Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1044

Wednesday July 11, 2012 Issue 1044 | ÂŁ2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Setra ComfortClass 500 at Daimler IAA Show preview p16

FACE TO FACE:

An exclusive interview with Stagecoach CEO Sir Brian Souter p20

BUS:

Cardiff Bus MD quits after competition tribunal verdict p5

OPERATOR:

A look round the depots of Stagecoach Manchester p44

for recru i

FOCUS ON

PART TWO

JOB ADV tment EVERY WERTS EEK

Going for Gold in Gloucester p30

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THIS WEEK

Coach & Bus Week, 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 Coach and Bus Week 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.

Greening off her trolley?

D

id you see The Modern Age of Coach Travel on BBC4 last Wednesday night? I was unaware of it until Art Director Keith texted me, whereupon I announced it on CBW’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

In the half I saw, there was no mention of Stagecoach’s Citylink Gold and the high quality interiors of the modern National Express fleet. The megabus story seemed to stop with the ex Hong Kong Olympians – not a peep about the new Plaxtons or Van Hools. Also, how about the fact you can go to Paris from London for £9 on Eurolines and the expansion of the UK’s own Megabus into Europe?

Still, it was good publicity for the Model Bus Federation, thanks to the judicious use of 4mm scale coaches and the mention in the credits. I was interested in the social history elements – the miners’ strike and the so-called ‘New Age Travellers’ (hippies), although perhaps too much time was devoted to the latter. I look forward

to the next instalment to highlight aforementioned glaring omissions.

On a stagecarriage note, the go ahead for the Leeds trolley bus project is interesting. Opinion on CBW’s Facebook page has been decidedly mixed. Perhaps Paul Morfitt hit the nail on the head: “This country is in a mess money wise yet they want to spend nearly £250m on a gimmick! Eight miles of overheads for a park and ride trolleybus service. What a joke!” In a similar vein, Lee Dickenson commented: “Why not just develop it as a busway with high-spec hybrids?”

On the other hand, Dominic Davidson noted: “Good to see investment in public transport.

Unfortunately I don’t think investing in normal buses would achieve the same modal shift.”

I feel they all make valid points – look at the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway as an example of ‘proper’ buses with high quality interiors. Trolley buses? I don’t think so…

Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

30

50

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

18

MD Ian Manning talks about industry matters and gold routes

38

A look at Stagecoach’s 8,514 strong fleet of buses and coaches

Part two of our Stagecoach coverage with history from ’97

20

An insight into Stagecoach East Midlands operations

42

Suppliers and products to maintain and enhance vehicle presentation

Sir Brian Souter discusses politics and technology in the industry

26

Everything Everywhere’s NFC and Stagecoach’s VIX partnership

44

A lighthearted look at the industry.

Plus Gareth’s Diary!

Conductors, WiFi and growth at Stagecoach East Scotland

Meet the directors managing Stagecoach Manchester

All the latest people moves from across the industry

News

Stagecoach Intro Face to Face Insight

Stagecoach West Operator Profile Technology

Manchester Depots

Fleet Analysis

54

Essential Guide

78

Last Stop

79

People

The opinions and views expressed by authors and contributors within Coach & Bus Week are not necessarily those of the Editor or its publisher Coach and Bus Week Ltd.

For all the latest industry news and information, register with us online at:

www.coachandbusweek.com www.coachandbusweek.com

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4 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

news

“We are happy to be operating services in London once again – we’re not emperors at Stagecoach, we’re entrepreneurs. ” Sir Brian Souter

briefly VOSA says 50.19% of PSV and HGV tests are now being conducted at non-VOSA sites, better known as ATFs (Authorised Testing Facilities). “Industry has shown its overwhelming support for the ATF concept,” said VOSA Chief Executive Alastair Peoples. “We have taken testing closer to the customer as I promised in 2008 when I launched our ‘Testing Transformation Programme’. The industry is reaping the benefits of ATFs with less down-time, less travelling and reduced costs.”

Two years after the Government announced major cuts in road safety funding, figures suggest fixed speed cameras continue to be used in most areas of England, according to the RAC Foundation. Data obtained using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show in England there are currently 2,331 fixed speed camera sites, 3,026 fixed speed camera housings and 487 operational fixed cameras. Commenting on the figures, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Many people believe there has been a mass switch-off of cameras over the past couple of years. But the data shows, overall, this is simply not true.”

As a result of entering Liquidation last week Aberfoyle Coaches Ltd is no longer trading, the firm announced via its Facebook page last week.

The company also stated all @ aberfoylecoaches.com e-mail addresses are no longer in use and phone lines are now no longer operational.

Go-Ahead Group-owned Bluestar has gained funding from Transport for South Hampshire to fit its 120-strong bus fleet with free WiFi, following its success in the DfT’s Better Bus Area Fund.

Worth over £230,000, it means the technology introduced by October 2012. Ed Willis, Divisional Director of Go South Coast said: “The deal highlights the success of working in partnership with local authorities to deliver real benefits to passengers and improve the attractiveness of public transport as an alternative to the private car.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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Face to Face p20

Report links buses to economic growth The report documents the significant contribution of the bus industry in stimulating employment and investment The Buses and Economic Growth Report published by the Institute of Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, commissioned by Greener Journeys, an alliance of the UK’s leading bus companies and other public transport supporters committed to encourage more sustainable travel choices, brings together for the first time an assessment of the economic contribution of buses in growing the economy.

It documents the significant direct contribution of the bus industry itself in creating employment and investment, by connecting people with jobs, helping businesses and supporting the vitality of city centres.

The report’s publication coincides with an announcement

by Greener Journeys to develop a discounted travel scheme to help the one million unemployed young people access jobs, education and training more easily. Details of the scheme being developed by the leading bus operators will be announced in the autumn.

The highlights of the report include: More than five billion bus journeys are made in the UK each year – at least one billion of those bus journeys are made to work.

More people commute by bus than all other forms of public transport combined.

Bus commuters generate £64bn of economic output every year.

People use the bus to make shopping and leisure trips with an annual value of £27.2bn, of which £21.5bn is spent in towns or cities centres.

1 in 10 bus commuters would be forced to look for another job if they could no longer commute by bus.

More than 50% of students are frequent bus users and depend on the bus to get to their education or training.

An estimated 400,000 people are in work or in a better job because of the availability of a bus service, equating to £400m additional gross value added (GVA) per annum.

Bus users recognise a greater personal monetary value to the services they use over what they currently spend and said they would be willing to contribute more to maintain their service – £60 for regular users and £38 for infrequent users (per annum). This amounts to an annual aggregated gross option value of £700m.

The bus industry is a major employer and sizeable contributor to the national economy. It directly employs over 170,000 people, spends £2.5bn in its supply chain, and supports a further 83,000 jobs through its supply chain, which includes

SMMT registration figures for first half of 2012 Registration figures released by the SMMT reveal the bus and coach sector continues on an upward trend as the UK readies for a summer sporting event.

The overall bus and coach market rose 93.5% to 917 registrations in June, and 62.3% over the half year. The purposebuilt bus and coach sector rose

50% in the month and 45.6% in the first six months of 2012 while converted bus registrations were up 197.1% in June and 81.2% for the year-to-date.

Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive said: “The UK bus and coach sector saw solid growth in June, up more than 90%, as operators pulled forward orders

British-based bus manufacturers Alexander Dennis and Optare.

Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, said: “This report shows the value of the bus in generating sustainable economic growth. Buses play a crucial role in oiling the wheels of the economy as well as reducing carbon emissions, helping maintain the fabric of our communities and providing essential transport for the 25% of households without access to a car.”

The report’s author, Professor Peter Mackie of the University of Leeds, said: “The Report demonstrates that buses have a key role to play in growing the economy. The bus is a familiar part of everyday urban life. It receives a fraction of the attention given to rail and car, yet despite being taken for granted it is a vital cog in the wider economy bringing access to jobs and training, facilitating retail spend, and supporting the vitality of our towns and city centres.”

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “Buses are the workhorse of the public transport sector, carrying millions of passengers every day for business and leisure. As this report highlights, they can provide a real economic boost and at the same time they cut carbon by reducing congestion and replacing car journeys.”

For further information visit the Greener Journeys website at: www. greenerjourneys.com

ahead of the London 2012 games.

“Despite fragile economic conditions, overall bus and coach registrations have enjoyed nine consecutive months of growth, with registrations rising above 60% in the first half of 2012.

“While maintaining this momentum will be tough, the tangible benefits provided by the latest technologies entering the market will continue to attract operators seeking to boost the efficiency and affordability of their fleets.”

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July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 5

Join the discussion on Twitter by following us at @cbwtweets and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coachandbusweek

Cardiff Bus MD resigns over 2Travel compensation

Trolley bus systems remain in operation in a number of locations in mainland Europe, including Stuttgart (pictured)

Greening approves £250m for Leeds trolleybus system Trolleybuses are set to return to Leeds after Transport Secretary Justine Greening approved £250m for the public transport system.

The so-called New Generation Transport scheme delivering the UK’s first modern electric trolleybus system, takes the bulk of DfT funding (up to £173.5m). The remainder (£76.5m) is coming from local authorities.

The project has been granted “programme entry status” by the DfT allowing WYPTE Metro to apply for the statutory consents necessary for the scheme. Subject to these being granted, work will start in 2016 with the trolleybus fully operational in 2018.

When completed it will run from Holt Park in the north to Stourton in the south, linking with two Park-and-Ride sites. The trolleybus

will operate in exclusive designated lanes along more than 40% of its 8.7 mile length.

Justine Greening said: “Leeds will have trolleybuses which will be faster, more reliable and greener than their predecessors. They will make public transport in Leeds more accessible and attractive than ever before and I know trolleybuses will be transformational for growth and jobs in West Yorkshire.

“Investment on this scale in precisely this kind of infrastructure is a recognition of how crucial Leeds and Yorkshire are to the long-term success of the British economy. It is also a great example of what this coalition government and West Yorkshire partners can achieve when we knuckle down together and stick at finding a real solution to today’s challenges.”

Cardiff Bus MD David Brown resigned on July 6 as the company was fined over£90,000 for illegally driving rival 2Travel off the road.

Directors for 2Travel (in liquidation) had asked the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) for nearly £20m in compensation, which would have had to be met from public coffers at County Hall.

However the three judges who heard the case ordered Cardiff Bus to pay just £93,818 in compensation for the loss of business and exemplary damages.

Cllr. Joseph Carter, Company Chairman said: “Following the resignation of David Brown on Friday, Cardiff Bus has appointed Cynthia Ogbonna, its Finance and Administration Director, as Interim MD. The board will move swiftly to recruit a permanent MD. “Ms Ogbonna has served Cardiff Bus since September 2004 and

is well respected in the transport industry. She will make an excellent Interim MD.” The judges said: “We find Cardiff Bus’s behaviour is only consistent with that of an organisation which had deliberately decided to disregard the law and this conduct was done in cynical disregard of 2Travel’s rights.

“Inevitably, this involves rejecting much of the evidence given by MD David Brown as untrue (regarding the extent of his involvement in the development and operation of the White Service and in his appreciation of why Cardiff Bus decided to begin operating this service) and that is the conclusion we have reached.

“There were no pro-competitive effects to Cardiff Bus’s conduct, serious anti-competitive effects and there was an exclusionary intent.

“We find Cardiff Bus acted in knowing disregard of an appreciated and unacceptable risk where Chapter II prohibition was either probably or clearly being breached or it deliberately closed its mind to that risk. We find that this reckless state of mind was held by both former Managing Directors Alan Kreppel and Mr Brown.”

Judges said much of Cardiff Bus MD David Brown’s evidence was “untrue”

www.coachandbusweek.com

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21

news › BUSeS

Interval in days between vehicle inspections at Stagecoach

briefly Reading Transport has raised almost £3,000 for charity at its fourth annual open day on July 1. The money will go to the Duchess of Kent House Hospice for the second successive year. “This is a great effort on the part of everyone involved in organizing the open day which was truly successful,” said Reading Transport Chief Executive Officer James Freeman. “It was an action-packed day with free bus rides, bush wash, control room tours, a variety of stands – and arrival of Stormtroopers from Star Wars.”

A man who smashed a window on a Reays bus as he threw a stone across a busy Carlisle road has been given an eightweek curfew after he admitted a single charge of causing criminal damage. Carlisle Magistrates heard the 19-year old had been “skimming shillies” as he walked along Newtown Road with friends.

One stone hit the bus, shattering a window but not injuring anyone.

As well as giving the defendant a 1900 to 0600hrs curfew order, magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, and ordered him to pay £300 compensation to Reays and £50 costs.

Planners at Northampton Borough Council have recommended planning permission be granted for the town’s controversial new smaller bus station, which would be built on the site of the Fishmarket. In a report which will be seen by the council’s planning committee this coming week, council planning officer Andrew Smith wrote: “It is considered the proposals would deliver sustainable development and substantial public benefit.”

Members of the council’s planning committee are expected to make a final decision on whether or not the development should go ahead.

Arriva North East has become the first large bus operator in its area to complete testing of North East Smart Ticketing Initiative (NESTI) smart ticketing technology.

The operator began installing smartcard readers aboard its buses last year in a programme funded by 12 local authorities. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Stagecoach Enviro 350 Hybrid launched in Scotland Launch is most recent of £4m investment in East Scotland fleet improvements Stagecoach has further enhanced its environmental credentials with the introduction of hybrid dieselelectric buses in Aberdeen.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam was on-hand to officially launch the £2.5 million fleet on Monday less than a week

after Sir Brian Souter launched similar vehicles in Perth under a similar scheme.

The new Enviro 350s, manufactured by Alexander Dennis, utilise technology developed by BAE systems. They are the first hybrid buses launched in the North of Scotland and are aimed at reducing the company’s fuel consumption on this route in the future.

The new ADL Enviro350H were launched in Gold livery for Aberdeen

London hybrid buses reach 300 mark London’s bus fleet has introduced its 300th hybrid bus.

One thousand hybrid buses are set to be introduced to London’s streets in the next four years as part of plans outlined by London Mayor Boris Johnson to improve air quality.

The 300th hybrid is now in service with Abellio on route 211 between Waterloo and Hammersmith. A further 104 hybrids are on order using £5m funding from the DfT. This grant was initially set to finance 70 buses, but TfL said negotiation

and increased market confidence in hybrids enabled the order to be increased.

The Mayor of London has committed to 600 new bus for London vehicles, seven of which are already in service on Route 38.

According to TfL, this should result in a combined total of at least 1,000 hybrids operating on the Capital’s streets by 2016, joined by nearly 1,000 buses fitted with equipment to cut NOx. The Mayor said: “I am determined to clean up London’s buses to improve quality of life.”

“We are pioneering new technology to do so, including through the wider introduction of these greener hybrid vehicles and my brand new bus for the Capital.”

Since 2006, the diesel-electric hybrid fleet has doubled year on year, after greater confidence in

Stagecoach has invested a total £5m in the new buses, with £1.8m provided through the Scottish Government’s Green Bus Fund.

The vehicles operate on Aberdeen’s Hospital Direct route 59, and on Perth’s Route 7 Gold Route.

The Hospital Direct 59 route, which runs on the Northfield - ARI - Guild Street - Balnagask route every 10 minutes during the day, carries around 23,000 passengers per week and will also feature free Wi-Fi for customers. The route provides a vital link to the hospital site from across the city as well as a link to the bus and rail station at Union Square.

The Stagecoach Gold number 7 service, which runs on the HillendCity Centre-Scone route every 10 minutes during the day, carries around 21,000 passengers per week and will also now feature free Wi-Fi for customers. It operates as a premium local bus concept to tempt motorists out of their cars with the promise of luxury comfort and service guarantees, Stagecoach East Scotland Managing Director Charlie Mullen the operation of hybrid technology, fuel saving and operational performance figures were released.

TfL estimates hybrids deliver fuel savings of 30%, reducing operational costs and reducing NOx emissions by 20%.

Mike Weston, London Buses Operations Director, said: “Bus operator confidence in hybrids has increased immensely which, alongside reductions in the capital premiums and increasing fuel prices is making this technology increasingly attractive.

“We have reached a significant milestone at 300 hybrid buses and the benefits of these cleaner, greener buses only increase as we add more to our fleet. That’s great news for Londoners and the health and wellbeing of all who live here.

“We look forward to hitting the 1,000th hybrid bus milestone.”

09/07/2012 23:55

£39

WiFi cost per calendar month per bus at Stagecoach East Scotland said: “This is the latest of over £4m investment in fleet improvements spent in the East of Scotland in the last year and it is due to the constant investment, route monitoring and developments and innovative marketing the number of people we carry every day continues to rise – last year we carried a staggering 3.3 million passengers on our Perth routes alone.”

Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director, Stagecoach Bluebird said: “We have seen the success of electric-hybrid vehicles in other parts of the country so we’re delighted to be launching these new buses in Aberdeen, particularly as they are the first to operate in the North of Scotland.”

At the unveiling outside Marischal College in Aberdeen July 9, which was attended by local councillors and stakeholders, Lord Provost George Adam said: “I welcome the £2.5m investment from Stagecoach and the Transport Scotland Green Bus Fund in the latest evolution in clean green technology.

“I’m very excited about the development of a greener, smarter bus network in Aberdeen, the introduction of the low-emission buses constitutes a welcome contribution to the environment in which we all live and breathe as Emissions from vehicles are a major cause of poor air quality which can damage health and affect the attractiveness of the urban environment.”

Isle of Wight to get school bus �leet refresh

A new agreement between the Isle of Wight Council and Southern Vectis will mean island students will soon have new buses in which to travel to and from school.

The majority of the fleet will be new with a few of the existing fleet upgraded to a high specification.

All will include seat belts, on board CCTV and electronic destination displays.

The vehicles represent an investment of £6m by Southern Vectis to upgrade the fleet to the standard required by the council.

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July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7

69

The number of people who have reportedly objected to the relocation of Northampton Bus Station

SHARE WATCH

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, July 9. 21st Century saw the greatest proportional rise while FirstGroup experienced the biggest proportional drop. Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

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Councillor John Salter and Alan Stilwell (Merseytravel), Howard Farrall and Richard Hoare (Arriva), Duncan McGraw and Jeff Clayton (First)

Merseytravel QBP with First & Arriva England’s latest Quality Bus Partnership took to the road on Sunday (July 8). Arriva and First joined forces with Merseytravel, Wirral Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council to improve and integrate journeys on routes 1, 3 and 401 to provide a better service between Liverpool, Ellesmere Port and Chester. And they’ve done the same on routes 71/72/171/172/472 which run between Liverpool and Heswall.

Frequencies have been combined to create an evenly spaced service and integrated ticketing introduced. The latter allows tickets issued by either Southern Vectis won the contract to provide home to school transport for the next eight years. The buses are also available to community groups running volunteer buses when they are not required for the school lift.

The fleet upgrade arrives in September and will replace a number of the old vehicles with 20 new 70 seat double deckers and 23 single deck buses. The remaining

Cllr Dawn Cousins with Andrew Wickham, Southern Vectis MD

bus company to be used on both companies’ buses on these routes.

The news comes in stark contrast to West Yorkshire PTE Metro and Tyne & Wear PTE Nexus, which appear intent on introducing Quality Contracts.

Welcoming the news, Merseytravel Chairman, Councillor Liam Robinson, said; “Both bus companies are to be congratulated on joining in these partnerships with us to provide the region with the best possible public transport service.”

Howard Farrall, MD at Arriva Merseyside, commented: “Working together we can make a real difference to people who use the Quality Partnership routes. We hope by continuing to improve the services we offer to our passengers, we can encourage even more people to travel by bus.” fleet will be refurbished single deck buses currently being used by sister companies from within Go-Ahead Group. Upgrades include seatbelts, CCTV, electronic destination displays and automatic vehicle location equipment.

Andrew Wickham, MD Southern Vectis, said: “It is not only good news for the pupils and the schools we serve but for the job security of the 70 staff who keep the service on the road. The eight year term allows us to make a significant investment in our fleet of vehicles which is good news for all concerned.”

Councillor Dawn Cousins, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for children’s services and education, said: “We were very pleased to appoint a local company to deliver the school lift. Its bid offered the best value when we tendered the contract nationally.”

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8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

news › coaches

briefly Eurolines has introduced a new overnight coach service between London and Amsterdam.

Departing at 2000hrs daily, it is two hours faster than the standard Amsterdam service - which will continue to run via Eindhoven or Rotterdam. It makes just one brief stop at Utrecht en route to Holland. The firm says “a fleet of new coaches will run the service featuring extra leg room, reclining seats and air conditioning.” John Gilbert, Managing Director of Eurolines UK, said: “Compared to the expense and time of flying, this new service is exceptional value and delivers passengers direct to Amsterdam city centre.”

Resurfacing works on the A458 near Shrewsbury, between Rowton and Churncote began on Monday, July 9 and is expected to be completed within a week, with work taking place overnight. During the works, the A458 is closed overnight from 2200 to 0600hrs in both directions between Buttington Cross and Churncote Island (A5/ A458 junction). Signposted diversionary routes will be in place. The eastbound diversion takes traffic from the junction with the A458 north on the A483 turning right onto the A5 heading south back to Churncote Island.

Westbound Diversion run in the opposite direction. During the day, lane closures and traffic signals are in place. However, CBW advises drivers of the possibility of reducing mileage and routing via the B4396 (Knockin) to Llynclys and then down the A483 to Welshpool.

Maintenance works on the A38 northbound between Alrewas and Wychnor started on Monday, July 9 and will be completed within a week. All activity takes place overnight between 1900 and 0600. During the works, the A38 is closed northbound overnight from the A513 overbridge to the bridge at Dogshead Lane. Diversion routes are clearly signposted and take traffic off the A38 northbound at Alrewas onto the A513 to Kings Bromley turning right onto the A515 to Yoxall before turning right onto the B5016 back to the A38 north. www.coachandbusweek.com

News8,9.indd 8

CPT endorses Torbay Coaching Consortium Torbay’s coach trade received a boost following a fact-finding visit by a senior officer of the Confederation of Passenger Transport John Burch, Regional Officer for the CPT, visited Torbay at the invitation of the Torbay Coaching Consortium to examine existing facilities for CPT members and a range of new facilities and services which the Coaching Consortium’s membership has in store. Torbay’s Coaching Consortium is made up of representatives from Torbay Council, Torbay Hospitality Association, leading visitor attractions such as the Dartmouth

Steam Railway & River Boat Company, coaching hoteliers and producers of the Torquay-based Coach Drivers Information Pack.

John Burch believes the latest developments from the Coaching Consortium promise to apply joined up thinking to the way the coach trade is catered for in Torbay.

Its plans include improvements to the infrastructure - such as the provision of dedicated coach parking facilities, set to open at Shedden Hill, combined with a range of coach-friendly drop off/ pick-up points.

