Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1038 by Coach and Bus Week & Group Travel World

Wednesday May 30, 2012 Issue 1038 | £2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Edwards and Alpine feature in IoD Wales Annual Awards p8

LAUNCH:

CitySmart – MAN's 10.8m midi-market contender p38

BUS:

Stagecoach teams up with Everything Everywhere p6

CONFERENCE:

ALBUM 2012 – revised format proves a hit with delegates p34

for recru i

Euro 6 MercedesBenz Citaro enters series production

JOB ADV tment EVERY WERTS EEK

p14

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THIS WEEK

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

EDITORIAL Publisher Jonathan Taylor 01733 293240 jonathan.taylor@rouncymedia.co.uk Editor Gareth Evans 01733 293243 gareth.evans@coachandbusweek.com Technical & Minibus Editor Martin Cole 01733 293245, 07885 692144 martin.cole@coachandbusweek.com News Reporter James Day 01733 293244 james.day@coachandbusweek.com News Reporter Andrew Cream 01733 293482 andrew.cream@coachandbusweek.com News Reporter Alex Tyler 01733 293240 alex.tyler@coachandbusweek.com Art Director Keith Simpson Contributors Tim Deakin, Richard Charnley, Gabriel Conway, Alan Payling

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

Euro 6 moves closer

uro 6. It’s something that fills some of you with dread. It quite literally leaves you fuming. Yet the reality is the emission standard is now a lot closer after last week’s first series production Euro 6 buses (claimed by Mercedes-Benz) entered service in Wiesbaden (see p14). Reading my colleague Martin Cole’s report on the ALBUM conference (p34), and at the risk of contradicting myself, Andy Boulton, ADL’s Technical Sales Manager revealed the renowned UK manufacturer currently has Euro 6 models in service with “certain operators” in an effort to ensure reliable operation prior to 2014. Some of you are forward buying your fleet this year and next to stave off the £10-15k extra per vehicle you’ll face from 2014 when Euro 6 becomes mandatory on new registrations. Putting my head on the line, frankly I don’t blame you. It is of course bad news from manufacturers and suppliers. Talking to my counterparts from right

across Europe the concerns are the same. Politicians and bureaucrats have their heads firmly where the sun doesn’t shine when they come up with these ideas. Listening to the presentations in Wiesbaden, we were left almost wondering what all the fuss about. The rules are the rules, Mercedes has complied and this is how it’s been done. Of course, a cynical view is it’s easy to brainwash journos but I’ve not waxed lyrical about Euro 6 in my report – I’ve written about the features on the Euro 6 model, which is more than merely shoving a ‘greener’ engine in the rear. The Citaro itself is clearly a well-made product. The bus I drove and rode on was rattle-free, which is more than can be said for many a bus today. In a challenging economic climate, it’s tempting to try imports from far-flung parts of the world, yet I couldn’t help think of the Cardiganshire ode of ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’... Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

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

...from tourist attractions and events. Plus ideas for group visits

Who said what at the popular annual ALBUM conference

Hard work of two Welsh coach operators recognised at awards

Operator cheats system to gain competitive advantage

A look at the new dedicated SLF midi bus for the UK market

What’s happening across the country’s regions. Plus Events Diary

Suppliers of seating, flooring and interiors for your vehicle fleet

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

Mercedes-Benz has worked its magic on the Euro 6 Citaro

Another scene from the Coach Rally 2012 - two Galloway coaches

All the latest people moves from across the industry

News

Coach News

Regional News First Drive

Tour News

Legal News

Essential Guide

The Big Picture

Conference Report

MAN CitySmart

Last Stop

People

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

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

www.coachandbusweek.com www.coachandbusweek.com

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

National Express launches foundation for young people National Express has launched a £500,000 foundation to provide bursaries to help students attend further and higher education and support local community groups working with young people. Shadow Minister for Higher Education Shabana Mahmood MP has joined the foundation’s Board of Trustees and on Monday (May 28) joined National Express’ Anthony Vigor in a call to West Midlands colleges, universities and community groups to apply for the funding. National Express will provide the foundation with at least £500,000 of funding over the next five years. The foundation will award £10,000 per annum to several colleges and universities enabling them to provide individuals in challenging personal or financial situations with a bursary towards funding

Bell says Mann case should serve as warning

North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell warned licence holders to take note of the prison sentence given to PSV operator Terence Mann. Mann was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment at Derby Crown Court on May 16, having been the subject of an extensive investigation by VOSA (see CBW1037).

living costs while they are students. The foundation will also provide up to £30,000 a year of funding to community groups working with young people.

National Express, Birmingham’s biggest, and one of the West Midland’s largest, private sector employers, started developing the foundation following last summer’s civil disturbances. Mahmood said: “I am pleased to be joining the Board of Trustees for the National Express Foundation, particularly because the focus

Anthony Vigor and colleagues at National Express’s Birmingham Coach Station in Digbeth celebrating the foundation’s launch Mrs Bell had previously revoked the operator’s licence held by Mann’s Spondon Mini Travel Ltd on maintenance grounds in December 2011. She concluded the case was a clear example of an operator who had abused the operator licensing system and gained an unfair commercial advantage over other legitimate licence holders. She said: “Spondon Mini Travel was authorised by me to operate five vehicles but in January 2011 VOSA stopped 10 of its vehicles on the same day and found six of them to be displaying false O-licence discs. “As company Director, Terence Mann should have submitted an application to obtain legitimate

authority – and O-licence discs – to operate any extra vehicles. “Unlike legitimate operators, Mann evaded that requirement, while concealing vehicles from the required to safety and maintenance regime”. Summing up in court, Judge Gosling said Mann was driven by pure greed. Mrs Bell said the personal cost of Mann’s actions were significant. “This should serve as a warning to the PSV industry that deceiving the licensing authority and VOSA in such a way will have serious consequences far beyond the public inquiry room. “The licensing system is built

of the Foundation’s work is on helping students, young people and community groups who are in need of support. This sort of support is much needed in Birmingham and I look forward to celebrating the many successes that lie ahead.” Vigor, Director of Policy and External Affairs for National Express Group, said: “As Birmingham’s largest private employer we take our local responsibilities seriously. That’s why we are delighted to launch this foundation and provide support to local students and community groups. I encourage as many local colleges, universities and community groups as possible to apply.” As well as the West Midlands, young people from East London and South Essex will also benefit. For more information about the National Express Foundation visit www. nationalexpressgroup.com/ foundation

upon trust and established both to protect the travelling public and ensure those who choose to operate vehicles can do so in a competitive and regulated environment; in short, on a level playing field. By his actions, Terence Mann did not adhere to, or uphold, those principles.” Mrs Bell added that while the majority of the PSV industry acts compliantly and fairly, the case serves as a reminder to all operators they must continue to satisfy the conditions and undertakings relating to their licence authority, alongside those relating to the operation of vehicles and duties of drivers.

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news › BUSeS

The number of Plaxton-bodied coaches operated by Park’s of Hamilton

briefly Cumfybus is moving to a new depot in Aintree after securing a funding package from Santander and the European Investment Bank. The firm is relocating from several separate sites at Liverpool, Wirral and Knowsley to the larger base, which is being refurbished to provide maintenance capacity on site. Director Penny Lyon said: “Being based in one location and cutting down on rental costs will enable us to focus on our two priorities – developing an environmentallyfriendly fleet and providing a customer-focussed service.” Arriva UK Bus has now registered more than three million journeys using its m-ticketing technology. The operator has seen the rate of mobile sales triple since its launch in 2009. The last million registrations were made in just five months. Mike Woodhouse, Arriva UK Bus Marketing Manager, said: “We predict that as usage continues to increase, by the end of 2012 we will pass through the five million barrier.” All Arriva buses are able to accept visual mobile tickets, using an m-ticket app which customers show to the driver. Arriva is also currently installing new Electronic Ticket Machines (ETMs) within the entire UK Bus fleet, all of which are ITSO smart card-enabled. “The next step is to provide even more information to our passengers, including via mobile channels,” added Mike. “A third of visits to our website are now from mobile handsets. In future operators must look to supply not only their own tickets, but multi-operator and multi-modal as well.” 30 ‘green’ local transport schemes were given the go ahead last week by Transport Minister Norman Baker. The projects have won funding totalling £113m as part of the second allocation from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. They are led by 29 English local authorities with many more as partners and cover eight regions. Baker said: “The schemes we’re funding will benefit communities from Devon to Durham.” Full report in next week’s CBW. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Stagecoach launches mobile contactless ticketing with Orange The Cambridgeshire trial uses Quick Tap-enabled mobile telephone handsets on the Orange mobile brand Stagecoach has teamed up with communications company Everything Everywhere to launch the UK’s first Government-standard commercial deployment of mobile contactless transport ticketing. The trial could lead to a nationwide roll out across select bus and rail services in 2013. It enables a small cross section of bus users to receive, store and validate their bus tickets using their mobile phone and is currently underway on the Stagecoach bus network in Cambridgeshire, including the Cambridge Park & Ride and Guided Busway services. Everything Everywhere is providing each customer in the trial with a Quick Tap-enabled mobile handset on its Orange mobile brand. Quick Tap is the umbrella name used for Orange’s NFC (Near-Field Communications)

