus lanes and more smartcards to increase bus speeds. The money will also be used to improve bus shelters and stops by installing CCTV, better lighting and better disabled access on buses and at bus stops, with the aim of bringing 10 city centre bus routes up to the same standards as the tram for journey times, reliability, accessibility, emissions and information. The largest share of the funding, £11.9m, was paid by seven local bus companies, including trent barton and Nottingham City Transport. Nottingham City Council has been awarded £4.9m from the DfT under the Better Bus Areas Fund to help pay for the improvements and the remaining £1.8m will come from council funds. Alex Hornby, Commercial Director, said: “The new Solos can carry more people and they’re also quieter and more comfortable. Over recent years we’ve seen customer numbers increase on ruddington connection. It’s an important shuttle to and from the Business Park and we know how much people along the route depend on us.” The vehicles will also be used on allestree branded services, which connect Allestree with Derby city centre, via the university.

n August 27 The National Association of Road Transport Museums gala day. The Transport Museum, Wythall, near Birmingham. www.wythall.org.uk n September 6 Association of Trainers AGM. Steele Road, Wembley Julia@asot.org.uk 01797 344251 n September 8-9 UK Bus Driver of the Year, Blackpool. Call competition secretary Bill Holmes on 01303 251462. www.bdoy.co.uk n September 9 Amberley Bus Show. Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, West Sussex. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk n September 10-11 CPT Scotland Annual Conference. Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire, PH7 3LQ. Call CPT Scotland on 0131 2722150 or email conference2012@cpt-uk.org n September 16 Showbus. Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. www.showbus.com n September 20-27 IAA Commercial Vehicles. Hannover. +(00)49 30897842. www.iaa.de

n October 14 Midland Red Centenary of the Reintroduction of Motorbuses. The Transport Museum, Wythall, near Birmingham. www.wythall.org.uk n October 18 CILT Annual Awards for Excellence Dinner. London. 01536 740104. www.ciltuk.org.uk n October 21 The Very Best of London Buses. Brooklands, Surrey. Featuring 50 years of Routemaster buses. London Bus Museum. www.londonbusmuseum.com n October 23 CPT Coaching Conference. Volvo HQ, Warwick. Further details will be published in due course. Call CPT on 020 7240 3131. www.cpt-uk.org n November 6-8 Euro Bus Expo. NEC, Birmingham. 01926 834790. www.eurobusxpo.com n November 15 CPT Northern Bus Summit. Manchester Conference Centre. Details from contact CPT NW Regional Manager Phillipa Sudlow on phillipas@cpt-uk.org. n November 20 UK Bus Awards London Hilton Park Lane. www.ukbusawards.org.uk

2013 n January 1 New Year’s Holiday Open Day. Oxford Bus Museum. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk n January 1 Annual King Alfred Running Day, Winchester. Further information from www.fokab.org.uk n March 20-21 UK Bus Awards Annual Conference. Sir Brian Souter has accepted our invitation to speak at the conference dinner. Venue to be confirmed, but will be in Central London. www.ukbusawards.org.uk n May 26-30 UITP Congress & Exhibition Palexpo, Geneva. www.uitp.org. +(00)32 2673 610

Do you have an event to promote? Send details to gareth.evans@rouncymedia.co.uk

www.coachandbusweek.com

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OPERATOR PROFILE › STAGECOACH

An introduction to Stagecoach Group Coach & Bus Week’s Editor Gareth Evans sets the scene for an in-depth look at the Stagecoach Group, the second of the ‘Big Five’ operators to be so profiled

elcome to the second of our in-depth profiles of a so-called ‘Big Five’ operator. As with both parts of our successful and well-received in-depth looks of the Go-Ahead Group, we’ve aimed to cover fresh ground. Frankly, it would have been all too easy to embrace the dreaded ‘churnalism’ – rehashing old material. To this end we’ve been fortunate to secure an interview with Les Warneford, better known in some quarters as ‘Uncle Les’, who

Stagecoach: a brief history

with the greatest of respect, has hitherto preferred to remain out of the media spotlight. Indeed, we believe Les has given his first ever interview with a trade magazine. We’ve also talked to his soon-tobe successor Bob Montgomery, who is well respected in his own right and faces the daunting challenge of taking up the baton from Les. As a publication which prides itself on being an enthusiastic supporter of the Young Bus Managers Network, we are delighted to feature a ‘Face to Face’ interview with 24-year old Jonathan Woodhouse, who is now in his first managerial post after

completing the Stagecoach Group Graduate Scheme. As you’ll read on p42, he’s detailed his experiences and the processes involved, in addition to providing invaluable advice to those seeking to follow his footsteps. We’ve also looked at the phenomenal level of growth on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway. Not to be forgotten are the challenges, which include the slashing of supported bus services. Indeed, as Stagecoach East MD Andy Campbell said, in his eight years in the post, to suddenly find the tide of all-out growth turning after seven and a half years was

PART ONE

The history of Stagecoach Group is certainly extensive and intriguing. The multinational operator can trace its routes back to 1976 when Ann and Robin Gloag set up a caravan-hire business. Four years later Ann and Robin teamed up with Ann’s brother Brian Souter to form Gloagtrotter, running coach services between Dundee and London. The trio used the sibling’s father’s redundancy money to help fund the purchase of two secondhand coaches. The name soon changed to Stage-Coach. In December 1980, the company acquired its first local stagecarriage service, taking over A&C McLennan’s route from Perth to Errol, as well as a depot at Errol. Two months later, it bought its first new vehicle, a Duple Dominant IIIbodied Volvo B58-61, registration ‘FES 831W’. It featured early striped branding in tan, red and blue. In 1982 Robin left the

Examples of Stagecoach liveries at Showbus 2010 partnership but the firm continued to expand. It bought two Neoplan Skyliners in April of that year for around £100,000 each. They ran on express coach routes between Scotland and England and featured sloping three-stripe branding which would be the company’s house style for around the next 20 years. The business became Stagecoach Limited the next year

and expanded further through the acquisition of Adamson and Low and the service operated by Bennett of Kilwinning, from Ardrossan to Glasgow. The next major development came in October 1986 with the launch of Magicbus in Glasgow – immediately after the 1985 Transport Act deregulated bus services. After the Act was in place,

Stagecoach’s sleeper coach service is a prime example of its responsiveness to changing markets

Stagecoach also bought three privatised National Bus Company (NBC) businesses – Hampshire, Cumberland and United Counties. In fact, with the purchase of Hampshire Bus, Stagecoach became the first ‘outsiders’ to gain control of one of NBC’s bus companies, with all 18 predecessors going to management buyout teams. In 1988 the company set up its first overseas operation, providing buses in exchange for advertising in China. The same year also saw controversy when the operator blockaded Keswick town centre in protest of the local council turning down development plans. The blockade started in the middle of summer which led to chaos in the town and local traders were incensed at the loss of business. However, the protest worked and Stagecoach’s chosen developers were given planning permission. 1989 saw more expansion. In March the company became the first UK transport group to expand overseas, buying UTM, the major bus company in Malawi,

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a shock to put it mildly. Andy also highlights the long term view Stagecoach takes. Conversely, Stagecoach is also highly responsive as a business to changing market and economic conditions. As Group Finance Director Martin Griffiths outlines on p20, London is a prime example, a business it reacquired for around a fifth of the price it sold it for. He’s also highlighted the on-going technological developments, including a partnership with Everything Everywhere (Orange and T Mobile) providing bus ticketing using NFCs. Not to be forgotten is Stagecoach’s award-winning flagship express coach service, the Oxford Tube, which has plied the London to Oxford corridor for quarter of a century. Part 2, which will be covered in a forthcoming issue, will look at an important Stagecoach depot in the North West of England, fleet profile and a ‘Face to Face’ interview with a long-serving and respected operating company Managing Director – not to mention the company’s charismatic CEO Sir Brian Souter. On a final note, I’d like to thank all at Stagecoach for letting us have access and time to prepare this super-feature. I hope you enjoy it.

while it also bought three ex-NBC companies – East Midland, Ribble and Southdown. That August saw Stagecoach sell its express coach operations to National Express. It also moved its HQ to Charlotte Street, Perth. The company hit its first regulatory problems in 1990, with minor acquisitions in Portsmouth and Hastings both resulting in an investigation from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC; now the Competition Commission) and subsequent requirements to divest. There was more overseas growth too, with the £6m purchase of Gray Coach Lines in Canada, although it was later broken up and sold to Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and Grayhound in 1992 after it filed for protection from bankruptcy. Stagecoach lost £929,000 overall in connection with the investment. After privatisation of Scottish Bus Group, Stagecoach acquired Northern Scottish and Fife Scottish in March and May 1991 respectively.

Further growth in Africa took place in November 1991 with the purchase of majority holdings of Kenya’s two largest bus operators – Kenya Bus Services in Nairobi and KBS Mombasa. Expansion was kicked up a notch in May 1992 as Stagecoach Rail was launched, initially offering an overnight seated service from Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh to London. However, its first venture into rail didn’t last long, as the service ended in October 1993 with losses of at least £700,000. In October 1992 the company entered the New Zealand bus market with the purchase of operations in Wellington. It was a relatively straightforward acquisition compared to the company’s Canadian and African ventures, and was particularly lucrative, achieving a 20% margin. In 1993, Stagecoach Group was listed on the London Stock Exchange for £134m. There was further expansion this year too: in July East Kent was bought for £5m while in November Grimsby-

Cleethorpes and Western Travel were bought for a total of £14m. The operator broke its purchasing record in June 1994 with the acquisition of Busways in Newcastle for £28m. In the same month it bought Western Scottish Rail for £6m and soon after Sheffield Mainline for £1m, although it was later forced to divest. Stagecoach entered the London bus market in September 1994 with the purchase of two former London Transport subsidiaries for £42m. It later bought a 20% stake in Glasgow’s main company, SB, but again was later forced to divest. There was more controversy in November when Stagecoach forced Darlington Transport Company (DTC) out of business. Stagecoach had missed out on buying DTC to a higher bid from Yorkshire Traction and responded by swamping the town with free buses and offering bonuses and pay rises to DTC drivers. The municipal company went bust in three days. The MMC called Stagecoach’s behaviour “predatory, deplorable and against

public interest”. The operator tried its hand at another country in August 1995, with the acquisition of 25% of Portugal’s Rodoviaria National. At the end of that year it won the South West Trains franchise, the largest on the network, meaning two months later it operated the UK’s first privatised scheduled train service on the national network. 1996 saw three major acquisitions. Manchester Buses South was purchased for £42m with the company later launching competition with itself after adding its Magicbus brand to the area. The year also had its two biggest acquisitions at that time, with the purchase of Scandinavian operator Swebus for £233m, which included 3,500 buses, and train leasing company Porterbrook for £826m. The first 16 years of Stagecoach Group are indeed awash with great success stories and a few failures. From 1997 to the present is again a fascinating account – read the next instalment in our second in-depth Stagecoach feature. www.coachandbusweek.com

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FACE TO FACE › LES WARNEFORD

NAME: Les Warneford AGE: 63 POSITION: Managing Director, Stagecoach UK Bus CONTACT: 01738 442111 www.stagecoachbus.com

Les Warneford (middle) discussing the high-profile Manchester to Stockport 192 route, often considered to be the busiest bus route in the country

Doing things the Warneford way Andrew Cream talks to Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Les Warneford, covering a range of topics including his retirement, Quality Contracts, technology, environmental issues and the Gold brand

ith 45 years under his belt, 20 of them with Stagecoach, it would be safe to say Les Warneford is one of the most experienced personalities in the bus industry. His story within the trade can be traced back to his first job after leaving school as a bus conductor for Bradford City Transport. He became Managing Director of Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport in 1990, an operator which was acquired by Stagecoach in 1993. This led to appointments as General Manager Warwickshire

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Stagey.LesWarneford.indd 16

(1994), Managing Director Cumbria (1994), Managing Director Manchester (1996) and Regional Director Midlands and North West (1998), before landing the role of UK Bus Managing Director for Stagecoach Group in 2000. After 12 years at the top, Les has decided it is time to finally relinquish his role. There are no controversial reasons surrounding his decision, the simple fact being he feels the time is right. He told CBW: “There’s a lot of travelling involved in a job like this. It’s now time to slow down.” When asked if he had any plans to stay connected to

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FACE TO FACE › LES WARNEFORD

the industry after his retirement, he mused: “It depends if anyone wants me. Any involvement I have certainly won’t be in a full-time role.” Looking back to how he was appointed to his current role, he remembered the conversation he had with Brian Souter. “When Brian Cox retired, I asked Brian [Souter], ‘Who’s going to run UK Bus now?’, and he replied, ‘I think you are’,” he recalled. Les’s replacement is Robert Montgomery, a man who also has a wealth of experience in the bus and coach industry – nearly 40 years’ worth. Robert was appointed Deputy UK Bus Managing Director in May this year and will work alongside Les until his retirement in May 2013. “It will be a seamless transition with Bob,” explained Les. “We are different people so we must have different styles, but we have the same aims and objectives. Our style might be different but the company will have the same culture.”

Evolution

As one might expect, Les has seen a lot of changes during his 20 years at the company. He said: “It used to have a buccaneering reputation and tough management – the industry was focused on cost cutting. “The change we made 10 to 12 years ago now was to focus on growing the business, while now there is more focus on development and on marketing. “When I started as Managing Director of UK Bus we carried out some initial significant network restructuring. We were also developing the megarider ticket range, which is one of the best initiatives.

“The company had a reputation for being hard on costs and hard on management. Now it is a more mature business, but it hasn’t lost the edge. You have to always want to do better. It’s an evolving company which I enjoy.” “But it’s time to move on,” he added. “However, I have friends and colleagues here I will miss. We have got a cracking team at Stagecoach.” The company’s decision-making process is fairly relaxed. Les explained: “I have responsibility for the whole of UK Bus. I catch up with Brian Souter and Martin Griffiths every couple of weeks – it’s relatively informal. However, we have a very structured budget process.” The company leaves a lot of the decision making to the operational Managing Directors, including fare setting and fleet management. “There is emphasis on the operational Managing Directors to develop growth and deliver. The delivery has got to be right but it’s for them to initiate,” Les explained. “They will do all the planning. There are three regional directors who drop in once a month. If they want significant capital we have a structural process for approval.” Again, he stressed: “It’s relatively informal. It is hard to describe – it just works.”

Industry challenges

It’s no secret as to what Les’ views are on the controversial subject of Quality Contracts. In fact, when CBW posed the question to him, he quipped: “I think you will already know my thoughts on them!” “I think they are just plain wrong, for all sorts of reasons,” he added. “We think they are legally wrong [for details pertaining to the Human

The Stagecoach Gold service is operator’s successful luxury brand Rights Act] and they are certainly morally wrong as there would be confiscation of freedom and trade and they would destroy share value. “They are economically wrong as they would be more costly to operators in the commercial sector. Plus, there is a whole extra layer of bureaucracy which will affect the tax payer. “Local government is always risk averse, meaning extra costs in insuring against failures. “Also, they are financially wrong. I think they have got their sums wrong.”

He continued: “I spent the first 15 years of my working life at a municipal company after being a driver. I spent all my time cutting services and putting up fares to balance books. I absolutely cannot understand going back to that. “I hope they will realise it’s a bad idea before it’s too late. I feel quite depressed about it. It’s an enormous distraction.” Les believes Quality Partnerships are a much more viable alternative. He said: “We are developing extremely good partnerships; they are constantly growing and

When Les became MD in 2000 the company’s focus was on growing the business. These days the focus has shifted to development and marketing www.coachandbusweek.com

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deal with is cuts to concessionary fares reimbursement. “It’s a real problem and a growing problem,” he said. “Demand will keep rising due to the aging population. “We have got limits on public expenditure so with that rising demand, it’s questionable how long it remains affordable.” He added: “It’s currently like trying to square the circle, with all costs going up. “If you keep cutting concessions reimbursement you increase fares for those who pay them. The DfT funding formula is flawed. The appeal system is not worthy of the name.”

Going for Gold

developing.” As well as the threat of Quality Contracts, operators are facing a number of other challenges at the moment. Talking about the industry in general, Les said: “It’s had a really difficult year. We have weathered the storm, but it’s been really tough for a lot of operators. One MP called it the perfect storm. It’s currently about damage limitation. We’re trying to keep as many services as possible. “It’s bound to leave some damage, but it’s a very resilient industry because of the resilient people involved.” “We need a stable period to consolidate,” he added. “But I’m now concerned with the DfT and the Competition Commission. We don’t need any more upheaval.” On the issue of BSOG cuts, Les was relatively understanding. “We all recognise the economy is going through tough times,” he said. “I guess we probably were fortunate in having Norman Baker. He recognises and understands the effects. I think the cut was inevitable but 20% in one go has been tough – 10% with a gradual increase would have been better.” Les also believes rail passengers have more support than bus users in government. Another issue operators have to

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Les Warneford: a brief history

Les has a varied and extensive history in the bus industry. His first job as a bus conductor at Bradford City Transport came after leaving school around 45 years ago. He then attended Exeter University where he studied English Literature. After his studies he went back to being a bus conductor, before going into a number of different roles including driver, traffic clerk, traffic officer and superintendant. In 1990 he landed the role of Managing Director at Grimsby Cleethorpes Transport which was acquired by Stagecoach in 1993. This led to appointments as General Manager Warwickshire (1994), Managing Director Cumbria (1994), Managing Director Manchester (1996) and Regional Director Midlands and North West (1998), before becoming UK Bus Managing Director for Stagecoach Group in 2000, a role he has held ever since.