John Burch was also shown a DVD the Coaching Consortium has prepared to promote its one stop

From left to right, John Burch, CPT, Alan Payling, Coach Drivers Information Pack, Linda Hill, Torbay Tourism, Cllr Ray Hill, Torbay Council and Derek Smith, Owner of the Marine Hotel Paignton

Baby Bova for Grindles Forest of Dean operator Grindles Coaches has acquired 39-seater Bova Futura from Taunton-based dealer Moseley in the South.

Registered ‘ET04WPZ’, the coach was previously operated by renowned Hertfordshire firm Richmond’s of Barley.

Phil Grindle told CBW: “We bought a Plaxton Cheetah last year and wanted something which was a midi coach. This Bova is a spot on – it’s a lovely coach. Richmond’s are well known for being a good

Grindles’ livery suits the Bova operator, something which is clearly evident in the condition of this vehicle – it’s immaculate. It’s a cracking little coach.

“We’ve only had it a couple of weeks but it’s already proving popular – it’s clocked up a fair amount of mileage. Moseley

shop planning & booking service now available to coach operators.

He also inspected new services and facilities offered to tour groups by the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company and examined the specialist coach trade information and research services available directly through the Coaching Consortium.

John was reportedly impressed with the way the Coaching Consortium has responded to the needs of coach operators its recognition of the benefits this sector can bring to the local economy.

John said: “There is a clear political will to encourage coaches in Torbay. This shows a realisation our customers have spending power and are highly valued, made to feel welcome and encouraged to make return visits. The number of coach specific facilities here is much greater than available in many resorts.”

John also endorsed the work the Consortium was doing for CPT members. He said: “It is excellent to see the Torbay Coaching Consortium has continued to look at problem areas and consider further solutions. So often a resort makes moves towards accommodating coaches when pressed to do so but then quickly forgets our needs. Our members have re-equipped with more delivered right on time – they’ve been very good to deal with.

They’ve also fitted it with a Baumot exhaust aftertreatment system, with the result it’s London LEZ-compliant.”

Phil added: “We’re currently looking to buy another DAF coach.

Things are looking up for us at the moment.”

Based in Ciderford, the familyrun firm operates a dozen full-size vehicles, which include seven Van Hool DAFs, a Setra S315GT-HD, a Setra S415GT-HD and a Leyland Olympian.

Call Grindles on 01594 822110. Visit www. grindlescoaches.co.uk

10/07/2012 00:32

“I am in favour of competition–it keeps us on our toes. But you can only compete if there is not a finite demand...”

Ian Manning Stagecoach West modern, often larger and accessible coaches. These modern day coaches have different requirements and need to be catered for adequately.

“Torbay Coaching Consortium is clearly looking to continue to identify any problems, and resolve them.”

Having been suitably impressed

by Torbay’s coach friendly attitude John plans to encourage others resorts to emulate the approach.

He said: “CPT can primarily help Torbay by being a facilitator. Our members are not only coach operators, but act as suppliers and support organisations for coach tour operators. We can bring together elements of the trade to discuss issues with Torbay Coaching Consortium and ensure it gains the best access to the people concerned. We have a good connections network which should ensure any messages they want to get across to the coach trade throughout the UK can be communicated quickly to key decision makers.”

Sleafordian Coaches is Simply Safe Sleafordian Coaches has become the first Lincolnshire-based coach operator to be approved onto national transport safety group BUSK UK’s Simply Safe scheme. The scheme has attracted some of the UK’s best known operators to join in a working partnership aiming to change the culture of how schools hire coaches for school trips.

It is common practice for many schools to obtain three quotes from coach companies and then choose what they perceive to be the best deal. But often, in choosing the cheapest coach hire, other criteria are over looked, such as, how often vehicles are safety inspected or what experience the driver has in taking a party abroad.

BUSK’s Director Pat Harris said: “By hiring from a Simply Safe

July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 9

Operator Profile p30

member a school will be hiring a coach from a company which has been researched, checked and approved to ensure it has not been up before a Traffic Commissioner at a Public Inquiry for safety related offences. In short, because schools rarely know the questions they ought to be asking when selecting a company to do business with, they usually can only compare price with price instead of the really important comparisons which make the journey the safest it can be.”

A visit to Sleafordian Coaches’ website reveals a page specifically

Pat Harris’s Simply Safe certifies operator safety compliance

designed for schools and parents with a unique safety charter and company profile. The latter provides at a glance, all the relevant information teachers require about the company. In addition, any school can contact BUSK for free information and advice on any issues related to school trips, seat belt legislation or visits abroad.

Mr A Allen, Director of Community Sport and Facilities, Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford said: “It is excellent news for our school, the importance of safe travel is paramount in the company’s service, as demonstrated by its recent approval onto the national transport safety group, BUSK UK’s, Simply Safe scheme.”

Mark Broughton, Managing Director of Sleafordian Coaches said: “We are justifiably proud to be part of Simply Safe. It further enhances our commitment to passenger safety and coupled with ‘Greenroad’, our driver monitoring and vehicle tracking system, puts us at the forefront of coach and bus travel.”

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Please contact Andy Jennings - Divisional Manager 01784 487616 or 07799 866467 www.proactive-tech.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com

News8,9.indd 9

10/07/2012 00:32

10 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

news › international

Solaris Urbino electric bus proving reliable Bus worked throughout Euro 2012 football tournament with no failures POLAND The Solaris Urbino electric bus has successfully completed its first period of regular daily passenger service. For three weeks during the Euro 2012 football championship, it ran in the host city of Poznań, accumulating 3,000 kilometres without any failures.

Solaris and its partner Vossloh Kiepe, the supplier of the electric drive-train technology, can offer operators electric buses which are fully homologated and ready for the challenges of everyday operation.

To match the theme of the Euro 2012 football championship, the outside of the Solaris Urbino electric was covered in artificial turf, turning heads as it silently ran through town. For 22 days, it worked scheduled passenger services between Poznań’s airport and the city centre, allowing football supporters and other

guests to sample vehicle. The daily mileage of 150 kilometres offered a lot of room for future intensification of operation thanks to its rapid charging capability between peak hours.

The bus used in Poznań is the second of its kind. Like the first demonstration vehicle presented

The Solaris Urbino thrived in its footballing environment

Gothenburg to Deploy UltraFast Bus Charging Stations SPAIN Göteborg Energi, the electricity provider for the City of Gothenburg, has awarded a contract to Opbrid SL (Granada, Spain) to provide two Opbrid Busbaar ultra-fast bus charging stations for the HyperBus demonstration project. This project will consist of three new Volvo plugin hybrid buses running in traffic and charging for five-eight minutes at each end of Gothenburg’s route 60.

The HyperBus project is funded partly by the EU Life+ Innovation program along with contributions from Business Region Göteborg, Göteborg Energi, City of Göteborg Traffic & Public Transport Authority, Volvo Buses and the public transport company Västtrafik.

These new Volvo plug-in hybrids claim to have great advantages.

Energy consumption should be reduced by 60% and CO2 emissions by 75% compared to conventional diesel buses. As the plug-in hybrid www.coachandbusweek.com

NewsIntl.indd 10

in autumn 2011, it is based on the Solaris Alpino LE midibus.

Traction power remains unchanged at 120kW and battery capacity at 120kWh but a new feature is a rapid charging solution for the batteries. At 100kW charging power, it takes as little as 90 minutes to refill fully depleted

runs on battery power for the majority of its route, it is much quieter in operation.

“Our being able to drastically reduce exhaust fumes and noise is important for everyone who lives, works and plays here.” said Birgitta Hellgren, Traffic Director, City of Gothenburg Traffic & Public Transport Authority.

“We will buy the electricity for the buses from local wind farms as we want to establish a clear connection between renewable energy and electric vehicles right from the beginning,” said Göran Dalman, pro tem CEO at Göteborg Energi.“ This plug-In hybrid is based on the existing Volvo 7900 hybrid bus design, but with the addition of a larger, energy optimised battery and the ability to connect to the Opbrid Busbaar ultra-fast charging station. It combines the no-emission benefits of an electric

bus with the reliability of a diesel bus. The Opbrid Busbaar charging station is located at each end of the bus route and the automated system fast charges the bus for a few minutes at the end of each trip.

This extends the all-electric range of the hybrid bus to a predicted 75% or more of the route. Being a hybrid bus which can also run on diesel, it can continue to operate in the event of power cuts or even fillin on a route without chargers.

The Hyper Bus project began on September 1, 2011 and runs until 2014. It can be divided into four sub-areas: demonstration of plug-in technology for hybrid buses, rapid-charge stations, tests in real city environments on existing bus routes and the publication of results and experiences from the project.

The plug-in hybrid buses will use electricity as their primary power source and diesel for supplementary power. Plug-in technology allows the buses to be charged with external power using the Opbrid Busbaar ultra-fast charging station.

batteries.

Development is ongoing and while the first two demonstrators will continue to be tested in various cities across Europe in the coming months, the next vehicle is already being built. It will be a 12m Solaris Urbino. Plans for an articulated version have also been finalised, allowing Solaris to offer forwardthinking operators a full range of battery buses.

This flexibility in meeting operational requirements is facilitated by the modular design of the electric system. Vossloh Kiepe’s technology is easily scaled.

The system is also prepared for automated fast charging systems such as inductive power supply, allowing batteries to be topped up along the route or at the terminus, putting paid to problems of limited operational range.

The Urbino electric is built exclusively in Solaris’ own factories in Środa Wielkopolska (bodyframes) and BolechowoOsiedle (final assembly) in the Greater Poznań region. Key components are sourced from leading western European suppliers.

For Solaris, electric mobility has been a key field of expertise for more than a decade.

US operators may be safety-graded USA Senator Charles Schumer’s bill requiring new safety ratings for low-cost bus companies and public disclosure of bus company safety grades has passed Congress and is headed for the president’s desk.

Schumer wants bus company safety grades to be displayed as letter grades, similar to New York City restaurant safety ratings.

Schumer’s bill requiring the Department of Transportation to create new safety ratings for discount bus operators and better disclosure of these ratings was proposed last year in response to several fatal crashes involving the low-cost tour bus industry – in particular a March 2011 crash in the Bronx which left 15 people dead. The crash followed the 2010 crash in Syracuse, when a distracted bus driver crashed into an overhead bridge, killing four people.

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news › REGIONAL

NORTH

Lancashire County Council has agreed to a bus service between Chorley Interchange and Buckshaw Village for a year on the basis of ‘use it or lose it’.

The new number 14 replaces the current route 10 operated by Stagecoach which has withdrawn the service as it is no longer commercially viable. Route 14 will be operated by local independent RS Tyrer of Adlington, running every 30 minutes at peak times between 0630hrs – 0900 and 1630 – 1830 – and about hourly off-peak.

With effect from July 23, the service will continue to operate along Old Worden Avenue and Central Avenue, including Buckshaw Parkway, in Buckshaw Village. Unlike the 10, it will go via the A6 and Buckshaw Avenue instead of Euxton to avoid duplication with the existing 109, and provide new opportunities for people to access Buckshaw’s employment areas.

MIDLANDS

Buses move out of Birmingham’s Corporation Street on Sunday July 22 when its 10 bus stops are relocated to six new passenger interchanges. The changes pave the way for work on a controversial forthcoming Metro tram extension linking Snow Hill Station to New Street Station.

Similar bus routes are being grouped together at the aforementioned interchanges, located at Snow Hill/Colmore Row; Paradise Circus/Broad Street; New Street Gateway; Markets, Moor Street/Carrs Lane and Bull Street/Priory Queensway. Peter Coates, Managing Director, National Express West Midlands, said: “We are putting hundreds of extra staff into the city centre during the period of change to help passengers find their new stops and services.

This includes every manager in our business doing shifts in the city centre.”

During the coming months every bus stop and shelter in the city centre is due to be replaced by what Centro, the region’s transport authority, has termed “a sleek new design complementing the forthcoming tram stops and onstreet information points”.

The tram extension, which along with the Gateway project is due for completion in 2015.

Centro’s Passenger Services Director, Stephen Rhodes, said: www.coachandbusweek.com

RegionalNews.indd 12

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’d like us to cover, contact James Day on james. day@coachandbusweek.com. council-run schools.

Suffolk County Council’s cabinet is due to vote on the proposals this week.

KEY

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

“Not only will the current work give Corporation Street a more attractive, boulevard-style atmosphere but it will improve the flow of buses around the city centre, giving passengers better reliability.”

Leicester City Council issued 199 charge notices to motorists for misusing bus lanes in just three days last week.

Only black cab drivers, buses and cycles are allowed to use the bus lanes. Other exceptions include emergency vehicles and authorised vehicles belonging to Leicester City Council and Network Rail. The fine for anyone else caught using them is £60. Initially, the council is concentrating on two sites – Charles Street in the city centre, and Causeway Lane near Highcross. In an earlier two-week trial which saw people caught on camera driving in bus lanes sent warning letters, 1,194 motorists were found to have ignored the bus lane restrictions.

Derby City Council says it aims to improve public transport by restoring a bus partnership which was scrapped under the previous Conservative/ Liberal Democrat administration.

The Labour-led authority is re-launching the scheme in which each route has a “passenger champion” to liaise with bus users and operators.

The proposed partnership will start with a meeting between bus operators and passenger representatives at Derby’s bus

SOUTH EAST

station.

Keith Myatt, Communications Manager for Arriva Midlands, said: “We are very excited to be re-engaging and working in partnership with Derby City Council and we look forward to working with the authority in the implementation of various projects in the city.”

Ranjit Banwait, the council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This move will put a focus on improving public transport for all passengers.”

EAST

School bus provision for secondary school pupils in Suffolk has been reviewed following the granting of approval for four free schools.

According to BBC News, free schools have been approved in Beccles, Brandon, Clare and Saxmundham, but they do not have catchment areas.

The County Council’s proposal is for free transport to be based on primary school catchment areas or whether a school is nearest to a child’s home.

The county said its budget for school transport was going to rise by £1m to £20.5m next year.

The local authority said the policy proposal aimed to ensure as many parents as possible had a bus service to the schools they chose for their children. The proposals would mean no changes for children who get the bus to existing county

A Low Emission Zone (LEZ) could be implemented in Brighton and Hove – but it is unlikely to take on the same format as in London where the owners of larger older vehicles have to pay up to £200 a day to use the roads.

Nigel Jenkins, of Sussex Air Quality Partnership, said: “We’re working with councils, including Brighton and Hove City, and looking at all the air quality management areas in the county to see what we can do.

“An LEZ is a definite option but it does not need to mirror the London model. London is different as it already has all the infrastructure in place so can monitor vehicles. A similar zone like that would require cameras and a lot of investment.”

He added a more likely option would be working with bus and taxi operators to ensure their vehicles are modern and use alternative fuels, such as gas. Norwich and Oxford have already created low emission zones along these lines.

Roger French, MD of Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, said any regulations on buses would need to be phased in over time.

“In the long term it is a good idea and we are already investing in new buses as much as we can, but you cannot throw a bus fleet away overnight,” he added.

Metrobus has announced buses will continue to operate in the evenings in Crawley, Horsham and East Grinstead after September.

The evening services on Crawley area routes 1, 2, 4, 5, 100 and 200, Horsham route 98 and the Crawley – East Grinstead service were under threat of being withdrawn after 1830hrs each day from September due to the withdrawal of financial support from West Sussex County Council (WSCC).

Metrobus confirmed it has worked with WSCC to look at alternative options and will operate these routes in the evenings commercially on a trial basis. In Crawley, the current level of service will be maintained until around 2030 on Mondays to Saturdays and around 1730 on Sundays & Bank Holidays but then reduced to hourly for the rest of the evening. In some cases the last journey

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14 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

news › REGIONAL

will be earlier than at present.

The evening timetable on Horsham route 98 remains unchanged. The evening service provided by route 391 is being replaced by two return journeys on commercial route 291 between Crawley, Copthorne, Crawley Down, Felbridge, East Grinstead, Ashurst Wood and Forest Row. Turners Hill, Sharpthorne and West Hoathly are losing their evening service.

The early morning service on Sundays and Bank Holidays on routes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 100 was also under threat. These routes will also run commercially but on a reduced basis, except route 100 which remains unchanged. The changes will take effect on September 1.

Metrobus Commercial Manager Nick Hill said: “We understand the importance of evening services and we have worked with the county council to find ways of continuing to operate them without financial support, albeit at a reduced level of service. However, the longer term viability of these services is

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY dependent on the use that is made of them.”

Hampshire County Council’s legal services team, which successfully fought opposition to the Fareham – Gosport BRT system has won a national recognition after gaining the Local Government Municipal Journal Award for best legal team. Judges were looking for evidence of innovation and creativity, great leadership and management, a positive impact on the local community and value for money.

As reported extensively in CBW at the time, work on the £25m project, which involved converting a stretch of disused railway line to a dedicated busway, was halted while the scheme went through the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, delaying it for several months.

The scheme, now known as Eclipse and operated by First Hants & Dorset, began running in April. It provides an attractive alternative to the notoriously congested A32.

The Peterborough Bus Rally take place this Sunday (July 15) at Sacrewell Farm between 10 and 1600hrs. Visit www.busrally.co.uk

2012 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/ 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

Marathon man ‘Blind’ Dave Heeley and his Olympic Torch last week launched a bus named in his honour by National Express West Midlands. Drivers at Pensnett Garage were asked to vote to name 10 of the depot’s 21 new Wright Eclipse-bodied Volvo B7RLEs. Dave was selected due to his achievements for local charities, including his epic seven marathons in seven days across seven continents. He has raised hundreds of thousands pounds for local charities and also visits local schools and businesses as a motivational speaker. When told of the naming, Dave thought it was a practical joke and did not believe it until the bus operator contacted him about launching the vehicle.

Peter Coates, MD, National Express West Midlands said: “Dave is an exceptional man whose achievements for charities are breathtaking. I hope people will share our pride as they board our brand new bus named in his honour.”

Dave said: “I am very proud and privileged to have been given this honour. I am so touched that the drivers thought of me when asked to name their new buses. I want to thank them for doing this – I can’t wait to bring the kids down during the summer holiday to ride a bus named after their Dad!”

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

Send your event details to gareth.evans@ coachandbusweek.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

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16 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

news focus › daimler iaa preview

An articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro is unveiled before the press during the presentation at Daimler’s IAA preview show

Daimler’s IAA preview New seven-speed Sprinter, Euro 6 Citaro and Comfortclass 500 Setra as Daimler launches “product offensive” This year’s IAA Show preview from Daimler was launched in Stuttgart

by Head of Communications Heinz Gottwick, as its “biggest product offensive.”

Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will become the first van/minibus with a seven-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

As of this month, the new transmission, termed 7G-Tronic, is available as an option. The sevenspeed automatic transmission is equipped with an electronic control system adapted for a van.

The advantage of seven gears is at higher cruising speeds it www.coachandbusweek.com

NewsFocus_DaimlerIAA.indd 16

becomes more economic, produces lower emissions and runs quietly with a low engine speed. At the same time, there is a gear for every driving situation and the shifts in engine speed between the different ratios are small.

The combined consumption for Sprinters with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes and a four-cylinder diesel engine falls at 7.4 litres per 100km.

An optional BlueEFFICIENCY package can further reduce consumption to seven litres per 100km. The BlueEFFICIENCY package comprises the ECO start/stop function, tyres with reduced rolling resistance, the ECO power steering pump, alternator management and an electrically controlled fuel pump.

A new, longer rear-axle ratio for the Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter is

available as an option for various vehicle variants. The ratio of 3.692:1 reduces engine speed by approximately 6.0%.

Mercedes-Benz Citaro The engine series for the new Citaro has been developed from scratch and comprises the OM 936 and OM 470 in-line six-cylinder units with displacements of 7.7 litres and 10.7 litres respectively and each is compliant with Euro 6 emissions requirements.

Both engines employ BlueTec 6 exhaust gas aftertreatment technology.

The features of the OM 936 include VCP (Variable Camshaft Phaser). This aids particulate filter regeneration by modifying the valve timing on the exhaust side. The sixcylinder unit comes in two power ratings: 220kW (299hp) output at 2,200rpm / 1,200Nm torque at 1,200rpm 260kW (354hp) output at 2,200rpm / 1,400Nm torque at 1,200rpm The in-line six-cylinder engine is available for the Citaro in a horizontal variant (OM 936h),

which comes in both power ratings.

The 220 kW engine has a vertical variant. The second power rating delivering 260 kW is initially only available for the vertical engine on the Citaro LowEntry model and cannot be specified for the regular rigid version, as yet.

The new OM 470 is based on the heavy-duty engine series.

Weighing 990kg it is suited for use in articulated vehicles. The new OM 470 is designed to power articulated buses operating in challenging topographical conditions. It comes in a choice of two output and torque ratings: 265kW (360hp) output at 1,800rpm / 1,700Nm torque at 1,100rpm 290kW (394hp) output at 1,800rpm / 1,900Nm torque at 1,100rpm Power is transferred to the wheels via an automatic transmission with torque converter. There is a choice of units manufactured by Voith and ZF, which come in with the Euro 6 emissions rating.

Despite the Euro 6 rating and the extensive exhaust gas aftertreatment technology which accompanies it, the new Citaro undercuts the

09/07/2012 22:54

July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 17

fuel consumption figures of its Euro 5 predecessor. Daimler claim measurements taken in practical operations indicate a fuel saving of up to 5%.

Setra ComfortClass 500 The IAA preview unveiled the new Setra ComfortClass 500. According to Daimler, the coach was delivered just in time, claiming “the paint just had time to dry.”

The engine in the vehicle is a vertically mounted 10.7 litre in-line six-cylinder OM 470 developing 315 kW (425 hp) at 1800 rpm, reaching its peak torque of 2100 Nm at 1100 rpm.

An X-PULSE common-rail injection system with pressure booster enables fuel injection with cylinder-selective timing, high injection pressures of up to 2100 bar and an injection characteristic which can be freely modulated.

A three-phase engine brake and an asymmetrical exhaust turbocharger are also included. The engine reaches its full torque of 2100 Nm at engine speeds as low as 1000 rpm.

Along with the engines, Setra is introducing the new eight-speed GO 250-8 PowerShift manual transmission. The fully automated unit is based on the GO 2408 PowerShift transmission. The gear ratio spread ranges as usual from 6.57 in first gear to 0.63 in the highest gear. The gearshift mechanism of the GO 2508 PowerShift takes the form of a steering-column lever which encompasses all functions.

The newly integrated retarder achieves braking torques of up to 3500Nm. Designed as a secondary retarder, it uses engine coolant as a braking and cooling medium.

This eliminates the previously required oil/water heat exchanger, along with the need to change the retarder oil.