Arriva say farewell to last Southend double-decker Arriva Southern Counties has withdrawn its last double-decker based in Southend. The Northern Counties Palatinebodied Volvo Olympian was new to Maidstone & District Motor Services in 1997 as part of a batch of 18 similar vehicles. It left Southend depot for the last time on May 23, headed for a new role elsewhere within the group. Arriva’s predecessor, Southend Corporation Transport, began running double-deck trolleybuses in 1928 with the first motor buses appearing in 1937. From

services and the handsets used will feature the technology as well as a specially designed app, making them compatible with the local bus network’s smartcard readers. The trial uses the Department for Transport’s preferred ITSO (Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation) smart ticketing technology and will monitor the levels of customer convenience the Quick Tap service provides, as well as for operational and technical efficiencies. The trial also contributes to the Government’s vision to deliver, along with transport operators and public sector bodies, the infrastructure to enable most public transport journeys to be undertaken using smart ticketing by December 2014. Gerry McQuade, Chief Marketing Officer at Everything Everywhere, said: “We’ve already started a new movement in the way we make payments and receive retail rewards on the high street, so this really is the next step - providing customers with additional

Final fling: Northern Counties Palatine-bodied Volvo Olympian those early days double-deckers have featured continuously in the local fleet through the years which was run by the Corporation, subsequently the Borough Council, prior to its eventually becoming part of the Arriva group. In fact, the history of doubledeckers actually goes back as far as 1901 if you include the town’s electric trams which began running

simplicity and convenience to help improve their public transport experience. “We’re proud to be working with Stagecoach to help bring public transport ticketing into the 21st century and start a trend towards a future where ultimately the traditional paper and card tickets of today will eventually become a thing of the past”. Stagecoach Group Finance Director Martin Griffiths said: “This is an exciting technical trial which we believe is the first of its kind in the UK and we are pleased to be working with Everything Everywhere to explore the use of this new technology. “Smartphones are playing an increasingly important role in helping people manage their busy lifestyles. We believe this technology can also make public transport easier and more convenient. Once this trial is complete, we will review the findings and assess the potential to expand the scheme further.” in that year. Other operators in the area continue to run double-deck buses but Arriva’s fleet running on its network of routes in the Southend, Rayleigh, Rochford, Castle Point and Basildon area is now operated entirely by SLF single-deckers. Arriva’s Regional Publicity Manager, Richard Lewis, said: “We have gradually been able to reduce the number of double-deckers as more SLF single-deckers have been introduced into our fleet and the high frequency of service on most routes means our customers can all be accommodated. “Newer vehicles will be added to the fleet over the coming months. These follow on from the £1.8m investment last November in 12 brand-new Optare Versas for ‘Wave’-branded service 9 between Shoeburyness, Southend and Rayleigh.”

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96%

ADL’s first-pick rate on spare parts – according to Technical Sales Manager Andy Boulton

Planning permission granted for GNE depot

Go North East has been granted planning permission for a new £7.7m purpose-built depot in Gateshead. The investment will secure 559 jobs with the potential to provide many more through expansion, plus around 170 jobs will be provided during production of the facility. The operator will relocate from its two existing sites at Cromwell Place, Winlaton and Sunderland Road, Gateshead, to the new development on Handy Drive, Gateshead. The Go-Ahead Group subsidiary applied for planning permission for the site in November 2011 (CBW1015). Go North East MD Kevin Carr, said: “We are delighted Gateshead Council has approved our plans for the new bus depot. This substantial investment is testament to our commitment to provide jobs for local people and increase the standard of the bus services in the region. “The new facility, designed by UK Land Estates, will make our bus operations even more efficient for our customers and underlines our pledge to continuing improvement we’ve made in our ‘Charter for Positive Change’.” The new depot will include sustainable design elements such as rainwater harvesting and recycling of water onsite. It will cover approximately 2.38 hectares and consist of 4,150 square metres of workshops, storage, office, mess room and training facilities with external testing and bus fleet parking areas. Gateshead Council Group Director of Development and Enterprise, Paul Dowling, said: “This is the latest in a series of major private sector investments on brown field sites in Gateshead. The new depot will take full advantage of the fact Metrocentre is now a key transport interchange. It’s a key regeneration area and we look forward to working with our partners to attract further development opportunities in the future.” UK Land Estates hopes to start on site in this summer with occupation by Go North East likely by the end of summer 2013.

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£271.4m

Adjusted profit before tax for FirstGroup in the 2011 – 2012 financial year announced last week

May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7

SHARE WATCH

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, May 28. FirstGroup saw the greatest proportional rise while Optare experienced the biggest proportional drop. Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

275.10p

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

According to Mercedes-Benz, the first production bus which is Euro 6 compliant has been delivered. The vehicle in question is a Mercedes-Benz Citaro, an articulated example of which is pictured here, with the vehicle also available in rigid form. The photograph was taken at ESWE’s depot in Wiesbaden, Germany on Wednesday, May 23, by CBW editor Gareth Evans. For more, see the first drive report on page 14 of this issue

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At the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Summer Gathering are, left to right: Nicola Tidy, NCT Marketing Director; Karina Wells, green campaigner from West Bridgford and Anthony Carver-Smith, NCT Marketing Manager

First Euro 5 Optare for NCT unveiled Nottingham City Transport (NCT) unveiled the first of eight new ‘green’ vehicles for West Bridgford at the area’s Summer Gathering in the park on May 19. As well as being fitted with Euro 5 engines, the Optare Solo SRs feature Eco Drive, to monitor driving standards. The newly branded ‘Bridgford Bus’ was officially launched by local green campaigner, Karina Wells, who worked closely with NCT over the last six years to look for environmentally-friendly, sustainable ways to travel.

She said: “NCT has worked with me on initiatives like Green Streets and the Summer Gathering for many years so I was honoured to help launch the buses. It’s fantastic to see NCT takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.” The new vehicles will run on Bridgford Bus routes 5, 7, 8 and 9 and replace eight 2000-registered vehicles, following on from five new buses launched on Go2 Green 11 in July 2011 and new double deckers for the number six in 2008. NCT Marketing Manager, Anthony Carver-Smith said that the West Bridgford Summer Gathering was the ideal opportunity for customers to see the new buses for themselves. “Visitors were very positive about the audio and visual next stop announcements and realtime tracking.”

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FTSE 100

5,356

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

+52 on last week

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28/05/2012 20:38

8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | May 30, 2012

news › coaches

“We’ll definitely have the new Citaro in the UK for the second half of 2013. I’m delighted we can enter a second market segment.” Jan Aichinger

briefly An 18-tonne weight restriction is in place on the northbound A26 Quarry Hill Viaduct. The viaduct passes over the A21 and heads into Tonbridge from Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The restriction is a precautionary measure after routine inspections of the bridge found strengthening work may be needed in the future. The restriction will protect the integrity of the structure while investigations continue. All vehicles over 18 tonnes are required to follow a short diversion via the A21 northbound to Morleys Interchange, where they are directed to return on the southbound carriageway and enter Tonbridge using the southbound exit slip road at Vauxhall Lane Interchange. Local buses and emergency services are still able to use the route. Work continues to repair and lay anti-skid surfacing on the northbound and southbound entry and exit slip roads at J9a of the A404(M). The work started on Thursday May 24 and is expected to be completed by Friday June 8. The southbound entry and exit slip roads will be closed and lane one of the southbound carriageway overnight between 2200 and 0600hrs on Wednesday May 30 and Thursday May 31. Appropriate signage is in place for each closure during the work. Preparatory work is underway to install a new section of concrete safety barrier around J27 of the M6 at Standish. Until Friday June 15, resurfacing and drainage improvement work will take place overnight between 2000 and 0500 with one lane closed in each direction. The second phase will take place between June 15 and Thursday August 23 when lane three in each direction will be closed around the clock. During this phase there will be narrowed lanes and a 50mph speed limit. The hard shoulder will be used as an extra running lane to ensure three lanes are maintained in each direction. Installation and removal of traffic management at the beginning and end of the second phase of the work will require the northbound exit and southbound access slip roads to be closed overnight. www.coachandbusweek.com

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News Focus p14

IoD Wales recognises family coach firms Edwards Coaches and Alpine Travel prominent in Institute of Directors (Wales) awards Two well-known and successful Welsh operators, Edwards Coaches and Alpine Travel, have been recognised at the 2012 Institute of Directors (IoD) Wales Director of the Year Awards. The awards were held at a glittering lunch event in Cardiff on Thursday, May 17, with nominations open to anyone working at director level at any type of business. The awards ceremony focussed on a number of key areas including, the companies continued strive to provide a quality service across all levels, the companies continued growth over recent years and the commitment they provide for staff and the local economy. IoD Wales Director Robert Lloyd Griffiths who hosted the event said: “Our winners represent all which is good about Welsh enterprise; they’re hard-working individuals who have key leadership roles in wonderful modern businesses. “There’s a great deal of effort amongst private sector leaders to help steer Wales and the UK away from difficult economic times and our winners are brilliant examples

of that drive and skill.” Jason Edwards was awarded ‘Director of the Year (in a Family Business)’. This is the third major award Edwards Coaches have won in just two months and the company is looking to continue its success and follow in the footsteps of one of the firm’s prestigious clients, the Welsh Rugby Union Team, by scooping its very own ‘Grand Slam’ at the upcoming 2012 Group Travel Awards being held on June 15 where Edwards is among the finalists for the ‘Best Coach