Stagecoach’s Gold service was launched in November 2007. Initially branded Goldline, it started on two routes – one in Stagecoach Group’s base town of Perth and one in Warwick. The Gold service is the operator’s luxury brand. Vehicles are equipped with stitched leather Lazzarini Transito seats and Wi-Fi, while drivers wear a special uniform. Les explained the Gold brand was just the next logical phase in development, stemming from being “more and more focused on what passengers want and what nonpassengers want.” “It’s always a challenge to keep the passengers you have got and to get new ones,” he added. Commenting on the performance of the Gold services, Les said: “They have been a success. They have seen higher passenger growth than other services in the same area.” Stagecoach Gold currently operates along eight routes including Swindon to Oxford, Milton Keynes to Peterborough via Northampton and Cheltenham to Gloucester.

Green issues

Stagecoach’s environmental credentials are very important to the company. It has won various awards including Stagecoach Manchester’s win in the ‘Large Business’ category of the Greater Manchester Green Business Awards in March and Stagecoach Group’s ‘Sustainability Award’ at the Scotland Plc Awards in April. “We did some market research and it told us people would prefer to travel by a means better for the environment,” said Les. “We keep working to improve our credentials. “We think it’s helped us. We are all quite sure that demonstrates

our improved environmental performance – and it’s good for passenger growth.” “We have done a lot of work on recycled biofuels and the bio content of fuel, with different mixes, working with Argent Energy,” he added. Les also displayed an uneasiness towards Euro 6, although was keen to emphasise he thought the ongoing pursuit for cleaner engines was important and necessary. “It’s very complex technically,” he said. “It’s more expensive to buy and operate. “I do have a problem with the rate of change and the amount the reduction of pollutants seems to be outstripping technology which delivers it. At the moment it seems very forced and very expensive.”

Technological future

Advances in technology is another area Stagecoach is hot on. Recent developments include contactless ticketing in partnership with Everything Everywhere. Les said: “We have always got lots of exciting projects going on – the really interesting stuff now is linked to modern technology. “With smartcards and credit cards it gets really interesting. In Liverpool we have been trialling credit and debit card payments. It’s a very small area but so far we have had encouraging results. “Whether it will take off properly depends a lot on the banks.” “One of the most exciting parts of the job now is the technological advances. The ability to almost deliver everything to customers through modern smartphones is a huge change. The speed of change so difficult to deal with – it’s incredibly rapid.”

Highs and lows

Asked about his career highlights and regrets, Les replied: “Being made UK Bus Managing Director would be my highlight.” As would be expected, career lows are harder to prise out, but one venture sprung to Les’ mind. Yellow Taxibus was launched in August 2003 and was the UK’s first entirely commercial demand responsive bus service, operating between Fife and Edinburgh. It was withdrawn in November 2005. “We decided we would try van-sized taxi buses,” he recalled. “We spent £1m on the project, but I have no regrets. It was typical of Stagecoach – we just tried it. It was a glorious failure.”

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INSIGHT

Financial Matters Coach and Bus Week’s James Day speaks to Stagecoach Group’s Financial Director Martin Griffiths about his wide and varied role and responsibilities with the operator

artin Griffiths, Stagecoach Group Financial Director, has held a position on the Stagecoach board of directors since 2000. Aged 45, he is the youngest member of the board and won the Young Scottish Finance Director of the Year award in 2004. Martin is a member and former Chairman of the Group of Scottish Finance Directors and former Director of Troy Income & Growth Trust plc and Trainline Holdings Ltd, along with RoadKing Infrastructure and Citybus in Hong Kong. Currently all of Stagecoach Group’s rail operations report to him and he is Co-Chairman of Virgin Rail Group, which Stagecoach holds a 49% stake in. Martin said: “I’ve worked with Sir Brian Souter for a long time. When he was chairman and responsible for business development I was one of two people working for him, the other being the PA. After Keith Cochraine stepped down in 2002 Sir Brian took the role of Chief Executive once again and I took over his responsibilities. “My role at Stagecoach is more than a typical finance role and is very professionally challenging. Stagecoach has a relatively small management team as the business is decentralised. Our job at the top is to support the local management teams. We get very involved in all aspects of the business.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Martin Griffiths. Right: A typical example of Stagecoach innovation – utilising smartcard technology

Challenges

Today we’re inundated with news of the financial problems the world has. Whether it’s austerity measures, the Eurozone crisis, inflation or borrowing, news of potential financial woe never feels far away. However, Martin stated the biggest financial challenge for him at the moment is something you might not expect. “The biggest financial challenge for us I feel is in pension management,” Martin explained. “We inherited the management and pension scheme in place before the bus market was deregulated and legacy issues make it a real challenge, but we’re comfortable we’ve managed it well. “The scheme has evolved and we have closed the existing scheme to new entrants. It will soon close for future accrual and we have made

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an agreement with our creditors on this. “Nowadays no company would offer the same 50-year agreement which we inherited but you have to do what you can to deliver on pension promises. It’s a touchy subject and can easily create tension but we have worked closely with staff and trustees and feel we always treat them fairly.” Martin seemed quite confident about the prospects of Stagecoach in the wake of the global financial crisis. The withdrawal of funding seemed to have been anticipated and Martin said Stagecoach was working around the cuts without too much difficulty. “Undoubtedly with all the austerity measures taking place we are not immune to what happens in the wider economy,” he said. “We have to respond properly to what is happening. That said, our business models have so far proved to be remarkably resilient.” “The government does spend money in our sector, such as with the concessionary fares scheme, which I think was an excellent social scheme. No doubt in this economy the government is questioning and evaluating where they’re spending and that’s fine. The industry needs to be less dependant on government support. The funding we received under New Labour, while in many ways positive, is not sustainable anymore. “The bus industry is in a good place and doesn’t need politicians and regulators driven by political and social ideology tampering with it. Operators are doing a good job and the Competition Commission report found little wrong with the industry and had few suggestions to make. We’ve dealt with the cuts to BSOG quite well and the industry just needs to be left alone.

“Customers want lots of different avenues to buy tickets and this is something we’re starting to provide. An entire new generation of technology is being brought in over the next 10 years, which will be a big challenge.” Martin Griffiths

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INSIGHT

“Since deregulation, the industry and its management have grown up together and now it is important to bring in the next generation.” The situation in Europe isn’t likely to cause too much of a concern for Stagecoach, but it did feel like a deterrent for potential ventures into the mainland market. Martin said: “While we’re not immune to the events in Europe and it’s all very uncertain, we don’t trade or have businesses there, so we have less exposure to the economic problems the continent is facing. However the right political and economic solutions need to be found. Our biggest concern is the knock-on effects for the UK and USA.”

One of 50 new ADL Enviro 400s which Stagecoach invested in recently

Technology

It is quite common to see Martin’s comments associated with many of Stagecoach’s technological announcements. Potential ventures into new technology are something Martin is heavily involved with. “There is a lot of great technology surfacing at the moment, but what’s important is whether or not it will work commercially. “Customers want lots of different avenues to buy tickets and this is something we’re starting to provide. An entire new generation of technology is being brought in over the next 10 years, which will be a big challenge.” Recently Stagecoach started a trial in partnership with Everything Everywhere, the parent company of Orange. The scheme is testing out Near Field Communication (NFC), whereby a passenger can board a bus simply by holding a device capable of using NFC (typically any mobile phone with Bluetooth capability) to a short range sensor. It is claimed the technology is very fast and very secure. Martin said: “Our NFC project with Everything Everywhere is being piloted in Cambridge. Smartcards may or may not be yesterday’s technology and we thought customers would want to buy their tickets and passes through their phones instead. We’ll see what feedback we get.”

Rail

On April 30, 2012, Stagecoach Group announced a ‘deep alliance’ between South West Trains and Network Rail. The agreement means a single senior joint management team now has responsibility for both trains and track on the route operating out of www.coachandbusweek.com

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London Waterloo. The move is said to be a first for the UK rail industry and is expected to cut delays and more efficiently manage disruption. Martin said: “With rail, I’m a great believer that the original privatisation model was wrong. I’d like to see a model in UK rail which is more vertically integrated. “We think the alliance will make rail more efficient and safer, as well as remove hidden costs, which is much better for the passenger. It’s the right thing to do and hopefully the trial will show that. “There is a lot coming up in UK rail in the next three years. We’re expecting to bid on several operations.”

The Future

Martin said megabus has been a phenominal success story in the USA

Martin Griffiths: on megabus

Martin works closely with the American side of Stagecoach Group’s business and feels the megabus.com operation is deserving of more attention. “megabus has been a phenomenal development which is often overlooked because of the size of Stagecoach Group. I think it has been the most exciting development in the bus market for 25 years. “It was Sir Brian’s vision and we estimated it was 60/40 whether it would work. We started a pilot in the UK, developed with Singaporean company Comfort Delgro and Scottish Citylink. While it’s still operating in the UK it was always going to be a niche product here – we just wanted to see if the concept worked. “megabus started organically in America in 2006 and now has a turnover of £140m, growing by 50% per year. It’s a huge success because the USA is famously a nation of car lovers and Greyhound has been deteriorating, so we had to persuade the American public to leave their cars at home, stop taking interstate flights and go back to the bus. We weren’t trying to tap into Greyhound’s market share. “We’ve recently acquired parts of Coach America in the USA as a platform for megabus to expand and are looking at moving the business into new territory such as Texas and California. There is the possibility of taking it to Europe but we would need to evaluate. It depends on the state of the European market.” A full length look at megabus.com will feature in part two of Coach & Bus Week’s Stagecoach super feature, expected in the next few weeks.

For such a large company, with over £1bn in assets in its bus division alone, Martin claimed Stagecoach is unafraid of making quick, decisive moves when a good opportunity surfaces. The decentralised structure of the company and small management team seems to make decisions and negotiations much more fluid. “We’re an opportunistic company which isn’t afraid of new markets, seen when we entered the markets in Hong Kong and Portugal as well as becoming the largest operator in Scandinavia for a time. The group used to be much more diverse geographically,” Martin continued. “Generally we prefer deregulated markets but we returned to the London market in 2010, repurchasing the bus business we sold to Macquarie in 2006. It meant the barrier to entry to London was £53m, but since we sold it to them for £246m we knew it had a strong potential revenue base, even though it unfortunately didn’t go so well for Macquarie.” The nature of Stagecoach Group means that although it may be happy with what it has at the moment, the company is responsive will not stand still if an opportunity presents itself, which Martin appeared to confirm. “Any investment opportunities need to be both part of the core business and consistent with management capability. We constantly keep our assets under review and I’d say we’re happy with them at the moment. Having said that, we would never rule anything out and have significant financial headroom at the moment, so we’re keeping our options open.”

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KEY DATA

Stagecoach benefits from an attractive livery for its bus fleet. Although a double-deck route, Darts still run occasionally on Peterboroughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Citi 6 route

Corporate Governance Coach & Bus Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex Tyler looks at the corporate make up of the Stagecoach Group, including its board members and facts and figures www.coachandbusweek.com

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ehind the uniform appearance of its vehicles, the Stagecoach Group possesses an equally rigid upper echelon of senior management, subject to frequent performance review in order to maintain standards and encourage success. However, lower down the chain of command, Stagecoach operating companies are given a degree of autonomy when it comes to the daily running of their businesses, with an emphasis on organic growth and long term investment. Its decentralised management structure enables local management to quickly identify and respond to developments in each local market, with an emphasis on lightly regulated bus

operations enabling management to vary prices, operating schedules and timetables in response to developments in each local market without significant hindrance from regulation. This is encouraged by a flexible cost base whereby operating mileage and operating costs can be flexed in response to changes in demand. The operational management of the Group is delegated to the Group Chief Executive and Group Finance Director, who maintain day-to-day contact and meet regularly either face-to-face or in video conferences with non-board senior management. There are three principal operating divisions, UK Bus: headed by a Managing Director, North America: headed by a Chief Operating Officer and UK Rail: headed by the Executive Directors, which each comprise a

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Sir Brian Souter

Helen Mahy

Will Whitehorn varying number of autonomous business units, each headed by a chairman or managing director who is responsible for the day-today performance of the business. Each chairman or managing director is, in turn, supported by local management teams. Two of the joint ventures in which Stagecoach is involved, Virgin Rail Group and Twin America LLC, are managed independently of the Group and each is headed by its own Chief Executive. The Group has two representatives on the Board of Virgin Rail Group and three representatives on the Board of Twin America LLC. Scottish Citylink Coaches Limited has a joint board and, as such, the Group is responsible for the day-to-day management of the business. The Board generally meets at least six times a year but meetings

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are occasionally called ad hoc if necessary. In addition to the formal meetings of the Board and its Committees, the Directors are in more frequent but less formal contact with each other and with the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management on a range of matters. The Group attempts to ensure the Executive and Non-Executive Directors have a complementary range of experience to ensure no one director or viewpoint is dominant in the decision-making process. The Chairman and the Non-Executive Directors periodically meet without the Executive Directors being present. In addition, the Non-Executive Directors, led by the Senior Independent NonExecutive Director, meet without the Chairman at least annually. All the Directors meet regularly with other senior management

and staff of the Group, have access to confidential advice from the Company Secretary and may take independent legal or other professional advice at the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expense where it is considered necessary for the proper discharge of their duties as directors. The Company Secretary, whose appointment and removal is a matter for the board as a whole, is responsible for ensuring all board procedures are complied with. All the directors are required to submit themselves for election by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting following their appointment. The board currently comprises:

SIR GEORGE MATHEWSON Chairman Sir George joined the board in 2006 and was previously the former Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. He has a wealth of boardroom experience having previously served as the Chief Executive of the Scottish Development Agency (now Scottish Enterprise) and was Director of Scottish Investment Trust plc. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of International Finance and former member of the Financial Reporting Council. Other significant senior roles inlude Chairman of Wood Mackenzie Limited and the Council of Economic Advisors and he was President of the International Monetary Conference. He is a member of the Nomination Committee and his external appointments include Cheviot Asset Management (Chairman), Arrow global Ltd (Chairman), DBRS Inc (board member). EWAN BROWN CBE Non-Executive Director Ewan Brown was appointed to the board in 1988 and apart from cofounders Ann Gloag and Sir Brian, he is the longest serving board member. He holds membership of the Pension Oversight Committee, of which he is also Chairman, and the Nomination Committee. His previous experience includes appointments as Executive Director of Noble Grossart until 2003, a former Chairman of TIE and Lloyds TSB Scotland, NonExecutive Director of the Wood Group and Lloyds Banking Group plc, Chairman of Creative Scotland 2009 Limited. Externally, Mr Brown is Non-Executive Director with

Noble Grossart Holdings Ltd, The Treasurer of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Senior Governor of St Andrew University. Brown is also the Deputy Chairman of the Edinburgh International Festival.

GARRY WATTS MBE Senior Independent Non-Executive Director Garry Watts has been a member of the board since 2007 and is the current Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of both the Remuneration and Nomination Committees. A Chartered Accountant, he has formerly been Chief Executive of SSL International plc, Non-Executive Director of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and Prosthetics plc and Executive Director of Celltech plc, Finance Director of Medeva plc and partner with KPMG. Garry Watts external appointments include Spire Healthcare Limited as Executive Chairman and Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc in a Non-Executive capacity. HELEN MAHY Non-Executive Director Helen Mahy has been a member of the board since 2010 and is the current Chairwoman of the Health, Safety and Environmental Committee. She previously held the positions of Non-Executive Director of Aga Rangemaster Group plc and Group General Counsel and Company Secretary of Babcock International Group PLC. Her current external appointments include National Grid plc (Group Company Secretary and General Counsel, member of Executive Committee); advisory Board member of Opportunity Now. PHIL WHITE CBE Non-Executive Director Phil White is also a Chartered Accountant and before his appointment to the board in 2010 served as Chief Executive of National Express Group plc from 1997 to 2006. He is the current Chairman of Reuneration Committee. Externally, he holds positions with Lookers plc (NonExecutive Chairman), Kier Group plc (Non-Executive Chairman), Unite Group plc (Non-Executive Chairman). WILL WHITEHORN Non-Executive Director Will Whitehorn is the most recent addition to the board.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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KEY DATA

Facts & Figures: HEADQUARTERS: 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW, Scotland

£2,389.8m £225m 23,000 8,100 2m 99.1% £2,076.8m £289.7m £941.9m £59m Group Revenue

Operating Profit

Employees (approx)

Vehicles (approx)

Passengers daily

Above: One of the Stagecoach ‘standard’ bus types is the ADL E300-bodied MAN Joining in 2011, he is a member of both the Remuneration and Nomination committees and his previous positions include Former President of Virgin Galactic and Brand Development and Corporate Affairs Director at Virgin Group. Former Non-Executive Chairman of Next Fifteen Communications Group plc. Externally, he holds positions in Loewy Group Ltd (Chairman), Scottish Exhibition Centre Ltd (Non-Executive Director), ILN Group Limited (NonExecutive Director). He is also a Member of the Science Technology Facilities Council and member of the First Minister of Scotland’s ‘GlobalScot’ business mentoring network.

described as the architect of the groups strategy and philosophy. He has extensive knowledge of the ground transportation industry around the world. Sir Brian is also Chairman of Souter Investments.