The coaches are 95mm longer than their predecessors. The new S 515 HD is 12,295mm in length while retaining the same width of 2550 mm. The total vehicle height is 3770mm, including the roofmounted air conditioning system.

The interior floor-to-ceiling height is 2100mm from 1990mm.

Wheelbase has increased by 10mm and the overhang has grown by 70 mm, whereas the front angle of approach remains at seven degrees. The rear departure angle is 6.9 degrees on all HD variants. The base frame of the vehicles has been

NewsFocus_DaimlerIAA.indd 17

raised by 40mm, increasing luggage compartment volume from 8.4 to 8.5m³ (9.7m³ without a lavatory).

When equipped with a lavatory and a driver’s berth, luggage space of 6.9m³ is available.

The bodyshell features a substantially stiffer design, thanks to lightweight structures with new node elements and optimised column cross sections. Targeted use of high-strength steel ensures all ComfortClass 500 models already fully comply with the stricter European ECE R66/01 regulation which comes into force in 2017.

The Setra’s new Euro 6 drivetrain requires a new ventilation system in the engine bay and the designers intentionally opted for asymmetrical styling, with the functional rear hatch having an opening only on the right side of the vehicle.

The contours, including the reshaped exterior mirrors, were tested in Setra’s own wind tunnel located in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim.

The windscreen is also more rounded, running down as far as the front logo panel. A tapered design of both the roof at the rear and the side section centres the air flow on the vehicle for as long

as possible. The rear edge of the vehicle ensures a turbulent flow of air behind, thereby reducing aerodynamic losses.

Daimler claims the new Setra has a 20% reduction in aerodynamic drag, reducing fuel consumption by up to 5%. The vehicle achieves a drag coefficient of 0.33, a figure which Daimler says, up to now, would have been considered unattainable for coaches of this size.

The coach comes equipped with an electronic level control system.

By electronically lowering the vehicle body by 20mm at speeds of 95 km/h and above, aerodynamic drag is reduced. The vehicle is raised again when the speed returns to 70 km/h or lower.

The steps in the front section up as far as the driver’s workplace measure 184mm, and 220mm from there on into the aisle, doing away with the sloping aisle at the front of the vehicle. The steps at the rear entrance are 250mm high.

The centrepiece of the redesigned cockpit is the highresolution colour display with four round dial instruments. A steering wheel keypad with enhanced functionality, has made it possible for Setra to eliminate switches on

Top: Sprinter with seven speed gearbox. Above: Setra ComfortClass 500

the instrument panel. The new tyre pressure monitoring system shows the current tyre pressure on the cockpit display at the driver’s request.

The steering column in the ComfortClass 500 is slightly raised electropneumatically, and the driver’s cockpit has also been raised slightly by 50mm to 910mm.

The standard Coach Multimedia System (CMS) is based on the integrated Bosch Coach Communications Centre (CCC) and the expanded Coach System Extension (CSX). The ComfortClass 500 is also equipped with a commercial-vehicle-specific navigation system as standard.

The system allows manual input of vehicle height, width and length and suggests appropriate routes based on this information.

A continuous fabric ceiling spans the centre aisle. Climatic tests showed that the tautness of the fabric pieces attached to aluminium sections remains intact over a long vehicle service life even at different temperatures.

The advanced Active Brake Assist (ABA2) with a new radar sensor decelerates the coach upon detecting stationary objects. While the adaptive cruise control system maintains a preselected distance a sensor which scans the area in front of the touring coach every 66 milli­ seconds and can intervene to keep the coach at a safe distance from a vehicle directly ahead. The system remains active at lower speeds and can brings the coach to a complete standstill if necessary - either steadily as traffic speed reduces or it can perform an emergency stop if it detects traffic ahead is stationary or decelerating rapidly.

An Attention Assist (ATAS) system, (generally referred to by other manufacturers as a lane guidance system) based on specific criteria such as steering movements, braking activity and time of day, continually retrieves and processes information about the driver’s condition.

ATAS infers the driver’s ability to react quickly by gauging the level of fatigue based on the correlation between the information gleaned and the adapted driver profile. If a defined model value is exceeded, an electronic signal causes the driver’s seat to vibrate - unbeknown to the passengers.

The IAA Commercial Vehicle Exhibition runs from Sept 20-27 at Hanover Messe.

www.coachandbusweek.com

09/07/2012 22:55

18 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

GROUP PROFILE › STAGECOACH

Stagecoach Round 2 Coach & Bus Week’s Editor Gareth Evans sets the scene for the second part of the in-depth look at the Stagecoach Group, which includes an interview with CEO Sir Brian Souter and a look at operations in the East Midlands, Dundee, Manchester and Gloucestershire

W

elcome to the second part of the in-depth look at the Stagecoach Group. As with part 2, we’ve tried to cover fresh ground. A prime example is the seemingly oft forgotten former Strathtay

Stagecoach: a brief history

operation in Dundee. I was for example; unaware it was home to Stagecoach’s sole conductoroperated bus service – the 73 – which has also recorded some impressive statistics on the free on board WiFi. As ever, we must not forget the role of the coach in Stagecoach. It was therefore interesting to learn

PART TWO

As outlined in part one, the history of Stagecoach Group is extensive and intriguing. Here we look at some of the key events between 1997 and the present day.

In April 1997, Stagecoach launched an attack in Glasgow on FirstBus, which retaliated in Fife and Ayrshire. In July, the acquisition of Transit Holdings was completed, which included operations in Oxford and Australia. December saw Stagecoach sign a £1m deal to run the Sheffield Supertram for 27-years.

Mike Kinski was appointed CEO in April 1998, taking over part of Brian Souter’s role. Glasgow Prestwick Airport was acquired for £41m, while a 28% stake in Road King, a Chinese toll road firm was bought for £107m. In June, Stagecoach announced it now had a 49% stake in the Virgin Rail Group. Stagecoach also entered the FTSE-100 Index, becoming one of Britain’s top 100 companies.

That August saw Stagecoach buy Yellow Bus of Auckland, New Zealand for £35m. A month later Stagecoach exited Africa with the sale of its Kenya subsidiary to a management buy-out team.

Hong Kong-based Citybus was acquired for £181m in March 1999.

June of that year saw the firm

Stagecoach bought Cavalier Travel (right) in March 2008 make is biggest acquisitions to date – with the £1.2bn deal for Coach USA. Stagecoach also took a 45% stake in Sogin (Sita), Italy’s largest private bus operator, for £32.5m.

Swebus was sold to Concordia Bus in October 1999. With the firm badly hit by the Coach USA deal, it sold its cash cow, train leasing business Porterbrook for £1.4bn in April 2000.

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport was sold in January 2001.

That April, it also sold part of the former Ribble operations to the Blazefield Group for £13m.

June 2001 saw Stagecoach complete the sale of its Portuguese bus operations to Vimeca Transport group for £14m.

In October 2002 Stagecoach launched proposals for Kickstart pump-priming partnership initiative to help deliver new and improved bus services in the UK. Coach USA’s Transit Division was sold to First Transit, a subsidiary of

of the success of the X7 Dundee to Aberdeen Coastrider Express.

Introduced less than a year ago, customers have responded positively to a high quality, easy to use service – to the extent there are plans to further enhance it.

Further south, CBW’s James Day was last week given unprecedented access to the friendly, yet highly

FirstGroup in May 2003.

That June also saw the sale of the Hong Kong Citybus operations for £176m – plus the sale of Coach USA New England, South Central, South East and West regions, as well as disposal of Coach USA Texas taxi operations.

In September 2003 Stagecoach launched a commercial evaluation of Envirox, a fuel additive aimed at transforming the environmental and operational performance of its buses across the UK. In the same month, the firm broke further new ground when it started the UK’s first internet-based bus operation, with the launch of budget inter-city service megabus. com in Scotland. Journeys started at £1, linking Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee.

Stagecoach sold its Road King Infrastructure shareholding in January 2004. A month later, megabus expanded to England and Wales.

In December 2004, the UK bus fleet-wide adoption of Envirox was announced after the success of a 12-month commercial evaluation.

In the same month, Stagecoach in South Wales acquired (for the second time) the business of Phil Anslow Travel.

Stagecoach moved into Merseyside in July 2005 when it bought Glenvale Transport.

In September 2005, Stagecoach announced a new joint venture

with ComfortDelGro to create Scotland’s biggest coach operator, which would run Megabus, Motorvator and Scottish Citylink.

The Group’s New Zealand operations were sold in November 2005 to Infratil limited.

The UK’s bus operation expanded in December 2005 with the acquisition of the Traction Group, for £26m,which included Strathtay, Lincolnshire Road Car and Yorkshire Traction. megabus was launched in the USA in March 2006.

Stagecoach exited London in June 2006, with the sale of its bus operations to Macquarie Bank for £263.6m.

In March 2007 Stagecoach Group announced proposals to return £700m to shareholders, as well as plans to make £50m in special cash contributions to the Stagecoach Group Pension Scheme.

That July, Stagecoach launched a two-week £300,000 trial of a hovercraft service between Kirkcaldy and Portobello in Scotland. In the same month, it signed a 10-year contract to run the Manchester Metrolink tram.

New ground for local bus services was broken in October 2007 when Stagecoach unveiled what was then called ‘Goldline’ (now Gold), a new luxury bus concept to tempt motorists out of their cars with the promise of superior comfort and service

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experienced senior management team at Stagecoach Manchester.

Indeed, he was fortunate to spend the day meeting with the company’s directors, which included visits to Stockport and Sharstone depots.

On the subject of experienced busmen, CBW’s Andrew Cream has enjoyed being able to write a long overdue feature on Stagecoach West – and in particular, the firm’s MD Ian Manning. In his own words, Ian “fell out of the cradle with an interest in buses”. Rightly so, he’s happy to admit he was scheduling his own timetables by the age of seven.

Also in this issue, I was privileged to be given the opportunity to interview Stagecoach’s charismatic CEO Sir Brian Souter. While it’s an understatement to describe him as

a fountain of knowledge, he’s also highly approachable and very easy to talk to. I’m sure I’m not alone in being rather taken aback to hear him say the restoration of BSOG was number two on his wish list to the Transport Minister. On the other hand, perhaps I’m not so surprised. After all, commercial flair is one of Stagecoach’s hallmarks, as is innovation so having Kickstart as number one may not be so radical after all. As was so well put by Les Warnerford in part 1, the firm is not afraid to try things, yet it’s also quick to admit the success or otherwise of its endeavours.

Of course, it would be factually incorrect to portray the company as having had an entirely rosy history.

Indeed, like any organisation, the firm also has its fair share of critics – not to mention numerous brushes with the OFT. On that note, Sir Brian’s call for the OFT to take a more pragmatic view will strike a chord with many in the industry.

party company later in the year.

In January 2011, Stagecoach sold Preston Bus to the Rotala Group. megabus saw expansion into Canada in August 2009, backed by a $16m fleet investment. The new services linked Toronto, Kingston and Montreal.

In October 2009, Caerphilly County Borough Council announced its municipally-owned bus operator Islwyn Borough Transport had been sold to Stagecoach in South Wales, subject to OFT approval. The sale was completed by January 11 2010.

July 2010 saw a record-breaking single investment in hybrid vehicles, totalling £16m. A total of 56 vehicles were purchased for Oxford and Manchester. August 2010 saw another large investment in 340 buses and coaches worth £50m, taking the total investment for the year to £65m. Citylink Gold was also launched.

Stagecoach turned 30 in October 2010 and offered free travel for the day on its Scottish local bus

services. The firm also returned to the London market, acquiring the East London Bus Group for £53m.

Outside of London, Stagecoach became the first major operator to complete the installation of ITSO smartcard ticket machines across its entire UK bus fleet.

In January 2011 Stagecoach announced plans to buy and lease more than 520 new buses and coaches. In March 2011, Stagecoach introduced Greenroad to its fleet.

The Cambridge Guided Busway finally opened in August 2011. In the same month, the Group sold its Manchester tram operations to RATP and announced plans to return £340m to its shareholders.

Stagecoach expanded megabus. com to the southern United States in October 2011. The new services run from a hub in Atlanta, Georgia, to 11 cities in the states of Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. It later sold its Wisconsin School Bus business, including more than 700 buses, in order to focus on megabus. A £44m investment in new megabus double-deckers in the UK and USA followed in December.

February 2012 saw another £60m investment in 390 new buses and coaches for the 201213 financial year. The first new vehicles were delivered in May. megabus was expanded again in April 2012, fron the UK to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Sir Brian Souter with Jaspal Singh of ComfortDelGro UK at the July 2010 launch of Citylink Gold guarantees. A pilot route was launched in Perth, with plans to roll the new brand out to key locations across the UK. In the same month, the firm launched the UK’s first 100% Bio-buses – in Kilmarnock. The fuel is manufactured from used cooking oil and other by-products, resulting in an expected 80% cut in CO2 emissions. It was announced the biodiesel is produced from tallow and used cooking oil, both of which are sustainable sources. All households on the route received a free container to recycle their used cooking oil, which they could exchange at their recycling centre for a voucher for money off their bus travel.

The Scottish Citylink joint venture confirmed the divestment of some services in Scotland to Parks of Hamilton in February 2008.

March 2008 saw a major expansion of Megabus USA with new East Coast routes. At the end of that month, Stagecoach acquired the East of England independent Cavalier Travel. The deal included Huntingdon & District, which Stagecoach was earlier forced to divest when it bought Cambridgebased Cambus Holdings.

In October 2008, a £3m order was placed for new buses to run the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway – ADL Enviro400-bodied Scania double-deckers and, unusually in the Stagecoach fleet, Wright Volvos.

November 2008 saw South West Trains launch a passenger pilot of the UK’s first national rail smartcard.

After a period of head-to-head competition, Stagecoach acquired the part-municipally-owned Eastbourne Buses in late 2008. In January 2009, Cavendish Motor Services, which had competed with the by then ailing Eastbourne, was also bought by Stagecoach.

Despite finding the acquisitions had substantially lessened competition, the Competition Commission cleared the deal in October 2009 after deciding Cavendish would have chosen either to reduce its services substantially or even to close its operations altogether after Stagecoach’s acquisition of Eastbourne Buses.

In January 2009, Stagecoach announced a £70m investment in around 420 new buses and coaches to cover its growing operations. In June 2009, the firr invested £9m in refreshing the entire fleet of vehicle in the Oxford Tube network.

After a so-called ‘bus war’, employee-owned Preston Bus was sold to Stagecoach in January 2009.

However, it was subsequently ordered to sell the firm as a result of competition concerns. As part of the Competition Commission findings into the takeover, Preston Bus was managed separately from the main Stagecoach UK Bus business, pending sale to a third

Stagecoach has segmented the local bus market in Manchester

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FACE TO FACE › SIR BRIAN SOUTER

NAME: Sir Brian Souter AGE: 58 POSITION: Chief Executive Officer, Stagecoach Group CONTACT: 01738 442111 www.stagecoach.com

View from the top Coach & Bus Week Editor Gareth Evans talks to Stagecoach CEO Sir Brian Souter about business growth, technology and policy – including his wish list for the UK Government’s Transport Minister Norman Baker

H

e may have an accountancy background but frankly he doesn’t fit the stereotype – he’s not aloof.

He doesn’t look down his nose – he talks to people as people. That is to say, far from being a so-called ‘bean counter’, he’s a communicator.

We meet in the spacious surroundings of his office on the first floor of the Stagecoach head office in Perth. On this occasion, one minor occurrence serves as a prime example – coffee for Jonathan and I is poured not by a PA but by Sir Brian himself.

After two days of investor meetings, he’s clearly tired. As ever, I try to lift people’s spirits – laughter is always the best icebreaker. Having only chatted to him a week previously at the ATCO Conference in Birmingham, he laughs when I jest, “Long time no see.” His face immediately breaks into his familiar smile, which dare I say it, appears not to have changed with age. With the clock ticking at a rate of knots, we cut the small talk and get straight into the interview – see below.

At the conclusion, an hour or so later, every bit as sincere in his words, he shakes my hand and thanks me for making the effort to www.coachandbusweek.com

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come up to Perth and that he hopes to see me again soon. He then runs out of the office at break neck speed for his next appointment – but I’m too polite to ask what the haste is.

Political Priorities

CBW: What would you most like the Transport Minister in Westminster to do over the next 12 months?

Brian Souter: Reintroduce Kickstart.

It was a very effective way to grow the business and increase modal shift. I know we’ve got to be realistic but ideally I would also like to see the full reinstatement of BSOG. CBW: Do you support concessionary fares? What are your views on the future?

BS: I support free bus travel. It’s very good value for money for tax payers. It’s one of the best things to have been introduced for those eligible. However, with an aging population, the eligibility age may have to rise over time.

CBW: ATCO Chairman and CBW reader Tracy Jessop would like to know what you would do if you were running a local authority transport team?

BS: I would do a couple of things.

Firstly, I would consider asking local bus operators for their views on how to deal with cut backs, something which is not always done at the moment.

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Sir Brian in his office surrounded by tools of the trade and personal effects

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FACE TO FACE › SIR BRIAN SOUTER

Sir Brian Souter: a brief history

Sir Brian is never one to miss a cheesy PR opportunity Secondly, I would discuss with operators how best to exploit the commercial model. Look at the long term and develop the four Ps – Priority, Planning, Parking and Partnership. Again, it’s something which unfortunately doesn’t currently happen universally.

A common problem is operators are not informed of road works, which can cause disruption to the delivery of the service. It’s good to talk.

CBW: What is status of the First North Devon acquisition?

BS: We’re waiting for the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) to tell us whether they are going to give the go ahead or not.

CBW: What do you think of the role of the OFT/ Competition Commission in managing competition in the bus market?

BS: There are some serious issues here. FirstGroup has got some problem companies and it’s common sense to redraw territorial lines. It’s a waste of everyone’s resources to conduct investigations for five buses like in Eastbourne.

There’s also public interest at stake here. To be fair to First, the company has been very public about its divestment plans. The pubic interest is in retaining networks and maintaining job security. I think the OFT should be more pragmatic – it currently only seems to look at economic theory.

CBW: What are your thoughts on Nexus/ Tyne & Wear TPE’s plans for a Quality Contract (QC)?

BS: We believe having the correct policies in place is what’s important. The thing to remember is a QC means you control the bus company but don’t control the road space or parking, so you’re actually www.coachandbusweek.com

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controlling the one piece you need to get growth.

Where the demand for QCs is most prevalent is where it’s being driven by politics rather than practicalities.

CBW: What are your views on regulated vs deregulated markets?

BS: We’re happy to be back in London.

We’re not emperors at Stagecoach – we’re entrepreneurs. Emperors acquire assets; entrepreneurs sell when the price is right and buy things to make money. When we sold our London operation we didn’t know the banking crisis was on the horizon. We were offered a good price, so we took it.

We can show we’ve got higher growth in some of our deregulated networks than in London.

Transport for London (TfL) only covers 65% of its costs. There have been good results due to TfL. The system works very well but it’s not the only way to do it.

Technological advances

CBW: What technology has had the most positive effect on your business in the last two years?

BS: The internet. It’s allowed us to apply the South West Airlines model to buses, which involves 100% of the inventory being sold online.

Operationally, it allows us to predict demand in three weeks’ time.

CBW: What technology would like which you haven’t got?

BS: I’d like to get NFC (Near Field Communications) and be able to put tickets on mobile phones.

Smartcards are almost old technology now.

I’d also like to see breakthrough technology with bus manufacturers – which forms

To understand the man who is the driving force behind Stagecoach, it is important to understand his humble roots, for they have undoubtedly shaped his ideas and attitude to life.

Sir Brian’s first days at school weren’t unblemished. He was almost expelled and warned he would be ejected from school if he didn’t agree to repeat the year because of his poor performance. Sir Brian stopped fooling around, got his head down and began to focus on his studies.

“Changing my timetable from maths to include economics and accounts was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” he said.

Instead of being the class dunce he became a good performer, easily passing his exams and winning the dux prize in economics and accounts.

“I’m walking proof you don’t have to be an academic genius to do ok at school. We all have different talents and with a bit of hard work, even poor pupils like me can make some progress,” he reflected.

Sir Brian developed his talent for economics and accounts and on leaving school, studied to become a commerce teacher. It was then he decided he wanted to be a chartered accountant eventually landing a place at Glasgow’s Strathclyde University thanks to his commerce diploma.

His performance at university could not have been more different from his early days at school. He Sir Brian is passionate about the completed a joint accountancy and industry, including its heritage economics course in two years and sailed through his CA diploma with credit. A bright future as a Chartered Accountant lay ahead of him – but that’s not exactly how things turned out.

As soon as he was 18, Sir Brian started as a student bus conductor with Alexander’s Bus Company in Perth. Because he received no student grant when he went onto university, Sir Brian had to work full time and study in his spare time. His full time job was working as a bus conductor with Central SMT in Glasgow.

He would work early morning split shifts, finishing just in time to sprint into university in his uniform to attend lectures then resume his bus conductor duties in the afternoon.

Every spare moment at university was spent on the buses but on graduating, he joined Arthur Andersen, then one of the world’s leading chartered accountancy firms.

Based in the firm’s Glasgow office, Sir Brian was reluctant to hang up his conductor’s hat, so breaking the company’s rules which outlawed moonlighting, Sir Brian continued to work on the buses at weekends.

However, he was not to get away with his double life forever.

Greatly embarrassed, Sir Brian had to admit to his boss he had a dual career when, one Monday morning, he was forced to explain why he had a busted nose and cuts and bruises all over his face. It transpired he had been beaten up by a drunken, violent passenger on a late night bus journey. It perhaps came as no surprise when he set up his own bus operation.

The idea of affordable and efficient transport between Scotland and London was revolutionary in 1980 and the name Stagecoach resonated with the travelling public.

In those days there were no intercity coach services across Scotland.

Therefore, opportunities to provide new affordable coach services were thick on the ground – Aberdeen in particular was wide open. On his trips to the city to visit Arthur Andersen’s clients, the would-be entrepreneur spotted that intercity coach services were non-existent and there was untapped demand with the expanding oil industry.

By this time he had made up his mind his future lay in transport, so he persuaded his sister Ann and her husband Robin to buy a bus for school runs. Then, using his father’s redundancy money, they bought two coaches and the Stagecoach Group story began.

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FACE TO FACE › SIR BRIAN SOUTER

of propulsion genuinely increase fuel efficiency. I’d like to see a bus do say 18 mpg. We currently consume 330 million litres of fuel across the Group.

CBW: Stagecoach is the ‘greenest’ of the Big Five operators, being an enthusiastic user of hybrids and bio diesel. Which ‘green’ power system do you feel will win?