Jason Edwards (left) is presented with his award on stage by Dr Barrie Kennard

Road closures in London during Jubilee weekend The CPT has helpfully produced a list of road closures in place during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. On Saturday June 2, there will be road closures around the St James Park area. The closures may cause extra traffic and delays around Whitehall, Parliament Square and Victoria Street areas. The closure of Whitehall will only be implemented if security dictates. The River Pageant on Sunday June 3, the central event of the Jubilee weekend, will see the following bridges closed from 0700hrs: Battersea Bridge, Albert Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Westminster Bridge,

Blackfriars Bridge, and Tower Bridge. It is expected these bridges will reopen by 2000hrs. The following roads are planned to be closed from 1000hrs: Cheyne Walk, Chelsea Embankment, Grosvenor Road, Millbank and Victoria Embankment. However these roads may close earlier due to the large number of spectators. It is expected these roads will be opened at 2000hrs. The remaining bridges – Vauxhall Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Southwark Bridge and London Bridge will be closed to all traffic for security and safety reasons from 1430hrs. Again, due to spectator numbers

Operator for Groups’ Award. Commenting on the award, Jason Edwards said: “These awards and accolades are a huge pat on the back for all staff and suppliers involved at Edwards Coaches. We strive to offer the highest possible levels of quality and service across all departments and it is a proud moment to see our efforts being rewarded.” Chris Owens, MD of Alpine Travel was shortlisted in the North Wales Director of the Year category. “Whilst I was pipped to the post by another local businessman, it was quite justified as they’re business was rated as one of the fastest growing businesses in Wales in 2011,” he told CBW. “On a personal note ITV Wales did a three-minute slot on our firm which was certainly a very valuable kick back from being nominated for the awards. It was a great event overall and for two CoachMarque-accredited companies to be short listed for such prestigious awards out of all Welsh businesses was certainly a very impressive accolade.”

Visit http://www.iod.com/ home/local-network/wales/ director-of-the-year-awards/ default.aspx these closures maybe earlier. It is understood the closures will be in place only until VIPs have passed and it is safe for traffic to operate. The Big Lunch will also take place on this day on Piccadilly. To facilitate this, Piccadilly will be closed between Piccadilly Circus and St James’s Street to all vehicles. On Monday June 4 the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee BBC Concert is being held outside Buckingham Palace. The following areas will be closed around 2245hrs to allow for the 200,000 plus people to leave safely: Hyde Park Corner, Park Lane, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and the Strand. The CPT has also advised that at around 1700hrs on Tuesday June 5, it is coaches should avoid the Royal Parks and surrounding areas due to the Royal Procession.

28/05/2012 16:57

Members of the enthusiastic team of cyclists at Johnsons

Johnsons ride coast to coast for charity Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel’s cycling team is attempting the renowned 140 mile ‘Coast To Coast’ cycle route in just a day for charity. Company Director John Johnson, is organising the charity fund raising event for the weekend of Friday June 22 to Sunday June 24. Johnsons team of eight plus another 10 or so friends is training hard for the long ride. Joh said: “It will be hard! The route is quite hilly with almost no flat and level cycling all day, but there are some great downhills too. “The route is the well-known Sustrans C2C route which is 140 miles, from Whitehaven on the west coast of Cumbria to Tynemouth

New Inverness city coach park opens A new city coach park for Inverness has opened providing secure overnight parking for touring coach companies. The 10-space coach park has been established at the overspill depot of DE Coaches at 2C Longman Drive and is being managed by the firm in an initial five-year agreement with The Highland Council. The council has contributed £50,000 towards the costs of tarring and white-lining the parking area and two bays in Union Street and in Church Street have been identified as convenient

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on the east coast. We hope to be able to average about 12 – 13 mph which will give us a ‘somewhat testing’ 12 hours or so in the saddle. So, we’ll have our rear wheels in the Irish Sea at 0500hrs on the Saturday morning and we hope to have our front wheels in the North Sea by 1900 the same day. We’ve got backpacker style accommodation and we’ve got our own ‘broomwagon’ to help out anyone who ‘gets into difficulty’. “It is a sponsored ride too…We are looking to raise much needed funds for our chosen charity, The Alzheimer’s Society and we hope that you’ll support the Society’s valuable work. Can you please help us on our way? A donation of just 10p per mile would be just brilliant – or more if you can.” You can donate at http:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ team/johnsons

dropping off points for tour coach passengers. Welcoming the opening of the park, Council Convener Jimmy Gray said: “Providing secure overnight parking is so important for the growing number of operators, who choose Inverness as a stop off in their Scottish tours. I am pleased that DE Coaches were able to help.” Donald Mathieson, Managing Director of DE Coaches, said: “There’s been a long-standing need to provide secure parking for visiting coaches and my firm is pleased to have freed up space in our overspill yard to accommodate this. I am sure it will prove an asset for the city.” Contact DE Coaches on 01463 222444. Visit www.decoaches.co.uk

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28/05/2012 16:57

10 | COACH & BUS WEEK | May 30, 2012

news › REGIONAL

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

SCOTLAND

KEY

NORTHERN IRELAND

lack of funding. The journeys were run by tourist organisation Welcome To Yorkshire and cost adults £7.50 a trip. The organisation said it had to re-evaluate its spending after losing its major contributor Yorkshire Forward. The bus tours ran six times a day between May and September and included stops at Leeds landmarks such as the Royal Armouries and Millennium Square and were introduced in May 2010 in a bid to bring Leeds in line with other tourist cities such as London, New York and Barcelona. A spokesman for Welcome To Yorkshire said: “The cash we invested was seed money to help get the project up and running and it was very successful at doing that. However, typically, these sightseeing services take, at the very least, three years to regularly break even and, following our funding ending, we are not in a position at present to do this again.” Bus operator Transdev, which owned and ran the buses used on the Leeds tours, said it was “perhaps understandable” in the current economic climate sufficient money could not be found to continue funding them. A new bus service is set to transport passengers along Blackpool’s famous promenade this summer using a fleet of vintage buses, including a number of London Routemasters, operated by Classic Bus Northwest.

Buchanan Bus Station has been given a £20,000 solar panel system as part of owner Strathclyde Partnership for Transport’s (SPT) commitment to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs. The 10kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system is expected to generate approximately 8,000kWh of electricity, saving 4.6 tonnes of CO2 annually. As well as generating free electricity, SPT will receive payments from the UK government’s Feed-In Tariff, which could amount to more than £5,000 a year in extra revenue. SPT Chairman Jonathan Findlay said: “We’re always looking for innovative ways of reducing our carbon footprint and also our costs. These new solar panels at Buchanan Bus Station will help us to do that and also help us to create a cleaner, more sustainable environment. A new bus station may soon be built in Banbridge, according to Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly. The SDLP politician said she welcomed assurances from Translink regarding a bus station for Banbridge has been progressed by the freeing up of land on which to build the station. Speaking after questioning Translink Group Chief Executive Catherine Mason at the Assembly’s Regional Development Committee, Mrs Kelly said: “We have been lobbying government for a new bus station for Banbridge town centre for many years and I’m pleased to hear there may have been a step-change from Translink on its development. Presently, Banbridge has terrible traffic congestion as buses have very little space to park and this is a nightmare for drivers at peak times. The construction of a new station would also make more parking spaces available in the town centre for people and would consequently be better for local businesses. The SDLP will continue to push forward for the construction of a bus station in Banbridge to improve transport for people living in and visiting the town.”

NORTH

Open top bus sightseeing tours of Leeds have been scrapped by tourism officials due to www.coachandbusweek.com

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SOUTH EAST

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

SeaFront 12 begins June 2, to coincide with the Jubilee weekend and is due to run through to the end of the season. Made up of a mixture of vintage and modern buses, the service will operate past many of Blackpool’s biggest attractions. Starting at Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the buses are due every 15 minutes and go down as far as Pleasure Beach Resort. Tickets for the service can be purchased either on the buses, from Blackpool’s Tourist Information Centre on the Tower Festival Headland, or from the following hotels: The Queens; The Imperial; The Cliffs; The Carlton; The Claremont; The Hilton; and The Viking. Tickest are priced at £2 for adults and £1 for children for a single journey of any length, £4 for adults and £2 for children for a day pass and £5 for children and £10 for adults for a three-day pass. Family tickets are available for day and three-day passes priced at £10 and £20 respectively. Philip Higgs, Managing Director of SeaFront 12, said: “We are looking forward to getting this new bus service up and running as the response from the public has already been amazing. Every time we take one of the London Routemasters out on the promenade we are surprised by the amount of people who have stood and watched or even tried to flag them down.”

Operators facing subsidy cuts are being given more time to put affected routes on a commercial footing before they take effect. West Sussex County Council is in the third and final phase of a programme to reduce the subsidy it gives to bus companies for noncommercial routes. The policy is part of a drive to cut spending by £79m over three years following significant grant reductions from the government. Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Pieter Montyn has now sanctioned a proposal, put forward by the bus companies, where operators have indicated they are able to develop some services in the expectation they can remain with very low or no subsidy. The recommendation received the support of the Environmental and Community Services Select Committee at a meeting held last month. The call-in period has now passed and the decision has come into effect. Mr Montyn said: “The decision has been made to reduce the subsidies, but we are now working closely with the bus operators to explore all the avenues available to us.”