MARTIN GRIFFITHS Finance Director Appointed to the Board in 2000, Martin Griffiths is responsible for the Group’s overall financial policy, taxation, treasury, employee benefits and pensions management. He supports the Chief Executive in all aspects of the management of the Group’s operations and new business development. He

is also a member of the Pension Oversight and Health, Safety and Environmental Committees. A Chartered Accountant, Martin Griffiths is a member and former Chairman of the Group of Scottish Finance Directors and former Director of Troy Income & Growth Trust plc, Trainline Holdings Limited, RoadKing Infrastructure (HK) Limited and Citybus (HK) Limited. He was young Scottish Finance Director of the year in 2004. His external appointments include, Virgin Rail Group (CoChairman), Robert Walters plc (Senior Independent Non-Executive Director), AG Barr plc (NonExecutive Director).

ANN GLOAG OBE Non-Executive Director Ann Gloag co-founded Stagecoach and served as an Executive Director until 2000, when she took up her current role. She is on the International Board for Mercy Ships and devotes a significant amount of her time to charity interests.

SIR BRIAN SOUTER Chief Executive Sir Brian co-founded Stagecoach in 1980 with his sister Ann Gloag. A Chartered Accountant, Sir Brian was named Businessman of the year at the Insider Elite Awards 2004. Responsible for managing all of the Groups operations, he is

Bus Reliability

Operating Costs, of which...

Materials and Consumables

Staff Costs

Depreciation of property and equipment

£0.9m £31.4m Loss of equipment

Repairs

All data relevant to 2011 and compiled from www.stagecoach.com

Stagecoach is the first ‘Big Five’ operator to embrace hybrid technology

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FACE TO FACE › BOB MONTGOMERY

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NAME: Bob Montgomery AGE: 60 POSITION: Deputy Managing Director, Stagecoach UK Bus CONTACT: 01738 442111 www.stagecoachbus.com

Stepping up to the challenge

Bob Montgomery believes that while the government is all for concessionary travel, it’s not so keen on paying for it

Stagecoach Deputy UK Bus Managing Director Bob Montgomery talks to Andrew Cream about moving into his new role, the state of the industry and the future of the company

inding a replacement for someone who has spent 12 years at the top is always going to be a tricky task. But in Bob Montgomery, Stagecoach has found a fitting person to step into Les Warneford’s shoes. Bob’s wealth of experience and obvious abundance of knowledge of both the industry as a whole and of Stagecoach should make his transition to UK Bus Managing Director easy for both him and the company.

Background

Bob’s involvement in the bus industry can be traced back 42 years to his time at the University of Glasgow where as a student he worked as a part-time bus conductor. After completing his degree in 1974, Bob spent two years as a graduate management trainee at the National Bus Company in Darlington. One of his first roles was as Depot Manager in Whitley Bay, Northumberland. In 1980 his career path took him to Trent Motor Traction where he was Area Manager Derbyshire, before becoming Managing Director of Red Bus in North Devon in 1983. Bob then took the role of Managing Director at United Transport Buses in 1986 where he managed the Manchester Bee-Line

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Buzz minibus service – a very high frequency operation which involved 225 vehicles. Another move in 1988 – this time to South Yorkshire Transport as the Operations Director. Bob went across to Ireland for three years in 1991 as Dublin Bus Managing Director, before leaving the industry for a few years doing freelance consultancy work in south Asia. In 1998 he returned to the world of buses as Managing Director of First Group Glasgow, where he also held the role of divisional director for Scotland. His role as Service Performance Director for Stagecoach started in 2002, a position he held up until this year when he became Deputy Managing Director of UK Bus. Bob explained his last role in more depth: “The role I was doing for the last 10 years comprised of four different things – Regional Director South, which included all operations south of Birmingham, Managing Director of Scottish City Link, Managing Director of megabus.com and UK responsibility for commercial issues and marketing and development, plus a whole host of other input.” “Effectively we operate with a UK Bus management team of five. We didn’t have a Deputy UK Bus Managing Director until now,” Bob said of his new position. “The title was kind of invented.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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FACE TO FACE › BOB MONTGOMERY

Bob Montgomery: a brief history

Bob says it’s hard to predict which energy source will be used in the future Someone who has been involved as long as Bob can offer their opinion of the industry both pre and post ’86, in other words of regulated and deregulated services. He commented: “Basically I had it in mind that I might do 10 years [in the industry] then I might do something else, but deregulation made it interesting. “I absolutely prefer working in the private sector and deregulated markets.” “I thoroughly enjoy working for Stagecoach,” he added. “We do have an entrepreneurial way to looking at the market in order to grow volume and patronage. It’s the right way to go for the future and right for the company as well, giving us the ability to develop successful commercial bus services.”

The current climate

Despite many seeing the current economic climate as relatively gloomy, Bob believes the current environment of Stagecoach is the best he’s worked in. He continued: “I wouldn’t see it as gloomy. Government involvement has dampened the outlook but it’s not a negative government. There will not be a lot of money and growth but our focus is on developing commercial services. It’s an environment in which we can develop successfully.” “We do however have issues in terms of the way BSOG is dealt with – it makes for an air of uncertainty,” Bob added. “The gloomy bit is cuts in BSOG. Plus we have a government which is all for concessionary travel but not paying

for it. “The two funding issues we have to deal with, BSOG and concessionary fares, are our two biggest challenges. “The overall picture though is there is plenty of growth to achieve. The way the economy is developing; people are driving less and buying less fuel which helps the industry. “Rising fuel prices is not much of a problem to us. We can offer better value to car drivers. “But when you add to that the artificial matter of losing 20% of BSOG too, in that sense it’s an issue.” He continued: “To be fair we understand the pressure on government expenditure across the board. It has been sensitive to the minds of the industry and has tried to keep it to a minimum. “However it’s a totally different experience in Wales, with the assembly announcing sudden cuts to BSOG. Let’s say there has been a degree of sensitivity which has

Bob Montgomery joined the bus industry in 1970 as a part-time bus conductor during his time at the University of Glasgow. After his studies finished four years later Bob joined the National Bus Company in Darlington as a graduate management trainee, before becoming a Depot Manager in Whitley Bay, Northumberland. He joined Trent Motor Traction (now trent barton) in 1980 as Area Manager Derbyshire before becoming Managing Director of Red Bus in North Devon in 1983. Bob then took the role of Managing Director at United Transport Buses in 1986 where he managed the Manchester Bee-Line Buzz minibus service – a very high frequency operation which involved 225 vehicles. In 1988 he became Operations Director of South Yorkshire Transport before heading to Ireland for three years in 1991 as Dublin Bus Managing Director. After a break from the industry for a few years doing freelance consultancy work in south Asia, Bob returned in 1998 as Managing Director of First Group Glasgow, where he also held the role of divisional director for Scotland. His role as Service Performance Director for Stagecoach started in 2002, a position he held up until this year when he became Deputy Managing Director of UK Bus.

not been in Wales which has been worrying.” The future of how services will be run, and the level of influence local authorities will have over them, is a hot topic right now. Bob has his own views on those ‘in’ phrases which start with the word ‘quality’. “Businesses are better run through partnerships and deregulation,” he said. “Quality Partnerships are a viable future as long as they are genuine. Partnerships only work if the local authority respects the knowledge and expertise of the operators. They are best placed to make certain decisions. We can both bring something to the table. “Providing we have operators whose motivation is to develop business through growth, the whole package works.” “Quality Contracts however are horrifically expensive for the public. They will create too much of a political environment,” he added. “All the issues from pre ‘86 would come back. Those of us who have been around long enough will remember.” Bob explained when deregulation was first introduced, it had many critics. “But deregulation has changed fundamentally. It takes between 10 and 15 years before benefits of deregulation are felt. It takes time for investment to take effect and for companies to adapt to a different approach to marketing. Plus between 1986 and the mid 1990s operators were consolidating costs. The only way forward is to grow revenue once you’ve got a business as efficient as you can.”

Taking the reins Stagecoach does a lot of work on assessing the benefits of biofuels

Assuming the role of Managing Director of Stagecoach’s UK Bus division could be seen as quite a daunting task for some. Add

“There are two kinds of job; one where you have to go into it with something broken which needs fixing or one which is working well – it’s tougher to go into a job that is working well.” Bob Montgomery

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to it the task of taking over from a well-respected figure like Les Warneford and the pressure may increase somewhat. Bob explained how things might change under his leadership: “We are different people so we may cover things from a different angle. We spend time in different areas of the company and share things out differently, taking on different responsibilities. But we have the same backgrounds – there is commonality. “We might change the odd thing but nothing will be dramatically different.” “The best thing to do is to keep on being successful,” he added. “There are two kinds of job; one where you have to go into it with something broken which needs fixing or one which is working well – it’s tougher to go into a job that is working well. It’s more of a challenge to have to keep a job going well instead of a crisis which needs fixing. “We have momentum with profits growing strongly.” Focusing on what makes Stagecoach one of the most successful operators in the country, Bob said: “I think we are independently recognised as having the best value fares. You won’t attract a growing volume of business [otherwise]. “We always have a very strong focus on fleet investment. This has made the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) requirements easy for us. “We also have a very strong focus on service delivery. Those factors mean we have done very well in those areas. But we can always do better. There is certainly more to come.”

Preparing for the future

Technology is playing an increasingly greater part in the future of buses. Bob believes certain technological advances take time to be integrated to a high enough standard for them to be a sound investment, but once the creases have been ironed out most new technology proves very beneficial. He said: “The issue with bus industry technology is that you have to ask if it will contribute to the future. We are seeing with real-time information and smartcards that it does. As technology has moved on we can now see far better uses for real-time information commercially. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Bob cites his work with megabus.com as one of his proudest feats. Below: BSOG cuts bring uncertainty

“We are currently working with biofuel and of course we operate many hybrids... We have also done some work with gas buses. We are looking at all technology with some degree of involvement on each one.” Bob Montgomery

“It takes a lot of our expertise to employ these technologies, but now we can deploy them UK-wide. “To be able to provide that information is a great benefit. People can be out shopping and check when their bus is due. This will influence people and they can plan differently, particularly through smartphones. These kinds of innovative technologies will develop a lot faster the next few years.” Moving onto under-the-bonnet technology and the choice of more environmentally-friendly ways of powering buses, Bob said: “We are not planning on going down any individual lines. We are currently working with biofuel and of course we operate many hybrids. We tend

to do our research on the road. We have also done some work with gas buses. We are looking at all technology with some degree of involvement on each one. “We currently don’t know what will be the best bet in the long term. You need to look at a number of issues including how environmentally friendly they are, their cost efficiency and reliability – it’s a huge risk if services become unreliable. For example, electric batteries could experience problems. “We’d also be looking for sensible prices. We don’t know what will happen to the costs of hybrids if they are built in significant volumes and we don’t know about their battery life. If it turns out they are initially expensive but reliable then that’s great, but if it turns out they are not so reliable then it’s not so good. As we get more experience we will start to see their long-term performance.”

Proudest moment

When asked about his greatest achievement so far at Stagecoach, Bob found it hard to pin down one particular event or success – a testament to his prolific time at the company. He did however single out his involvement with megabus. com, a project he has put a lot of work into over its 10 years and was proud it was “continuing to grow rapidly and expand.”

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OPERATOR UPDATE › STAGECOACH EAST

On track with the Busway Coach and Bus Week’s Alex Tyler and Gareth Evans meet with Managing Director Andy Campbell and Lead Driver, Michael ‘Mick’ Capper, at Stagecoach East’s Cambridge Headquarters to discuss the popular Cambridgeshire Guided Busway In a scene which perhaps typifies the Busway, a Wright Volvo B7RLE passes Cambridge Science Park as it heads for Trumpington

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fter arriving in St Ives, which had little in the way of polygamy and no visible cats, we opted to ride the Busway to Cambridge Science Park to take advantage of the glorious weather and the photo opportunities. We overtook a few pensioners heading towards the stop where a crowd was already awaiting the bus. After negotiating the remarkably simple ticket machine, regular users could be heard praising the service to their peers. Once the familiar green liveried bus pulled into view, Gareth took a few of his trademark ‘jaunty’ snaps and we were off. The bus itself, a Wright Volvo B7RLE, was clean and comfortable with E-leather upholstered seats and a much appreciated air conditioning system, not to mention a friendly driver who greeted everyone with a smile as they boarded. WiFi and 240V sockets were on offer but we required no such luxuries on our journey. After a quiet few minutes thanks to the peaceful ride, we stopped off at several points along the way to photograph a few more vehicles, before catching an ADL Enviro400 for the remainder of our journey. We arrived at what’s affectionately known as the ‘Wendy House’ and were greeted by MD Andy Campbell and later joined by Michael ‘Mick’ Capper one of the Lead Drivers.

Instant growth

The Busway was opened to the public on August 7, 2011 and in the first five days over 55,000 people travelled on the service. “It was a surprise,” said Andy Campbell. “It took off from day one, literally day one. We expected enthusiasts, but it was incredible. We have experienced 105% growth in the region. We had anticipated it to be slower but customer numbers were double what we thought likely in the beginning. “I’ve never known anything like it. Don’t get me wrong I have seen impressive growth in this company – I saw 40% growth in Peterborough with the introduction of the Citi network.” Though the growth level is unprecedented, Andy suggested there was more to come. “With the new Chesterton Station on the edge of Cambridge and the new town of Northstone,

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OPERATOR UPDATE › STAGECOACH EAST

with some 10,000 more houses being built, there’s growth opportunities in the future.” The project has also been well received by the public as Andy explains. “There’s been positive feedback, very few complaints. The County Council has secured funding to increase the size of the Park & Ride (P&R) facilities and it’s proven popular with cyclists, though I don’t know where they get the energy.” “We’ve had visits from just about everywhere in the world. We’ve had frequent visits from abroad, and they’ve been over the moon with it.” Mick said: “When it rolled out a few people knocked it, but after travelling on the service they’ve changed their views and can’t praise it enough. It’s attracted new bus users. “We thought most traffic would be going to Cambridge but actually it is going the other way round too.” Mick reveals this is having a positive effect on the local economy. “I was talking to a café owner just recently and he’s seen an increase in business due to the Busway,” explained Mick. “It’s now all profit for him on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. People are also now coming from Trumpington for the St Ives market on Mondays, because previously they had to change buses, which was inconvenient.” “Timing is very important, we are hitting what we should be and the reliability is more than we hoped for,” he continued. “It’s key, because the A14 is a problem, at peak times it can take up to an hour in a car, but on the Busway, you’re home in 20 minutes. This aspect transfers into repeat custom from the surrounding villages. “For example, my father in law who’s in his 80s and has never used a bus in his life, was amazed. He only had to wait one minute and then took 50 minutes to get to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. ‘I’ll never take my car again,’ he said. It generates customers among the pensioners.” “I’d like them around a little longer than that,” quips Andy. With the high quality vehicles, the aim was to attract people out of cars and as such the company has made every effort to incorporate modern standard features, but enhance them with the addition of WiFi allowing passengers to maximise the use of their time. “We agreed on a standard branding,” said Andy. “As you can www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Stagecoach East Managing Director Andy Campbell. Below: Mick Capper, one of two Fenstanton-based Lead Drivers on the Busway see we went for the bio branding, as there are people in this area who make conscientious environmental decisions.”