BS: I wish I knew the answer. I think the technology part of hybrids needs to fall in cost terms. It needs to go into commercially viable territory.

I’m not seeing electrical system suppliers doing that at the moment.

I’m very positive about bio diesel produced from waste sources.

Customers have definitely got a sensitivity about public transport.

This system could be rolled out across the UK quickly, cheaply and easily. If you demonstrate a reduction in carbon footprint, you can see real modal shift. Prime examples of this exist in the shire counties such as Cambridgeshire and Aberdeenshire.

I also think shale gas will break the back of the energy crisis. It can be environmentally friendly – it’s Euro 6. Using both gas and bio diesel is what we’ll end up with.

CBW: Will you be using CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) a lot more?

BS: Nobody has yet to come up with how to deal with the reduced lubricity of gas-powered engines and the resultant shorter engine life and hence whole vehicle life cost. Gas buses are also a bit more expensive than diesel.

Growing the business

CBW: How do you plan to grow Stagecoach? Are you looking for bolt-on acquisitions like the Go-Ahead Group? Or are you envisaging organic growth?

BS: We’ve got some big decisions to make at the moment in geographical terms. I’m comfortable where we are now. There are areas of growth in each of our businesses.

Our Scottish operations have been amazing – there has been a lot of product development. We’ve done some commercial Kickstart in Dundee, Glenthroes and Kirkcaldy.

I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen those areas personally but the local team has worked and got it working extremely successfully. There is also the success story that is Ferry Toll (more of which in a future issue).

Each time we increase quality, we see growth. Our next move is 15-metre coaches. The name of the game in any business is to be www.coachandbusweek.com

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great dilemma to have.

In the USA we’re running out of management resources. Coach America is very exciting.

Further down the line, what else can we do with Citylink Gold? We also know we’ve got a market in the sleeper service.

Career

Above: Inter-urban coach services such as the X5 continue to grow. Below: Sir Brian’s own vintage car, which he re-imported from New Zealand

like retailers. Inter-urban express services have seen big growth in all our operating companies.

If you board the route 73 in Dundee, look at the passenger satisfaction. WiFi was introduced and it’s proved to be a real competitive tool in gaining modal shift.

Megabus and Gold are also interesting, while the X7 (Dundee to Aberdeen) has a real wow factor.

We’ve also seen incredible growth on the X76, which we operate using Plaxton Panther coaches, and the X5 Oxford to Cambridge services. When we meet managers, we don’t just say ‘that’s nice’. Where there’s growth, it means there’s more potential. We’ll invest big money in it.

CBW: At privatisation, you argued West Midlands Travel was undervalued by £25m and your intervention helped to increase the sale price from £60m to £70.7m.

There were also rumours in the not too distant past that the business could be acquired by Stagecoach.

Would you still be interested in the West Midlands if the opportunity ever arose?

CBW: How do you divide your time in a typical working week?

BS: I don’t have a typical week – I just prioritise.

CBW: What’s been the most exciting and frustrating time in your career?

BS: Life is pretty exciting right now. I’ve always found interesting things to do. The low point was undoubtedly Coach USA but we got our sleeves up and got on with it.

I don’t have any great regrets. I’m very excited about the future.

CBW: Could someone repeat today the way you grew your business?

BS: It could be done in the UK but it wouldn’t be quite so easy to get to the size we have. However, you could certainly create an exciting company.

CBW: What’s the most rateable bus or coach in your career?

BS: The Bristol Lodekka. It was amazing for its fuel economy, reliability and customer convenience. The Routemaster was also amazing but it wasn’t so easy to access. The Lodekka was designed in 1958 yet it had a flat floor inside.

It’s regrettable the Bus Grant was introduced, which of course killed off the Lodekka. There was a lot of scope for developing that vehicle.

Personally, I would have turned it into an export vehicle.

“Life is pretty exciting right now. I’ve always found interesting things to do... I don’t have any great regrets. Future I’m very excited about CBW: Succession planning?

BS: Do I look that worn out? I’m 58 the future.”

– ask me again when I’m 64. No one Sir Brian Souter

BS: There’s certainly a lot of potential in that business. National Express is now doing some good work there.

CBW: With the steady progress towards coach deregulation, do you plan to expand Megabus across mainland Europe?

BS: Again, we’ve got some big decisions to make. Operating to Paris, we’ve found Megabus is exportable. However, that doesn’t mean we’re going to go bouncing into each European country.

Eurolines is a very capable operator.

We are looking at Germany but we’re not committing to it yet. It’s a

complains about my energy levels.

Seriously though, we’ve got some good succession planning. There are ten of us about the same age.

We’ve got some very good people in organisation thanks to the graduate scheme and the staff development programme. We’ve got a group of younger people. The best example is Les Warnerford, who’s thought about retiring for a while. I feel Les is the UK’s best bus manager.

We will definitely miss him. Bob Montgomery has a different skill set but he’s a great man. He’s an exceptionally good market analyst.

Bob has a uniqueness we will never be able to replace – he’s also a safe pair of hands.

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INSIGHT › SERVICE QUALITY

Passengers board an X7 coach at Dundee Bus Station

Bonnie Dundee Coach & Bus Week’s Gareth Evans hears from Stagecoach East Scotland how the introduction of free WiFi has proved a key attraction on an interurban coach service and a local bus service – which remarkably is still operated using conductors

T

he statistics make impressive reading.

Can WiFi (wireless internet) really help to grow coach and bus usage? According to Stagecoach East Scotland the answer is affirmative.

Dundee Bus Station would perhaps be more aptly known as a coach station – for the number of coach departures appears to far outweigh the number of local stagecarriage journeys. Megabus and Citylink services supplement coaches used on inter-urban

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The airy interior inside a Plaxton Elite coach used on the X7 service

Stagecoach services, not forgetting a scattering of Darts.

I visit the clean, airy facility on a damp morning, which I’m told is customary for this part of the world.

Despite the relative compact nature of the site, I’m struck by the level of activity – there’s no shortage of customers here, not to mention vehicle arrivals and departures.

I meet a friendly trio from the local management team, who instantly make me feel welcome - Operations Manager Kenny McWalter, Inspector James Kenneth and Sarah Anderson, Marketing Manager for Bluebird, East Scotland and Highlands.

Kenny is a seasoned busman. “I started in 1988 as a crew driver,” he said. “After four years, I successfully applied to be a Depot Controller at Arbroath. Four years later, I became Depot Manager and was appointed Assistant Operations Manager when Stagecoach bought Strathtay. A further four years later I became Operations Manager here in Dundee.”

“I’ve seen many changes, largely for the better,” Kenny reflected.

“It took me a while to get my head around some of the Stagecoach methods but I

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INSIGHT › SERVICE QUALITY

agree with them – there’s very sound thinking behind them.”

Conducting route 73

Branded the ‘Tayway’, route 73 links Arbroath with Dundee’s Nine Wells Hospital, via Carnoustie, Monifieth and Dundee city centre. The service stands out for two reasons – WiFi and the fact it’s still operated using conductors, more of which later.

It became the first corridor in the company to be equipped with the technology, using the now proven Icomera system.

“All our trunk routes are now equipped with WiFi, which represents about 80% of the fleet.

Strathtay is well ahead thanks the massive fleet investment by Stagecoach,” explained Kenny.

According to Sarah, WiFi costs “£39 per calendar month, per bus.”

“We expect an increase in ridership after we’ve installed the technology.

On the 73 alone, we’ve had 57,000 WiFi sessions since we introduced it 18 months ago,” added Sarah.

“Users fill in a basic survey on the log-in page. We’ve had 9,500 unique users. We all thought WiFi would be popular solely with commuters but with the more widespread use of smartphones, iPads and so on, it’s broadened. The 73 remains a popular commuter service, however.”

Thanks to the monitoring system, the company has found the average time an individual uses WiFi across all routes is 28 minutes.

Turning to the use of conductors, which disappeared from mainstream bus operation elsewhere with the withdrawal of half cabs and the introduction of one-person operation, Kenny said: “We re-introduced conductors in 1986. Of the six, four are still here.

They never phone in sick – they work very hard. They’re truly valued members of staff.

“Conductors are also very popular with passengers. They sell tickets for only about 10% of their time. Using conductors also means we can minimise stop dwell time.”

Kenny continued: “I started 24 years ago in Scottish Bus Group days. Strathtay got the dregs of the fleet – which included Routemasters. At privatisation, the Traction Group kept conductors and contrary to expectations, they were also retained by Stagecoach.

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Above: One of the ADL Enviro 400s dedicated to route 73 is seen in Dundee. Below: James Kenneth, Kenny McWalter and Sarah Anderson

day rider.

“In terms of journey time, the train is an hour faster but it costs three-times as much as the coach.

The X7 is very popular from Stonehaven to Aberdeen – we’re having to duplicate some journeys,” added Kenny.

Sarah made a valuable observation - in some cases, the location of Dundee railway station is unattractive to users, whereas the bus station is central.

“The luxury we offer on our coaches is something to be proud of,” she added. “They’re fitted with power sockets and reclining leather seats. Stonehaven to Aberdeen and Arbroath to Aberdeen have seen an increase in commuter traffic thanks to the direct link – people no longer need to change buses.”

Stagecoach is now looking to increase the frequency of the X7.

Operating in Dundee

of the bus working diagrams starting in Arbroath.

Does he expect the use of conductors to expand? “I believe conductors help to add to the overall customer experience. We retained them as they are a big and important part of the service.”

Kenny said the “Massive branding on the 73 helps too. In Traction Group days we didn’t do branding.”

Sarah took up the story: “The 73 was the first corridor to benefit from new branding last year, under which we introduced the new Enviro 400s. Similar branding has since been introduced on route 20 (Dundee - Forfar) and will feature on new Enviro 400s for route 57 (Perth – Dundee, via Blairgowrie).”

X7 Coastrider Express

The X7 Coastrider Express service is operated using a fleet of impressive Plaxton Elite-bodied Volvo coaches. It’s no exaggeration to say the vehicles benefit from a ‘wow’ factor – they have a real presence on the road. Inside, they’re every bit as stylish, with comfortable leather seats and a bright, airy interior. It’s hard to believe the service is a relatively recent addition, not being a year old yet.

“In September 2011, we

£39 25 80% The monthly cost per vehicle for WiFi

The number of conductors employed by Stagecoach East Scotland

Percentage of the Strathtay fleet equipped with WiFi

launched the X7 Dundee to Aberdeen coach service,” explained Sarah. “It’s the only route which operates along the coast road via Montrose and Stonehaven. There has not been a direct bus route that way for 20 odd years. Megabus and Citylink run via the motorway.”

The X7 is currently carrying 7,000 passengers a week. It’s not vastly affected the 73, which follows part of the same route.

“The X7 has been a major success,” commented Kenny.

James said a day return between Dundee and Aberdeen costs £6.30, which is the price of the area’s

Is the firm seeing growth or decline in the recession? “We’ve seen good growth in the last year,” replied Kenny.

Sarah said: “As soon as we’ve introduced new buses, we’ve really pushed it in PR terms – and it’s worked.”

On that note, Kenny was quick to praise the efforts of his colleagues in the marketing department. “Our marketing team works extremely hard, such as going into colleges to promote our services. James gets involved too.”

“We’re a family here,” said Sarah, with a big smile.

Back to the recession, despite all the optimism, Kenny spoke of something which can happen even in the so-called ‘good times’. “We had to close Montrose depot last summer unfortunately, due to the loss of contracts. The remaining work moved to Arbroath.”

With Dundee being a city, asked whether Stagecoach experiences any problems with bad behaviour, such as driver assaults, window etching and window bricking, the trio looked on in bemusement.

“We don’t get any trouble here.

Touch wood, there’s no window etching and no vandalism problems full stop,” explained James.

Kenny added: “I’ve read about problems at other operators’ elsewhere in the UK, but I’ve never heard of a staff assault here in all 24 years. People have this perception that Dundee is rough, but it’s not.

Like you, our colleagues down south find it hard to believe.”

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OPERATOR PROFILE › STAGECOACH WEST

Manning: the best in the West

Gold service 94 was the first to employ double deckers and was launched in September 2009

Andrew Cream visits Stagecoach West’s operations in Gloucester to find out about how the company is run, its Gold routes and MD Ian Manning’s past and present

S

tagecoach West, with its hub in Gloucester, carries 23.2m passengers per year.

Headed up by the exuberant Ian Manning, the operation runs routes in and around Gloucester, Cheltenham, Ross-On-Wye, the Cotswolds and Swindon, including its flagship Gold routes between Gloucester and Cheltenham and between Swindon and Oxford.

Management

Ian is very positive about the organisation he manages, although when he took it over there was a lot of work to do. “It was performing very poorly financially,” he explained. “We worked on the network for about three years to get it to where we wanted it. It was a scaled and progressive return to profitability. We’ve had super passenger growth.

“We’ve been fully supported by the Group with good vehicle investment along the way, renewing our assets at an appropriate rate.

“Our network strategy concentrates on simplifying the network and improving frequency coupled with the right fare offers.

A lot of work is done on marketing and branding and we have been very successful in those areas.”

“I know I work for the best organisation,” he added. “You can go away feeling wholly motivated by Sir Brian Souter. He has vision and understands what to do, while Les Warneford is a very hardworking www.coachandbusweek.com

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and very competent boss, always on hand to discuss any issues.”

Of his own management style, Ian said: “I am a very hands-on individual – there’s little I don’t know about that goes on here.

“I am also involved in training and developing new staff. We have developed a number of young people here. They have gone on to better things in the Group which is one of the hallmarks of this company.

“We have four-week management meetings dealing with performance, business development, commercial aspects, health and safety and training. We deal with problems and devise solutions.”

Commenting on the split in decision-making between Perth HQ and Gloucester, he said: “There are certain Group requirements like how we might handle complaints, but the planning and running of the business and work with authorities are all left to us, with company guidelines to refer to. I have a lot of autonomy over what we need to do.

“The network is designed from [Gloucester] head office with depot input. Depots deal with normal cost and recruitment issues.”

Luxury branding

The 94 – Stagecoach West’s original Gold service and the first ever Gold service to run double deckers – was launched in September 2009. Mark Rosaman, the Assistant Operations Manager in charge of the route, told CBW: “It’s one of the best routes in the area. It is doing brilliantly; patronage has definitely gone

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www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: 29 ADL Enviro200s joined the fleet over the past couple of years. Right: AEC Routemaster RML 2657 - Stagecoach West’s heritage vehicle up. The general public is thankful for the service.”

As with all of Stagecoach’s Gold services, what makes the 94 special is its extra comfort provided by leather seats, dedicated drivers with special uniforms, the extra training drivers receive and the particularly low emissions. It is also the most direct Cheltenham to Gloucester route.

Mark’s job involves dealing with drivers, the public, liaising with engineering staff – every aspect of running a route.

“We’re checking all the time, monitoring all services daily,” he said. “Through customer feedback we are bettering services.

“The Sunday service is now every 15 minutes in shopping hours – upgraded from every 20 minutes.

Timings are being looked at all the time and are changed at least twice a year.”

The company runs a CPC course dedicated to the Gold service called ‘Going the extra mile’ which is focused on customer care. Drivers who want to work on the route are selected through a mystery shopper who assesses their performance on their current service.

Mark believes drivers are attracted by the status of driving for Stagecoach’s showcase service and also suggested they prefer the vehicles – 09 Scania Enviro400s.

The buses were the newest in the fleet in 2009 and the operator has since taken delivery of 16 more www.coachandbusweek.com

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Scania double deckers and 29 new Enviro200s.

He was also able to explain why the 94 was chosen as one of the first Gold routes.

“There was growth on the route but then it plateaued, so we had to target people who wouldn’t normally contemplate going on buses,” he explained. “We’re trying to entice general car users on to the bus and I think it is working.”

Like for like, there is about 12.25% higher patronage since Gold was inaugurated.

Ian Manning explained how route 66 between Swindon and Oxford became Gold: “Initially, the route started as hourly with high-floor Volvo B10Ms. The first thing we did was increase the peak frequency and then introduced lowfloor 12.8-metre MANs.

“We are not being reimbursed as much as we were.

In Cheltenham we are taking the equivalent of one million car journeys per year off the streets and that has to be applauded.

But I do accept the fact [Local Authorities] don’t have the money they used to have.”

Ian Manning

“The route was then made half hourly on weekdays in May 2010 before turning Gold in January this year.

“When we doubled the frequency we got 33% passenger growth in the first week. Now it’s Gold it’s running with 56% more passengers.”

Stagecoach Gold has a special charter, or ‘Customer Promise’ under which it operates.

“The frequency and the charter combine to provide an appealing product. When the route was introduced, the interest was very spectacular,” Ian said. “We have never needed to give any refunds under the charter.”

Ian revealed forthcoming Gold plans. The 10 route between Cheltenham and Lower Tuffley, via Brockworth and Gloucester, converts to Gold early next year, with vehicles arriving in December 2012. The company has received a lot of positive feedback regarding its current Gold routes from telesales marketing.

The 94 will also be upgraded to free Wi-Fi around the same time – a feature which is currently available on most Gold routes.

Older is better?

Great emphasis is placed on branding to grow patronage

As well as housing its fleet of 62 vehicles, the Gloucester depot is home to two heritage vehicles, an AEC Routemaster repowered with a Scania engine and a Bristol Lodekka – the latter belonging to

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Ian Manning and retired Operations Director, Sholto Thomas.

Mike Butt, Engineering Manager for Gloucester and Ross-On-Wye, explained the vehicles are usually out around twice a month for private hire, although the end of June saw them out nearly every night due to prom work.

He added: “The vehicles are easier to maintain and better to work on – they were built by mechanics. There are no electronics like with the modern buses.”

“We never put a spanner to the Routemaster,” agreed Ian. “It’s an easy bus to operate and maintain.

We enjoy doing it and really it’s money for old rope.”

Engineering matters

Ian Manning:

Mike is an essential cog in the Stagecoach machine, heading up the day-to-day running of his two depots. His jobs include planning the 21-day vehicle inspections,

maintenance, repairs and MOTs. Daily vehicle checks are carried out, making sure the vehicles, including the 30 stationed at Ross-On-Wye, are fit for the road. He believes in proactive fault finding, or “putting things right before they happen.”

This includes talking to drivers about faults.

Mike explained that buses are generally used for up to 16 years, but added: “As long as they keep running, we’ll keep using them.”

The average fleet age at Stagecoach West is 7.8 years. Older vehicles are cascaded down to less prominent routes. 90% of the buses are low floor, which will rise to 98% by the end of 2012.

Speaking about his role, Mike said: “I like the challenge it gives. No two days are the same. I am always aiming to bring the standard of the workshops and fleet up.”

Mike started his engineering career as an apprentice in 1997

a brief history

Ian Manning’s 35-year career in transport is as varied as it is fascinating and he tells his story with much enthusiasm.

“You could say I fell out of the cradle with an interest in buses – it started when I was four,” he said.

“By the time I was seven I was scheduling my own timetables.”

In the mid-1970s Ian attended the University of Edinburgh where he studied his other passion, language – completing a degree in German and Linguistics. His first role in the industry was a planning position at Lothian Regional Transport (now Lothian Buses) between 1976 and 1979.

He then spent “two quite happy years” at W Alexander and Sons (Northern) where he was responsible for redesigning part of its network. He was part of the team that carried out SCOTMAP – the Scottish Market Analysis Programme. Ian explained it was the first major project of its type the bus industry had undertaken, with every journey surveyed.

At the age of 27 Ian landed the role of Group Commercial Officer at Scottish Bus Group (SBG), based at Carron House in Edinburgh. He said: “Effectively I was Assistant to the Group Operations Director and responsible for the development of SBG’s express services portfolio

Ian Manning says he fell from the cradle with an interest in buses and latter establishment of Scottish Citylink.”

It wasn’t a particularly progressive place to work, according to Ian, so with privatisation on its way he decided to get out.

This lead to him securing the role of Traffic Manager at Clydeside Scottish Omnibuses in 1985.

“We had a visionary MD called George Watson, but we had cutthroat competition on every corridor we had,” said Ian. “We reintroduced crew operation using 78 Routemasters on services out of Glasgow, Johnstone and Paisley to gain passenger loyalty and actually reduced the cost of providing a more frequent service. As a

company we were way ahead of our time in virtually every aspect of the operation.”

Between 1989 and 1990 Ian was Operations Manager at Southdown Motor Services in Chichester which was then taken over by Stagecoach, but he left to work for Buckinghamshire County Council as Deputy County Passenger Transport Officer, a job he held until 1996.

The reason for leaving his local authority role was due to a phone call from a Sir Brian Souter.

One of Ian’s more specific passions is the Portuguese bus industry. He has to date written four books on the subject, with a fifth in the pipeline.

Sir Brian was aware of his

before working his way up the ladder in roles such as day fitter and assistant manager. He is now in charge of 25 people at Gloucester and seven at Ross-On-Wye. Keeping on top of changes in technology is a constant challenge for engineering teams everywhere.

Mike makes sure his team attend courses on relevant technological changes, especially technicians and electricians, but also said he tries to stay knowledgeable about new developments himself.

Read all about it

It’s always valuable to get an insight into current newsworthy matters with individuals such as Ian and he had a lot to say on a number of pressing issues.

It was notable he considered interurban and rural networks to have stood up better than urban services in the recession due to the loss of jobs in urban

knowledge and keen interest and offered him the job of managing Stagecoach’s Portuguese division, a role he took up on August 1, 1996.

Ian said: “I spent five years there and was very successful in very difficult circumstances. The country was not exactly run on the principles of transparent process.

For example, it took two years to get planning permission for a new depot because we didn’t bribe the council officials. Once we finally built the new site, we spent three months without electricity for the same reasons.”

Ian is certainly proud of what he achieved in Portugal. “I transformed that operation,” he added. “It had an 18% margin and fabulous organic passenger growth.

“Judith Chalmers even mentioned the company on her holiday programme Wish You Were Here. She actually advised visitors not to hire cars and said: ‘The bus services are really good and there are tourist tickets available.’ That’s quite an accolade.”

In 2001 Ian left to spend two years at Arriva Portugal. He didn’t have a whole lot to say about this part of his life, only musing: “It was the first time in life I ignored the advice of close colleagues and friends. It never felt right.”

So, after a meeting with Les Warneford in a greasy spoon café behind Waterloo Station, Ian was appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach West on June 1, 2003. www.coachandbusweek.com

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OPERATOR PROFILE › STAGECOACH WEST

areas. However, he appreciated the challenges faced with rural services.

“From the customer point of view if there is a difficultly with an urban service there’s another one in 10 minutes so it doesn’t attract criticism,” Ian said. “With hourly routes the tolerance is much lower.”

He believes the shake-up regarding concessionary fares reimbursement has been “a huge distraction” and has heightened tensions between operators and local authorities (LAs).