LONDON

Transport for London (TfL) has announced a contactless ticket system for 8,000 buses in London has fallen behind schedule. The move towards contactless technology was expected to be implemented before a certain highprofile sporting event, enabling passengers with contactless Eurocard, Mastercard or Visa cards to pay using existing Oyster card readers. However, due to a number of delays in the schedule the touted ‘wave and pay’ technology will only be implemented across a select number of buses ahead of the event. The full roll out, covering the Tube, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, tram and National Rail service is now expected to be implemented late 2013. A spokeswoman for TfL said the authority was not going to “rush out” the contactless ticketing system until it was ready. Shashi Verma, TfL’s Director of Customer Experience, said: “We will only roll it out once we are confident it is 100% robust. To this end it has always been our intention to introduce contactless card payment in stages, and from next month we will begin

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implementing and testing the new technology on a small number of London’s buses.” The new contactless system has received criticism from the London assembly transport committee over the increased number of security concerns and financial costs involved.

SOUTH WEST

Wilts & Dorset has announced a series of changes to 19 services within Poole and Bournemouth effective June 3. Key changes include a new 8 and 9 circular for residents of Oakdale, Creekmoor, Upton, Turlin Moor and Hamworthy with an improved 15-minute around the harbour service rebadged under the “more” brand. The 14 will extend to offer Kinson residents a bus to Poole every 30 minutes. A new link to Poole hospital is provided by route 11 from Bearwood. The growing popularity of night buses sees improvements for Thursday, Friday and Saturdays with a new route N3 added to connect Bournemouth, Charminster, Winton, Moordown, Ensbury Park and the university. MD Andrew Wickham said

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY passenger numbers had risen by 28.8% over the last six years. “We are constantly monitoring our services and listening to customers’ suggestions. It’s the only way we can maximise uilisation of our our bus fleet to carry as many people as possible.” Using part of its £5m Local Sustainable Transport Funding, Devon County Council is investing £145,000 in improving journeys to work in the Sowton and Marsh Barton areas of the city. From Monday (May 28) route 58 will benefit from a higher frequency from Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth estates to Exeter, as well as adding an extra work time journey via Sowton where it stops at Kestrel Way at 0805hrs and 1730. There is also an all-day service, to help part-time workers. It operates from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) improving the connection to Exeter city centre. New route 10 provides a work-time service to Marsh Barton, stopping at Trusham Road at 0748, 0823, 1630 and 1730. It follows the same route as the Go 2 from Teignmouth and then travels via Matford, Marsh Barton and Exe Bridges to Exeter city centre.

2012 n June 4 Imberbus’ service, using Routemaster buses from Warminster, across rarely-seen parts of Salisbury Plain. warminstervbrd. zxq.net/v/imber.htm n June 5 – 7 Transports Publics 2012. The European Mobility Exhibition, Paris. www.transportspublics-expo.com n June 10 Barry Festival of Transport. Organised by Cardiff Transport Preservation Group, Barry, South Wales. postmaster@-ctpg. co.uk. www.ctpg.co.uk n June 19-21 ATCO Summer Conference. Jury’s Inn Hotel, Birmingham. www.atco.org.uk n June 22 CILT Wales National Transport Awards lunch. Cardiff City Hall. 01446 451227. www.ciltuk.

org.uk/pages/regions/wales

n June 22-24 Titfield Thunderbolt Weekend. A celebration of the 60th anniversary of the filming of the famous Ealing Studios comedy film ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’. North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham, Norfolk. 01263 820800.

www.nnrailway.co.uk

n June 24 Hollycombe Bus & Coach Rally. Hollycombe Working Steam Museum Iron Hill, Liphook, Hampshire. 01428 724900. www. hollycombe.co.uk n July 1 Reading Transport Great Knollys Street Open Day. 11 – 1600hrs. 0118 959 4000. www.reading-buses.co.uk n July 15 Alton Bus Rally & Running Day. Mid Hants Railway, Alton, Hampshire. www.watercressline.co.uk n July 16-18 TPM. The tenth annual conference of the Transport Practitioners Meeting (TPM) will be held at the John Moores University, Liverpool www.ciltuk.org

A new Half-fare MetroDay ticket provides young people with unlimited daily bus travel throughout West Yorkshire for just £2.60. With the help of two knights from the Royal Armouries, local school children tore a huge oversized bus ticket in half to mark the launch of the new MetroDay ticket. Youngsters aged 5-11 years, 11-16 year olds with a Metro Young Person’s Photocard and 16–18 year olds with a Metro Scholar’s PhotoCard will be able to take advantage of Half-fare MetroDay seven days a week. Half-fare MetroDay is a multi-operator ticket and can be used on all West Yorkshire bus companies’ services. A Half-Fare MetroDay ticket can be bought on the bus. Drivers will issue a paper ticket, which is valid on any bus service used that day. Metro Chairman Cllr James Lewis said: “It will help provide young people with affordable access to continuing education, training, work experience and jobs, as well as saving them money when visiting friends and family or going shopping with their mates.”

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

The final of UK Bus Driver of the Year 2012 is being held in Blackpool September 8 to 9. n September 8-9 UK Bus Driver of the Year, Blackpool. Call competition secretary Bill Holmes on 01303 251462. www.bdoy.co.uk n Sept 9 Amberley Bus Show. Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, West Sussex. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk 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 November 6-8 Euro Bus Expo. NEC, Birmingham. 01926 834790. www.eurobusxpo.com n November 20 UK Bus Awards London Hilton Park Lane. www.ukbusawards.org.uk

2013 n Jan 1 New Year’s Holiday Open Day. Oxford Bus Museum. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk n March 20-21 UK Bus Awards Annual Conference. Venue to be confirmed, but will be in Central London. www.ukbusawards.org.uk n May 26-30 UITP Congress & Exhibition Palexpo, Geneva. www.uitp.org. +(00)32 2673 610

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

www.coachandbusweek.com

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FIRST DRIVE › MERCEDES-BENZ CITARO EURO6

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Don’t be daunted by Euro 6 Coach & Bus Week’s Gareth Evans test drives a Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Citaro, claimed to be the first bus which complies with the new emission standard to enter production – which will enter the UK market in 2013

year since its launch, Mercedes-Benz showcased a Euro 6-compliant version of its new Citaro bus. The Citaro model was unveiled in 1997. It replaced the 0405, a functional yet popular bus across Europe, some of which made it into the UK. As featured in CBW at the time, the model enjoyed a makeover last year but this has yet to grace UK shores – more of which later. Back to the Euro 6 model, history was made in the west German spa town of Wiesbaden last week when local municipal operator ESWE took delivery of the first such vehicle – an articulated Citaro G. Powered by a 265 kW (360 hp) OM 470 engine, part of the latest Mercedes-Benz engine generation of power units, the gearbox, a Voith DIWA.6 automatic, has also been tuned to assist in meeting Euro 6.

Weight matters

In spite of the major addition of exhaust gas aftertreatment to the specification for Euro 6 engines, the weight of the new Citaro remains largely unchanged, with no reduction in passenger numbers. According to seating and equipment options, the new Euro 6 Citaro rigid bus therefore has capacity for up to 100 passengers – in what might be termed ‘continental spec’.

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Above: Say cheese driver... Left: The external styling is modern without being outlandish With an eye on the increased weight involved in future compliance with Euro 6, numerous weight-saving measures were already incorporated in the redesigned Citaro introduced a year ago. To meet Euro 6, the rear of the Citaro has now been completely redesigned and weight-optimised, from the rear axle up. The changes to the rear axle segment alone resulted in a weight reduction of 60 kg. The revised rear axle can now accommodate higher input torque levels catering for engines with ratings of up to 1900 Nm. Other weight-saving measures include reducing the panel thickness of the steel wheel arches to 1.5 mm, without affecting strength characteristics. The

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FIRST DRIVE › MERCEDES-BENZ CITARO EURO6

single-section roof made of glassfibre-reinforced plastic (GRP) saves another 20 kg. Another new weightoptimised feature is the lighter roof frame structure and further weight savings of around 40 kg have been achieved with engine mounts made from aluminium. Every kilogram was at a premium, as a wide range of detailed design features reveal. For example, the significantly lower consumption of AdBlue meant the in-vehicle reserve tank volume could be slashed from 38 to 21 litres, bringing significant weight savings. Another case in point was the open bearing frame for the radiator fan. This is now a single aluminium casting, resulting in less weight and increased manufacturing precision.

Regenerative fuel savings

When it comes to the “outstanding economy” of the new Citaro, Evobus claims the development engineers have excelled themselves, with a new fuel recuperation module (24 volts) for even more fuel savings. The free electricity generated during the ‘overrun’ phase is stored and re-supplied as energy to the vehicle during the ‘traction’ phase. This will ease the load on the alternators, lengthening their service life, and further reduce fuel consumption. The energy will be stored in ‘supercaps’, double-layer capacitors with a power rating of 6 kW and a capacitance of 1 Ah. This process alone will achieve a reduction of more than two percent in the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the Citaro, depending on operating conditions. The technology is similar in principle to that used on parts of Britain’s main line rail system where it is known as ‘regenerative braking’. However, vehicle economy involves more than merely fuel consumption. For example, in the Citaro the starter battery temperature is constantly monitored, and a battery-specific characteristic curve is used to determine the optimum charge voltage. As well as keeping the battery in optimal condition at all times, this also increases battery life, thereby reducing costs. The same applies to the new alternators. The synchronised operation of the up to four alternators in parallel mode ensures an optimum load www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Airy interior on the test example which had a veritcally-mounted engine. Below: Well designed ‘Cockpit’ and winter and during higherspeed travel on inter-urban routes. The system is a proven feature on Mercedes-Benz and Setra coaches.