Drivers and technology

105% 55k 29

The level of growth seen in the region due to the Busway

The number of passengers on the Busway in the first five days

Number of years service clocked up by Mick Capper

Mick has been in the industry some 29 years and joined Stagecoach when it acquired Huntingdon and District. He is a likeable fellow who evidently goes above and beyond the call of duty. “I’m getting the hang of it now,” he mused. “I’ve seen it all. A driver reported some escaped cows on the cycle path which runs alongside the Busway. I went down there and walked up and down flapping a brolly to keep them at bay to keep the track open until the farmer arrived.” “I never saw cattle herding in the job description,” Andy joked. “I get here first thing to see the buses out. If there’s any problems I’ll see the bus runs and cover any shift until we can get a replacement driver. “I’m also on call but we get very

St Ives Park & Ride is a popular boarding point for journeys on Busway

few problems, as those who have driven them will know, buses seldom just die. We attend to defects if a problem occurs but I’ve only known one which blocked the track.” The Busway required a new driving style, which was made all the more challenging by employing Bio Fuel buses. “When we first started training drivers it was daunting prospect - taking hands off the wheel,” said Mick. “We had mentors during training and eventually everyone got used to it. It was a new style of driving which we have adapted to. To the drivers it’s second nature now.” Notices were put up asking for drivers who would be interested. The applicants were interviewed to ensure they met the criteria, with customer history, driving history all being checked. Those who made the grade were hand picked accordingly. “I sent Mick and his colleague Danny Smith to the guided busway operated by First Bradford for initial training. I just pulled a few strings,” joked Andy. “First were very good,” said Mick. “They were most accommodating and we’d do the same for them if ever needed. Recently we had a trainer from Arriva for the Luton – Dunstable busway and helped them with theirs, we trained one to train the others. It’s the most desirable method of doing it.” “I feel a small, dedicated team is best,” said Andy. “It’s such a different style of driving it’s not good to be away from it for too long.” “Agreed. Its something you’ve got to do all the time. There’s great pride in wearing the gold tie and in being a Busway driver,” added Mick.

Bio diesel on the Busway

Each vehicle has a 200-litre tank of biofuel and 50-litre tank for mineral diesel. Buses are started on mineral diesel. They automatically change over when warm and run all day on bio fuel. Three miles before the bus returns to depot, drivers purge the system with mineral diesel, so it is ready for the next morning. “We had teething problems in the beginning. Biofuel is a bit of an engineering challenge, especially in the winter months, but it was worth the experiment though.We worked through the problems and solved them,” said Andy. “In the very early days we had a bad batch, which

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resulted in the infamous “Black Saturday.” Both looked very solemn at the mention of this. “With single deckers, it’s not too bad, as the fuel tank is near the engine but on double deckers the tank is under the stairs and the system can wax up when it’s cold. We’ve insulated the tank, put heating on pipes and also modified the bulk of the system. Touch wood, it works well.”

Ticketing

Passengers are required to purchase Busway tickets before boarding from one of 17 ticket issuing machines which are compatible with ITSO smartcards. “Smartcards have been fantastic for getting people on and off buses because they’re so easy to use,” explained Andy. “It makes a huge difference and is one of the reasons we can keep to timings as off-bus ticketing speeds boarding. What’s really missing though is a top-up facility at the machine but we are in discussions to get this remedied. Also if we can simplify this further it will be a big improvement.” “The thing is, people have always paid the driver and it’s a tough habit to kick, especially if you’re still half asleep in the morning,” added Mick. Going into detail, Andy said: “When we started the smartcard trial, it was to increase web sales and to increase off-bus sales and it worked well. We moved towards making cards more available for those who don’t want to buy online. We feel more will use smartcards if they actually have them in their hand. It’s proven attractive to the commuters. “The next stage is to introduce pay as you go smartcard. We already have elements of this on the Busway and its been well received. “Next is for the tickets to go direct to phone. Near Field Communications (NFC) are being trialled by 15 people – they got the loan of a smart phone and half fare travel. We plan on expanding the trial to different areas and demographics if we can prove it works.” “It’s the way it’s going,” added Mick. “if you can do it in a shop then it can be done on a bus. Ultimately it speeds passengers through, which is what we’re after.” Earlier this year the company did away with issuing paper tickets to pass holders. “We thought complaints would follow but it’s not been a major issue.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: ADL Enviro 400s dominate Cambridge’s modern double deck fleet. Below: An 09-plate ADL Enviro 400 dedicated the Busway route B changes outside our control but now we’re at a point where what we have is sustainable.” “It’s a difficult change from allout growth but there’s still Busway increase. In some ways it’s better to be in control of your own destiny, to be in charge and not relying on the public purse. We had moved as far as we could to this position. Because of Cambridgeshire’s rural nature, ideally you must provide a network to serve the villages.”

Cavalier Travel Stagecoach currently has an agreement with fellow Busway operator Go Whippet to accept each other’s tickets if an incident occurs and vice versa. “It’s a sensible move,” confirms Mick.

Negatives

Though the Busway is thriving, there are some variables outside of the Group’s control, as Andy explains: “I’ve been here eight and a half years, the first seven were all about growth. Then we had concessionary fare reimbursement rate decrease and a decision to phase out bus subsidy. Fortunately, some 90% of our routes are commercial and we’ve come up with revised timetables for the rest. There have been some service reductions. “From last week (June 10) we had a further review. With the BSOG cut too, sadly it meant some services went two-hourly. Still, this is better than no service at all. The County Council trialled DRT (Demand Responsive Travel) and it can work in some places, but other areas will always need some subsidy. We’ve had flak over recent

After purchasing Cavalier Travel four years ago, Stagecoach retained its management team, which included both the operations and engineering managers. “The problem is when you buy a smaller company, due to established Stagecoach standards and procedures, base costs as a PLC are higher. As such when you take over you have to work to what can be achieved under those costs,” said Andy. “Was it a good move? In the long term it will be,” he considered. “That part of the business struggles financially, but it’s the base for the Busway and with the Northstowe development it will see a return. We knew it would take a while but Stagecoach tends to encourage the long-term view.”

Future developments

Less than a month after opening, Sunday services on the Busway to St Ives increased to three buses per hour (from one) and one Sunday service currently continues hourly to Huntingdon. As of July 22 both Routes A and B will be increased from 20mins to 15mins, with operations extended into St Ives

town centre with the introduction of three Scania double deckers and five more Volvo single deckers. “We’re looking at experiences of commuter journeys,” said Andy. “In the morning between 0730 and 0845hrs buses are coming off Busway full so there is definitely a need. “Also, we hope for better penetration in St Ives, with route A splitting between the industrial estate and RAF Wyton.” “Our view is if we’ve got growth, keep feeding it,” said Mick. Andy added: “We have an agreement with Cambridgeshire County Council to improve air quality, so we’re upgrading the fleet to meet that. With the exception of a handful, the whole fleet is now Euro 4. This follows recent upgrading of open top sightseeing buses in Cambridge, where Olympians were replaced by Alexander ALX 400 Tridents. “A bid for Green Bus Funding for Cambridge P&R was unsuccessful, however, we’ll bid again next year as it supports the environmental message we’re putting across.” Stagecoach East is also aiming to improve its regional facilities. “I’ve been trying to get a new depot and P&R site for Peterborough for some time. The existing Lincoln Road depot is old, it’s in a residential area and because of restrictions it’s not a good end of town for it. “Peterborough is looking to be environmental capital of Europe. I’ve suggested a number of sites and had discussions with City Council. It’s the next thing Peterborough needs, in public transport terms,” said Andy. “Also, when the economy picks up, Cambridge and Peterborough are due to expand. I may even get a Citi 12 before I retire,” he added. Stagecoach currently has a number of ex-graduates in Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge. They include Zoe Pagett at Cambridge, Kerion Lawson at Bedford, and Jonathan Woodhouse at Peterborough, all of whom are Operations Managers. Another, Ben Morgan, who is Engineering Manager at Fenstaton depot. According to Andy, they are doing well. “It demonstrates the success of Stagecoach’s graduate scheme. Under the right leadership they’ll progress,” said Andy with a grin. “You need progression for the future,” said Mick. “It’s not just old blokes who are about to retire.”

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THE BIG PICTURE

The stylish Stagecoach UK Bus livery adds a splash of muchneeded colour to this otherwise gloomy photograph. The atmospheric yet perhaps rarely captured scene was taken by Coach & Bus Week Editor Gareth Evans. Stagecoach East’s ADL Enviro 400 number 19697 (registered ‘AE60JRU’) works a Citi 1 service to Werrington on the foggy morning of Thursday March 15, 2012. The bus is seen coming to the end of a section of bus only road in Leighton, which is located on the south side of Peterborough and was one of a number of townships constructed in the 1970s by the former Peterborough Development Corporation. The bus itself was one of 14 such vehicles new to the Lincoln Road depot last year for Citi 1, replacing 06-plate Alx 400-bodied Dennis Tridents. In common with much of Peterborough’s network, the route is a cross-city service, connecting the township of Werrington in the North with Orton in the South West. It is without doubt the depot’s most high-profile route and to this end is periodically a recipient of new vehicles.

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FACE TO FACE › JONATHAN WOODHOUSE

Managing the Future Coach & Bus Week’s Gareth Evans talks to Jonathan Woodhouse, who has recently completed the Stagecoach UK Bus graduate scheme about the process of application and the experiences he gained

t just 24 years of age, Jonathan Woodhouse runs a 60-vehicle garage. The young bus manager was appointed Operations Manager at Peterborough last December after completing the two-year Stagecoach UK Bus Graduate Scheme. Staff I know at the depot inform me Jonathan is a ‘good boss’ who is ‘approachable’. They’re not wrong either. Chatting over a coffee, I learn Jonathan and I share many friends and acquaintances. The bus industry may be relatively large but it’s also akin to one big family. “I’ve always had an interest in transport in a general sense but I wouldn’t describe myself as an enthusiast. I got into Stagecoach almost by chance,” he explained. “I was looking for a sandwich placement year. One of my many web searches took me to the Stagecoach graduate scheme. It stayed in my head. I was impressed with what I saw and I decided to apply when I reached that stage.” Brought up in the West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield, Jonathan went to Aston University, Birmingham to study Business Administration and Public Policy. He completed his sandwich placement year with Kirklees Council, working in audit function. “I would recommend a sandwich year. It teaches you a lot about who you are,” enthused Jonathan. “Aside www.coachandbusweek.com

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from holiday work, my placement year was my first ‘proper job’. I learnt then that I wasn’t a 9 to 5 person who looks at the same four walls. I like to be around people. I’m not criticising local authorities but frankly it isn’t for me as a career.”

Process

Describing the application process, Jonathan said: “After applying on-line, they invite you to an initial interview. There are two parts – a competency-based interview centred on your CV and career aspirations, followed by ability testing in numeracy and verbal reasoning. “If you’re successful, you’re invited to a final selection process, which is in the form of a day-long assessment centre. “You stay overnight in a hotel and have a meal with a couple of the existing graduates on the scheme. They don’t pull any punches. I liked the way they spelt it out at the start. After all, there’s no point in wasting time on someone who doesn’t want to drive a bus for example. “I’ve since seen it from both sides. Funnily enough it just so happens Kieran who was there that evening was the person I took over from two years later here at Peterborough depot. It seems like a very long time ago…” Jonathan said the following day’s assessment centre is full of exercises, which are designed to test and measure key skills and competancies.

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Jonathan regards himself as a people person â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a key attribute for an Operations Manager in a bus firm

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FACE TO FACE › JONATHAN WOODHOUSE

“One of the exercises involved examining a business problem scenario, and then deciding upon the best course of action. It’s what you do later in your career. “Another exercise involved all the applicants working as a group, to analyse a set of data and plan a complex trip for overseas colleagues visiting the UK. This was observed and scored by the Directors of Stagecoach UK Bus. “I also took part in a customer service role-play scenario . This was designed to test your responses when subjected to unexpected pressure from the customer, requiring you to remain focused on the objectives of the exercise. “The final section of my assessment centre involved an interview with two Stagecaoch Operating Company Directors. This included being asked what I thought the challenges of running a bus business are. “Stagecoach then call you a few weeks later to give you a decision. At that time they’ll also tell you where they want you to go in the first year. Again, they’re honest and open from the start – there’s no trickery. I feel that’s a good thing. You’re told you won’t necessarily be sent to where you’re from. “I don’t know much about other graduate schemes but I’ve heard in other industries how the companies have an expected drop out rate. At Stagecoach however, you’re expected to commit to the future and there’s a real determination for you to do well. The company prides itself on the fact almost every graduate trainee progresses onto a management role and remains in the business, progressing their careers into larger and more challenging roles. Put simply, they’re not going to take on 70 and only three will remain at the end.”

Year 1

“You get a ‘home’ depot – mine was Ramsgate. The company also ensures you spend time at other depots to gain a broad range of experiences. I recall sitting in on a grievance hearing – I took the minutes,” continued Jonathan. “That’s the thing with the graduate scheme – although you follow a structured programme, everyone gets different experiences as things vary in different operating companies. They’ve all got different challenges, such as how to deal with growth or decline. “The scheme is divided up into www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Peterborough depot has recently benefitted from four new ADL E400s for the Citi 6 service

Jonathan Woodhouse: a brief history

Jonathan Woodhouse has successfully completed the twoyear Stagecoach UK Bus Graduate Scheme. He now manages the 63-vehicle Peterborough depot. While not a full on enthusiast, Jonathan does admit he’s interested in his work, which is clearly a good thing. His passion for what he does is only too evident. Quietly ambitious, he hopes to progress in due course to director level.

two years. The first year is spent essentially doing every job in a depot. The first thing I learned was how to drive a bus. I gained my PCV in the same manner any other new recruit would. As a result I can empathise with new starters. “I then spent time driving in service, which was a real eye opener. I didn’t spend a massive amount of time driving but the key is I can now appreciate life behind the wheel and it makes it easier to spot someone who’s trying it on. It can also take the wind out of someone’s sails.” Jonathan also gained experience in the traffic office. “You’re always with someone – doing the early turn is very different to the late shift. I remember allocating buses with the morning controller. “I was well received by the drivers – they’re a good bunch at Ramsgate. I have to say it’s certainly a good place to work. Across the entire company, talking to my peers, it’ no exaggeration to say a lot of effort goes into this scheme. I think it helps it’s so well established.” Asked about anecdotes, Jonathan said: “I recall one amusing incident when an early spare claimed he’d put water in the fuel tank on three buses which were blocking others in. Much to everyone’s amusement, I rose to the bait. “After spells with wages and forward allocation, which took me up to Christmas, I moved on to

engineering.” Over the duration of the year graduates complete a series of courses. “It’s programmed in blocks,” he said. “I liked it because you do them with your fellow graduates and also those on the internal Staff Development Programme (SDP). You can learn a lot when you meet and talk to people from other operating companies. Those on the SDP have often spent a long time in the industry. “You build up a strong bond with your fellow graduates. All first and second year graduates help support a commercial project working in Manchester during the University’s freshers week at freshers fairs in Manchester. The city seems to be designed for a bus operator,” Jonathan mused. “The halls are located three miles from the University, which is just the right distance to be too far away to walk.” There’s a great team spirit in Stagecoach. I’ve yet to come across silo thinking – it’s all about sharing best practice. Back to his experience at Stagecoach South East, Jonathan said during his time with the engineers, he worked at Ramsgate and Folkestone depots. “I spent time with the shunter cleaners and cleaners doing deep cleans, in addition to working with the fitters. It certainly made me realise how hard shunting

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FACE TO FACE › JONATHAN WOODHOUSE

is – you’re forever on and off buses. I also spent time working with the foreman. The best analogy is plate spinner – trying to keep things moving.” His next move was to the commercial department, which Jonathan rightly described as an “important function as it sets down what the rest of us do.” “I spent time doing reporting and working on duties. I gained experience of Trapeze and putting tenders together. Scheduling is one of the courses you do as a graduate. I’m not going to pretend I could put together a load of schedules as it’s a specialist skill set but at least I’ve gained an understanding. “I also spent time in the travel shop at Canterbury bus station. They’re a great team – they’ve got a real desire to help customers.” “You’re assigned a mentor at the start of the scheme – mine was Operations Director Neil Instrall. Paul Clark was also a great help. I spent time at head office with each of the directors. I then gained experience at different depots. Neil suggested I go to Dover to learn about operating National Express contracts and funnily enough I’ve got that now at Peterborough. “I also worked at Herne Bay with AOM Graham Leslie, who was in his second year of the scheme. As you near end of the first year, you’re gearing up for an AOM role. “In around Christmas or January, it’s budget time. I remember sitting with Paul, Neil and MD Phil Medlicott. It was an interesting process. That’s one of the things which surprised me – there were no secrets, no step outside moments.” Jonathan continued: “In the first year you get monthly reviews with your operating company and quarterly reviews with the Stagecoach UK Bus Directors. Again, I believe it’s an indication of how seriously the scheme is taken – the most senior directors schedule significant spaces in their busy diaries to spend time with the graduate trainees, to monitor our progress and to supply guidance. “High level support helps ensure graduates are not consigned to spending a year doing menial tasks. I dare say there could be a temptation to do that with an extra body. To be fair however, in the first year you’re ‘green’ to the industry.”