He added: “I have negotiated the best deal I can but we are not being reimbursed as much as we were.

In Cheltenham for example we are taking the equivalent of one million car journeys per year off the streets and that has to be applauded. But I do accept the fact they don’t have the money they used to have.”

Ian showed a lot of positivity towards Quality Partnerships (QPs). “I think they are important, something we should be aspiring to – working together,” he said.

“We negotiated our first QP in May 2004 with Gloucestershire, which was then renewed when Gold was introduced in 2009.”

Stagecoach West also has a QP with Wiltshire for service 55 from Swindon to Chippenham, plus a “good working relationship” with Herefordshire. It hopes to have a punctuality partnership with Swindon Borough Council signed formally in the near future.

Ian said: “On the 94 service, the authority has to make sure no journey takes more than 50 minutes through monitoring, for example, traffic lights and infrastructure. This also includes roadworks but highways engineers can be poor at adhering to it.”

Despite his reservations, Ian believes there is nothing to fear with a QP, adding: “The success of partnerships depends on the energies both sides put in them.”

Quality Contracts (QCs) however, unsurprisingly, were not given as much praise.

“They bring nothing to the party.

It’s a confiscation of business. Plus, there is no substitute for local knowledge which is often wholly absent in centralised planning,” Ian said.

He also recalled his days working in planning, where routes would often be determined by where councillors lived.

The Competition Commission’s (CC) recent report on the local bus market is another contentious topic. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: The Bristol Lodekka owned by Ian Manning and Sholto Thomas Below: Mike Butt, Engineering Manager

GTI:

a synopsis

Ian echoed Stagecoach’s official line on the subject by welcoming the CC’s considered position of being against franchising and supporting its call for LAs to embrace partnerships – QPs have a “strong record at delivering improved services”.

He doesn’t however, accept the CC’s method of calculating profitability as it underestimates historic pension costs.

Furthermore, Ian believes the CC has failed to tackle the most important aspect of competition in the bus market – the car.

He also branded the report a lengthy distraction and a waste of tax payers’ money and management time.

“I am in favour of competition – it keeps us on our toes. But you can only compete if there is not a finite demand,” he concluded.

Ian is also in favour of both multioperator ticketing and integrated bus/rail tickets.

Regarding integrated ticketing he added: “We have Plusbus in the whole of our area. As far as I’m concerned anything getting people out of their cars and onto public transport needs to be applauded.

“You have to be very careful

Craig Lockley, Commercial Director, explained to CBW the company’s GTI scheme – an initiative set up to encourage certain organisations to use the bus more frequently.

Under the scheme, organisations are offered discounted fares, usually in return for the organisation financing a service enhancement or part of the marketing. The parties involved will then typically use the bus more, with the discount recouped by the extra journeys. The GTI scheme aims at making bus travel cheaper for those that need it, for example major employers, university and college students.

Over 1.3 million journeys have been made under the initiative since it was set up four years ago.

Starting in September, Stagecoach West is trialling the scheme with a school for the first time – St Peters in Gloucester.

If the scheme is successful it is possible it will then form a valuable input into the policy debate on discounts for young people.

“We have Plusbus in the whole of our area.

As far as I’m concerned anything that gets people out of their cars and onto public transport needs to be applauded.”

Ian Manning

however about the tail wagging the dog [moving bus times to suit train times].”

Ian was also keen to show off the company’s green credentials. The firm is doing well with its buildings’ emissions, with small but important systems in place such as corridor lights on timers and energy efficient lighting circuits in depots.

The operator has also implemented the GreenRoad eco driving system.

Ian said: “The early results are good. I am optimistic we will meet our fuel reduction target of 3%, as we’re currently working at 5.8%.”

Challenging future

Engineering Director Pete Sheldon was at hand to talk to CBW about the challenges the operator faces in recruitment.

“Trying to recruit skilled staff has been difficult. We have also had issues with recruiting managerial stock,” he explained. ”It’s not about the wages, more because Honda and MAN are in Swindon so there’s some competition.

“We have a good apprentice programme so there is hope for the future, but it takes time. We have got some good ones coming through. It has been difficult and it has been a challenge.”

The company sends apprentices to S & B Academy in Bristol for training. According to Pete, the specialist training at Scania has also had a lot of positive feedback and is one of the better programmes the technicians have been on.

“We have regular meetings with vehicle manufacturers,” Pete added.

“They take on board what we say but some manufacturers are better than others at fully responding to our problems.”

Career highs

Ian’s current Stagecoach highlight, perhaps predictably, concerns his time in Portugal.

“I managed a team of 339 people who I knew personally – the vast majority by name,” he said. “I also revamped the network and produced multi-lingual publicity.

“Employees had superb morale, we replaced the fleet and premises and we had very significant early organic growth. It was also my first MD post.”

In more general terms, Ian gets a “glow of satisfaction from seeing the young people we have trained” and is also motivated by passenger growth.

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Former rail maintenance workshops at Lincoln feature end-to-end inspection pits

Exciting times at East Midlands Stagecoach East Midlands’ Gary Nolan and John Taylor give Coach & Bus Week’s Andrew Cream a tour of their operations in Lincoln and Skegness www.coachandbusweek.com

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A

s a result of changes to management structure and regrouping of operations, Stagecoach East Midlands covers a fairly sizeable part of the country.

The company covers eight sites - Hull, Grimsby, Skegness, Lincoln, Scunthorpe, Gainsborough, Worksop and Mansfield, as well as a small operation in Newark.

The friendly duo Gary Nolan, Managing Director, and John Taylor, Engineering Director, were kind enough to show me around their HQ in Lincoln, their Lincoln depot on Great Northern Terrace and the

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garage in Burgh Le Marsh, which serves Skegness.

Conversions

The head office in Lincoln is also home to a bodyshop which is used to maintain and repair Stagecoach East Midlands’ 478-strong fleet, as well as being used to work on other operators’ vehicles, both inside and outside Stagecoach Group.

On the day of my visit, the shop was converting two ex-London Tridents into open toppers for Stagecoach Cambridge’s City Sightseeing service.

John went through all the necessary changes his team needed to make in order to convert the two buses.

Stagey.StageyEMids.indd 37

The centre doors are removed, a ramp is installed on the entrance and the wheelchair space is repositioned from behind the stairs to opposite the stairs. Electronic destination gear is also installed.

In order to make the vehicles fully DDA-compliant, different colour flooring is put in, LED lighting is installed down the gangways and bespoke hand rails upstairs are fitted.

Due to only a third of upstairs being undercover, the team has installed a gully section which feeds the water out the back of the bus.

A gutter running along the back of the front roof has also been added so water can run easily away from passengers.

“There’s quite a bit of work involved,” mused John. “We’ve got good body guys. I’m lucky I’ve got the guys who can do it. They have got the skills.”

The site is also home to an in-house trim shop, with two employees, and a paint shop. The painters only use brushing – not spraying.

“Whatever liveries companies want, we can do it,” explained John.

“Any in-house accidents we deal with as a business here. This is not typical of Stagecoach.”

Classics

The company also houses its own heritage vehicle at the head office – a Bristol SC. It is fully licensed to be used in regular service with paying

passengers if they ever wanted to do so, but it is mainly used for weddings and the occasional school prom, as well as rallies, shows and the Lincoln Transport Museum’s open day. John joked: “We have to keep it quiet from Sir Brian Souter otherwise he’ll whisk it off to a museum.”

Progression

Much like many of the management team across Stagecoach Group, John started his life in the industry at the bottom and worked his way up. He served his apprenticeship at Eastern National in Chelmsford before becoming a Depot Engineer at Basildon. He has held a number of director roles over

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the years including Engineering Director at Thamesway, Engineering Director of Eastern Counties and Aftersales Director at BMC. He has held the post of Engineering Director at Stagecoach East Midlands for six years.

On his current role, John said: “People are prepared to let us manage our business. We manage what we do. It’s good to have that authority.

“I get job satisfaction from knowing you have put out a good product on the road. That’s what drives you.

“You enjoy what you do and you enjoy the challenge. It’s a great feeling knowing you have actually achieved something.”

He described one of the toughest challenges being “moving away from the past.” Pre-2005 the company was of course known as Lincolnshire RoadCar before its parent company Traction Group was taken over by Stagecoach.

He added: “Gaining the acceptance from staff was a challenge – moulding them into the Stagecoach philosophy and ethos.

People are always concerned about change.”

Another attitude which seems to ring true around the Group is staying on your feet and being approachable.

John said: “I try to get out and about; I think it’s important to see the staff. You do need to spend time doing that.

“If you’re not approachable, they are not going to tell you when something is wrong. Staff relationships are one of the most important aspects of the company.

It’s important to discuss things with people.

“You have to remember a bus company is a people business. I drive the Christmas market park and ride each year – it’s a way of keeping in touch with reality and it gives you an appreciation for what staff are doing.”

Personal development

Across the board, Stagecoach puts a lot of work and money into training apprentices.

“The group is very good at apprenticeship schemes,” said John.

“Apprentices have depot mentors at their specific depots.”

The company works closely with Bristol-based S & B Auto Academy.

Typically, apprentices complete a three-year NVQ, then in the fourth year they spend time at more www.coachandbusweek.com

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Stagecoach East Midlands MD Gary Nolan presides over a large area with a diverse range of operations

A preserved Bristol SC is used on specialist hires – mainly weddings

52.4m 21m 1,386 478 passengers carried

miles driven

staff employed

vehicles in operation

technical and specific sites, such as Scania, ADL or Cummins. All apprentices also obtain their PCV licence.

John also explained the Stagecoach Development Programme (SDP) which aims to encourage employees to further themselves by learning new skills.

“It’s hard to find people with the aspiration to go further,” he said.

“They are often traffic orientated rather than engineering people, who tend to live in their comfort zone.

“The programme requires employees to move to another location; we have had people from East Kent, for example. Engineers are a little bit reluctant to do that.

“People who have gone to University are more used to moving around. We need to make people complete that leap. It’s a challenge for the whole industry.”

“There’s no point in training people if they are not willing to move about,” added Gary. “As part of the programme they have to apply for jobs in other geographical areas. The programme is every aspect of the job – sweeping buses, interviews – the whole job. It gives them the incentive to look around.”

John has actually set up his own in-house, East Midlands-specific development programme, based on the SDP model. It was first run in 2010 but he intends to run it again this year.

“It’s about finding out who wants to progress, who has the potential.

Some people are just happy doing their job – it’s the fear of the unknown.”

The company has its own inhouse training facility at head office, where it trains its own staff as well as external operators around Lincolnshire. “We are happy to train external operators for a commercial fee,” quipped Gary. The training programmes include D-CPC courses.

Trial and error

MD Gary Nolan was quick to agree with John about the independence they have as directors.

“We have a lot of freedom to experiment,” Gary said. “We extended the Grimsby to Lincoln Interconnect 3 route to Newark North Gate station, branded as an ‘executive’ service with leather seats. However, there were lots of problems within three months and it wasn’t making money. It just never took off.

“But, the only way to see a service perform is doing it. It’s all about trial and error – you have to do it.”

He added: “The good thing about Stagecoach is you are given opportunities and backing to try things – admit defeats and praise positives. Our FastCat (jointly operated with EYMS between Scunthorpe, Barton and Hull) and pronto (linking Chesterfield,

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Mansfield and Nottingham, jointly operated with trent barton) services have had phenomenal growth. The main test is running it.

The Lincoln to Skegness service is now every hour; services just grow differently.”

Variation

Being in charge of a company with so many different areas needs someone who knows what they are doing. It’s clear after spending an afternoon with Gary that he is passionate about his work and the job role.

He gave a run-down of a few of the areas which come under his jurisdiction, hinting at the scope of the company.

Skegness operates 35 buses, and 37 in high season. It is an all-yearround business which is enhanced in the summer months. The company runs mostly long-distance services to and from Worksop, while in Mansfield there are 65 buses running typically at 10-15 minute frequencies. The Grimsbybased operations are serviced by around 60 buses. “It’s an excelled figure of eight network,” said Gary.

“It’s quite cleverly designed by Les Warneford.”

70 buses operate in Lincoln, while Hull is a “big city operation”, with 130 buses. High frequency routes in Hull are currently in the process of being converted to single decker operation. “The company has a fantastic mix of rural and urban services,” he added. “With things to contend with like summer peaks and traffic congestion, you certainly never get bored.”

The operator also carries out a lot of rail replacement work, not just locally. For example, it runs Norwich to Ely services on behalf of Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains.

Gary’s passion for buses has always been there. “I’ve always had an interest,” he said. “I spent five years as a printer before becoming a bus conductor. I was also a driver and inspector – I progressed through the ranks.

“I had my first stint at Stagecoach between 1995 and 1998 before returning in 2006 in my current role.”

“After 34 years, I am still learning,” he added.

Product development Stagecoach East Midlands is constantly developing, with new trials and ideas always on the horizon. The company has

Stagey.StageyEMids.indd 39

just gone live on commercial smartcards, although it has been using concessionary smartcards since October last year. Stagecoach’s smartcards are not PAYG like Oyster cards or those being used by other operators. Instead, passengers buy a product online, for example a monthly megarider, which can then be topped up onboard.

The company is also trialling Plusbus with Lincoln railway station soon. The station is gated and now the company is fully smartcard operational, it seems like a logical step.

Furthermore, the operator is researching other ways of improving services and increasing patronage.

It is looking at increasing the frequency of its FastCat service and integrating with the Humber flyer.

Another possible development is on route 8 between Grimsby and Cleethorpes. Gary explained the route runs through some affluent

99.5% 93.7% 28 1 service reliability

service punctuality

buses replaced at cost of nearly £4m

The number of heritage vehicles operated by Stagecoach East Midlands

areas and the council believes something similar to a Gold service would drive people out of their cars.

Working together

“We have a great relationship with local authorities,” Gary said. “There is a lot done on partnerships. They are not all written down. We have occasional problems but we work together to resolve them.

“Quality Partnerships (QPs) are the only way it can work. It’s about working together to resolve the problems so things get sorted rather than this ‘blame culture’. We are proving QPs work.”

Evolving technology

In Lincoln, Real-Time Information (RTI) at key stops is linked to traffic signals -employing French system INEO. In Worksop and Hull the ACIS system is used.

Gary has doubts about RTI at bus stops. “It can be a distraction,” he said. “But it does give people confidence in rural areas.

“Apps on phones are taking over.

RTI at bus stops has probably had its day. It’s all about giving people confidence they can rely on the bus.”

“The thing with IT is that it moves so fast,” he added. “Tweeting and Facebook are very important these days. We’ve looked into the costs involved in having someone dedicated to it – around £2m.”

Seaside services

Above: Open-toppers provide additional capacity during summer peak Below: New E400 Scanias for InterConnect were launched this year

The company has been at its current Skegness depot almost three years. Open toppers run from the site from the first week before Easter until October half term each year, although it was stressed they are not ‘sightseeing’ buses – the service runs all-year-round, just with standard double deckers on the route for the rest of the year.

The Interconnect 6 Lincoln to Skegness service also runs from the depot. Five Scania N94s operate the route. The buses are of a high quality, with Lazzerini seating, ample leg-room and green credentials. There are many similarities between these buses and Stagecoach’s Gold brand which can be seen at many other Stagecoach subsidiaries.

The company is looking at adding an extra service between Lincoln and Skegness for 2013 – the X6 an express link between the two conurbations, with fewer stops. The estimated journey time would be one hour as opposed to one hour 40 minutes for the InterConnect 6.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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THE BIG PICTURE

It’s easy for die-hard coach operators to dismiss Stagecoach as being a ‘mere bus company’ – yet this photo serves as a reminder of the firm’s scheduled coach operations. This impressive-looking Plaxton Elite-bodied Volvo B13 was caught on camera by Coach & Bus Week Editor Gareth Evans on Wednesday, June 27 at the Ferry Toll Park & Ride terminal on the north side of the Forth Bridge. The site serves as a busy hub, with more than 400 departures a day, the vast majority of which are coaches. Megabus, Citylink and inter-urban Stagecoach Express services operate to a variety of destinations, but principally to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Turning to the coach itself, fleet number 54104 (‘SP61HWX’), works service X59 to Glenrothes, via St Andrews.

On board facilities include leather seats and free WiFi.

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TECHNOLOGY

Just the ticket Coach and Bus Week’s self-confessed tech enthusiast James Day looks at two technological partnerships which keep Stagecoach at the cutting edge

S

tagecoach has never been afraid of innovation and regularly engages in partnerships to help bring new technology into the industry. Two such partners are Everything Everywhere and VIX Technology.

Everything Everywhere

Near Field Communication (NFC) is an innovation Stagecoach is trialling in and around Cambridge in partnership with mobile network operator Everything Everywhere, the company formed by the Orange and T Mobile merger. The scheme makes use of NFC enabled smartphones to dramatically speed up boarding time and provide a very secure and simple payment method.

A cross section of passengers have been given a “Quick Tap” enabled smartphone on the Orange mobile brand, Quick Tap being the umbrella name for Orange’s NFC services. The handsets feature a specifically designed app to make them compatible with Stagecoach’s smartcard readers and can purchase any form of Stagecoach ticket.

The handsets link with the NFC receiver on the vehicle just by waving the phone close to it, in a similar fashion to how an Oyster card is used. The device only has a range of a few centimetres, which is combined with banking grade security to make the connection very safe, more so than Bluetooth.

Simon Wingrove at Everything Everywhere told CBW: “The Quick Tap smartphones emulate an ITSO-compliant contactless card, such as the Oyster. Because the phone uses NFC technology rather than anything based on the screen, it can work automatically with no input needed from the user – all they need to do is wave it past the receiver while the phone is in its idled state. It even works when the phone is unpowered, so flat batteries are not a concern.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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The short range of NFC devices ensures transactions are secure Cambridge has of course seen successful large scale bus industry innovation before, with the Cambridge guided busway. So far, the NFC trial seems to be going well.

Simon added: “The NFC is being used on daily basis and has seen very positive feedback so far. We’re really pleased with how it has been accepted.

“Participants are monitored on a micro level and we will be increasing their numbers.”

Why Stagecoach?

Simon explained Stagecoach operations in and around Cambridge were the ideal place to trial the system.

“Stagecoach is one of the largest bus operators in the UK and it shares our vision for innovation,” he said.

“It’s in the interests of Stagecoach and ourselves to achieve critical mass as soon as possible. This sort of technology cannot be a success without the big players involved to help build up the infrastructure needed.

“The system we’re trialling doesn’t cover multiple operators yet, but since Stagecoach control 94% of the Cambridge bus market we can get around the compatibility issues there.

“Who’d have thought 10 years ago how much phones would help people control their lives?”

“Stagecoach has been a proactive and dynamic partner which has helped develop the product significantly. Ultimately it’s their decision whether or not to expand the service across the country, but based on customer feedback so far, and from a technological and commercial standpoint if it continues to work this well I am very optimistic about the future.”

VIX Technologies

VIX Technology is a global company which provides a variety of products for the bus and coach industry, such as smart ticketing and real time tracking. It is active in 25 countries and has approximately 140 million users.

VIX has worked with Stagecoach for a long time, beginning shortly after deregulation when VIX crossed over from Australia.

The company first worked with Stagecoach in Manchester

supplying ticket machines and consequently had its UK headquarters based nearby in Bolton - an expansion of the project office for its work with the operator.

Its current TP5000 ticket machine is used in every Stagecoach bus. Vehicles acquired during takeovers are quickly converted to use the Stagecoach standard equipment.

Transport UnderSecretary Norman Baker said the government aims to have smart phone compatibility across all bus services by 2020. VIX UK Director Peter Eccleson said: “It’s absolutely an obtainable target. It depends on the take-up of operators, but smartcards are a huge part of people’s lives now.

“Who’d have thought 10 years ago how much phones would help people control their lives. They’re used for countless things like banking, social networking and now ticketing.

“Some people prefer to have paper tickets, but there’s nothing to stop the smartphone being used as the payment method and a bus driver or train conductor can carry a validator and printer to print out receipts.”

Stagecoach is a major customer for VIX across both bus and rail. The company supplies Stagecoach with an on bus real time information interface which links with local authorities, as well as validators for the rail division in East Midlands Trains and South West Trains.

The validators are placed on the platform and check smartcards prior to boarding.

VIX recently won a contract to supply voice over IP (voice communication through the internet) for a trial with megabus in the UK for long range communication over a GPRS bearer. megabus is also trialling an Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system.

VIX has supplied much of the hardware needed for Everything Everywhere’s Cambridge NFC trial to work.

Peter said: “We’ve received very good feedback from both Stagecoach and the local authority in Cambridge on our real-time information systems there.

“NFC has its place and more people are carrying smartphones with an NFC facility on them. There is still room in the market for NFC and plastic cards though.”

“Stagecoach is pretty advanced in its thinking and we welcome the opportunity to work with it.”

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OPERATOR PROFILE › STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

Manchester’s fab-four bus depots

A selection of vehicles due to be sent to London for the 2012 Olympic Games

Coach and Bus Week’s James Day visits Stagecoach Manchester’s thriving operation, home to some of the UK’s busiest bus corridors

M

anchester is home to some of the busiest bus corridors in the UK. The city has over 40 bus operators. Stagecoach Manchester appears as a beacon of strong management and positive procedures which has thrived in such a large and crowded market.

The operator uses four depots at present. Hyde Road is the largest Stagecoach depot outside London and also home to the Stagecoach Manchester head office. It is a former tram depot and currently houses up to 190 buses, which includes a third of the Magic Bus fleet.

Sharston is the newest of the depots and was opened in March 2011, replacing the Victorian depot at Princess Road which has since been demolished. It uses a large amount of modern green technology to run as efficiently as possible and is home to 158 buses, with capacity for 200, including two-thirds of the Magic Bus fleet.

The Daw Bank depot in Stockport dates from 1969 and houses 176 vehicles, while the Ashdon-under-Lyne depot, a leased premises which opened in 2009, is home to 75.

Most Stagecoach vehicles in Manchester are ADLs, comprising 475 chassis of the 670 strong fleet.

The figure is higher when looking at the body manufacturer.

More recently Stagecoach in www.coachandbusweek.com

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Manchester has made a home for hybrid vehicles, which have been placed on high mileage routes to generate faster returns. The operator took delivery of its first 30 hybrids in September 2010, with a further 20 arriving in March 2012. A further 40 are on order for delivery in March 2013, which will give Stagecoach Manchester a 90 strong hybrid fleet.

The Managing Director

I met Christopher Bowles at the Hyde Road depot. He is the current MD at Stagecoach Manchester and has been in the industry since 1974.

Christopher explained: “I started working in Greater Manchester doing various jobs until 1996, when Stagecoach took over GM Buses South after GM Buses split in 1993. I was Area Manager in Stockport and worked in a variety of operations and commercial roles until then.