Lighter lights

distribution. This means a lower load and a significantly longer service life for these components. In a similar vane, the new Citaro is able to dispense with an automatic oil refilling function. Thanks to what Mercedes describes as “its minimal oil consumption,” this function is not essential, but it is still available as a special equipment option. A new equipment option is a tyre pressure monitoring system, which displays the current tyre pressure in the individual tyres, and also warns the driver of any possible concerns, such as unusually high temperatures. This prevents tyre deterioration, increases tyre service life and reduces fuel consumption and emissions by keeping tyre pressures at the correct level at all times. The capacity of the windscreen

washer fluid tank has been increased from eight to 20 litres, which reduces the need for refills to a minimum.

Safety first

Another significant development is that the new Citaro can also be equipped with ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and is the first low-floor bus to offer this feature. The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is therefore opening a new chapter in safety technology for local buses. To the extent physically possible, ESP intervenes immediately to stop the vehicle from going into a spin by reducing the engine torque or optimising the braking on individual wheels. This is a real boost to active safety, particularly on slippery road surfaces in autumn

The numerous LED lamps both inside and outside the new Citaro significantly reduce electricity consumption and hence cost. Mercedes claims they also generally last as long as the bus does, with the result that time-consuming tasks such as changing bulbs are largely eliminated altogether during the life cycle of the Citaro. In terms of the rear lights, the attentive observer will note not only their distinctive shape, but also the power-saving and long-lived LED lamps for the tail lights, brake lamps and turning indicators. Only the relatively rarely used reversing lamps and rear fog lamps still use incandescent bulbs as before. LED lamps are also used for the highmounted tail lights.

Driver’s cab

The door into the driver’s cab is hinged at the rear and opens forwards. This ensures fast and direct access from the front door to the driving seat and vice versa. Stowage compartments have been optimised by providing a large compartment for the driver’s bag and a drinks bottle compartment. The partition screen is larger than in the predecessor vehicle, with a

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1997 299 The year the original MercedesBenz Citaro was launched

The horsepower of the engine in the UK-specification Citaro

wider forward curvature. The driver’s pedestal and seat are set 60mm higher than in the old Citaro, putting the driver on eye level with passengers boarding the bus. Not only does the higher seat position improve visibility, the driver also benefits from the lower side windowsill. The instrument panel meets the requirements of the Association of German Transport Operators (VDV) in terms of construction and adjustability, as does the steering wheel, and also already complies with the recommended specifications for the new European driver’s cockpit. The new contours provide more knee room, and the bright colour of the upper part of the panel contributes to the friendly feel of this part of the vehicle. The soft surface is pleasant to the touch, and underpins the general impression of high quality conveyed by the Citaro. The cockpit contains large, clearly defined round dials for road speed and engine speed. Between the instruments is a colour monitor for a wide range of additional displays. The monitor is operated from a control pad located in the steering wheel. The placement of the switches and buttons in the cockpit draws on the latest ergonomics research findings. For example, the bottom right row of controls consists solely of the buttons operating the doors, which are constantly in use. The less frequently used automatic transmission controls are placed in a horizontal row further to the front. The light switches are placed on the left, in a clearly separated position, well to the front. The redesign process has included a new-look left windowsill, so that the controls located here are now within the driver’s immediate reach and view. Here, too, the stowage compartments have been reworked. The driver cab is now lit with LED lamps. Turning to the issue of adequate ventilation, the electrically opened window panel is placed at the front, so the driver can summon up a refreshing flow of cool air when required. There are also two large air vents in the instrument panel which can be adjusted in the same manner as on a private car. Behind the large air inlet grille beside and behind the driver’s seat, there is space to fit a bulky pollen filter. The air discharge behind the driver’s seat delivers a high air flow

rate through the cab. The front box for ventilating and heating the driver station provides more uniform demisting of the whole of the electrically heated windscreen.

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Out on the road

Something which is instantly apparent about the Euro 6 Citaro is the lack of noise. In fact it’s extremely quiet. Those with a penchant for beastly power units will be left disappointed. It may come as no surpirse therefore, that the high-economy engine speed range starts as low as 900 rpm in the Citaro. So along with even higher fuel economy, the new Euro 6 Citaro also offers smoother running and provides a more agreeable acoustic experience for driver and passengers alike, thanks to the lower engine speeds, plus optimised noise insulation and the fuel injection process. The left-hand drive example

Why Wiesbaden?

May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 17

The fuel saving promised in the Euro 6 Citaro sampled by CBW was a pleaseure to drive. The test route, which measured 10.5 km (6.5 miles), included traversing up and down hills, together with urban intersections and congested narrow streets. The excellent visibility provided by the windows and mirrors meant parked cars and sharp turns could be easily negotiated. However, for those unfamiliar with their use while behind the wheel of a coach, the gullwing mirrors may not be to everyone’s liking as one has to be careful in the way the near-side swings. In an effort to gain a sense of realism, sections of bus routes 4 and 14 were traversed. The driving position seems very close to body side, which is not a criticism. The raised driver station in the Citaro is duly reflected in a taller windscreen and higher destination display. A new optional feature for

ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft is based in Wiesbaden, the state capital of Hesse. It has a history dating back more than 130 years, including the experience of its predecessor company. The company has relied on Mercedes-Benz buses for a number of years now. The cooperation began some 90 years ago with the first regular service buses in Wiesbaden. Today the company’s own fleet comprises 228, with a PVR (Peak Vehicle Requirement) of 208. Since 2008, regular service buses meeting what was previously the highest EEV emission standard have been purchased. The operator is no stranger to leading the way. The firm took part in the first trial of gas-powered buses in Germany in 1994/1995. By 1996 the entire fleet was upgraded with CRT (Continuously Regenerating Trap) filters. Since 1995 all buses have been purchased with the latest Euro standard – generally two to three years before the standard becomes mandatory. This week the firm is set to pilot the introduction of GTL (Gas-To-Liquids) fuel from Shell to reduce particulate matter and NOx in 2012 on the older members of its fleet. GTL was trialled in the UK in the in early years of the new millennium by the Go-Ahead Group, but it is understood at the time that while performance was good, the costs were prohibitive.

Above: The attractive rear styling. Note the bus test driven has three doors

the Citaro is the electromagnetic locking system for the door to the driver’s cab, activated via a button in the cockpit. Overall I was most impressed with the bus. I look forward to test driving a right-hand drive example.

When’s it coming to the UK?

Asked when the new Citaro will be coming to the UK, Jan Aichinger, CEO of Evobus UK told CBW: “We don’t have a precise time frame yet but we’ll definitely get the vehicles in the UK for second half of 2013. Realistically it’s unlikely to happen before that.” Confirming the bus will be Euro 6 from the start, the standard engine for which will be 220kw (299hp), Mr Aichinger added: “The UK product will available in two different lengths – 12-metre and 10.6-metre. Both will be available as one or two-door variants. London is the target market for the 10.6m bus, while the 12m vehicle is aimed at the provinces.” He concluded: “I’m delighted we can enter a second market segment with 10.6m.”

Future

The range of the Citaro 6 is to be extended and indeed, by autumn 2013, it is set to comprise a total of 20 model variants. With the phased introduction of the new Euro 6 engines, MercedesBenz will progressively extend the range of new Citaro vehicles with further model variants. In the coming months, the two-axle 12.1-metre-long rigid bus with two or three doors and the 18.1-metre articulated bus and the corres ponding overland versions will be joined by the 10.6-metre-long compact Citaro K. Next year will see the arrival of the Citaro LE, in both city and overland versions, 12 and 13 metres long, respectively, and the right-hand drive variants. What effect will Euro 6 have on hybrids? Mercedes-Benz currently offers a serial hybrid with the Citaro Bluetec. Of course, due to Euro 6 the hybrid vehicle will have to be redeveloped. While there is currently no official timescale, it was confirmed a Euro 6 hybrid is in development. In the short term, will operators turn to conventional diesel-fuelled Euro 6 or opt for hybrid Euro 5s? Will hybrid Euro 6 buses stand a chance of being viable?