Year 2

“In your second year you move on to a new operating company and

into a depot to take up the role of AOM,” explained Jonathan. “Based on feedback from your mentor and operating companies, Stagecoach tries to match people to depots. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Some personalities are better suited to different depots. “I was sent to Manchester in my second year. I worked as AOM at both Princess Road and Hyde Road, which was fabulous experience. I learned an awful lot. “Manchester, the North East and East Scotland have all had graduates for a number of years, which is a great help when you’re a graduate. From my personal journey, a benefit

“I want to focus on doing a good job, but one day I would like to be a director. Everyone’s different – I’ve got some ambition but I’m not aggressively ambitious.” Jonathan Woodhouse

of working in a big depot is if it can happen, it will. I worked for some great people such as Stuart Roughley, who is Operations Manager at Hyde Road and his colleague Julie Kepple, the Personnel Officer. Jonathan said in the second year, the formal performance reviews don’t need to occur as frequently as in the first year, because you’re actually continuosly assessed as your perform the AOM role. “There’s a lot to get through in the first year and there’s also a need to keep you on track. In the second year what the company is looking for is whether you’re ready to become an Operations Manager.” As the end of the two years approaches, Jonathan said: “From August, the company looks to place you as an Operations Manager. They look to place you in a role where you will continue to develop your skills and experience. Clearly, you want to know where you’re going to be. For the first year and second year, you know you’ll only be there for 12 months but at this stage its your first substantive appointment driven by how you have performed and developed which makes this move the big one. The company

Above: A Dart is seen at Whittlesey Market Place. Below: Jonathan’s duties include managing coaches run under contract to National Express

won’t force a graduate trainee into the first vacancy which arises. Instead, care is taken to put you in the right place which may result in you spending more than two years on the programme, particularly in these recessionary times, when staff movements are less frequent. The mindset is you are appointed to the best role to start your managerial career, and not just put into any position which becomes vacant. “I started here in early December 2011. It’s a bit of a challenge but no matter who you speak to, it’s a big step up from being number two to number one in a depot.” “Coming from Manchester to Peterborough was a culture shock,” he admitted. “For example, Peterborough has outstations and National Express work with coaches starting in Grimsby, Lincoln, Mablethorpe and Walton on the Naze. It’s a people business and that’s the key thing to remember.”

Future

Jonathan is keen to progress up the career ladder but as is by now all too familiar, his feet are firmly planted on terra firma. Commenting on his next move, he said: “It’s too early to say yet. I’ve only been here six months. I want to focus on doing a good job, but one day I would like to be a director. Everyone’s different – I’ve got some ambition but I’m not aggressively ambitious. I don’t think I’ll be in Peterborough forever. “A good measure is if you’re still developing and learning somewhere, why move? However, there comes a point where a fresh pair of eyes works wonders for a depot. For us as graduates the challenge is to take the best bits with you. Sometimes small changes help.”

Words of wisdom

Asked what advice he would give to those considering following in his footsteps, Jonathan replied: “That’s a good question. It’s not for everyone. The industry is such that you have to take and engage in friendly banter. You can’t go in somewhere and expect instant respect. You’ve got to engage with people when you go through the scheme – that’s how you’ll learn the most.” Read more about Stagecoach graduate training scheme at http://www. stagecoach.com/careers/whatyou-could-do/graduates.aspx

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SERVICE UPDATE › OXFORD TUBE

The high-profile nature of the service requires vehicles with a real presence on the road – and the Van Hool Astromegas are no exception

Express service Coach and Bus Week’s Alex Tyler provides an overview of Stagecoach’s established express route between Oxford and London, Europe’s most frequent coach service

n 1987 Thames Transit was founded in Oxford and started running an express coach service to London, branded the Oxford Tube. Running a handful of Duple Laser-bodied Leyland Tiger coaches, the company provided competition to The Oxford Bus Company, which had branded its service Oxford Citylink. Since then, competition on routes has been fierce.

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Stagecoach bought Thames Transit in 1997 and retained the management structure. The company has continued to innovate, with better coaches, more frequent services and all-night services. The service has even been run on Christmas Day. In 2003 Stagecoach segmented the market with the introduction of its value brand Megabus to the route, albeit operating to and from different locations in both Oxford and London. However,

from November 2004 this service was integrated with the Oxford Tube. In 2006, the service was enhanced with the introduction of WiFi. Oxford Tube was named Top Express Coach Operator on at the 2011 UK Bus Awards. It has also been recognised at the UK Coach Awards. The service was lauded for being Europe’s most frequent coach service and won the award after being praised by judges for the standard of its operations and its

continued success in attracting new passengers. In March this year, the Oxford Tube celebrated 25 years of service. To commemorate the occasion, Presbus Books published a book by Driver Malcolm Crowe entitled Oxford Tube: An Illustrated History. The book contains a detailed history of the business and includes over a 150 photos and illustrations.

Current operations

The Oxford Tube provides an intense 24-hour service all year round. As such, the company maintains a policy of regular vehicle replacement. A fleet of 26 impressive 87-seater Van Hool Astromega double decker coaches is currently allocated to the service. In addition to service frequency and value for money, a key attraction for customers is the ability to work on the move, thanks to free Wi-Fi internet access and 240V mains power points on board. In 2009, these replaced a 25-strong fleet of 81-seater Neoplan Skyliners. With departures

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SERVICE UPDATE › OXFORD TUBE

Above: Passengers board a London-bound service in Oxford. Below: A coach awaits departure from Buckingham Palace Road in London’s Victoria up to every 10 minutes, the service begins at Gloucester Green coach station in Oxford city centre, with stops at Queen’s Lane, St Clements, Brookes University, Headington Shops, Green Road Roundabout, Thornhill Park & Ride, Lewknor Turn, Hillingdon, Shepherd’s Bush, Notting Hill Gate, Marble Arch, and two stops in Victoria. There are also three non-stop journeys on Monday to Friday at 0600, 0624, and 0700hrs. Robert Williams, Commerical Manager, told CBW: “We’re very pleased with the Astromegas, because in addition to being new, they have a larger seating capacity. We are expecting an increase in ridership over the summer, due in part to a certain sporting event. As such, the vehicles and services are under constant review.” One of its main selling points is it is a turn up and go service by nature; passengers do not need to book tickets in advance. Tickets can be bought online, from sellers at Gloucester Green and Thornhill or on board from the driver. An annual pass on the Oxford Tube costs £1,130, whereas the equivalent train fare costs nearly four times as much. Through ticketing has also been introduced, which allows people to catch a Stagecoach bus to the Oxford Tube for no extra charge. “If the tube doesn’t come to you, then you can be brought to it,” explained Robert. “Local Stagecoach services help support and feed the www.coachandbusweek.com

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“It’s certainly a useful way to communicate but not everyone uses Facebook, hence the old methods are still necessary.”

Drivers

Tube, in addition, all Oxford Tube season tickets allow for travel on Stagecoach services in Oxfordshire.”

Marketing

The Oxford Tube is arguably one of the most recognisable brands in the region, but due to an everchanging student population, brand introduction is just as important as customer retention for the company. “We have a full range of marketing and work closely with universities and have a strong bus stop presence,” explained Robert. Currently the company is piloting Twitter and tends to have someone tweeting service updates during office hours. “We’re also looking at using Facebook in the future,” continued Robert.

Facts & Figures:

80 10 minutes 85 87 £1,130 Daily trips up the M40 per day

Frequency

Drivers

Seats per coach

Annual pass on Oxford Tube

Driver training is all in house. Typically those on local bus routes move up to Oxford Tube and it is traditionally regarded as a step up from the normal routes. Often, new recruits will ask about the Oxford Tube. “There is definitely a prestige to it and a pride once they achieve it,” said Robert. “There are some unsociable hours, so we have to be sure we find those who are happy and willing.” Applicants undergo a special Oxford Tube driver course which involves learning the different vehicle aspects and the routes through London. Drivers are also instructed in the system for stop announcements which are personally announced by each driver. Driver personality is encouraged and the company place great importance on customer service and how to interact with passengers. Due to the likely event of road closures and delays in London, drivers are required to be able to impart information clearly and to reassure passengers. Disability awareness is also vital. All coaches are accessible using ramps, which removes the need for lifts. Indeed, the last three generations of coaches have been wheelchair accessible.

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› tachographs & telematics

A conventional analogue tachograph can only supply drivetime information

On the right track In this week’s Essential Guide, we look at tachograph and telematic system suppliers and how they can improve the efficiency of a fleet and keep operators within the law

ecently there have been a number of stories of operators being caught out because they haven’t made proper use of tachographs. With the difficult financial climate everyone is no doubt tired of hearing about by now, it’s tempting to try and cut corners, but ensuring tachographs are set up correctly and drivers are abiding by the rules can save you from a true financial headache

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later on, from both court cases and accidents caused by overtired drivers flouting rules on rest. Speaking of saving money, it is common for tachograph systems nowadays to be intergrated with telematics systems. While these systems may not be as essential, they can be a very worthwhile investment, analysing data to reveal where fuel and cost savings can be made. This prevents drivers getting into bad habits and helps ensure training is followed through instead of just being a box ticking exercise.

Actia

Many telematics systems on the market today offer driver feedback, reports and so-called remote diagnostics. Few of these systems, however, use measured fuel in their calculations of vehicle and driver performance. This means assumptions must be made to define the fuel economy of a particular vehicle, which may lead to inaccuracies in the conclusions drawn by such systems. Actia says remote diagnostics is much more

than simply reading standard faults broadcast by the vehicle’s CAN network. With its insight and experience in the OEM vehicle electronics sector, Actia can read metered fuel consumption direct from the engine management ECU. This guarantees not only accurate measurement of fuel consumed but when considered alongside vehicle condition and driver behaviour, the operator is not left guessing whether the driver is at fault, or whether the problem lies with the vehicle itself. Sales Manager Mike Oliver explained: “It’s interesting how a fleet of identical vehicles being driven by good and not so good drivers has been shown to return MPG ranging from 7-9mpg for example. Although driver behaviour is a major factor in fleet fuel consumption, the health of the vehicle will determine as much as a 30% difference in fuel economy – and there’s nothing even a consistently top-rated driver can do about it.” Once identified, an underperforming vehicle may be subjected to other remote operations before entering the workshop, or calling out an engineer. As experts in vehicle electronics and diagnostics, Actia has incorporated a number of levels of vehicle condition monitoring into its Eco-Fleet system. Basic fault reporting offers headline RED-AMBER flagging of engine, ABS, transmission, retarder and electrical faults, while a Detailed Fault Status report provides industry standard SPN fault codes (available over CAN), which may lead the operator a little nearer to the problem. Such features are available with many telematics systems but they cannot always get to the heart of the problem and an engineer must invariably attend the vehicle to investigate further. “Currently, if you operate ADL Enviro 200/300/400, or Optare Solo, Versa and Tempo, a full engineering-level interrogation – Remote Diagnostics – of the vehicle’s electrical system may be carried out through Eco-Fleet, whether the vehicle is in a depot miles away, broken down at the roadside, or simply in the workshop downstairs,” Mike continued. “This allows the same functionality over a secure GPRS connection as plugging into the bus’

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diagnostic port with a laptop. Any authorised diagnostic technician may access the vehicle and by the time anyone is called out or the vehicle is put into the workshop, the root cause of the problem is known.” Eco-Fleet’s accurate fuel measurement and Remote Diagnostics capability enable the operator to quickly identify under-performing vehicles and take action to maintain optimum fleet fuel economy, regardless of who is driving. “We are engaging with operators large and small, and it is clear they are experiencing a growing daily headache: how to maintain vehicle health not only in the interests of fuel economy but also in terms of general maintenance and operating costs. Eco-Fleet is the solution to meet these issues head on,” concluded Mike. T: 01686 611150 E: mail@actia.co.uk W: www.actia.co.uk

Actia: major advantages through comprehensive remote data downloading

Pinpointers Telematics Telematics and tracking products have matured very rapidly over the last two years. As with all technologies, what was cutting edge just 24 months ago is now the norm and features like CanBus, Driver ID, tacho integration, and driver feedback displays are being presented as the latest and greatest ways to bring new levels of efficiency and cost control to

operators. But an important question is whether the technology is at risk of becoming overcomplicated – too far reaching and too much data for a fleet manager to cope with. Jon Pope, CEO and Head of Sales at Pinpointers Telematics, has pointed out that the market appears to be polarising very quickly between suppliers who focus on the driver themselves, with their variety of traffic lights

and driver feedback displays, and those who focus on the core of the business where both efficiency and cost savings can be made. Jon said: “In my meetings over recent months with a wide range of operators, from large to small, I’m hearing two very different reactions. “Some like the ability to ‘be in the vehicle’ with the driver, reminding them that any poor driving standards are not only being brought immediately to their attention, but at the same time, the fleet manager can see what is going on and is likely to be having a quiet word with you (or otherwise!) when you get back to base. “In the other camp are those who feel another device in front of the driver is an unwanted distraction in a world where driving conditions are only getting harder, and ensuring the tracking system has the ability to give a quick and easy spotlight on the key offenders is all the information they need to manage their drivers’

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› tachographs & telematics

behaviour on the road. “I can see both points of view and I believe it comes down to the overall nature of each operators’ business – local passenger services, holidays, schools contracts – each operator has a different combination, so their needs will be quite specific each time. Another factor, clearly, is the drivers themselves. Most are excellent at what they do and will often feel offended that their driving quality needs to be monitored and commented on.” Pinpointers has a focus on partnerships. It doesn’t try to be all things to all people, and in 10 years of business in the world of tracking, this had paid dividends. While it does have options for all the more esoteric features mentioned above, it claims simplicity and value are what operators are looking for. Pinpointers launched a Pay As You Go system in January this year which has seen a surge of new customers who don’t want long term tied-in contracts and just

require a simple to use tracking system. The company has worked closely with other industry leaders to bring refined yet easy to use features to the fore. Integration with Distinctive Systems Coach Manager is very popular, where jobs are automatically copied across from Coach Manager and monitored in real time to raise awareness of anything not running on time. More recently, Pinpointers has partnered with Don’t Travel Empty, allowing current positions of coaches to be queried by their Empty Leg Matching and Master Map features. This greatly enhances the fleet manager’s experience, as the actual current location of a vehicle could be very different from what the Job details might say, or indeed, what the drivers themselves might say. Jon added: “I strongly advocate looking very carefully at what is really important to you when considering a tracking system. Every system will help you

save fuel through the basics of idling reductions and improving driver behaviour, but the key to future success and longevity is partnerships and how those are used to continue to bring improvements in areas you wouldn’t have expected.”

T: 01202 606 195 E: sales@pinpointers.com W: www.pinpointers.com

Foster Tachographs Ltd Transport managers and company directors often say “If I’d known we had a problem I’d have sorted it but I relied on the driver, the planner, the analysis company, the software and they didn’t say anything was wrong – how was I supposed to know?” Foster Tachographs claim that although the vast majority of operators have no intention or desire to break the law, many of them do. The company asked: “Can any transport manager or Company Director reading this be

certain their current tachograph compliance systems are suitable in meeting their needs and keeping them within the law? If VOSA came knocking, can they be certain they’ve done everything they need to do? Will VOSA find offences for which they will be prosecuted?” Foster said it tends to be called in when the ‘proverbial has already hit the fan.’ This includes coach and bus operators as well as hauliers throughout the UK who have found themselves in a vulnerable position being investigated and subsequently prosecuted for breaches of drivers’ hours and tachograph regulations. The company’s common experience when it first visits an operator is that their general belief is that because they get their records analysed, speak to the odd driver and they’ve no reason to break the law, everything will be fine. Unfortunately for operators, this doesn’t necessarily protect them. Managing Director and Senior Consultant, Gordon

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NO TELEMATICS COMPANY CAN DELIVER WHAT THEY SAY. At MiX Telematics if we make a promise, we stick to it. So when we promise to make your business run more efficiently and cut costs, that’s exactly what we’ll do – whatever it takes. In fact, our solutions are proven to deliver more because we’re trusted and we’re a strong global business with a dedicated team at our core. Working with us, you’ll soon realise the difference. It’s time to think again about the power of telematics

Talk to us today on +44 (0) 121 717 5385 or visit www.mixtelematics.co.uk

Time to think again.