“I moved away from Manchester in April 2000 when I was appointed as Operations Director at Ribble in Preston. When it merged with Cumberland to form Stagecoach North West, I became Commercial Director until 2006, when I was made MD.” Christopher returned to Manchester in November 2010 as MD. He said: “The company I came back to was more successful than the one I’d left, but having worked for 25 and a half years in Manchester before moving off to Preston I still had a lot of experience with operations here.”

Christopher said over the course of his career, Stagecoach Manchester has evolved through keen pricing and investment, an example being when the cost of a weekly ticket was cut in half in 1996 and has only increased by £2 on its original value since then.

Investment Christopher Bowles, Stagecoach Manchester’s Managing Director

“We continuously review the network both financially and operationally – usually five or six times per year.”

Christopher Bowles Managing director

Stagecoach Manchester has seen a substantial amount of investment for growth. A minimum of 40 new vehicles are purchased per year, giving the operator an average fleet age of 6.1 years. The average age of the single deck fleet stands at over 10 years and as such is disguised by the overall figure, but equally this does make Stagecoach Manchester’s double-decker fleet very modern.

“Double Deckers are refreshed usually every six or seven years, with the vehicles moved on to serve in other Stagecoach operations,

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Stagecoach Manchester: environmental credentials

such as in Lancaster or Cumbria.”

Christopher explained.

“We keep a close eye on costs and place emphasis on growing revenue, although we’re not afraid of investing and causing cost to increase faster than revenue in the short term. The investments will generate growth after a period.”

In terms of frequency, recent investments include: The 256 route from Manchester to Flixton, increased from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes in 2007. The route achieved between seven and eight percent growth after two years.

The 219 route from Manchester to Ashton increased from six per hour to eight in 2011.

The Stockport – Marple – Romiley Circular route had its frequency doubled.

In September, the frequency of services between

Stagey.Manchester.indd 45

Manchester and Oldam will increase to every 10 minutes from every 15 minutes.

Services to the Trafford centre have doubled since 2007 Stagecoach Manchester plans to invest in an enhanced service for the 192 corridor Park & Ride site, although the planning application has not yet been granted. It will have 450 car parking spaces, run every 10 minutes for 20 hours per day and come into operation in 2013, enhancing an already busy service on what is claimed to be the busiest bus route in Britain. Stagecoach Manchester currently runs 48 vehicles on the 192 to cover 11 million passenger journeys per year.

The 192 has also formed a Quality Bus Partnership since April this year. “I think it is the way forward in terms of raising standards of bus operations.” Chris said. “With the competition from other operators combined with

the private car and the Manchester tram network, which saw extension to Chorlton and Oldam last year, the incentive is there to develop our network and ensure Stagecoach is the best possible alternative.

The partnership works by raising standards in return for investment from local authorities.

“It’s a voluntary partnership – nobody has a gun to their head.

We expect some resources to be put into the route to help reduce congestion, which is what everybody wants.

“At the moment we have some issues with hotspots on the 192 corridor. We’ve had some help in the form of bus lanes but Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the local authorities could do more.”

Partnerships and managing the network “We take a proactive part in local authority partnerships,

Stagecoach Manchester had recent success with its environmental policies, winning two awards: Business in the Community award and Regional Chamber of Commerce environmental award. A Green Travel Plan for staff has also been in place for a while. “If we want corporate customers to adopt green travel plans it is appropriate for us to adopt them ourselves,” Christopher Bowles explained.

“Since 2009 we’ve seen 5% modal shift in how our staff travel, with a big shift to bicycles.

Lesley Hester, Sharston Operations Manager, added: “Stagecoach in Manchester has a cycle to work scheme in operation which provides benefits for buying bikes, with contributions taken straight from employee salary. We also took second place at the recent TfGM cycle challenge.”

Christopher continued: “We’ve tried to build as many ingredients into the mix as possible to save on fuel and emissions. Our hybrids are achieving a 30% fuel saving at the moment and saved 460,000 litres of fuel in the first year, a figure which should double in the next year.

“We also use the Envirox fuel additive, as does the rest of Stagecoach Group and SensoTop on our 300 or so vehicles at Euro 4 and above to allow more efficient gear changes, which we estimate gives a fuel saving of 2%.

“The Ecodriver driving standards system is carried on board our buses to encourage fuel efficient methods of driving. We use an idle shutdown system which cuts the engine after five minutes and we’re trialing stop-start technology and a Euro 6 double-decker.

“We have a number of recycling initiatives in place which have resulted in us recycling 94% of our waste. We’re looking to increase that figure and reduce utility bills.

A Vickers energy management system is also placed in each depot and can be used to zonally heat the premises.

“Depots and offices are fitted with motion sensitive lights and at Sharston we have a rain recycler for flushing toilets with rainwater.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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OPERATOR PROFILE › STAGECOACH MANCHESTER

principally with TfGM,” Christopher said. “We believe it works and has resulted in a number of notable achievements, such as new bus terminals, better routing strategies and more bus priority. A good example is the M60 motorway intersection roundabout near Stockport, where bus priority has allowed the route to avoid the roundabout and several sets of traffic lights, which would have taken five or six minutes to negotiate during heavy traffic.”

Stagecoach Manchester also places emphasis on strong and precise network management, typical of a group which is known for opportunism and flexibility.

Christopher said: “We continuously review the network both financially and operationally – usually five or six times per year. Journey times are monitored, timetables can be adjusted and service frequency can increase if there’s the demand for it. TfGM helps with the monitoring as it has its own system which is quite comprehensive. We get a phenomenal amount of data which can be used proactively.

“When route or timetable changes are made we try to do as much as possible on as few dates as possible instead of making small changes all the time, which can get very confusing for passengers.”

Stagecoach Manchester is also a founding member and active partner in the Greater Manchester Travel Cards Ltd multi-operator ticket scheme (system One), which comprehensively covers operators in the area, as well as Metrolink and some rail services. It is hoped to form the basis of a future smartcard scheme.

Passengers

In the most recent Passenger Focus survey, Stagecaoch Manchester achieved an 83% satisfaction rating, which complimented passenger numbers which have consistently grown each year.

“Passenger numbers have grown every year for the last 10 years. The growth rates in last couple of years have been lower, at 0.6% 2011/12, 1.4% 2010/2011, but in the seven years up to 2009, passenger numbers increased by 23%.

“The recession has undoubtedly affected business; the effects are most evident in outlying towns.

Stockport and Oldam have been affected particularly in retail, but the centre of Manchester hasn’t shown many signs. Manchester is www.coachandbusweek.com

Stagey.Manchester.indd 46

lights and with services every few minutes it’s very easy for a heavy load or stopping at a crossing to cause the vehicles to bunch up.

“We use TfGM to help monitor punctuality and receive a daily report from them, which is two or three days old. We then go through and investigate each observation individually and follow up as necessary.”

Handling Complaints

Above: The Sharston depot looks every bit as new as when it opened, Below: Matt Davies, Operations Director, recently joined from FirstGroup

also a big centre of entertainment and learning, and students have continued to travel and make use of the facilities in the city, which helps to offset increases in unemployment.”

Matt Davies

Matt Davies is a recent addition to the management team in Manchester, after transferring from First in February. He took a long time out of his day to ferry me

Magic Bus:

a brief history

around Manchester, allowing me to visit two more depots at Sharston and Stockport, as well as see the 192 and 42/43 routes myself. There were some instances where buses had bunched up into twos or threes, but given the nature of the routes this seemed understandable.

“Punctuality is a key focus for us, in particular spacings between the vehicles. On the 192 corridor we’re actively measuring bunching. The road has around 40 sets of traffic

Magic Bus was set up in 1997 to offer a choice for the student market, although students are not its only passengers. It has a model of frequent services using older vehicles with lower fares.and ticket prices. The service runs less frequently out of term time but it still runs at a good frequency.

Magic Bus’ “Wizard Wednesdays” scheme stemmed from an idea which became popular on social media, where passengers suggested the Magic Bus should be driven by wizards. Thousands of comments and likes later, Stagecoach decided to have drivers dress up as wizards and collect money for charity.

Lesley said: “Most drivers are very enthusiastic about it. There have been arguments because we couldn’t send all of them out in costume!”

80% of Stagecoach Manchester’s complaints now come through via email, which is a much easier method than previously used.

Despite this, complaints are at a record low of one per 100,000 passenger journeys.

“We’re continuing to make improvements, with driver attitudes the main focus at the moment since they account for 50% of complaints,” Matt said.

“The depot manager sees every complaint and sends a written reply to all, consistently within seven days.

“Our vehicles have voice enabled CCTV on board – only used to monitor conversations with the driver - which helps get to the root of the complaints very quickly. In many cases we see the passenger has contributed to the situation, but the driver has not handled it correctly. We need to work on situation avoidance. Getting the basic greeting right is also important.”

Training

Stagecoach Manchester recently took on 80 new drivers and is now having a six month recruitment holiday, pulling forward Driver CPC as a result. The operator is also sending 140 drivers to help cover the Olympics in London, along with 20 supervisors and inspectors and three members of management.73 buses are also going but Matt claimed it would not compromise any services in Manchester.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for some of our staff to step up and gain experience, while some people get acting experience here covering more senior roles,” Matt said. “We also have two Manchester drivers on the Olympic torch tour.

Matt spoke about how important it was for employees, from management to bus and depot cleaners, to understand what was happening with the business as a whole.

“We don’t just do training on specifics – it’s important

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for the drivers to know why decisions are being made and how it benefits the company,” he explained.

“With hybrids, drivers are not just taught different driving methods. We brief them on what a hybrid is, the benefits, desired outcomes, costs and how the battery system works.

“We do the same for the 192 Quality Partnership. Staff don’t always understand what the partnership means to the company and what we need from them, so training is required. We’re rolling it out, particularly in Stockport.”

In the Stockport depot, Matt pointed out a £60,000 bus lighting investment awaiting installation.

“Staff appreciate investment. It provides a sense of security. Where staff see investment going in they know the company is doing well and their jobs are safe.”

required by VOSA. “We maintain or inspect each vehicle every 21 days – for a total of 17 inspections per year - as we have for a number of years. This helps us keep on top of faults and make sure they don’t have time to develop.

“We monitor bus performance over the 21 days out on the road and compile all the data onto service sheets, which allows the inspector to make an objective view.

All our inspectors are VOSA trained on a five day course, with a training

“Any major work on hybrid vehicles is performed by BAE Systems, although the hybrids have proven to be very reliable and fuel efficient so far. ” Peter Sumner Engineering director

Peter Sumner

Engineering works at Sharston had to be well organised from the word go, as staff migrated from Princess Road depot and started work at the new site the following day. The transition was made easier thanks to procedures which keep the Stagecoach Manchester fleet running as efficiently as possible.

Stagecoach Manchester’s technicians are all skilled and have all served recognised apprenticeships. Peter Sumner, Engineering Director, explained: “We currently have 20 apprentices in training with an additional five recruited every year. It’s a good working environment and staff turnover is very low.

“Apprentices are issued with a logbook with a list of tasks they need to complete during their training. Each is assigned a mentor and has a review of progress every three months. Work at college and exam results are also reviewed by us.

“All manuals are put into a computerised fleet maintenance package which can be accessed from the workshop floor. Any major work on hybrid vehicles is performed by BAE Systems, although the hybrids have proven very reliable and fuel efficient so far.

We just perform basic maintenance on those vehicles.”

Procedure

Stagecoach engineering procedures are constantly being refreshed.

Work is performed on vehicles on a much more regular basis than www.coachandbusweek.com

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Peter Sumner, Engineering Director, has implimented 21 day inspections

Greenroad:

improving efficiency

Drivers can log on to the Greenroad Ecodriver system at any time to check their scores, Lower figures signifying higher standards of driving.

While looking at the system, a driver checked his performance in front of us, revealing a score of 5, with anything under 20 being very good. He was congratulated by Matt and Lesley, underlining the good relationship between drivers and management. Matt likes to spend as much time as he can out on the routes talking to the drivers while they work.

Drivers with a score of zero are referred to as “zero heroes” and have their scores displayed on the board adjacent to the terminal, which is frequently updated with information such as the depot scores against the rest of Stagecoach. Matt said it is very important to make regular changes to the information on display, otherwise drivers can lose enthusiasm for the scheme.

Matt explained: “There’s been a 10-15% reduction in accidents since the introduction of Greenroad and idling has reduced from 5% to 2.9% of the time a vehicle is in use, though the figure could be reduced further.

“We select experienced drivers to act as driver champions, whom the drivers can speak to in confidence if they have any issues with the system or any concern about their scores. It’s really important to communicate with drivers and get their feedback.

Peter added: “Sharston has quickly become one of the best scoring depots in the country for Stagecoach, currently level with Hartlepool and St Andrews. We feel Drivers can access Greenroad at it’s the most consistent depot at the any time to view stats and scores top though.”

top up every three years.

“At the 12th and 38th week of the year, the vehicles receive an oil change, with another oil change and more in depth inspection at 26 weeks. There is then an MOT service at 52 weeks to complete the cycle.

“Generally we review the top 15 defects which tend to represent 75% of all defects recorded.

We then make sure to enhance preventative maintenance, training managers become analytical, find the root causes of problems and correct them.”

Stagecoach Manchester was very close to a 100% MOT pass rate, with only six vehicles failing.

After investigation, the operator discovered these defects were often occurring on the way to the MOT test centre, so from then on vehicles were sent to arrive an hour early and a last minute check upon arrival at the test centre was added for that eventuality. The pass rate at MOT is now 100% against the 70% industry average.

“This is a major contributing factor in our Operator Compliance Risk score, which stands at 001 green for engineering and 000 green for operations,” Peter said.

“We try to improve our systems and procedures all the time and not sit on our laurels.”

Tony Cockcroft

Tony Cockcroft, Fleet Engineer at Stockport is another recent addition to the team who has spent most of his career working in truck depots. He also is keen to continually evaluate the procedures in place and make as many changes as necessary.

“I found foremen tended to be reactive and good at fixing day to day problems, but not so proactive and preventative,” Tony explained.

“We’re trying to direct training to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.”

Matt said: “We had a problem with ramp pull cords snapping, so Tony created a modification which was then applied to all Manchester vehicles.”

Tony seemed more than happy to have transferred into the coach and bus industry.

“Stagecoach is the best company I’ve worked for,” he said. “It has good systems in place and there is no ‘us and them’ attitude between workers and management, where elsewhere it feels more like a rivalry than a team.”

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FLEET PROFILE

REGIONAL FLEET DISTRIBUTION: Bluebird: 222 Devon: 321 East: 434 East Kent: 500

East London: 1,272 East Midlands: 508 East Scotland: 554 Highlands & Islands: 188

Manchester: 670 Merseyside: 210 Midlands: 446 North East: 527

An ADL Enviro400 Hybrid in the Stagecoach Manchester fleet

A Stagecoach East Scotland Alexander PS-bodied Volvo B10M at Ferry Toll

A Stagecoach East Alexander-bodied MAN at Whittlesey Market Place

An Alexander ALX400-bodied Trident and its successor, an ADL Enviro400

Stagecoach �leet in focus Coach and Bus Week’s Alex Tyler compiles a fleet list for the entirety of Stagecoach Group based on information supplied by the group. The fleet composition is fairly uniform, with the majority of vehicles acquired in the past 12 years www.coachandbusweek.com

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A

s a regular customer on Stagecoach services in Peterborough, whilst working through the impressive fleet list I was gifted a sense of perspective beyond my own, trusty, ADL Enviro400 – the group has around 1,000 of these!

According to the supplied figures, Stagecoach Group operates and maintains an 8,514-strong fleet of buses and coaches, which includes several heritage vehicles, the earliest of which dates from 1951.

The majority of the vehicles operate in East London, with 1,272 plying the capital’s roads.

The fleet is dominated by ADL and Alexander variants, ranging from the ever-present Darts to more recent Enviro models.

Optare and Plaxton also have a notable presence within the fleet.

Vehicles are listed in alphabetical body order and are as follows;

ADL 110 ADL Enviro200 (2012) 214 ADL Enviro200 (2011) 78 ADL Enviro200 (2010) 61 ADL Enviro200 (2009) 31 ADL Enviro200 (2008) 17 ADL Enviro200 (2007) 29 ADL Enviro300 (2012) 100 ADL Enviro300 (2011) 46 ADL Enviro300 (2010) 41 ADL Enviro300 (2009) 18 ADL Enviro300 (2008) 15 ADL Enviro300 (2007) 9 ADL Enviro300 (2006) 4 ADL Enviro300 (2004) 1 ADL Enviro300 (2003) 46 ADL Enviro400 (N/A)* 1 ADL Enviro400 (2006) 154 ADL Enviro400 (2007) 173 ADL Enviro400 (2008) 200 ADL Enviro400 (2009) 100 ADL Enviro400 (2010) 151 ADL Enviro400 (2011) 175 ADL Enviro400 (2012)

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July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 51 North West: 523 Oxford: 170 South: 464 South Wales: 403

West: 271 West Scotland: 414 Yorkshire: 417 TOTAL: 8,514

A Stagecoach South Wales Optare Solo is seen at Aberdare Bus Station

One of the rare Scania Omnilink tri-axles in the East Scotland fleet 62 ADL Enviro400 Hybrid (2012) 56 ADL Enviro400 Hybrid (2011) 4 ADL Enviro400 Hybrid (2010) 32 ADL Enviro300 Scania K23OUB (2012)

ALEXANDER 4 Alexander ALX400 DAF 250 LF (2000) 7 Alexander Dash Dart (1996) 4 Alexander Dash Dart (1997) 1 Alexander Dash Dart (1992) 1 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (2004) 20 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (2002) 41 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (2001) 32 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (2000) 86 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (1999) 126 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (1998) 12 Alexander ALX200 Dart SLF (1997) 166 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2007) 161 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2006) 121 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2005) 203 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2004) 50 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2003) 1 Alexander Pointer Dart SLF (2002) 202 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2006)

101 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2005) 259 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2004) 243 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2003) 187 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2002) 52 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2001) 83 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (2000) 68 Alexander ALX400 Dennis Trident (1999) 3 Alexander RL Leyland Olympian (1989) 5 Alexander RL Leyland Olympian (1991) 1 Alexander RL Leyland Olympian (1992) 1 Alexander RH Leyland Olympian 3-axle (1993) 1 Alexander RH Leyland Olympian 3-axle (1992) 8 Alexander RH Leyland Olympian 3-axle (1991) 5 Alexander RH Leyland Olympian 3-axle (1990) 1 Alexander RL Leyland Olympian 3-axle (1989) 33 Alexander Enviro200 MAN 14.240 (2009) 49 Alexander Enviro200 MAN 14.240 (2008) 1 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2009) 60 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2006) 40 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2005) 50 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2004)

50 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2002) 58 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2001) 100 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (2000) 140 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (1999) 1 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.220 (1996) 30 Alexander ALX300 MAN 18.240 (2007) 18 Alexander AXL300 MAN 18.240 (2006) 106 Alexander Enviro300 MAN 18.240 (2010) 135 Alexander Enviro300 MAN 18.240 (2009) 111 Alexander Enviro300 MAN 18.240 (2008) 1 Alexander Sprint Mercedes-Benz 412 (1999) 13 Alexander Sprint Mercedes-Benz 709 (1996) 6 Alexander Sprint Mercedes-Benz 709 (1995) 2 Alexander Sprint Mercedes-Benz 709 (1994) 1 Alexander Sprint Mercedes-Benz 811 (1996) 1 Alexander Strider Scania N113CRB (1995) 1 Alexander RH Scania N113DRB (1992) 18 Alexander Enviro300 Scania N23OUB (2012) 83 Alexander Enviro400 Scania Omni-City N230 & N230UD (2012) 51 Alexander Enviro400 Scania Omni-City N230 & N230UD (2011) 158 Alexander Enviro400 Scania OmniCity N230 & N230UD (2010) 56 Alexander Enviro400 Scania Omni-City N230 & N230UD (2009) 25 Alexander Enviro400 Scania Omni-City N230 & N230UD (2008) 4 Alexander Strider Volvo B10B (1995) 1 Alexander ALX300 Volvo B10BLE (2001) 21 Alexander ALX300 Volvo B10BLE (1998) 121 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1998) 40 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1997) 19 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1996) 16 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1995) 2 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1994) 4 Alexander PS Volvo B10M (1993) 75 Alexander RL Volvo Olympian (1999) 137 Alexander RL Volvo Olympian (1998) 50 Alexander RL Volvo Olympian (1997) 81 Alexander RL Volvo Olympian (1996)

AUTOSAN

2 Autosan Eagle Coach (2006) 2 Autosan Eagle Coach (2007)

BERKHOF

2 Berkhof Excellence Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 1 Berkhof Excellence Volvo B10M Coach (1998)

BLUEBIRD

1 Bluebird Single Fiat Ducato (2012)

BMC

1 BMC Probus 850 Club (2005)

CAETANO

3 Caetano Single Dennis Dart SLF (1999) 3 Caetano Single Dennis Dart SLF (2003) 2 Caetano Single Dennis Dart SLF (2001) 1 Caetano Single Dennis Dart SLF (2002) 1 Caetano Single Dennis Javelin (1996) 20 Caetano Levante Scania K340 (2007)

EAST LANCASHIRE

11 East Lancashire Single DAF Sb22O LF (2000) 6 East Lancashire Single DAF Sb220 LF (2001) 5 East Lancashire Single Dennis Dart SLF (2001) 7 East Lancashire Single Dennis Dart SLF (2000) 24 East Lancashire Single Dennis Dart SLF (1999) 12 East Lancashire Single Dennis Dart SLF (1998) 2 East Lancashire Single Dennis Dart SLF (1997) 3 East Lancashire Double Dennis Trident (2006) 2 East Lancashire Double Dennis Trident (2003) 3 East Lancashire Double Dennis Trident (2001) 10 East Lancashire Double Dennis Trident (2000) 6 East Lancashire Single MAN 18.220 (2007) 9 East Lancashire Single MAN 18.240 (2007) 1 East Lancashire Single MAN 14.220 (2007) 1 East Lancashire Single MAN 14.220 (2005) 5 East Lancashire Single MAN 14.220 (2004) 15 East Lancashire Single MAN 14.220 (2003) 2 East Lancashire Double Scania N94UB (2007) 6 East Lancashire Double Scania N94UD (2005) 6 East Lancashire Double Scania N94UD (2004) 2 East Lancashire Single Scania N94UD (2004) 3 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2006) 7 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2005) 4 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2004) 12 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2003) 7 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2002) 1 East Lancashire Double Volvo B7TL (2001) 4 East Lancashire Double Volvo B9TL (2008) 3 East Lancashire Double Volvo Olympian (1999) 6 East Lancashire Double Volvo Olympian (1998) 3 East Lancashire Double Volvo Olympian (1997)