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news › TOURISM

50%

Maximum discount on high street prices at Dalton Park

brIEfly The Bodyguard, the romantic thriller based on the film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, will open in November and is predicted to be one of the year’s favourites for tour operators. The show is now booking until April 27, 2013, and there are great rates available from Encore Tickets. The musical keeps to the film’s plot of tracing the relationship between Whitney Houston’s character and her bodyguard. The stage show features such memorable numbers as One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love and I Will Always Love You. There will be some surprises as the plot is due to be a little different from the film. All operators are covered by Encore Tickets’ unique ticket indemnity programme which offers a full refund on unsold tickets on agreed bookings up to one month before the performance. Enquiries should go through Encore’s Travel Trade Team at traveltrade@encoretickets. co.uk or 0207 4921500. Shaldon Wildlife Trust, based in Shaldon, Devon, is an organisation which cares for some of the world’s most endangered species. The centre is set in an acre of natural woodland gardens with semi-tropical planting. Prices for groups of 10 plus are adults £5.50, children (3-15 years) £3.50 and concessions £4.50, with one free leader per 10 people. The site is open all-year-round apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day. For more information visit www. shaldonwildlifetrust.org.uk David Hasselhoff is starring as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Manchester’s Opera House between December 8, 2012 and January 13, 2013. Hasselhoff is best known for his roles in Knight Rider and Baywatch. Peter Pan is a traditional family pantomime and will feature all the ingredients that make pantomime special – stunning sets and costumes, big song and dance numbers, a laugh-a-minute script and bags of audience participation. Tickets range between £10 and £35. For group bookings ring 0844 8713038. Details of coach parking in Manchester can be found at http://tinyurl.com/cb2xvug www.coachandbusweek.com

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A host of attractions in the Isle of Man’s second town Ramsey offers visitors lakes, gardens, sport and wildlife Ramsey, the Isle of Man’s second largest town, sits towards the north of the island, at the northern end of the Manx Electric Railway, beneath the impressive North Barrule and the Albert Tower. The town boasts the highest number of sunshine hours of the island’s main towns, while the centre offers a range of independent shops, cafes and pubs. Across the swing bridge over

the working harbour is the 40-acre Mooragh Park with its boating lake, bowling green and beautiful gardens, while nestling at the foot of the hills is the impressive Ramsey Golf Course. Mooragh Park is one of the finest outdoor leisure facilities on the island. Set within spacious manicured gardens and walkways, the park also offers a children’s play area, crazy golf and two cafes. It can be enjoyed for a couple of hours or even the whole day. The Grove Museum of Victorian

Ramsey’s working harbour is walking distance from Mooragh Park

Stop for a spot of retail therapy Dalton Park is the North East’s biggest outlet shopping centre, offering over 60 top brands at up to 50% off high street prices. A stop at the centre would incorporate well with a visit to one of the area’s many attractions, including the Angel of the North, historic Durham or Lindisfarne. Groups can enjoy shopping at high street favourites Marks & Spencer Outlet and Next clearance, get the latest fashion at Joseph and Gap outlet or treat themselves to up to half price handbags from Radley.

The park can organise pre-booked welcoming services for groups There is also a range of places to grab some food and drink after a couple of hours of retail therapy. If booked in advance, the

Life on the outskirts of Ramsey has been preserved to provide an insight into Victorian-era domestic life. The house is filled with original furniture along with numerous items and curios of the time. Groups can relax in the gardens or enjoy refreshments in the restaurant. There is on-site coach parking, driver and guide concessions and group discounts. A short drive from Ramsey is the Curraghs Wildlife Park – a haven for endangered wildlife from around the world. There are more than 100 species of birds and animals. Other attractions include a nature trail and butterfly trail, the Rainforest Theatre and the Orchid Line miniature railway. On-site coach parking and driver and guide concessions are available. Meanwhile, The Venture Centre, situated a couple of miles out of town, offers a wide range of outdoor pursuits including archery and orienteering. For more information on the Isle of Man and its capital, Douglas, see CBW1026. For more details on tourism and travel trade on the Isle of Man, email traveltrade@ gov.im or ring 01624 686888. For ferry enquiries, email iom. reservations@steam-packet.com

park can organise a welcoming service with free tea and coffee and exclusive offers with extra discounts at selected retailers for all passengers. Drivers also get special treatment with the Coach Driver Club. The driver must register name and company details with the ‘At Your Service’ desk at the management suite (opposite the children’s play area, near McDonalds) and for each visit to Dalton Park they will receive a £10 voucher to spend, and a free tea or coffee. Coach parking is free, with a dedicated drop off point. For more information email atyourservice@ dalton-park.co.uk or call 0191 526 6500.

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Acreage of Mooragh Park in Ramsey, Isle of Man

May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 19

£10.40

The price for one group member to visit Polesden Lacey, near Dorking, Surrey

Festive fun at Ironbridge Gorge

JOHN MILLER

Groups of 20 people or more can take advantage of special rates at Blists Hill Victorian Town in the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, during the two weekends before Christmas (December 8/9 and 15/16). For £7.50 per person, visitors can witness a host of traditional celebrations from the 1800s, listen to how life was lived more than 100 years ago and have the chance to do some last-minute present shopping. The Iron Rolling Mill is transformed into a place for a ‘workers Christmas party’. Visitors can enjoy festive food and a variety of seasonal entertainment, such as Christmas songs, Punch and Judy and a magic show. Groups can also sing-a-long with carol singers and listen to brass bands around the town, which will be festooned with traditional Christmas decorations as the townsfolk prepare seasonal goodies and make traditional Victorian presents. To arrange a visit, ring 01952 435900 or email visits@ironbridge.org. uk. Details can also be found on www.ironbridge.org.uk.

diesel prices

The estate is home to a stunning house and delightful garden

Explore the home of an Edwardian millionairess Polesden Lacey, near Dorking, Surrey, is an Edwardian country estate which was designed to be the perfect setting for a millionairess hostess to entice royalty, politicians and the best of Edwardian society for weekends in the country. The house has notably stunning interiors, a delightful garden and superb views across the rolling Surrey hills. Visitors can wander through the walled garden before strolling around the extensive grounds and landscape walks.

The estate is located five miles north-west of Dorking and two miles south of Great Bookham. Parking is available for eight coaches, 200 yards from the entrance, with a drop-off point 100 yards from the entrance. Groups benefit from an on-board coach welcome, an introductory talk and a guided tour. Group prices are £10.40 per person, or £6.40 for just the gardens. The house is open every weekend until December 16, and on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until November 4. The average visit length is two and a half hours. Nearby attractions include Box Hill, Clandon Park and Denbies Vineyard.

Email polesdenlacey@ nationaltrust.org.uk or ring 01372 452048.

NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES

DEALS OF THE WEEK Lavenham Guildhall, an early 16th-century timber-framed building dominating Lavenham’s Market Place, contains exhibitions on timber-framed buildings, local history, farming, industry and the story of the medieval woollen cloth trade. There is an attractive walled garden with dye plants, a 19th-century lock-up and a mortuary. Other interesting shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants are all within walking distance, making the village an ideal destination for groups. Group admission is £3.95 per person - for an extra £3.50 each, groups can enjoy guided tours and learn about how Lavenham turned into one of the richest towns in the country during the 15th and early 16th centuries.

Lavenham Guildhall hosts a number of varied exhibitions The guildhall opens every day until the end of October and at weekends in November. Nearest parking is in the main village car park, 600 yards away. Groups can be dropped off outside the Swan Hotel, 200 yards away.

n For more information email lavenhamguildhall@nationaltrust. org.uk or ring 01787 247646. The Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore brings to life the domestic and working conditions of earlier Highland

Cost per litre in pence: Great Britain Italy Sweden Greece Ireland France Belgium Netherlands Czech Republic Portugal Germany Hungary Austria Spain Slovenia Poland Luxembourg

144.30 138.13 129.83 128.31 126.86 124.52 121.06 119.85 119.27 119.12 118.00 115.92 114.21 110.34 107.69 106.54 99.87

holiday pound £1 will get you: Euro 1.25 Switzerland (Franc) 1.50 Norway (Kroner) 9.42 Hungary (Forint) 374.29 Czech Republic (Koruna) 31.73 Poland (Zloty) 5.43

people. Visitors can learn how Scottish Highland ancestors lived, built their homes, tilled the soil and how they dressed. An awardwinning visitor attraction, the free-entry museum encapsulates human endeavour and development in Highland life from the 1700s to the present day and offers an opportunity to explore a beautiful natural setting, home to red squirrels and tree creepers. The museum opens from 1030 to 1730hrs until August 31 and from 1100 to 1630hrs in September and October. Newtonmore is located 70 miles from Perth and 43 miles from Inverness. The A9 runs directly to the town. The recommended visit length is between three and five hours. There are plenty of activities on offer throughout the season. n Coach parties book in advance on 01540 673551. For more information visit www. highlandfolk.com www.coachandbusweek.com

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LEGAL news › public inquiry

Operator found to “cheat the system” Creature Comforts owner falsifies existence of transport manager to gain advantage over competitors The operator Neil Dayton attended a PI on December 15, 2011, in Cardiff. He was represented by Paul Carless, a specialist transport consultant. Also in attendance was Vehicle Examiner Robert Mitcham. There was no attendance from the nominated transport manager, Brian White, which was queried by Nick Jones, the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for the Welsh Traffic Area. It transpired that the call up letter for White had not been sent to his home address; instead it was posted to the operator. The court clerk at the hearing telephoned White who confirmed he was away and knew nothing of the PI. In view of the seriousness of the issues, the TC felt it necessary to adjourn the hearing. A call up letter had been also sent to a proposed new transport manager who, in the view of the TC, could not have been responsible for historic failings. The TC pointed out to Carless that the written PI brief prepared by Mitcham had suggested that White had told him he had never undertaken any work for the operator as transport manager. Furthermore he had not appreciated that he was the nominated transport manager on the licence. Carless responded that his client would argue that nominated transport manager White did in fact undertake a transport manager role, despite it not being as often as should have been the case. He agreed this was contrary to the assertion from White to Mitcham that he had nothing to do with the licence. It was apparent a conflict arose between the nominated transport manager and the operator. The TC pointed out the adjournment would also give an opportunity for the operator to produce signatures from maintenance records to corroborate his assertion that White had been undertaking transport manager duties. He also pointed out it would allow Dayton www.coachandbusweek.com

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VOSA’s concerns included a prohibition rate and MOT failure rate which indicated a lack of maintenance systems an opportunity to produce evidence of financial payments to White as transport manager. Furthermore, as evidence of financial standing produced at the hearing was inadequate, the adjournment would be an opportunity to provide satisfactory finances in accordance with the Statutory Guidance issued by the Acting Senior Traffic Commissioner.