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› TACHOGRAPHS & TELEMATICS

Humphreys, claims to be personally recognised as a leading expert in tachographs and associated legislation and in one case the Transport Tribunal agreed “with the description of Mr Humphreys’ input into the appellant’s operations as being “gold standard” together with his proposals as to the future.” The company has vast experience having dealt with matters ranging from allegations of corporate manslaughter, conspiracy, causing death by dangerous driving along with many drivers’ hours and tachograph breaches which now are often in excess of 100 allegations against the company. In some cases over 300 allegations. Therefore Foster approaches the matter from the ‘sharp end,’ auditing operators’ systems from start to finish, from the moment a driver is interviewed right though to compliance, reeducation or dismissal. If it fails Foster offers solutions, clear advice and remedies, working with the operator to provide robust systems which enable them to manage their compliance and offer protection against the hefty fines being issued today, running into five and even six figures, plus VOSA’s costs and costs of defending the case. Operators with suitable and effective systems can offer a defence, but without them, they can be liable for each offence committed by their drivers. In a recent case an operator avoided prosecution and on the latest VOSA visit it was stated of the procedures “it’s probably the best I have ever seen.” He congratulated the company on “its complete turnaround” from what he had seen when he first attended all those

Tachosys’ digiDL downloads data automatically in the background months ago. Unfortunately, it did, as with many operators, require a VOSA investigation to stimulate the requirement for an audit; by which stage the real pressure is on. Operators need to look at the systems, the quality of analysis, the quality of software and the quality of training, including CPC Training. As operators or transport managers, with the change to the undertakings on the Operator’s Licence, responsibilities are clearly specified and they need to ensure the systems, office staff, drivers, analysis providers and others don’t cause operators to fail in their obligations. For the bus and coach industry these systems can be more complex mixing EC and Domestic Operations to which their employees must comply. Statutory undertaking requires more than just setting up adequate systems and leaving them to run themselves. Constant supervision and monitoring is required to ensure the systems work. In

other words how effective are the systems at detecting drivers’ hours and tachograph offences and what is the resulting action taken? Very few operators have adequate systems and only find this out when it’s too late. Visit Foster’s website and try the Online Tachographs Systems Assessment. This has a sample of the questions Foster ask and doesn’t cover all it audits but if you answer no to any, Foster asks you to make contact. It covers the whole of the United Kingdom, reviewing systems and offering solutions. T: 01772 655155 E: gordon@foster tachographs.co.uk W: www.fostertachographs.co.uk

TACHOSYS Tachosys claims its digiDL is becoming the standard device for remote download. It is already supported by all of the major UK analysis bureaux and is standard fit for Stoneridge Tachographs.

Broadly speaking, LGVs, buses or coaches manufactured from 2010 onwards, fitted with a digital tachograph, will support remote download of their mass memory and Driver Card. Those without Remote Download must visit each vehicle and download the tachograph’s mass memory with specialised equipment such as our digivu, digivu+ or digifobpro. While Tachosys attempts to make this process as quick and painless as possible the speeds do not negate the fact that up to two man-days per vehicle per year are lost. Remote Download technology stands to save companies hundreds of man hours and adds reliability to the whole process as data is gathered centrally without human intervention. Driver Card data collection is often handled by a separate process which again adds administration, hardware and involves driver’s co-operation. Remote Download looks after Driver Card downloads automatically. In simple terms companies which adopt digiDL no longer need to waste huge amounts of time manually downloading vehicle tachographs or collecting Driver Card data as digiDL will do all of this in the background. The customer decides a schedule for vehicles and Driver Cards and the rest happens automatically with data arriving at the desired location. In addition, anybody using an analysis bureau can opt to have the data go straight to the provider for seamless integration. digiDL is permanently wired to the rear of the tachograph, utilising the tachograph’s CAN-bus interface and is designed to

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www.fostertachographs.co.uk

The UK’s leading tachograph experts If VOSA came to your Operation would your tachograph compliance systems stand the test?

Speak to the experts for: • Tachograph Systems Audits • Tachograph Systems Procedures • Court and PI Attendance • Bespoke Training Courses • Forensic Analysis • Bureau Analysis

Also providers of:

TACHOBOOK A complete pocket book to Drivers’ Hours and Tachograph Regulations

COURSES JAUPT APPROVED CENTRE AC01059

All trainers experts in their subject areas

Tel: 01772 655155 admin@fostertachographs.co.uk

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› tachographs & telematics

be concealed under the dashboard. The unit can be initially configured by PC and subsequently configured remotely. Firmware updates can be applied remotely. digiDL will support VDO 1.3+ or Stoneridge Rev 7.0+ digital tachographs. The digiDL uses GPRS for all communication so a SIM card and associated mobile data contract is required. T: 0208 687 3900 E: info@tachosys.com W: www.tachosys.com

AK Fleet Solutions AK Fleet Solutions has been operating from its base in Cumbria since 1999. AK’s Tachagraph analysis system, which is internet based, allows clients 24/7 access to its company’s tachograph data. It fully integrates analogue and digital data and includes full WTD reporting in the extensive report suite. In AK’s Ecommerce store, it tries

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to provide a very competitively priced and extensive product range, with secure payments through PayPal (no PayPal account required to use this service). AK can also provide fully verified licence checks through the DVLA, which can give confirmation of name and address, licence categories, expiry dates, points, fines and revocations, digicard details and CPC modules completed. The DVLA has introduced new standards on businesses which use the DVLA Driver Licence Verification (DLV) Service. AK has passed all the accreditation checks to enable it to provide this service to clients. A company’s operator licence is a vital tool in the efficient operation of its business. AK has extensive direct management experience of operators licenses of fleets from one to 1,000 vehicles. It can assist in new applications and variations to a company’s operator licence and can provide management and

maintenance fleet audits to ensure an economic, efficient and legally operated fleet. AK’s mission statement is; n To treat all clients, no matter how large or small, as individuals who require individual fleet solutions. n To tailor the solutions to meet the client’s individual requirements; n To provide an accurate, confidential, complete, competitive and professional service. n To encourage continuous personal & professional development within our business. T: 01228 525167 E: info@akfleet solutions.co.uk W: www.akfleetsolutions.co.uk

MiX Telematics Back in 2008, MiX Telematics’ first major foray into the UK bus market resulted in Go-Ahead Group investing £2m in more than 3,000 fleet management systems. Since then, many more successful partnerships have been formed with British operators, leading the company’s South African management team to select its UK operation as the springboard into Europe. Early successes here included the securing of a deal with well-known Belgian operator De Lijn, with the installation of MiX Telematics’ proven bus and coach solution to its fleet of more than 1,800 vehicles. MiX Telematics now has expansion plans underway in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. MiX say the underlying reasons for its success lead down a long and complex trail involving the four marketing ‘P’s – product, price, promotion and place. “Differentiating ourselves as a provider of solutions, rather than just a seller of systems, is key for us today,” said Steve Coffin, Marketing & Operations Director for MiX Telematics. “When we began our conversation with Go-Ahead, it is true to say our primary focus at that time was on supplying hardware and software, but as our understanding of Go-Ahead’s business needs and objectives grew, we progressively came to think of ourselves as a solution provider. “That’s because we could see our products would only form part of the answer. Go-Ahead was looking for far more from us and in addition to supplying and installing our kit, we ultimately collaborated with

them to provide depot staff training, information packs, marketing collateral, consultancy services and on-going support. “This holistic approach is what makes us different. The installation of our hardware and software is just the first step along the route towards greater operational efficiency, cost savings and environmental benefits. It’s all too easy for operators to get cajoled into the purchase of fleet management systems by a salesman who then disappears into the ether once the order is signed. “Part of the problem there, I suppose, is telematics can be seen to bring about change overnight – install a system and with the minimum of briefing for transport managers and drivers, you are likely to see a considerable and immediate improvement. But as anyone who has gone down that route will tell you, it won’t last. The only way to get long term, sustainable results is by developing and enacting a well thought through plan, which is where we and our expertise can help. “Furthermore, we appreciate that every transport operation is, in its own way, unique. Therefore, the way in which the results are interpreted and how programmes are developed to ensure the maximum benefit is derived from the intelligence gathered is critical and different in every case. Also, putting all this together is a specialist task – one which certainly requires more than a few minutes briefing and explanation. “So our answer is that we seek to get as close to our customers as possible. We look to gain a real insight into their businesses, their needs and the demands placed upon them. That’s why we offer an on-going consultancy service, whereby our team of in-house specialists work in close collaboration with customers. Once we have that understanding, we employ an advanced range of analysis tools, such as MiX Insight Reports and MiX Insight Analyser, to aid the efficiency-gaining process and get the best possible results. As a result, our customers get to see – and more importantly, understand – the complete picture, which is why we call the service we provide a solution. Anything less is just a sale.” T: 0121 717 5360 / 0179 350 0100 W: www.mixtelematics.com/en/

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COACH&BUSMARKET – the place to buy and sell

To advertise on these pages for as little as £30 just call 01733 293247 Network Warrington have the following vehicles for sale

For Sale: Due to fleet replacement, we need to sell up to 5 of the following and don’t mind which 5! Dennis Plaxton R Series Cummins 420 2003: 2 x 49/53 seats with WC, 3 x 53 seats 2004: 5 x 53 seats 2005: 2 x 53 seats Volvo B12B Plaxton Paragon: 2006: 2 x 49/53 seats with WC, 1 x 53 seats All are well maintained, low mileage examples (approximately 62,000km per annum) with long MoT, air conditioning and AStronic/Easyshift gearboxes. Owned by us from new and used on our own holiday programme. All over cream. Priced to sell at £37,000 (03 reg), £48,000 (04 reg), £59,000 (05 reg) and £89,000 (06 reg) plus VAT (£3,000 premium for WC). Sorry no part exchange facilities!

To view contact Tom Smith, Operations Manager, Alfa Travel on 08451 305777

Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Recovery Dismantlers Parts Sales

Dennis Pointer Dart Mk2 x 100 All spares available - includes engine, gearboxes, seats, etc.

Call: 01226 727769 Mobile: 07912 103497 Email: geoff-ripley@btconnect.com www.geoff-ripleysbuscoachsales.com

SUBSTANTIAL FREEHOLD 7 BED DETACHED HOUSE 2 minutes J23/M25 South Mimms/Potters Bar (London Olympics 25 minutes)

SMALL YARD AND PARKING FOR UP TO 10 MINIBUSES

Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m 1999, Choice of 6, Cummins 6BT, Allison AT545 4 speed auto, Marshall body, 40 seats. Contact Damian Graham (Engineering Director) Warrington Borough Transport Ltd Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington WA4 6PT. Tel 01925 634296

WANTED VW SHUTTLE OR CARAVELLE LWB AUTO OR MANUAL ANY MILEAGE CONSIDERED IMMEDIATE PURCHASE AND COLLECTION Kevin Potters Bar Coach Hire 01707 652706 anytime Registration Numbers for sale:

PFK 473 YRK 631

Established 10 years £650,000 Freehold May sell just business £50,000

On retention documents transfer paid.

Also 1 BED LUXURY MAISONETTE

£1,000 each no VAT

Next to Potters Bar BR station £195,000 Principles only please, apply in first instance to pbch@ymail.com or call 07941 063540

Potters Bar Coach Hire 01707 652706 anytime

Volvo B12M VanHool

Manual, choice of two, 2002 & 2003, both with new MOT, low miles, owned from new, both 51 seaters, full exec with rear toilet and rear servery, selling due to fleet upgrade

£55,000 and £65,000

Contact Ian 01443 681995

COACH&BUSMARKET Looking for a great deal to sell your vehicles? Photos and full colour as standard on all vehicle for sale advertisements Contact Jade Cassidy now on 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk

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60 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

COACH&BUSMARKET – the place to buy and sell

To advertise on these pages for as little as £30 just call 01733 293247 1998 Volvo B10M Plaxton Paramount 49 Seats Toilet and Video MOT Jan 2013 £14,000.00

01948 860405 (Chester)

Mercedes Sprinter 515CDI Executive 16 seat coach

First Reg: April 2009 tested March 2013 Spec includes: Aircon front and rear, rack blowers and reading lights, power door and auto gearbox and very large luggage boot. Excellent throughout £39,995.00 + VAT

Mercedes 814D Vario 24 seat coach with 3 point belts First Reg: November 2007 tested August 2012 Very low mileage, immaculate condition. Inspection welcome, full service history £34,950.00 + VAT

Contact Karl – Tel: 01606 786833 Mobile: 07841 110426

COACH&BUSMARKET

Looking for a great deal to sell your vehicles? Contact Jade Cassidy now for details of our current offers : 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

FOR SALE BY TENDER 1240 x Surplus ‘Tait T2030’

MOBILE RADIOS

Dublin Bus provides public transport bus services within the greater Dublin area.

In 2001 Dublin Bus upgraded the VHF radio system to a Tait Private Mobile Radio (PMR) system. Included in this system was the ʻT2030ʼ mobile radio (400-470MHz narrow band trunked radio) which was installed in each bus to allow direct communications between the bus driver and supervisor. In 2011 Dublin Bus upgraded the Tait mobile radio with the introduction of an Automatic Vehicle Location system throughout the fleet.

As a result of this upgrade Dublin Bus now have 1240 x ʻT2030ʼ mobile radios for sale. The units are boxed in units of 10, ready to be shipped. The successful party will be responsible for carriage, insurance etc when removing the radios from Dublin Bus Premises in Dublin City. Bids will be considered for one, some or all of the radios.

To request a Tender Document or to arrange to inspect the radios, please contact the following: chris.quinlan@dublinbus.ie (00 353 1 7033472) or Paul.duffy@dublinbus.ie (00 353 17033474) www.dublinbus.ie

Closing date: 5pm, June 27th 2004 (54) Neoplan Starliner Tri-Axle Corporate/Team Coach

Registration Number for sale:

C4 STS 32 leather seats around 8 tables, full rear servery with fridges, ice machine, hot water, microwave and airline style food warmers, 3 extra fridges throughout coach, airline style overhead lockers, 240v inverter and onboard generator, Blaupunkt sound system with DVD & SKY TV (2 screens), extra mini screens on a separate channel on both front tables, ASTronic gearbox, A/C, WC, fully carpeted, removable ski box, spare seats.

£87,000 + VAT o.n.o.

For more details call Patrick 01787 477701/ 07730 671064

On retention document transfer paid.

£5,000 no VAT Potters Bar Coach Hire 01707 652706 anytime

Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk

553368-1042-Pembridge

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NEW PRE-REGISTERED FORDS

New Ford Transit 17 seat 4.3ton 135ps minibus. From £20,595 + VAT

OTHER MAKES

FORD TRANSIT MINIBUSES

(11) 2011 Ford Transit 9 seat Shuttle Bus, twin side loading doors, large rear luggage area, delivery miles only £16,995 (11) 2011 Ford Transit 15 seat 3.5 ton, 2.4tdi engine 115ps, tacho, 10,000 km £17,500

(10) 2010 Ford Transit 17 seat M/R 140PS with air-con, tacho, COIF/PSV £17,995 (

(56) Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4tdi 115ps, high back seats, electric windows, central locking, 66,000 miles, FSH, COIF/PSV £9,995 (53) 2003 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4 td minibus, high back seats with three point belts, tacho, air-con, COIF/PSV £6,995 (52) 2003 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4tdi, tacho, towbar, high back seats with three point belts, COIF/PSV £6,495

LDV MINIBUSES

(57) 2007 LDV Maxus 15 seat minibus, high back seats with three point belts £7,495

SOLD

(03) 2003 LDV Convoy Maxi XLWB 17 seat mini-coach, 2.4 Tdi, front entry drop step, luggage racks, rear heating, wide aisle, rear row of seats removable, New PSV £6,495

OTHER MAKES

New Renault Master 17 seat LM35/ 2.2di 125ps, six speed, satnav, tacho, fully tracked floor with removable seats £21,995 (09) 2009 Renault Master 16 seat minibus, tacho,high back seats with three point belts, 35,000km £15,650

New Peugeot Boxer 16 seat 3.5 ton and 17 seat wheelchair accessible minibuses, 2.2 diesel 120ps, six speed gearbox LEZ COMPLIANT From £23,500 + VAT (07) 2007 Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat minibus, high back seats, rear two rows of seats on tracking, 33,000 miles COIF/PSV £9,500 (07) Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat minibus, 2.2 diesel with three point seat belts, 28,000 miles, COIF/PSV £10,495

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

(08) Renault Master LWB 3.5 ton, 2.5 tdi, six seats, fully tracked floor, inboard Ricon Clearway lift, one owner from new, 40,000 miles £16,750 (57) LDV Maxus LWB 9 seats tracking to take two wheelchairs, inboard lift, 49,000 miles, £9,995

SOLD

(54) 2005 Renault Master 13 seat wheelchair access minibus, inboard Ricon lift, fully tracked floor, rear heating, electric side step, 56,000 miles £8,995 (03) 2003 Fiat Doblo SX 1.9 diesel, low floor, four seats plus one wheelchair, lightweight ramp, 45,000 miles £3,495 Y 2001 Renault Mascot 2.8 diesel, 16 seat wheelchair accessible minibus, front entry drop step, fully tracked floor to take five wheelchairs, under floor lift, rear heating, COIF/PSV £6,495

Contact Graham Thatcher – email: sales@minibussales.co.uk

Tel: 01633 485858 Mobile: 07866 443304

Pembridge House, The Park Business Centre, Plough Road, Goytre, Penperlleni, Nr Usk, South Wales NP4 0AL – 10 minutes from M4 motorway. Viewing by appointment only Finance Contract Hire and Finance Lease Available. We deliver Nationwide. All vehicles prepared to VOSA standard COIF/PSV specialist

All above prices are subject to VAT @ 20%

553180-1042-Ensign:Layout 1

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Ensig DOUBLE DECK 1999 T/V REG DENNIS TRIDENTS

LEZ

COMPLIANT

Cummins/Voith, LEZ compliant with traps, Plaxton President bodies, 62 seats dual door (£13,000) or 70 when converted to single door (£16,000).