FORD

1 Ford Transit Minibus (1997) 1 Ford Transit Minibus (1998)

JONCKHEERE

1 Jonckheere Mistral 35 Volvo B10M Artic (1996)

www.coachandbusweek.com

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FLEET PROFILE

The Alexander-bodied Olympian was once a standard Stagecoach bus

One of six Plaxton Panther-bodied Volvo B9s new to the Highlands in 2011

ADL’s Enviro 200 has become a popular choice for Stagecoach UK Bus

Stagecoach Oxfordshire runs small fleet of ADL Enviro400-bodied Scanias

6 Jonckheere Modulo Volvo B10m Artic (1999) 1 Jonckheere Mistral 50 Volvo B10M Coach (2004) 3 Jonckheere Mistral 50 Volvo B10M Coach (2001) 12 Jonckheere Mistral 50 Volvo B10M Coach (2000) 9 Jonckheere Mistral 50 Volvo B10M Coach (1999) 1 Jonckheere Mistral 50 Volvo B10M Coach (1997) 19 Jonckheere Modulo Volvo B10M Coach (1999) 1 Jonckheere Mistral 35 Volvo B10M Coach (1999) 2 Jonckheere Deauville Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 1 Jonckheere Deauville Volvo B10M Coach (1992) 1 Jonckheere Mistral 35 Volvo B12M (2004)

3 Marshall Minibus Single Dennis Dart SLF (1998) 2 Marshall Single Dart (1996)

3 Northern Counties Paladin Volvo B10M (1997) 4 Northern Counties Paladin Volvo B10M (1995) 6 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1999) 55 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1998) 45 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1997) 11 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1996) 2 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1995) 8 Northern Counties Palatine Volvo Olympian (1994)

LDV

1 Northern Counties Paladin Dart (1996) 6 Northern Counties Palatine Leyland Olympian (1991) 5 Northern Counties Prestige Volvo B10BLE (1997) 25 Northern Counties Paladin Volvo B10M (1998)

3 LDV Convoy Minibus (2003)

MARSHALL

8 Marshall Single Dennis Dart SLF (1999) 1 Marshall Single Dennis Dart SLF (2002)

MCV 16 MCV Single MAN 14.220 (2007) 3 MCV Single MAN 14.220 (2004)

MERCEDES-BENZ 13 Mercedes-Benz Citaro Artic (2012) 10 Mercedes-Benz Traveliner Vito (2004) 1 Mercedes-Benz Traveliner Vito (2005) 1 Mercedes-Benz Touro OC500 (2003)

NEOPLAN 22 Neoplan Skyliner 13.7 (2005)

NORTHERN COUNTIES

OCLAP

3 Oclap Single Iveco CC.150 (2005)

ONYX

1 Onyx Minibus Mercedes-Benz 814 (2006) 1 Onyx Minibus Mercedes-Benz 814 (2007)

OPTARE

1 Optare Delta DAF Sb220 (1993) 1 Optare Vecta MAN 11.190 (1995)

1 Optare Alero (2005) 16 Optare Delta Excel (2002) 1 Optare Solo (2012) 26 Optare Solo (2010) 94 Optare Solo (2009) 82 Optare Solo (2008) 109 Optare Solo (2007) 131 Optare Solo (2006) 115 Optare Solo (2005) 56 Optare Solo (2004) 13 Optare Solo (2003) 38 Optare Solo (2002) 8 Optare Solo (2001) 2 Optare Solo (2000) 13 Optare Solo (1999) 6 Optare Tempo (2012) 4 Optare Tempo (2009) 1 Optare Tempo (2008) 3 Optare Tempo (2006) 5 Optare Versa (2011) 11 Optare Versa (2010) 34 Optare Versa (2009) 25 Optare Versa (2008)

www.coachandbusweek.com

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Peterborough’s open top Bristol Lodekka is a roving ambassador

One of Stagecoach’s 23 2006-registered Plaxton Profile-bodied Volvo B7s

PLAXTON 1 Plaxton Pointer Dart (1995) 1 Plaxton Pointer Dart (1993) 3 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (2005) 11 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (2002) 88 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (2001) 83 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (2000) 20 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (1999) 3 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (1998) 21 Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart SLF (1997) 1 Plaxton Profile Dennis Javelin (2005) 5 Plaxton Premier 320 Dennis Javelin (2002) 2 Plaxton Premier 320 Dennis Javelin (1999) 37 Plaxton President Dennis Trident (2004) 2 Plaxton President Dennis Trident (2003) 1 Plaxton President Dennis Trident (2002) 7 Plaxton President Dennis Trident (2001) 2 Plaxton Beaver Merc 709 (1996) 1 Plaxton Beaver Merc 711 (1997) 2 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (2004) 2 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (2003) 8 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (2002) 1 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (2001) 4 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (2000)

3 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (1999) 1 Plaxton Beaver Merc 814 (1998) 1 Plaxton Panther Volvo 850 (2011) 7 Plaxton Elite Volvo 850 (2012) 1 Plaxton Verde Volvo B10B (1994) 1 Plaxton Verde Volvo B10B (1997) 5 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Artic (1997) 1 Plaxton Excalibur Volvo B10M Coach (2001) 1 Plaxton Excalibur Volvo B10M Coach (2000) 1 Plaxton Expressliner 2 Volvo B10M Coach (1993) 1 Plaxton Expressliner 2 Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 6 Plaxton Expressliner 2 Volvo B10M Coach (1996) 5 Plaxton Expressliner 2 Volvo B10M Coach (1998) 1 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B10M Coach (2000) 2 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B10M Coach (2002) 1 Plaxton Paramount 3500 Volvo B10M Coach (1991) 1 Plaxton Paramount 3500 Volvo B10M Coach (2000)

2 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1999) 41 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1998) 30 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1997) 1 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1996) 15 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 10 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1994) 3 Plaxton Premiere Interurban Volvo B10M Coach (1993) 1 Plaxton Premier 320 Volvo B10M Coach (1994) 3 Plaxton Premier 320 Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 1 Plaxton Premier 320 Volvo B10M Coach (1996) 1 Plaxton Premier 320 Volvo B10M Coach (1999) 2 Plaxton Premiere 350 Volvo B10M Coach (1998) 1 Plaxton Premiere 350 Volvo B10M Coach (1997) 2 Plaxton Premiere 350 Volvo B10M Coach (2001) 1 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B (2005) 6 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B (2009) 7 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B (2010) 1 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner (2005) 29 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B 3-Axle (2010) 5 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B 3-Axle (2009) 8 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B 3-Axle (2008) 37 Plaxton Panther Volvo B12B 3-Axle (2007) 5 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B12M (2005) 1 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B12M (2003) 3 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B12M (2004) 1 Plaxton Paragon Expressliner Volvo B12M (2002) 6 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2010) 8 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2009) 39 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2008) 24 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2007) 23 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2006) 30 Plaxton Profile Volvo B7R (2005) 23 Plaxton Panther Volvo B9R (2012) 1 Plaxton Panther Volvo B9R (2011) 18 Plaxton Panther Volvo B9R (2009) 6 Plaxton Elite Volvo B9R (2011) 16 Plaxton Elite Volvo B9R (2010)

SCANIA

78 Scania Omnicity (2010) 96 Scania Omnicity (2009) 9 Scania Omnilink (2008)

SUNSUNDEGUI

1 Sunsundegui Coach Volvo B12M (2004) 1 Sunsundegui Mercedes-Benz Touro OC500 (2004)

UVG

3 UVG City Star Dennis Dart SLF (1998) 1 UVG Cutlass Dennis Javelin (1998)

VANHOOL

11 Vanhool Astromega Double (2012) 32 Vanhool Astromega Double (2009) 1 Vanhool Alizee Volvo B10M Coach (1995) 2 Vanhool Alizee Volvo B10M Coach (1996) 1 Vanhool Alizee Volvo B10M Coach (1997)

VOLKSWAGEN

3 Volkswagen Minibus LT28 (2007)

WRIGHT

6 Wright Cadet DAF SB120 LF (2003) 1 Wright Commander DAF SB200 (2004) 10 Wright Crusader Dennis Dart SLF (1997) 3 Wright Floline Scania L94UB (1999) 4 Wright Renown Volvo B10BLE (2001) 4 Wright Renown Volvo B10BLE (2000) 14 Wright Renown Volvo B10BLE (1999) 7 Wright Renown Volvo B10BLE (1998) 10 Wright Liberator Volvo B10L (1998) 2 Wright Crusader Volvo B6LE (2001) 6 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2005) 1 Wright Eclipse Volvo B7RLE (2011) 10 Wright Eclipse Volvo B7RLE (2009) 6 Wright Gemini Volvo B7TL (2006)

HERITAGE FLEET

1 Leyland Titan TNLXB2RR (1985) 1 Northern Counties Leyland Titan PD3 (1964) 1 East Lancashire Leyland Titan PD2 (1968) 1 AEC Regal (1951) 1 AEC Regent (1968) 3 AEC Routemaster (1968) 1 AEC Routemaster (1967) 1 AEC Routemaster (1966) 6 AEC Routemaster (1965) 1 AEC Routemaster (1964) 1 AEC Routemaster (1962) 2 AEC Routemaster (1961) 2 ECW Double Bristol FLF (1967) 1 ECW Double Bristol VRT (1976) 1 ECW Double Bristol VRT (1981) 1 Leyland Atlantean (1968) 1 Leyland Fleetline (1977) 1 Leyland Leopard (1987)

All figures supplied by Stagecoach Group and are accurate as of June 2012. * N/A – data unavailable.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› vehicle presentation

Maintaining the right image is imperative, a fact acknowledged

by Edwards Coaches (pictured)

I

t is true what they say, people will frequently judge based on their first impressions. Not only does a clean, well turned out vehicle encourage passengers and repeat custom, it puts across a professional image for the operator.

Therefore, regular in house vehicle cleaning and inspection is vital for business and as such services and products which help streamline this process are a necessity for operations both large and small.

Comfort and presentation is key when it comes to vehicle interiors, especially on longer journeys.

Driver and passenger comfort is therefore a priority can be achieved with a combination of ergonomic seats and a well upholstered interior.

Dynamiq Cleaning

Style and function In this week’s Essential Guide, we look at suppliers who provide vehicle presentation products, ensuring fleet interiors and exteriors are kept clean and comfortable for passengers and drivers alike www.coachandbusweek.com

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Interclean Bus Services was founded in January 2001, specialising in supplying cleaning and associated services to bus and coach operators. It was subsequently bought by Dynamiq Cleaning in 2007 and now represents the transport division of the company.

Interclean currently delivers 34% of all cleaning and support services to the London bus market, encompassing in excess of 4,400 vehicles as well as supporting other operators outside of London.

The company has been able to demonstrate considerable cost savings for its customers whilst at the same time improving quality standards in all areas. With its dedication to the management, supervision and training of staff, Dynamiq Cleaning claims to have elevated itself to a market leading position in the provision of these services.

Specialised capabilities supported by a dedicated Health & Safety Manager, a Driver Trainer and a Cleaner Trainer compliment and enhance what the company offers to Transport Operators, and ensures a co-ordinated approach in the delivery of clean transport and efficient vehicle movements.

Dynamiq Cleaning demonstrates its ability by developing solutions to meet the specific needs of each of its customers whether they are coach or bus operators, in or outside of London.

The services provided include;

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vehicle cleaning, depot cleaning, vehicle shunting including PCV, fuelling & top ups, allocation and basic vehicle maintenance.

T: 01895 201 848 E: sales@dynamiq cleaning.com W: www.dynamiqcleaning.com

Chapman Driver Seating Birmingham-based Chapman Driver Seating has been setting standards for comfort and durability for decades. Chapman driver seats are a common sight in depots around the UK, Europe and even the Far East. Chapman seats provide bus and coach operators with a comfortable, robust and serviceable driver seat, designed for comfort, function and serviceability which just keeps on going.

Chapman Driver Seating aims to continuously improve it’s products and services to ensure the customer’s expectations of product quality and best overall

cost of purchase are achieved by acknowledging and adapting to external factors and to identify customers specific needs.

Chapman seats are manufactured in the UK (Birmingham) so unlike competitors who supply through distributors, the company boasts an unrivalled level of support direct from the factory.

Chapman supplies seats which have been fire tested to BS5852 Crib 7 where required and comply with the current TFL specification.

Seats can also be supplied with seatbelts which have a threepoint integrated belt tested to M3 at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) with all anchorage points verified by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) to 76/115/EEC. Notably, the company has been supplying seats for Stagecoach since the beginning of 2010 Stagecoach were the first volume user of the seat which featured the SideRiser height adjuster which was tested at Millbrook on a five

Chapman Driver Seating aim to identify customers specific needs year accelerated life-cycle program with the equivalent of a 30 stone (190 kg) driver weight.

“Since 2010 we have supplied over 1,200 Stagecoach seats to bus builders, refurbishers and after

market,” explained Co-Director David Cattanach. “The Stagecoach seat also uses E-leather, which not only enhances the appearance of the seat but is hardwearing and more hygienic than moquette as it does not absorb moisture and can be wiped clean. E-leather is a recycled product using the waste from the leather tanning industry thus reducing the environmental impact. Chapman also use a product under the E-leather called Outlast which helps reduce the extremes of heat and cold on the material going through to the driver using space age technology!”

“In the last 18 months we have continued to work with First Group and Arriva who have also now made the SideRiser and E-leather seat their standard OE specification,” he added.

T: 0845 838 2305 E: sales@chapman driverseating.com W: www.chapmandriver seating.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE PRESENTATION KÄRCHER

For larger fleets an automatic gantry wash is more cost effective

Using a high pressure cleaner to keep vehicles, workshop floors and yards clean makes sound financial sense. Because as well as keeping the business looking good, cleaning with a pressure washer saves a lot of time and uses much less water than a bucket and sponge.

Kärcher’s hot water pressure washers use mains electricity to power the motor and pump, and also feature a diesel burner to heat the water. Cleaning with hot water is quicker than with cold water because hot water shifts oil and grease more easily.

Objects cleaned with hot water also dry more quickly, so the finished result is often better.

Less detergent can be used with hot water cleaning, meaning less expense for operators and less damage to the environment.

Kärcher invented the hot water pressure washer many decades ago and has been working ever since to refine it as much as possible.

Many Kärcher models feature a steam function, which helps to shift oil and grease from mechanical parts and workshop floors.

Kärcher’s new eco-efficiency mode sets the pressure washer up to function at its best but with diesel consumption reduced by 20%.

For larger fleets an automatic gantry wash can be much more efficient and cost-effective. In addition, the new Kärcher TB bus and coach wash gantry machine has been designed to use the minimum amount of water possible, whilst providing the highest possible wash quality.

Already proving to be a popular choice amongst coach and bus operators as well as those involved in logistics, this new machine has set new standards in gantry washing, through its key benefits of multi-programme choice, low-energy motors and very low maintenance.

If a fleet justifies a drivethrough wash, then the Kärcher 4 Brush Atlantean

www.coachandbusweek.com

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› vehicle presentation

drive-through delivers the same efficiencies while ensuring the quickest wash times possible.

These machines are available under Kärcher’s new ‘Pay per Wash’ programme, where the equipment, service, maintenance and chemicals are supplied on a pence-per-wash basis, rather than outright purchase. Excluding civil works and ancillaries, this new scheme will allow clients to replace an existing machine or install a new system with absolutely no capital investment. Customers can agree to a price per wash, the number of washes per month and the contract period. Subject to status, they can be washing with no up-front costs whatsoever.

Legislation on water recycling gets tighter all the time and water bills are increasing. Kärcher also has a range of drought compliant water reclamation systems available to ensure organisations comply with any regulations, keep their fleet clean and reduce water consumption by at least 95%.

T: 01295 752142 E: kvw@karcher.co.uk W: www.karcher.co.uk.

E-Leather One area where particular attention is paid to the vehicle interior is the high profile routes linking city centre railway and bus stations with outlying airports.

With most airports operating around the clock, bus services must be available to reflect this and many operators are now looking to ‘extend the aircraft experience.’

This is done by providing high specification vehicles to meet the demand of a 24/7 service catering for passengers who often use a combination of rail, bus and train during their journey.

Since its introduction into the UK bus market by award winning Lothian Buses in March 2010 on its Airlink service running between Waverley Station and Edinburgh Airport, E-Leather has continued to offer a scuff resistant, easy wipe finish and cost effective solution to the problem of heavy usage of seats by passengers invariably carrying large suitcases and luggage.

E-Leather offers very high durability in areas of traditional heavy wear and has since been adopted by several other big city operators with equal success.

Following on closely to Lothian www.coachandbusweek.com

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E-leather is a common sight on operators more high profile routes, such as Lothian Buses’ Airlink (pictured) were the six FirstGroup Wrightbus Eclipse buses linking Templemeads with Bristol Airport. These proved equally successful and were joined by an additional six vehicles a year later, all fitted with unique E-Leather upholstered seats, which look as good now as when they went into service over two years ago.

The Aberdeen ‘Jet’ service operated by Stagecoach and First’s ‘Glasgow Shuttle’, both equipped with E-Leather interiors have both now been running for over eighteen months and have been equally well received by the passengers.

“It’s not exactly scientific research” said E-Leather Sales Manager Carl Watkins, “but we asked the bus users what they thought of the material. There was a lot of appreciation and a definite difference in the interior ambience, with passengers showing more respect not just for the seating but the vehicle as a whole. Additionally I believe you are less likely to see abuse or vandalism in a nice, smart environment and we are seeing this reflected in the fact that we are supplying very little material to repair damaged seats.”

As well as being used in seating, E-Leather is being developed as a durable, low maintenance wall cladding. “The material has been used in the high wearing areas of aircraft and train interiors for several years now and we have been working with a couple of bus operators over the past year or so to establish whether the low maintenance and hygienic, wipe clean properties of our product will be as successful in the bus market.

Initial reaction is that the material will be more than up to the job” reported Carl, “And we hope to launch the product at the Eurobus Expo in November this year.”

Irrespective of the mode of transport the Interior designers, manufacturers and operators are all grappling with the same long list of often conflicting requirements as the goal to reduce weight continues apace because the relentless increase in fuel and energy costs means weight is directly correlated to fuel use.

Certification, weight, cost, comfort, visual appeal, durability, longevity, ease of maintenance and hygiene are just some of the

many factors any new material has to address. It’s not just the initial acquisition cost, the challenge is to find innovative design solutions, new materials and new ways of working to significantly reduce long-term costs and on-going maintenance.

Alongside all these challenges the needs of the passenger must be met in terms of an attractive, comfortable and hygienic environment. To win and retain passengers any new interior must retain its good looks for many years and increasingly passengers now experience and compare trains, boats, buses and planes and expect the same high standards across all modes of transport.

There’s little wonder a material ticks all the boxes and provides benefits in all the areas above, which has been tested, trialled and is now in use by some of the largest airlines in the world, is receiving a warm welcome by bus operators.

T: 01733 843939 E: busandcoach@ eleathergroup.com W: www.eleathergroup.com

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COACH&BUSMARKET – the place to buy and sell

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Finance Available Subject to Status

Registration Numbers for sale:

PFK 473 YRK 631 On retention documents transfer paid.

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

2001 (51) RENAULT MASTER LM35 2200 CC 9 SEATER PASSENGER AMBULANCE

Julian Brunt

Mercedes 814D Vario 24 seat coach with 3 point belts

Registration Number for sale:

C4 STS On retention document transfer paid.

£1,000 each no VAT

£5,000 no VAT

Potters Bar Coach Hire 01707 652706 anytime

Potters Bar Coach Hire 01707 652706 anytime

9 seats, 58k miles, full Ford service history, manufacturers warranty March 13/100k, 1 owner driver, school run use only, any inspection welcome. £12,250 no VAT Please call Dougie on 07770 726746

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

COACH&BUSMARKET Looking for a great deal to sell your vehicles?

Contact Jade Cassidy now for 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!

SUBSTANTIAL FREEHOLD 7 BED DETACHED HOUSE

2004 (54) Neoplan Starliner Tri-Axle Corporate/Team Coach

2 minutes J23/M25 South Mimms/Potters Bar (London Olympics 25 minutes)

SMALL YARD AND PARKING FOR UP TO 10 MINIBUSES Established 10 years £650,000 Freehold May sell just business £50,000

Next to Potters Bar BR station £195,000

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.

Principles only please, apply in first instance to pbch@ymail.com or call 07941 063540

For more details call Patrick 01787 477701/ 07730 671064

Also 1 BED LUXURY MAISONETTE

£87,000 + VAT o.n.o.

Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com

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62 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

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 Julian Brunt

Cars and Commercials

2003 (03) LDV 400 CONVOY LWB 17 SEATER HIGH LOADER MINIBUS DIESEL WHITE, 98,000 MILES, 12 MONTHS MOT FITTED WITH CERTIFICATED DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH AND RECENTLY OPERATIONAL ON COUNCIL CONTRACTS LOVELY CONDITION THROUGHOUT £ 3,850.00 + VAT

Call (01453) 731025 or 07703 470667

Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 8EL All vehicles are in excellent condition, professionally valeted and sold with 12 months MOT. www.julianbruntcarsandcommercials.co.uk

Finance Available Subject to Status

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

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

Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Recovery Dismantlers Parts Sales

Dennis Pointer Dart Mk2 x 130 All spares available - includes engine, gearboxes, seats, etc.

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

Julian Brunt

Cars and Commercials

2001 ( Y ) LDV 400 CONVOY LWB 17 SEATER HIGH LOADER MINIBUS DIESEL WHITE 59,000 MILES 12 MONTHS MOT SIDE / REAR LOADING DOORS FITTED WITH CERTIFICATED DIGITAL TACHOGRAPH AND RECENTLY OPERATIONAL ON COUNCIL CONTRACTS LOVELY CONDITION THROUGHOUT £ 3,450.00 + VAT

Call (01453) 731025 or 07703 470667

Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 8EL All vehicles are in excellent condition, professionally valeted and sold with 12 months MOT. www.julianbruntcarsandcommercials.co.uk

Finance Available Subject to Status

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

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@coachandbusweek.com 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@coachandbusweek.com

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%

553180-1044-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.

OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY -

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

553180-1044-Ensign:Layout 1

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nbus ER SPECIALIST ZF automatics, Plaxton Premiere 320 bodies, 53 seats, exhaust traps fitted, LEZ compliant.

1998 R REG DAF SB3000’S

2000 V REG SUPER POINTER DARTS

2006 MAN NEOPLAN EUROLINER

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

ZF automatic, Plaxton Premiere 320 body, new 70 seat conversion with 3 point belts, new MOT and just painted white.