Adjourned Hearing March 19, 2012 Neither Dayton nor his representative attended the adjourned hearing on March 19, 2012, in Cardiff. Prior to the hearing

“White confirmed he had not undertaken any work as transport manager for Dayton and had never worked for Dayton. He had never been paid by Dayton apart from occasional sub contracting work.”

the TC received a letter stating the operator now sought to surrender his licence. On receipt of the letter the TC indicated he would not accept the surrender as he wished to consider the facts of the case with a view to potential disciplinary action. White attended the hearing along with Mitcham.

Evidence The TC took into account the cases of South Bucks District Council and another v. Porter (FC) (2004) UKHL 33 and, English v Emery Reimbold & Strick Ltd [2002 EWCA Civ 605] in relation to written decisions generally. The TC acknowledged he did not need to make findings on every single point at issue and did not do so. Before preparing the written decision he reviewed the following: Original public inquiry brief of both operator and nominated transport manager; Documents from the hearing; Contemporaneous hand written notes from the public inquiry; Various authorities in relation to the approach to regulation, repute, proportionality, entities, standard of proof and the burden of proof. Vehicle Examiner Robert Mitcham gave evidence and answered questions on his written PI brief. VOSA’s concerns included a prohibition rate and MOT failure rate which indicated a lack of maintenance systems. On his initial visit in July 2011 Mitcham was told by Dayton that White worked one day a week when he checked the drivers’ tachograph charts, maintenance wall planner, driver defect reports and inspection records. Later in the month, on visiting the operator in an attempt to contact the transport manager, Dayton told Mitcham he had spoken to White and thought he had been in contact with him. Dayton then telephoned White and spoke to him; he then passed the telephone to the vehicle examiner. White informed the vehicle examiner that he was unaware he was the nominated transport manager for Creature Comforts and said he had had no involvement with the operator’s licence. On speaking to the operator after the call, Mitcham was told that there must have been some misunderstanding and the operator

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still maintained White was working as his transport manager. Mitcham added to his PI brief that he had been notified by Dayton’s maintenance contractor that, as he had been owed monies, he had cancelled the maintenance contract he had with the operator. Brian White gave evidence and answered questions. He explained he had known Dayton for 15-20 years through the coaching industry and drove for local operators. At the time of the grant of the licence, Dayton was interested in purchasing a vehicle from him and there was an agreement that if he did so, Dayton would operate from White’s premises as he had no premises of his own. White knew his name was on a licence application in 2007, but was led to believe Dayton had his own CPC certificate. He thought the licence application came to nothing as Dayton reneged on the deal to buy the vehicle. White did not know his name was recorded as transport manager on the licence presented to the TC at PI. White told the TC he was content to be nominated transport manager for a vehicle which was based at his own premises, but on Dayton reneging on the agreement to purchase a vehicle and on setting up at different premises, he assumed a fresh application had been made with a separate transport manager. White confirmed he had not undertaken any work whatsoever as transport manager for Dayton and had never worked for Dayton. He had never been paid by Dayton apart from occasional sub contracting work when he, that is Brian White, had his own operator’s licence in the past.

Material considerations and findings The TC accepted the evidence from VOSA, the evidence of Brian White and his explanation that he had never undertaken any work for Neil Dayton. On it being apparent that there was a conflict of evidence, the TC told Dayton and his advocate that the adjournment would afford an opportunity for Dayton to substantiate his assertion that White had in fact had undertaken work for him as transport manager. The TC decided that Dayton gave false statements to Mitcham and made false assertions through his advocate at the PI hearing on

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TC Nick Jones (pictured) received a letter stating the operator sought to surrender his licence, but the TC indicated he would not accept the surrender as he wished to consider the facts of the case with a view to potential disciplinary action

“I reflect that Neil Dayton cannot be trusted as he has lied to both VOSA and to me at public inquiry.” Nick Jones Traffic Commissioner for the Welsh Traffic Area

Key Points: VOSA conducted an investigation to determine the extent to which the nominated transport manager was involved There was a conflict of evidence between the nominated transport manager and the operator The nominated transport manager claimed he had not undertaken any work whatsoever as transport manager for the operator The TC found the nominated transport manager to be truthful and disqualified the operator from holding a licence for three years Neil Dayton was granted an operator’s licence t/a Creature Comforts in November 2007. The nominated transport manager on the application form was Brian White and authorisation was granted for two vehicles. VOSA conducted an investigation into the licence as a result of a number of concerns, including the extent to which the nominated transport manager was involved. As a result, a Public Inquiry (PI) was convened.

December 15, 2011, that White had been undertaking the role of transport manager. As with previous public inquiries, the TC reflected on the words of Judge Brodrick in Fenton 2006/277 where he described how important trust is to operators, Traffic Commissioners and all those dealing with operators. The TC ascertained Dayton has not had any nominated transport manager on his licence undertaking the role of transport manager since its grant. This has jeopardised road safety as evidenced by the maintenance failures set out in the vehicle examiner’s report. He stated: “The lack of a transport manager has put Dayton at a significant competitive advantage when compared with other operators in the South Wales area. I am aware of the difficulties faced by compliant operators and they are exacerbated by being at a comparative disadvantage with people like Neil Dayton who cheat the system.” Finances have not been provided to satisfy financial standing, notwithstanding the adjournment. “I ask myself the question posed by the Upper Tribunal ‘Is this an operator that I can trust to ensure future compliance?’ I reflect that Neil Dayton cannot be trusted as he has lied to both VOSA and to me at public inquiry,” the TC continued. “When I ask myself the question whether ‘Should he be put out of business?’ I have no difficulty in confirming in the affirmative in the strongest possible terms. I find that he loses his repute.” He added: “Whilst I appreciate Dayton sought to surrender the licence after the first hearing, he could seek to rejoin the industry in the future. He did not just lie to VOSA and lie to me; he has put the reputation of transport manager White at risk by lying about his involvement; he has obtained a significant competitive advantage compared with compliant operators in the South Wales area; and, he has run vehicles in an unroadworthy condition. “I have considered Statutory Document No. 10, the Principles of Decision Making and the Concept of Proportionality issued by the Acting Senior Traffic Commissioner under Section 4C of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981. This document was published on December 2, 2011, and provides helpful guidance on personal

disqualifications, including length of any disqualification. Reflecting on paragraph 69 of the Statutory Guidance this case merits a disqualification of three years, reflecting the serious aggravating factors identified above.” Having been disqualified under Section 28 of the Transport Act 1985; Dayton should not automatically expect to be able to hold a licence at the end of the disqualification period. A disqualification merely makes it illegal to apply for or hold a licence. There will still be a need to satisfy a traffic commissioner that at the time of any future application he is fit to resume a role within the industry.

Decisions Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 (as amended) (“the Act”) following decisions 1 The are made in respect of the standard national PSV operator’s licence PG1074003 held by Neil Raymond Dayton (“Neil Dayton”) t/a Creature Comforts: findings are made a Adverse under Section 17 (3) (a); Section 17 (3) (aa); Section 17 (3) (b); and, Section 17 (3) (c) of the Act. holder of the licence b The no longer satisfies the requirement to be of good repute under Section 14 ZA (2) (b) of the Act. holder of the licence c The no longer satisfies the requirement to be of appropriate financial standing in accordance with Section 14 ZA (2) (c) of the Act. holder of the licence d The no longer satisfies the requirement to be professionally competent under Section 14 ZA (2) (d) of the Act. holder of the licence does e The not have a transport manager as required under Section 17 (1) (b) of the Act. licence number f Operator’s PG1074003 Neil Raymond Dayton t/a Creature Comforts is revoked forthwith. g Neil Dayton is disqualified from applying for or holding an operator’s licence in any traffic area for a period of three years under Section 28 of the Transport Act 1985. made in respect 2 Decisions of transport manager Brian White: Brian White’s repute and professional competence as transport manager are fully intact. www.coachandbusweek.com

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE INTERIORS of use. The products have seen extensive applicaion in countries around the world for many years. Koller Engineering also provides a number of safety products, many of which are developed through customer feedback, ensuring they are exactly what the customer desires. Turning to floors, Martyn Industrials supply Tarabus selfadhesive flooring, a new flooring innovation. Currently, 90% of Tarabus products sold to UK builders are bespoke, meaning they can be customised to meet exact customer requirement and installed easily.