Cummins/Voith, LEZ compliant for 2012 with traps to Euro 4, CCTV, Alexander ALX400 bodies, DDA compliant or upseated to 80 seats.

1999/2000 T/V/X REG DENNIS TRIDENTS

Cummins / Allison, Wrights Cadet body, ramp, wheelchair space, Hanover LEDʼs, CCTV, 39 retrimmed individual seats, from our own fleet and very tidy.

2000 DAF SB120

1999 T/V REG DENNIS DART SLF’S

Caetano Compass bodies, 39 seats, ramps, £7000 each plus tyres.

1998 R REG VOLVO OLYMPIAN

1997/98 VOLVO OLYMPIANS

Volvo Euro 2 engines, ZF gearboxes, Northern Counties bodies, 78 seats.

ZF automatic, 74 seats, dual door, CONVERTIBLE open topper, so can still be used in the Winter! One only.

1995 M REG DENNIS DRAGONS

2000 X REG VOLVO B7LA ARTIC

Cummins/Voith gearboxes, Duple Metsec bodies, recent floors and 92 coach seats.

120 capacity, new MOT on sale, last one remaining.

2001 DDA COMPLIANT DENNIS DARTS

Plaxton Pointer 2 dual door bodies, 31 seats, CCTV, particulate traps fitted, LEZ 2012 compliant, only £6,500 each plus tyres (£400)

2001 Y REG DART SLF’S

Cummins/Allison, LEZ compliant for 2012 with traps to Euro 4, CCTV, Alexander ALX200 bodies with either 30 seats and 2 doors or 34 seats converted to single door, ramps, DDA certified and compliant. 10.8m 37 seaters now available.

OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY -

Juliette Close, Purfleet Industrial Telephone 01708 865656 Fax: 01708 8 Visit our website for current s

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nbus ER SPECIALIST 31 seats, Euro 3 Mercedes engine, new MOT.

2004 OPTARE SOLO

GREAT VALUE DENNIS DARTS!!!

2006 MAN NEOPLAN EUROLINER

ZF automatic, 49 seat exec, air-con, toilet, only one available.

1996/7 N and R Reg with Plaxton bodies, 35/40 seats, single door, long tests. £4500 plus tyres

Hanover LEDʼs, East Lancs Myllenium body, 39 seats.

2003 MAN 14.220

Euro 3, ZF automatics, 35 seats, East Lancs Myllenium bodies. Only £15,000.

Euro 4, Wrights Gemini bodies, dual door, 68 seats.

Cummins Euro 3 ISB engine, Allison gearbox, Caetano Nimbus body, 10.7m, 37 seats, full DDA.

East Lancs Myllenium body, 80 coach seats with 3 point belts, LEDʼs, digi tacho, CCTV.

2003 MAN 14.220’S

2002 DENNIS DART SLF

2007 VOLVO B9TL’S

2007 VDL BUS DB250

2004 SCANIA

1999 S REG SUPER POINTER DART

2001 X REG DENNIS DART MPD’S

2000 X REG VOLVO B6

ZF auto, 49 seats, air-con, toilet, only one available.

25 seats, ramps, good MOTʼs.

11.3m, uprated engine and Allison World Series gearbox, 41 seats.

ZF automatic, SLF, Wrights body.

- BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BUS DEALERS Park, Purfleet, Essex, RM15 4YF 8 864340 e-mail: sales@ensignbus.com t stock at www.ensignbus.com

555907-1042-Eastwoods

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THE FINEST DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIER 12M COACH FOR SALE TODAY! Mileage 232,000 km, Cummins engine, auto box, 52 reclining seat+courier, tinted double glazed glass, curtains, reversing camera, new first MOT, Goodyear tyres all round. Full service history from new

This coach must be seen and tried.

ÂŁ POA

555649-1041-Bowen

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555806-1042-Ventura

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June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 67

Mercedes 612 Vario • Long wheel base • Wheelchair lift • 16 seats • Tracking MOT – 15th April 2012

2005 Ford Transit 410

Factory minibus, fitted with 14 moquette h/b coach seats, COIF, tacho and new PSV, 120,000 miles

£5950

Price:

£6,999 ONO TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

DARTLINE

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

THE SUMMER COACH & BUS AUCTION Saturday 7th July 2012, 10.30am Viewing Friday 6th July 2012 Prees Storage Ltd, A49, Prees, Higher Heath, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 3JX

COACHES, SERVICE BUSES, MINI BUSES ALREADY RECEIVED FROM NATIONAL & FAMILY OPERATORS

FREE ONLINE BIDDING AVAILABLE Click the link on our website to register

3x Optare Solos

2005, 33 seats, 9.2m long, Mercedes engines, approx. 200,000 miles each, well maintained, Mobitec destination boards, MOTs Nov/Dec 2012

£35,000 each, reduced if more than 1 taken

Contact Simon on 01392 872900

1999/2000 Dennis Trident Alexander ALX 400 V and X reg, long wheelbase, EURO 4

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

Contact Charlie Foyle or Graham Johnson with your additional single items or Parcels of equipment

01630 674326 or Fax 01630 674356 www.malcolmharrison.co.uk auctions@malcolmharrison.co.uk All overseas and first time buyers not known to the auctioneer must lodge £1000 refundable deposit on registration by cash/credit/debit card.

MALCOLM HARRISON AUCTIONS

MAN Marco Polo Triaxle • Reg – 1st April 2001 • 49+1+1 plus WC • Fainsa grey/multi moquette seats + lap belts • Manual gearbox • 2,812,122km • MOT – 25/00/2013

Price: £25,000 ONO TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

554114-1023-Eastwoods

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2003 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PROFILE Registered Dec 2003, double glazed tinted glass, Cummins 275 engine, 6 speed manual gearbox, 49 seats, toilet & washroom, ready for immediate use, MoT tested, 120,000 miles, choice of two. £P.O.A

Straight from MOD

VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER

Dec 07, low mileage, 7 seats, quick release tracking for wheelchair use. £12,500 + VAT

MERCEDES VARIO 612

1998, 20 new seats, wheelchair lift on wheel tracking, 20 new seats. Choice of 6. TRADE SALE OR SEPARATE

06 MAN EVOLUTION

14/220, 37 seats, SLF automatic, wheelchair ramp, superb condition throughout, fully MoT’d. £45,500 Part exchange considered

1995 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIER HIGHLINER 53 recliner seats, 290 Cummins, automatic, continental door, toilet, full years MoT, must be seen. £POA + VAT £19,500

BERKOF RADIAL 1998

53 seats, seats, Cummins 53 Cummins 300 300 engine, ex ex council, engine, council, manual box, box, air cond, manual cond, MoT, veryMoT, low mileage, full years very low mileage, super condition. super condition. £POA £19,500

02 LDV

Minibus with 12 seats, long MOT, wheelchair lift and very clean.

£P.O.A.

CAETANO (SALVADOR) 1998

57 seats, in white, Cummins 245 engine, MoT Sept 2012, very clean vehicle. £19,500 + VAT

1996 DENNIS JAVELIN

10 metre, new MoT, 41/47 seats, 220 Cummins, 6 speed box, new stretch panels, repainted. Choice of 2. £POA + VAT

BMC AIRPORT BUS

32 seats, 220 Cummins, new MoT this week. QUICK SALE WANTED.

£15,000

1996 VOLVO PLAXTON PREMIER HIGH LINER

B10 engine, 14 months test, 70 seats, tinted double glazing with curtains & continental door, must be seen. £POA

554114-1023-Eastwoods

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IVECO SERVICE BUS

67 seats (moquet), new 2006, only 12,000 miles since new, Vihixel body, auto gearbox, air-con, MOT full year, LEZ, must be seen, superb condition.

£65,000 + VAT PX considered.

PLAXTON PARAGON 48 reclining seats plus courier seat, air-con.

£49,500 + VAT

03 MERCEDES VARIO

With wheelchair lift, 13 seats, low mileage.

£12,000 + VAT

1995 PLAXTON PREMIER

B10 engine In excellent condition throughout MOT

£16,000 +VAT

02 SETRA

Model S-315 GT HD, 6 cylinder MAN engine, manual 6 speed gearbox, 49 seater, full air conditioning, many extras, full year MOT

£45,000 + VAT

Part exchange considered

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70 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

06 BMC ProBus VOLVO B6 BLE ALEXANDER ALX P & R REG

• 35 seats • Aircon • Immaculate condition • Less than 100,000kms • MOT – 03/05/2013

35 seats

From £3,750

Price:

£29,950 ONO

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

Mercedes 612 Vario • Whitaker conversion • Wheelchair lift • 14 seats • Tracking • First Reg - June 1998 3 point seatbelts MOT - 22nd August 2012 Price:

ADL ENVIRO 200 58/09 REG 29 seats Choice of 4

From £59,950

£4,499 ONO

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

BUS & CO A CH S A LE S

2010 2010 2009 2008 2006

Volvo B12B Prestige 49/51 seats A/C . . . . .£149,000 MAN Panther DDA 49 seats A/C . . . . . . . . .£120,000 Mercedes Rhinobus 29 seats A/C . . . . . . . . .£29,000 Iveco S2000 Irisbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£12,000 Mercedes Touro 49 seats A/C . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95,000

2006 2004 2004 2003 1998

MAN Plaxton 49 seats A/C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£95,000 MAN Marco Polo 70 seats A/C . . . . . . . . . . . .£46,000 MAN Noge Catalan 51 seats A/C . . . . . . . . .£44,000 MAN Marco Polo 70 seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£39,000 Merc Beaver 27 seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£5,000

TO VIEW CALL 07979 295668

p00_CBW_1042 Blythswood

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p72_CBW_1042

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72 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

Mercedes 612 Vario Due to fleet replacement

FOR SALE BY TENDER

• Whitaker conversion • Wheelchair lift • 14 seats • Tracking • First Reg - June 1998 3 point seatbelts MOT - 7th December 2012 Price:

£4,999 ONO

• 38 x ‘AV’ BUS: x Volvo B7TL DD/Alexander (Falkirk & Belfast) ‘ALX400’ Double Deck (Year 2000, Volvo D7C-215 / ZF4HP502C) Single Door-Seating Capacity-U/S 49 , L/S 26 & W/Chair or 27 +15 Standees

• 6 x ‘WV’ Bus: Volvo B6BLE / Wrights Crusader Single Deck Buses (Year 2000, Volvo D6A / ZF4HP500) Passenger Capacity: 35 Seats & 20 StandeesAll the above are Super low floor with powered wheelchair ramp and space and are fitted with ʻFogmakerʼ fire suppression equipment.

TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

Toyota Optimo 4 • Manual - 5 speed • Seatbelts • 16 seats • First Reg – April 1998 • MOT – March 2013 Price:

£4,999 ONO TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

ALSO AVAILABLE:

• 2 x ‘RV’ Bus: Volvo Olympian/Alexander (Belfast) R-Type Double Deck Buses

1995 Registered, Cummins L10 / ZF4HP500, Passenger capacity: 74 Seats & 13 Standees, Step Entrance, Dual Door – Fitted with ʻFogmakerʼ fire suppression equipment. 9.6M bodies.

THESE VEHICLES ARE CONVERTED TO TRAINING SCHOOL CONFIGURATION ALL VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD AS SEEN AND COME WITH TYRES INCLUDED IN SALE. To arrange to view the vehicles or to request a Tender Form, please contact Chris Quinlan, Procurement Manager, on 00 353 1 7033472 chris.quinlan@dublinbus.ie, or Paul Duffy, Procurement Department on 00 353 1 7033474 paul.duffy@dublinbus.ie during office hours. Bidders may offer for one, some or all of the vehicles. Vehicles will be off service by end December 2012 CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF SEALED BIDS: 17.00Hrs on Friday, July 6th 2012

2009 09 REG FORD TRANSIT

15 seat factory bus with only 9K miles, tacho, COIF applied for

£14,250

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552 DENNIS DART PLAXTON POINTER SLF

P reg with 29/32 seats, recent retrim, metallic silver, new test.

£5,950

For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

555709-1042-Pickrell

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H.W. PICKRELL MINIBUS AND WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

Gardiners Lane North • Crays Hill • Billericay • Essex • CM11 2XE Tel: 01268 521033 • Mobile: 07860 894331 • Fax: 01268 284951

Email: sales@hwpickrell.co.uk - www.hwpickrell.co.uk

Finance available on all vehicles (subject to status) Written details on request.

WH E E LCH AIR ACCE S S IBL E MI NI BUS E S

60 REG RENAULT MASTER SM33 2.5TD

06 REG RENAULT MASTER SL33 2.2TD

06 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.2TD

2008 08 REG IVECO 50c15 IRIS BUS 2.8 TD

Manual gearbox, high roof, Advance conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 6 high back seats plus 2 x w/chair, heater, air con, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 2,060 miles only.

Manual gearbox, low roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 4 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 17,491 miles.

Automatic gearbox, high roof, SCW conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 7 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 11,831 miles.

Auto Agile gearbox, Irisbus conversion, electric windows, power front entry plug door, 16 high back removable seats with all age seat belts, Rratcliff tail lift, COIF, new PSV MOT, only 45,000 kms.

07 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

07 REG RENAULT MASTER LH35 2.5TD

09 PEUGEOT EXPERT TEPEE 1.9 HDI

07 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.2TD

Manual gearbox, high roof, Warnerbus conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, sat nav, 6 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Webasto, Unwin innotrax floor, Ricon tail lift, 14,300 miles only.

LWB, hi roof, multi purpose office/comms unit, PAS, SLD with AVS side step, awning, 3 x workstations, amber light, bars front and rear, overhead storage lockers, heating, generator, microwave, tv, only 1,500 miles.

Manual 5 speed gearbox, PAS, CD player, air con, twin side loading doors, 2 high back seat in rear, double passenger seat front, cut out floor, fold down ramp, blue metallic silver, alloy wheels, 14,932 miles.

Manual gearbox, high roof, Warner bus conversion, PAS, side loading door, electric side step, 7 high back seats plus 2 x w/chair, Webasto heater, Unwin Innotrax tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 23,480 miles.

2004/05 54 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 416CDI AMBULANCE

07 REG FORD TRANSIT 350 2.4TD

06 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5TD

07 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 313 CDI 2.2

LWB, Macneillie van conversion, SLD, 2 rear high back seats, Ferno Falcon stretcher & locks, stretcher lift, blue light bars and siren, very high spec, low miles 65-85,000 miles only, choice of 8.

Long wheelbase, high roof, 6 seater crew van, PAS, SLD, rear partion for storage & tools in rear, Eberspacher heater, overhead storage, microwave, hot water box, wash facilties, 27,000 miles only.

Manual, PAS, LWB, PTS ambulance conversion, SLD, 6 rear high back seats, Ferno stretcher locks, Ricon stretcher lift , Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracking, exNHS, 36,100 miles only.

6 speed manual, a/c, Frank Guy conversion, side loading door, 8 x high back Cogent reclining removable seats, tracked floor, PLS in board tail lift, 34,500 miles only, choice of two.

2012 UN REG IVECO DAILY 45C IRIS BUS 3.0TD

54 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI

58 REG FORD TRANSIT TOURNEO CONNECT 1.8 HDI

2009 59 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO SL28 2.0 TD

Agile gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, front power door, 16 high back CT seats, m2 tested fully tracked flat floor, roof vent, new Ratcliff tail lift, new conversion.

Tiptronic gearbox, Euromotive PSC bus conversion, front entry slam door with low entry step, 16 x high back removable seats, Eberspacher, ex local authority, COIF'd, tacho fitted, only 66,780 kms.

Manual gearbox, CD, electric windows & mirrors, A/C, twin side loading doors, 2 high back seat in rear, single passenger seat front, cut out floor, air suspension, fold down ramp, high spec, 24,000 miles.

Manual gearbox, low roof, O & H conversion, PAS, twin side loading door, side step, 4 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, modified low floor, electric winch & fold out ramp, 15,491 miles.

07 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 313CDI 2.2

06 REG RENAULT MASTER SM 33 2.2TD

2004 54 REG IVECO 50c13 IRIS BUS 2.8 TURBO DIESEL

2009 09 REG VAUXHALL MOVANO L M39 2.5TD

6 speed manual, a/c, Frank Guy crew van, side loading door, 8 x high back Cogent reclining removable seats, tracked floor, large storage area ideal airport shuttle bus, 34,500 miles only, choice of two.

Manual gearbox, high roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 6 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, air con, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 21253.441 miles.

Manual, LWB, PAS, factory conversion, electric windows, cruise control, low front entry slam door, 16 high back seats with all age seat belts, full air con, exlocal authority, COIF, new PSV MOT, only 80,341 kms.

Manual, high roof, PAS, LWB, new conversion, side loading door, AVS side step, 14 high back seats, AMF m2 fully tracked floor, new Ricon tail lift, tacho fitted, only 6,646 miles.