1994 M REG VOLVO B10M

41 seats, Cummins / Allison World Series, new MOTʼs.

Euro 3, ZF automatics, East Lancs bodies, 37 seats, full DDA, Hanover LEDʼs, long MOTʼs.

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.

2002 VOLVO B6BLE’S

2002 DENNIS DART SLF

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

2004 SCANIA

2001 X REG DENNIS DART MPD’S 25 seats, ramps, good MOTʼs.

2007 VOLVO B9TL’S

2007 VDL BUS DB250

1999 S REG SUPER POINTER DART 11.3m, uprated engine and Allison World Series gearbox, 41 seats.

Euro 4, Wrights Gemini bodies, 70 seats with 3 point belts, full DDA, single door.

2007 VOLVO B9TL’S

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

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555649-1044-Bowen

9/7/12

10:36

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68 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

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

1 x 57 Volvo Vanhool 1987 Tested Mar 2013 Taxed Sept 2012 1 x 53 Volvo Vanhool 1993 (Toilet) Tested Feb 2013 Taxed Nov 2012

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

1 x 32 Plaxton Cheetah 1998 Tested Jan 2013 Taxed Feb 2013 1 x 32 Plaxton Cheetah 1998 Tested Apr 2013 Taxed Jan 2013 1 x 27 Beluga 2001 Tested Apr 2013 Taxed Dec 2012 1 x 16 Ford Transit 2005 Tested Dec 2012 Taxed Sept 2012 1 x 16 Ford Transit 2002 Tested Aug 2013 Taxed Mar 2013 1 x 14 Ford Transit 2005 Tested Mar 2013 Taxed Feb 2013 1 x 8 Ford Transit 2003 Tested Oct 2012 Taxed Nov 2012 1 x 8 Volkswagen Caravelle 2003 (D) Tested Mar 2013 Taxed Mar 2013 1 x 8 Volkswagen Caravelle (D) Wheelchair Accessb 1997 Tested Nov 2012 Taxed July 2012

OPTARE SOLO 2000 reg, Mercedes engine, 31 seats with new belt installation, DDA spec, new paint and test. Order now for September

£13,950

For more information visit

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

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

1 x 6 Vauxhall Safira (D) 2001 Tested Sept 2012 Taxed July 2012

Out of Hours call Ray McNally: 07827 894446

2005 Ford Transit 410

For prices telephone: 01779 48048 or mobile contact Ewan Mowat: 07768 432111 Email: info@victoriacoaches.co.uk www.victoriacoaches.co.uk

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

£5950

For more information visit

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

06 (06) FORD TRANSIT 9 SEAT W/CHAIR ACC OR 4 SEATING/2 W/CHAIR NEW INTERNAL LIFT £11,495

31/12/2010 (60) FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT MINIBUS COIF/ PSV 26,000 MILES £16,995

05 (55) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI UVG TREKA 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE 74,000KMS COIF/PSV £16,995

2010 (60) RENAULT TRAFFIC 9 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE DELIVERY MILEAGE £24,995

MULTIPART & LDV/MAXUS PARTS STOCKISTS

(PONTYPOOL) LTD

NOW AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING

P.O.A.

• ALTAS CONVERSION • 17 SEAT MINICOACH • DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS • FULL AIR CONDITIONING • POWER DOOR LOW ENTRY STEP • HI-VIS WINDSCREEN • COACH STYLE REAR WITH DROP WELL BOOT • LUGGAGE RACKS • MANY EXTRAS

NEW MERCEDES SPRINTER TOURLINE 516CDI

Tel: 01495 757111 Mob: 07850 739446 (Haydn) or visit our website www.minibussales.biz to view the above stock

2005 (55) FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT MINIBUS 115PS COIF/PSV IN WHITE 77,500MLS TACHO £9,495

2006 (55) LDV CONVOY ELWB MINI COACH 17 SEATS 90PS EXCEL CONVERSION COIF/PSV TACHO £11,995

08 (58) MERCEDES SPRINTER 2-09 CDI W/CHAIR ACC 6 SEATS INC DRIVER 20,000 MILES £18,995

17:21

07 (07) LDV MAXUS W/CHAIR ACCESSIBLE 4 SEAT INBOARD LIFT UNWIN TRACKING £12,495

9/7/12

06 (06) VW LT46 16 SEAT W/CHAIR ACC U/FLOOR LIFT CLIMATE CONTROL DIGI TACHO COIF/PSV £15,995

p67_CBW_1044 Page 1

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70 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

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

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

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

Southdown PSV - 01342 711840 www.southdownpsv.co.uk

£874 per

month each

2006 (56) ADL ENVIRO E200 8.9m - CHOICE OF 2

• Enviro 200 SLF 8.9m.29 seats • Cummins Euro 3. LEZ compliant • Fully DDA compliant for 2016+ • Recent repaint • Tested until March 2013 • £45,000 + VAT

Finance available at £874 per month – subject to status

* £13,500 deposit followed by 60 payments of £874. These figures are an indication of terms only, are subject to status, are based on current money costs and do not, therefore, commit you or us to any finance agreement

Southdown PSV Silverwood Snow Hill Copthorne West Sussex RH10 3EN

555971-1044-Heatons

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16:32

Page 1

HEATONS MOTOR CO. WIGAN - tel 01942 864222 www.heatonsmotorco.co.uk

57 MERCEDES SPRINTER 515

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

TWO F O CE CHOI WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

05 MERCEDES SPRINTER 311 CDI MWB. front low step entry, fitted with 8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, good quality conversion, external cassette tailift, totally showroom condition £9,995

56 RENAULT MASTER LWB 9 highback passenger seats, covered 46,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal tailift, SLD with side step, m1 Unwin Invatax floor, totally unmarked, silver metallic £11,995

READY TO WORK

PSV’d 02 MERCEDES VARIO 814 Mellor Coachcraft coachbuilt, covered 71,000 miles, one council owner, automatic transmission, 32 high back passenger seats all on Unwin tracking, 3 point belts, powerdoor front entry, external PLS cassette tailift, very very clean and original, PSV tested, 97k miles £13,995

POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Only covered 20,000 miles, fitted with 16 highback Restcroft seats, lots of Unwin tracking, SLD with cassette step, external Ratcliffe fully automatic tailift, good quality O&H conversion, totally totally like new

59 FORD TRANSIT MWB covered 8,314 miles only, 8/11 highback passenger Cogent seats on Unwin tracking, lots of Unwin tracking, full electric pack, totally totally like new in every possible way POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

58 FORD TRANSIT 17 seat factory minibus, covered 70,000 miles, tacho, full electric pack, totally showroom condition POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d 54 MERCEDES VARIO 614 with 15 highback passenger seats, complete flat floor, powerdoor front entry, external PLS tailift, analogue tacho, fully colour coded, totally immaculate in every way, low miles, excellent value £10,995

56 MERCEDES VARIO 614 Mellor coachbuilt, 16 highback coach seats, 3 point belts, complete flat floor, lots of Unwin tracking, Powerdoor front entry, external cassette tailift, covered 80,000 miles, totally immaculate inside and out, excellent value £14,995

06 FIAT DUCATO MWB covered 14,000 miles only, 8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, twin SLDs with cassette steps, air conditioning, Ricon internal tailift, totally showroom condition inside and out POA

58 FORD TRANSIT LWB 17 seat factory minibus, covered 70,000 miles, full electric pack, digital tacho, totally totally showroom condition inside and out POA

55 BMW 630i CONVERTIBLE Cream leather 44,000 miles, our own car from new, full BMW service history, totally immaculate in everyway, please ring for full spec HPIM3850

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

LEZ

COMPLIANT

05/06 RENAULT MASTER MM33 covered 25,000 miles, Ricon fully automatic internal Clearway tailift, 6 high back passenger seats plus wheelchair spaces or would up seat, SLD with electric cassette step, totally showroom condition inside and out £11,995

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

LEZ

52 VOLKSWAGEN LT 46 8/10 highback seats plus wheelchair spaces, Ricon internal fully automatic tailift, choice of 2 £4,995

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d

D L O S

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

COMPLIANT

54 MERCEDES SPRINTER UVG coachbuilt, 16 highback passenger seats, complete flat floor, Powerdoor front entry, low miles, totally immaculate, external PLS cassette tailift, LEZ compliant, 12 months PSV test, Triptronic transmission, choice of 2 £11,995

58 RENAULT MASTER MM33 Covered 28,000 miles, 6/8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal tailift, SLD with cassette step, totally immaculate in every way POA

06 RENAULT MASTER MWB, silver metallic, 6/8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal Clearway tailift, SLD with cassette step, totally immaculate £10,495

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

D L O S

57 IVECO 45c15 Covered 65,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, plant on panaramic windows 5 highback seats plus wheelchair spaces, front low step entry, totally like new, internal fully automatic tailift POA

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72 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

Kinglong Scotland KINGLONG 2012

XMQ 6127 53/49 luxury recliners, DVD, Flatscreens, W/C, A/C, many extras as standard From £179,950 + VAT

XMQ 6900 35 leather recliners or 31 with W/C, DVD, Flatscreen, many extras £134,950 + VAT

XMQ 6800 8 metres of luxury mini coach, 31/29 recliners, DVD, Flatscreen, A/C £99,950 + VAT Manual £109,950 + VAT Auto XMQ 6130Y TRI AXLE!! Ultimate coach, 55/59 seats @ 13 metre, D/G, A/C, W/C, MP3, 3 flatscreens, drivers bunk!!! £229,950 + VAT secures 13 metre

AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW!!!!

XMQ 6127J Ultimate City Bus, Low floor entry with tilt, LEZ compliant, Euro 5 Cummins, LED as standard, CCTV, 12 metre gives 37 + 3 + 34 standees only £134k + VAT 9 metre gives 24 + 3 + 17 standees only £109k + VAT All the above come with 2 year warranty!!!!

Used, nearly new stock available!!

Authorised stockist Kinglong parts and glass.

01651 872864 Office 07769719252 Mobile 24/7 kinglongscotland@yahoo.co.uk

Station Yard, Oldmeldrum, AB51 0EZ

Mercedes 612 Vario • Whitaker conversion • Wheelchair lift • 14 seats • Tracking • First Reg - June 1998 3 point seatbelts MOT - 7th December 2012 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

2003 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413D

Mellor body, 15 seats or upto 3 wheelchairs, tacho etc, 75k miles, fantastic condition.

For more information visit

£8,750

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

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

VOLVO B6 BLE ALEXANDER ALX P & R REG 35 seats

From £2,950

For more information visit

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

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July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 73

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

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

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

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 MERCEDES BENZ 0404 • Registration date: 1/03/01 • 48+1+1 with WC • Fainsa blue & multi colour pattern Moquette • Automatic • Fully air-conditioned

• 2 monitors, DVD, coffee machine, electric lockers • 940,000kms

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

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

Filler NEW copy

2/7/12

19:29

Page 1

3 WEEKS 4 WEEK FREE

BUY GET A

PRICES INCLUDE :

TH

• Design Service • Web Advert • Full Colour

WHEN YOU ADVERTISE IN

COACH&BUSMARKET T E K R A M S U B & nd sell a H y u C b o A t e CO – the plac

7 1733 29324 0 ll a c t s ju £30 as little as r o f s e g a p e on these To advertis

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TO BOOK YOUR ADVERTISEMENT CONTACT:

JADE CASSIDY

£30

col 10cm x 2

£90

col 15cm x 1

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01733 293247 jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com

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l £50 o c 2 x 5cm

.co.uk uncymedia ro @ y id ss ail jade.ca 3247 or em 9 2 3 3 7 1 0 y on Jade Cassid Telephone

VEHICLE SALES | PRODUCTS & SERVICES | MARKET | VEHICLE SALES | PRODUCTS & SERVICES | MARKET | VEHICLE SALES | PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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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

CHECKPOINTS

CRAIG TILSLEY

ENGINES

Tel: 01782 791524 or 01782 791527

Fax: 01782 791316

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

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, Coach & Bus Week, 3 The Office Village, Forder Way, Cygnet Park, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX

G

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

Tel: 01524 271200 www.checkpoint-safety.com

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED Looking for a great deal to promote your products and services?

Contact Jade Cassidy now for our current offers: 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

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

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

REGISTRATIONS

DUE TO RETIREMENT

Special needs company for sale

Suppliers of Reconditioned

SPEEDY REGISTRATIONS CO LTD G ‘Buy with confidence – CNDA Member’

£750 40 SXA 90 SXP AXZ 88 DRZ 21 IIG 89 MHZ 29 RXI 85 SJZ 90 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 RBZ 696 IIG 7765 RUI 2117 DFZ 4694 RDZ 545 JIG 8894 SEZ 5766 DRZ 8551 SBZ 141 JIG 8895 SUI 8836 DRZ 8552 VIW 242 KIG 5113 SUI 8837 IFZ 8350 VIW 979 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

£50 JFZ 8394 JIG 6715 JIG 6716 KIG 6608 KIG 6609 RNZ 2214 RNZ 2215 TUI 5921 TUI 5922

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76 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 2012

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED INSURANCE

TRAINING

ESSENTIAL PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES QUALITY APPROVED PRODUCTS, FAST DELIVERY

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@coachandbusweek.com

Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

TRAINING

• HGV & PCV inspections • Maintenance audits • HGV & PCV training courses • Due diligence inspections and reports info@viats.com www.viats.com 077 0234 9080 TYRE EQUIPMENT

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COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED VEHICLE SPARES

New Van & Minibus Parts Trevor Wigley & Son Bus Ltd

TW FULLY LICENSED END OF LIFE VEHICLE CENTRE

TW REDUNDANT AND SCRAP VEHICLES TAKEN

Peugeot Boxer Relay Fiat Ducato Doors £300+vat pair

Renault Master Read Mavano Doors £300+vat pair

MB Vario Bonnets

Transit 17 seater

Transit Millennium Bus £750+vat

MB Vario Bumpers £75+vat

Master Side Doors £200+vat

MB Sprinter 616 Axel part no A9053500300

MB Vario Headlamps £35+vat

www.twigley.com

MB Sprinter Mk3 Doors

MB Sprinter VW LT Doors old model £150+vat

Mercedes Benz E Class 1246005005 Bodyshells

Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Recovery Dismantlers Parts Sales

Transit Tourneo Seats

New MB Vario Parts

Renault 1.9 CDI F9Q Engines New

Cummins L10 Short Motor

Transit 2.5Di Diesel Ford OE Engines

LDV Peugeot 2.5D, EN55 OE Engines

Leyland GB397,390

MB Sprinter 616 Axle part no A9053500300

Nissan 2.7 TD New

VW1-9 CDI ANUCode Sharan Galaxy

ZF 16S-109

ZF Astronic 12-AS-1930-TD

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

OUR SERVICES: •

Recovery

•

Testing

• • • • • • • •

Refurbishment Repairs

Engine/gearbox rebuilds Fault finding

Buying & selling vehicles

DISMANTLING/SPARES: • • • • • •

Reconditioned engines Reconditioned gearboxes Engine spares Windows

Windscreens Seats

Export to foreign markets Repairs

Finance repossession and storage

CALL: 01226 727 769 Bus sales: www.geoff-ripleysbuscoachsales.com Geoff Ripley, Boulder Lane (off Shaw Lane), Carlton, Barnsley S71 3HJ

Mob: 07912 103 497 or 07711 750 434 Fax: 01226 727 607 Email: geoff-ripley@btconnect.com

www.cabmasters.com 01706 211 838

78 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 11, 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: James here, hijacking the diary because I had a far more interesting week (haha). Flew from Stanstead at 0800 for the Daimler IAA preview show in Stuttgart.

Sylvia from Daimler does a sterling job ensuring I don’t get myself lost. The event is astonishingly well organised with translations into five languages through headsets, which makes the whole thing bizarrely quiet. Also, Germanwings give you amazing legroom, fly with them.

The (in)famous Knockin Shop in rural Shropshire

Stop off at the Knockin Shop?

What’s a picture of a village shop got to do with coaches and buses?

In the best tradition of this page, the link is extremely tenuous.

The North Shropshire village of Knockin is located north Shrewsbury but south of Oswestry.

The main road through the village is the B4396, which is a crosscountry route linking the A5 at Nesscliffe with the A483 at Llynclys, cutting off a not inconsiderable corner in mileage terms if heading to tourist locations such as Lake Vyrnwy. It’s a category of road which is navigated by those of us

Dilbert

who can read maps (as opposed to merely following signs or perhaps listening to a Sat Nav).

The village has a thriving shop, including a Post Office, which is of course is something of a rarity nowadays. Amusingly (to some people) the local shop has been affectionately named ‘The Knockin Shop’ by the locals, a name proudly yet accurately displayed above the doorway.

Now then – here’s the extremely tenuous coach connection. In his pre-Coach & Bus Week magazine days, Editor Gareth recalls how when he was working for familyrun operator Tanat Valley Coaches in the locality, he would frequently pass the shop carrying coach loads of school children from the West Midlands to a now closed outdoor activity centre in the Berwyn

Mountains.

Depending on whether the teachers were friendly or aloof (we’ve all experienced that), pointing out the Knockin Shop was the sort of joke which could be shared and would raise a giggle, but the meaning of it would thankfully be lost on the younger members of society on board.

For the coach drivers among you, perhaps the Knockin Shop is also something you can incorporate into your spiel.

Last but by no necessarily least is the bus connection. Today, the village of Knockin is served by the Shropshire Council-sponsored route 576, operated by Wrexhambased Bryn Melyn, between Oswestry and Shrewsbury via Maesbury, Ruyton XI Towns and Baschurch.

Tuesday: Try to get as much of my Daimler article written as possible with a busy week ahead. I have a large Daimler press pack to go through, so this is no easy task, but I’m grateful to have so much to work with. With various holidays approaching today is the last time I’ll see Andrew for a number of weeks. No awkward hug, mind.

Wednesday: Drive up to Manchester to visit the city’s Stagecoach operation and meet MD Chris Bowles. I plan for the trip around the Stagecoach depots afterwards, but I am blown away that Matt Davies and Peter Sumner are willing to take so long out of their working day to show me around. I leave at 1700 and am even given a model Magic Bus for my troubles. It’s an incredibly positive and well managed working environment which anyone should be proud to be a part of.

Thursday: The week is catching up with me, but perk up with my usual Earl Grey. Working through many, many pages of notes keeps me quieter than usual (buy me a dictophone Gareth?) but I still do my best to crack my usual jokes and put everybody off.

Friday: Another busy day in the office, although I take the time to go out for lunch with colleagues. It’s worth taking some time outside a working environment with people you see every day.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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RECRUITMENT

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

July 11, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 79

Contact Ian Gillis 01733 293484

ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

New CEO for Bus Users UK

New Regional Marketing Manager for First

Bus Users UK has announced the appointment of new Chief Executive, Claire Walters.

Currently Chief Executive of the Waltham Forest Community Credit Union, Claire has an extensive track record of taking small third-sector organisations and enabling them to be more professional and effective.

The appointment last year of Gillian Merron as Chairman of Bus Users UK has enabled the organisation to raise its profile, and Claire’s appointment signals a significant next phase in the organisation’s development.

Welcoming the appointment to the new post, Gillian Merron said: “We are delighted to announce that Claire Walters will lead Bus Users UK as its first Chief Executive.

Claire has the drive, experience and professionalism to take Bus Users UK into a new and exciting phase.

First has appointed Sarah Wallbridge, 34, as its new Regional Marketing Manager for its operations in the South West and Wales.

With a strong background in public transport Sarah joins First from Eastleigh Borough Council where she worked as its Sustainable Transport Manager for almost 12 years. She also worked for Bristol City Council as a Public Transport Planner. She has a degree in Environmental Quality and Resource Management and an MSc in Sustainable Transport and Travel Planning.

Sarah Wallbridge said: “I am thrilled to have joined First and I’m already getting to grips with the challenges ahead of us. It’s an exciting time for the industry with a number of projects and schemes due to come to fruition in the coming months, not least the

New Bus Users UK Chief Executive, Claire Walters Much has been achieved over the years and Claire’s appointment will take Bus Users UK forward to being a more influential and effective voice for the millions of people across the country who use buses.”

Claire, who will be joining the organisation on September 3, said: “I’m looking forward to working with the excellent Bus Users UK team to expand the scope, accessibility and activities of this ambitious and growing organisation. Watch this space.”

GREATER BRISTOL BUS RAPID TRANSIT NETWORK WITHOUT PREJUDICE Bristol City, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils are progressing plans to deliver a £197 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network for the Greater Bristol area. BRT will be a high quality, reliable and frequent form of public transport, operating over a 50 km network. The network will feature segregated bus lanes, high profile stops and interchanges, and modern, sustainable vehicles, linking residential areas with major employment and shopping hubs.

The authorities’ BRT schemes have recently received ‘Programme Entry’ funding approval from the Government to take the network forward, subject to a number of statutory processes. The Councils will shortly be consulting with bus operators on the service standards for the BRT network. As part of this consultation, we would like to hear from any bus operators that have an interest in the proposals from an operational perspective. This will be bus operators with a PSV Operators Licence but will not be restricted to those currently operating in the Greater Bristol area. This is in addition to wider ongoing public consultation dealing with all aspects of the scheme.

The involvement of any operator in this process does not represent commitment by the Councils in any way, nor will this be a consideration in any future procurement process.

If you would like further information on the BRT proposals please contact: Bill Davies, West of England Office, Wilder House, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8PH. Or email to: bill.davies@westofengland.org

introduction of WiFi on our buses.

We have seen significant change in the region with the rollout of the First’s new bus network in Southampton, the launch of the Eclipse BRT in South Hampshire and with the completion of the Greater Bristol Bus Network there really hasn’t been a more exciting time to get involved and change people’s perceptions about buses.”

Sarah Wallbridge joins First from Eastleigh Borough Council

BRISTOL PCV OPERATIONS/ BUSINESS MANAGER

Dealing with day to day operations with emphasis on sales.

We are a family owned, long established, large and expanding taxi and coach company operating around Bristol. We have 96 licences doing schools, private hire and touring, both in the UK and abroad.

• Extensive experience of coach operations and a PCV licence absolutely essential We offer: • • • •

Salary in excess of £31,000 plus on target bonus Private health Mercedes E class Assistance with relocation if applicable.

PCV TRAFFIC MANAGER

Reporting to Operations Manager. and with good knowledge of:

• • • • •

Work Allocation Quotations Drivers hours and tachos Staff Supervision PCV Legislation

PCV Licence essential.

Salary of £25,000 plus private health.

Please forward CV to Keith Sanzo at keith@eurotaxis.com Tel 07970 096262 or 07970 458877 www.coachandbusweek.com

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