53 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 416 CDI

56 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

08 REG VW T RANSPORTER BLUEBIRD TUCANA LIBRARY/OFFICE/COMS UNIT

2005/06 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVK TREKA

4x4 ambulance, LWB, Wilker box body conversion, full air con/climate, side loading door, 3 high back seats, Falcon stretcher, PLS stretcher lift, very high spec, one owner ex Air Force, only 25,950 kms.

Manual gearbox, high roof, Warnerbus conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, sat nav, 6 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, air con, Unwin Innotrax floor, Ricon tail lift, 14,300 miles only.

2.8 TD, automatic transmission, PAS, power side loading door, n/s wind out awning, wheelchair accessible, storage lockers, heating, lots more, low kms.

Auto gearbox, LWB, PAS, N/S/F electric power door, 16 high back removable seats on Unwin tracking, Eberspacher, Ratcliff underfloor tail lift, ex-midland council, COIFʼd, choice of 3.

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74 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

MAYPOLE COACHES COACH OPERATORS FOR OVER 50 YEARS DUE TO RESTRUCTURING HAVE THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES FOR SALE: Belted, S/D con, tacho, Eminox, Euro 4, driver air con, 60 mph, 12 mths MOT £16,000 + VAT

81 SEATS VOLVO OLYMPIAN

Eminox exhaust, air con, 60 mph, 12 mths MOT, £11,500 + VAT

74 SEAT BELTED

As above £10,000 + VAT

74 SEATS WITHOUT BELTS

1994 VOLVO B10M JONCKHEERE DEAUVILLE

2003 Neoplan Skyliner • 75 seater • Low mileage and excellent condition • Euro 4 with RPC • Mercedes V8/AsTronic box. • Ski box • MOT Oct 2012 Probably the best Skyliner available Photos available

Bargain at £89,000 + VAT

Tel: 01296 398300 Motts Travel, Buckinghamshire

Retrimmed 2 yr ago, 12 mths MOT, 51 seats with belts, toilet, DVD/monitor £12,500 + VAT

1993 VOLVO B10M VANHOOL T8 BODYWORK

12 mths MOT, toilet, DVD/monitor, 49 seats with belts £11,000 + VAT 63 seats, ZF auto, 3 point belts, 12 mths MOT, tacho £5,500 + VAT

1992 LEYLAND LYNX

60 coach seats 3 point belts,Cummins/ Allison, 12 mths MOT, tacho, radio £5,900 + VAT

1996 BLUEBIRD BUS

Tel: 0151 547 2713 or 07802 235778

Scania VanHool K124 DENNIS DART PLAXTON POINTER SFL

R reg, 36 seats plus standing plus wheelchair, choice of 3

£2,950 each to clear For more information visit

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774/07803 222552

Iveco Maxim II • Registration date – 1/12/05 • 29+1+1 • Blue/grey leather & moquette seats • Manual • 410,000km

• Test – 22/2/13 Tax – 31/8/12 Price: £29,950 ONO TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

• Registration Date – 16/01/01 • 49+1+1 plus WC • Red moquette/yellow leather seats + lap belts • Automatic • 245,000km • MOT – 12/10/12 Price:

£39,950 ONO TELEPHONE 02476 363 004 • SALES@KINGLONGUK.COM WWW.KINGLONGUK.COM Kinglong Direct Limited, Three Spires Industrial Estate, Ibstock Road, Coventry CV6 6JR

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

COACH&BUSMARKET Looking for a great deal to sell your vehicles? Buy 3 weeks get a 4th week FREE!

Contact Jade Cassidy now on 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

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June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 75

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED HEAVY DUTY STEEL BUILDINGS

BUILDINGS

• Bus Workshops • Secure Storage

• Supplied any width,

any length • Building to BS5590 • Doors high enough for Double Deckers • Finance available Phone for further information

BLUELINE BUILDINGS 01709 578333 anytime BUSINESS FOR SALE

With attached Marine Business (service, repairs and parts). Established over 20 years. Turnover over £300,000 per annum with at least 20% net profit. The Company is debt free with prompt payments from clientele. Would suit an engineering minded person or to tag on to existing company. Possible 50% partnership. Also would consider splitting Company into two. For initial contact write to Box No 28, Rouncy Media Ltd, 3 The Office Village, Forder Way, Cygnet Park, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX

Tel: 01782 791524 or 01782 791527

Fax: 01782 791316

Moorfields Industrial Estate Cotes Heath, Stoke-on-Trent ST21 6QY

Suppliers of Reconditioned DAF MAN MERC, VOLVO SCANIA, GARDNER LEYLAND, CUMMINS ENGINES CYLINDER HEADS CRANKSHAFTS CRANKCASES CAMSHAFTS PUMPS ETC

CHECKPOINTS

DUE TO RETIREMENT

Special needs company for sale

CRAIG TILSLEY

ENGINES

TO PURCHASE CHECKPOINT/DUSTITE loose wheelnut indicators or to locate your nearest stockist:

Tel: 01524 271200 www.checkpoint-safety.com

ENGINES

THE CUMMINS ENGINE SPECIALISTS PARTS & SERVICE DIVISION

D.I.E.S.E.L. LIMITED OFFER A VAST RANGE OF SERVICES FOR ALL TYPES OF CUMMINS ENGINES FREE TECHNICAL ADVICE AND SUPPORT FULL OR 3/4 BUILT RECON ENGINES COMPETITIVE & COST EFFECTIVE SERVICE REPAIRS FIXED PRICE ENGINE REPAIRS/OVERHAULS COMPREHENSIVE PARTS STOCK – NEW AND USED ON SITE REPAIRS FULL ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTICS CONTACT US TODAY FOR ALL YOUR CUMMINS REQUIREMENTS TELEPHONE UK: 01708 859625 FAX UK: 01708 857630 EMAIL: SALES@DIESEL.UK.COM

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

Crewe Engines Ltd MERCEDES ENGINE SPECIALISTS

WE ALSO RECONDITION ALL MAKES OF BUS & COACH ENGINES

Direct from the UK’s No.1 since 1975 Call now for a quote or more information

01270 526333

Federation of Engine Re-Manufacturers

www.creweengines.co.uk

VOLVO - CUMMINS - SCANIA MAN - DAF - IVECO FULL FITTING FACILITIES

SPECIAL OFFERS

Specialists in Used Commercial Garage Equipment BWS 0117 953 0381 www.bwsequip.co.uk

email: bwsequip@hotmail.com

Don’t forget to say that you saw it in

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76 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED INSURANCE

TRAINING

REGISTRATIONS

ESSENTIAL PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES

‘Buy with confidence – CNDA Member’

£750 20 TXA 4O SXA 90 KXH 90 SXP ALZ 303 AXZ 88 IIG 89 RXI 85 YIL 71

£350 £99 £99 £50 AJZ 262 HIG 5338 MNZ 1195 CXZ 4471 JBZ 484 HIG 5339 ONZ 1180 CXZ 4472 JJZ 858 IIG 7764 REZ 3369 DFZ 4693 NUI 737 IIG 7765 RUI 2117 DFZ 4694 PXI 494 JIG 8894 SEZ 5766 DRZ 8551 RBZ 696 JIG 8895 SUI 8836 DRZ 8552 RDZ 545 KIG 5113 SUI 8837 IFZ 8350 UIW 626 KIG 5114 TJZ 1116 IFZ 8360 XJI 474 MJZ 6749 TJZ 1119 JFZ 8393 We Buy for Cash, also Part Exchange

Tel: (028) 6638 7124 Fax: (028) 6638 7771

Millwood, Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland BT94 5HQ

TICKETING

QUALITY APPROVED PRODUCTS, FAST DELIVERY

SPEEDY REGISTRATIONS CO LTD G £50 JFZ 8394 JIG 6715 JIG 6716 KIG 6608 KIG 6609 RNZ 2214 RNZ 2215 TUI 5921 TUI 5922

DRIVERS DAILY DEFECT BOOKS, MAINTENANCE WALL PLANNERS, SAFETY INSPECTION PADS, TACHOS, DRIVERS WALLETS ETC. CALL ORDERLINE: 01329 280280 Email: info@wardint.co.uk

CPC Nat / International Driver CPC Digital Tachograph Drivers’ Hours Tachograph Analysis

DRIVER CPC PERIODIC TRAINING AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE

Ward International Consulting Ltd 70 Marks Tey Road, Fareham, Hants PO14 3UR www.wardint.co.uk

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED

Looking for a great deal to promote your products and services? Contact Jade Cassidy now for details of our current offers : 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

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June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 77

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED TYRE EQUIPMENT

VEHICLE SPARES

New Van & Minibus Parts

B Series 5-9 Short Engine ESN 29111177 DRUK 0032SERX

Cummins L10 Short Motor

Ford Transit Millennium Van Bodyshells Unused £500+vat

LDV Peugeot 2.5D, EN55 OE Engines

Leyland GB397,390

Leyland DAF 45 Euro 2 Cabs From £500 +vat

MASTER SIDE DOORS £200+vat

MB Sprinter 616 Axel part no A9053500300

MB Sprinter Crafter 906 MWB (UNUSED) Body shell

MB Sprinter Mk3 Doors

MB Sprinter VW LT Doors old model £150+vat

Mercedes Benz E Class 1246005005 Bodyshells

Nissan 2-7 TD New

Peugeot Boxer Relay Fiat Ducato Doors £300+vat pair

Renault 1-9 CDI F9Q Engines New

Renault Master Rear Mavano Doors £300+vat Pair

Transit 2.5Di Diesel Ford OE Engines

Transit 17 sweater

transit Millennium Bus £750+vat

Transit Millennium Doors £100+vat

Transit Tourneo Seats

VW1-9 CDI ANUCode SHARAN GALAXY

ZF 16S-109

ZF Astronic 12-AS-1930-TD

VEHICLE SPARES

Trevor Wigley & Son Bus Ltd

TW FULLY LICENSED END OF LIFE VEHICLE CENTRE

TW REDUNDANT AND SCRAP VEHICLES TAKEN TW PROFESSIONAL, EFFICIENT SERVICE TW ALL REQUIREMENTS CATERED FOR TW VARIOUS SPARES AVAILABLE TW CONTACT US FOR FULL AVAILABILITY

Call 01226 723147 Night Service 01226 716479 Fax 01226 700199 Email wigleys@btconnect.com

www.twigley.com

www.cabmasters.com 01706 211 838

78 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 27, 2012

Seen something funny? Send it to gareth.evans@rouncymedia.co.uk, fax 0845 2802927 or write to: Last Stop, Coach & Bus Week, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX

Monday: Press day. As is the norm, by 1000hrs I’m on my fourth coffee. Thankfully, manage to finish work at not too late an hour. Tuesday: Rise early to take my fiancée to work, before heading to Birmingham for the ATCO Conference, where I get a warm welcome. The walk-on train fare is far more expansive than driving, even taking into account the £3.50 daily parking. Perhaps stupidly, drive back in the afternoon rather than staying over, but fortunately enjoy a nice clear run. Visitor, Joe (left), samples the soundbite system on his smartphone with Museum volunteer John Walker (right)

Sounds good… A museum in Manchester is at the leading edge of technology, using QR codes and smartphones to bring its exhibits to life. Greater Manchester’s Museum of Transport, in Cheetham just outside Manchester City Centre, claims to have the country’s best collection of vintage buses. Drawn from all over Greater Manchester the vehicles are the centrepiece of a collection of sixty buses and coaches taking visitors on a trip down memory lane to the days of twopenny bus rides and coach trips to the seaside. Visitors can admire the beautiful paintwork and ornate town crest painted on the side. They can board many of the buses and show their

Dilbert

children where they sat on the way to school. But there hasn’t been a way to hear what the buses sounded like – until now, as the museum has made recordings of many of its vehicles in action, either driving past or riding onboard. It has then used smartphone technology to bring the buses back to life. Museum volunteer and soundbite project manager Adam Stephenson explained how the system works. “Every bus, tram or lorry has in front of it an ‘interpretation board’, telling you about the vehicle with things like how many passengers it carries or what year it was built. We’ve added a ‘QR code’ to the board which most modern smartphones can use and if you scan the code with your phone you’ll download a sound clip off the internet – so you can hear as well as

see the bus.” The museum has added over 20 sound clips for its buses so far, and more will be added as the buses take occasional trips out and recordings will be made to add to the vintage sound set. “It’s a really new innovation, we’re not aware of other museums doing it and we’re only a volunteer group – so we’re quite proud of our idea,” said Adam. Remember - you heard it here first… If you want to hear what a 1959 bus sounds like as it sets off from the bus stop, just go to the museum’s sample clip at http://www.gmts.co.uk/qr/27. mp3. The Museum of Transport is in Boyle Street, Cheetham, M8 8UW and is open every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday.

Wednesday: A second day meeting CBW readers & local authority transport professionals at the ATCO conference. Talk to Sir Brian Souter for the first time. He’s every bit as charismatic, frank and knowledgeable as his reputation. Enjoy a catch up with Robert Jack over lunch. Gain some invaluable stock pics – including the second ‘Big Picture’ required for the National Express in-depth feature. Spot several drivers I once worked with at Hockley and Birmingham Central garages but their eyes are rightly fixed on the road. Despite being a country lad at heart, don the rose tints and harp back to a life in the city – as opposed to a cathedral town (Peterborough). Thursday: A hectic day in the office working on the Stagecoach super feature. The IT system upgrade has not gone as smoothly as planned. Work round it as well as I can. Friday: The IT problems continue and I find myself getting seriously cheesed off – the clock is ticking and the production schedule is being severely hammered. As ever, humour is the best way to deal with stress. I muse that I feel like Fred who used to present the weather on ITV This Morning when it was broadcast from Liverpool – jumping from island to island... Don’t leave the office until 1930hrs.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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RECRUITMENT

Deadlines Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm

June 27, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 79

Contact Ian Gillis 01733 293484

ian.gillis@rouncymedia.co.uk

New Service Delivery Director for First Yorkshire

National Express strengthens senior management team

First has appointed a new Service Delivery Director in Yorkshire. Ben Gilligan, 31, takes over responsibility for First’s service delivery across Yorkshire. This includes the operational day-today running of over 1,500 buses from 10 depots (Hunslet, Bramley, Halifax, Huddersfield, Todmorden, Bradford, York, Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham). Ben joined First as a graduate trainee 10 years ago. He has run First’s Huddersfield depot and has also worked as Operations Director in Aberdeen, as well as UK Bus Performance Director. In 2010 he took over the role of Operations Director for First in West and North Yorkshire. Ben replaces Bob Hamilton who has recently retired from both First and the industry as a whole. Commenting on his appointment,

National Express has appointed Matthew Beeton as Chief Operating Officer for its Coach business. Matthew joins from Serco, where he was Managing Director of the company’s Transportation Systems division. He brings a breath of experience in the transport industry with a career spanning nearly two decades. Matt has previously worked in the road, rail and aerospace industries, including director positions for Rolls Royce, Bombardier and Northern Rail. Matthew will oversee the operational, maintenance, engineering and partner operators of the Coach business. Matthew said: “This is a really exciting time to join National Express. Transport is a business which affects everyone and I’m

Ben will have responsibility over the day-to-day running on 1,500 Ben Gilligan said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of working with an excellent team of people to ensure the highest standards of service delivery for the benefit our customers are established.” Ben is also a committee member of the Young Bus Managers Network.

PSV Mechanic and a Body Fitter required. Do you fit the bill? Volant PVS is an ambitious, forward thinking company and need like-minded people to join our rapidly expanding team. Based within a purpose built site in Aldridge, the successful candidates will be enthusiastic, qualified and have an obsession with quality and attention to detail.

keen to continue the industry leading progress the company has made in safety and performance. The technological advances being made in coach travel are also an exciting development and I look forward to us providing real time travel information across Britain to our customers.” As part of the role Matt will travel to National Express’ depots and stations across the country. When he is not travelling around the UK, Matthew will be based at National Express UK head office in Birmingham. Matt added: “I’m looking forward to visiting our numerous depots and stations, hearing views of our customers and also our frontline staff who are the face of National Express and crucial to the continued success of our business.”

Qualified Experienced Coach Drivers & Coach Mechanics Required WORK AND LIVE IN

CANADA!!

TRAXX Coachlines requires UK qualified experienced tour coach drivers and coach mechanics to be based in Alberta and British Columbia (Western Canada). TRAXX has depot locations in Medicine Hat, Calgary and Vancouver. Successful applicants will receive Canadian Work Visas with the opportunity in becoming Permanent Residents of Canada. For more information, please contact Nigel Taylor - Chief Operating Officer Email: ntaylor@traxxcoachlines.com

www.traxxcoachlines.com

Sound like you’re the perfect fit? Send your CV to info@volantpvs.co.uk Volant PVS Ltd, Beecham Business Park, Northgate, Aldridge WS9 8TZ T: +44 (0)1922 457003 volantpvs.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com

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