Duoflex

Looking good on the inside is important to maintain passenger numbers

Internal Affairs A flash livery is a great advertisement for an operation, but the interior is what the passenger is concerned with. Appropriate seating, flooring and interiors help to keep passengers satisfied and bring repeat business. This week’s Essential Guide looks at a number of suppliers who can help vehicles look the part on the inside

enovating the seating, flooring and interior of a vehicle is one of the best ways of improving vehicle life. A perfectly good bus or coach can be seen as worn out because the wear and tear on the inside is disproportional to the exterior and drivetrain. Long or frequent journeys can make lack of investment on fleet interiors noticeable. Reupholstering is an option if an operator doesn’t wish to replace the seats entirely. Family-run Duoflex specialise in the industry and offer same day service on most coach www.coachandbusweek.com

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seats. It can also replace interior parts and supply flooring materials if a do-it-yourself approach appeals to the operator. Floor Tek ‘N’ Trim place much greater emphasis on quality of service when time is less of a concern. Holdsworth Fabrics, under Camira Group, holds a large stock selection of seat trimming fabrics in combination with a custom design service. This versatility means the firm is able to suit the needs of any operator who uses it. E-Leather is the well known manufacturer of reconstituted leather products designed to be environmentally friendly, durable and easy to clean. It has seen

use on a number of luxury bus services, such as Stagecoach Gold and Lothian Buses services to Edinburgh Airport. Meanwhile Scottish Leather Group claims to be one of the largest suppliers of natural leather products in the UK, with its Andrew Muirhead subsidiary claiming to be the world’s biggest supplier of leather to the global aviation industry, supplying over 130 airlines and aircraft manufacturers. Safety for disabled passengers is an important factor when considering seating. Unwin Safety Systems provide seat fixtures and flooring systems which are highly regarded for their ease

Duoflex specialises in the reupholstering of coaches, buses, mini buses and heritage vehicles. It also undertakes complete refurbishments of seats and interiors. Based in Northamptonshire, Duoflex is a family firm established for over 18 years and employing 20 staff. Duoflex holds an extensive range of moquettes including John Holdsworth. It also offers a range of leathers for seats, inserts or complete refurbishment. On most coach seats same day service is available. With coach interiors, Duoflex uses a wide range of different fabrics to suit every individuals own choice. This range consists of velor, needlecord, headlining fabric and moquette. The wide range of different fabrics means the interior of the vehicle can be completely colour coordinated. Duoflex claims to offer a comprehensive, and competitive service with a level of service and attention to detail expected from a family run business. Services also include the repair, renovation and replacement of coach and bus interior parts including: n Complete interior soft trim n Seats n Roof panels n D/Screens n Flooring Duoflex offers a full range of facilities for the repair and replacement of coach and bus flooring. It is also able to supply flooring materials and adhesives for do-it-yourself fitting if required T: 01280 701366 E: info@duoflex.co.uk W: www.duoflex.co.uk

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE INTERIORS

E-Leather In addition to its use on new build vehicles, E-Leather is increasingly being seen as an alternative to moquette in the refurbishment of bus and coach interiors. Its hard wearing and durable properties, coupled with its hygienic and easy to clean surfaces are proving a popular choice for operators looking to enhance their vehicle interior with a mid life refurbishment. With over 2 years experience in the PSV sector under its belt, the Peterborough based manufacturer is now looking to bring the experience gained in the re-upholstery of aircraft seating into the bus market, providing an extremely durable product at a competitive price. David Parkinson, Head of Marketing at E-Leather, said: “It is no coincidence that our initial work in the bus market was on vehicles servicing airports up and down the country. Firstly with Lothian Buses

Martyn Industrials Limited

E-Leather products are known for ease of cleaning and durability linking Waverly and Edinburgh Airport and then FirstGroup on its Bristol Flyer route from Templemeads’. “Because of the heavy passenger usage, we have monitored the performance on these vehicles very closely and two years on we are delighted with the results. The Bristol vehicles have now covered more

than 130,000 miles since they entered service in May 2010 and the seat covers still look as good as new. “Airlines are continually looking to bring the latest innovations into their seat designs, one of which is embossing patterns or logos into E-Leather. First impressions indicate that this process suits bus seating equally well. “Arriva has successfully embossed its logo onto the headrests of vehicles on route 110 out of Wakefield and I believe operators can expand on this by incorporating branding into the seat design itself.” One area which several major operators are looking at is refurbishing existing seating with a slip-on ‘over cover’ manufactured from E-Leather. Because seat foams can be easily damaged during removal of old moquetted covers or simply disintegrate to dust over a period of time, refurbishment can often involve the replacement of expensive cushions or squabs. To reduce both downtime and costs, development work is being carried out with several trim shops to produce covers for bus and coach seats laminated with a layer of polyurethane foam, then embossed to replicate the design of traditional leather seats. “Working with dust from seriously deteriorated foams can be a dirty and potentially hazardous process. We therefore see the use of E-Leather to envelope fibres and particles as a benefit to passengers and upholsterers alike,” David added. T: 01733 843939 E: sales@eleathergroup.com W: www.eleatherltd.com

Bus flooring is now a crucial part of the interior styling for modern vehicles. Stylish Tarabus PVC floorings are accepted as the fitment of choice for many UK bus operators. A new innovation, Tarabus selfadhesive flooring, is now available. This latest innovation is proven to deliver time and cost savings when compared to the traditional method of applying adhesive to the substrate/flooring, especially when used in a pre-cut flooring kit. Matt Kent, Company Buyer of KFS Special Vehicles, said: “I can say that the floor covering supplied has made us smile from ear to ear. “The covering is so easy to use, slashing hours off the build time of the vehicle and is something we will go back to time and time again. “For our guys to use a product and comment on its ease of use very rarely happens.” Tarabus flooring supplied to UK builders is 90% bespoke. TfL operators in particular use personalised versions to make their London buses stand out. Go-Ahead Group Engineering Director Phil Margrave said: “Tarabus Flooring has become an essential part of the design of vehicles within London Central / London General. The company is always prepared to provide quick responses for requests to design changes and in the many years of dealing with it no problems have ever arisen. Product quality is good and long lasting.” FirstGroup is fitting a new Tarabus product, Helios Aberdeen, to vehicles built by Wrightbus, which are being used on a key Olympic route. A new Tarabus range for 2012 is now available, including new innovations such as Wood effect, and Mosaic effect flooring. Martyn Industrials offers additional and complementary products to Tarabus including PVC welding tools and equipment, adhesives, sealants and soft trim. Its newest innovation is full vehicle kits for car and van based conversions, comprising soft trim and flooring, cut to shape, with self adhesive options available. T: 01228 544000 E: enquiries@martynindustrials.co.uk W: www.martynindustrials.com

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554081-1038-Muirhead

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE INTERIORS

Floor Tek ‘N’ Trim Floor Tek ‘N’ Trim Ltd is a well established family run bus and coach interior refurbishment company, supplying trade with quality seat and body re-trims. Managing Director Tony Sayers, with over 35 years experience in the industry, along with son Mark lead a team of trimmers based on the same site as Express Coach Repairs in North Yorkshire. Floor Tek places an emphasis on quality work rather than speed of turnaround, with a minor seat repair or a full executive coach re-trim treated with the same care. Although it always has various sets of re-trimmed seats in stock for same day exchange to save the customers vehicle “off the road time,” there is a range of moquettes and flooring to choose from. To give a coach an individual look, Floor Tek can provide moquette backs to seats, leather headrest inserts, fluting or leather piping. All leather used is

ecofriendly E-Leather. Floor Tek sources and supplies seats and seat frames for up-seating and stocks a wide range of seat frame parts and belts. Floor Tek has rebuilt and retrimmed numerous sets of 1950’s and 60’s coach seats on restoration vehicles, many of which were shown at coach rallies across the UK and Europe. Floor Tek offers a range of flooring products. Carpets are laid or cut to size, with anything from an entrance area to a full coach catered for. Similarly, customers can purchase safety vinyl cut to size which they can lay themselves, or use the laying service. Anything from a minor repair to a full floor re-lay is available. All floors are professionally welded, moulded and sealed by a team of qualified floor layers. The quality of work and materials used will give the customer a watertight floor with a lengthy lifespan. Working closely with Express Coach Repairs, which carries out a full range of exterior work, Floor

Tek can offer a full interior and exterior refurbishment package. Floor Tek offers a collection and delivery service, operating anywhere in the UK. This enables the customer to carry out other work on the vehicle while the seats are being retrimmed. An on-site service is also provided for body trimming and flooring. Customers come from all over the UK, from Moffatt & Williamson in Dundee to numerous notable operators in the south of England. T: 01751 477994 E: floortekntrim@ btinternet.com

ABACUS TRANSPORT PRODUCTS Abacus has a reputation for offering high quality seating products for buses, coaches, minibuses and vans. The company also manufactures handrails and other bespoke design tubular products. With less vehicles being purchased and lifespans being extended on those currently in operation, quality is the key for passenger comfort. Cheap seats may seem viable in the current economic climate, but could result in the vehicle needing a refit before its service life is over – perhaps even several. While inexpensive seating at a glance seems great for the vehicle builder, quality seating is best for the operator, which is the variable which truly controls the bottom line of the industry. The products Abacus has on offer are suitable for any purpose, whether old, new or up and coming. It is only company in the UK which still manufactures the AR200 bench type seat seen on the Routemaster, ideal for restoration projects as well as all the other seats in its range. It also keeps a wide variety of moquettes in stock, suitable for vehicles of all ages and functions. Due to the versatility and expertise within the industry and its in house production facilities, Abacus regularly collaborates with customers on product prototypes ranging from seating to simple hand rails to complex luggage pens, just to mention a few. The company has its own powder coating plant so if required can recoat existing handrails. T: 01487 710 700 E: sales@abacus-tp.com W: www.abacus-tp.com

andrew muirhead Scottish Leather Group Ltd. claims to be the largest manufacturer of leather in the United Kingdom. The Group comprises of four leather manufacturing subsidiaries and a technology company, all located in the west of Scotland: Andrew Muirhead and Son Ltd, Bridge of Weir Leather Company Ltd, W J and W Lang Ltd, NCT Leather Ltd and SLG Technology Limited. Andrew Muirhead has been producing fine quality leather since 1840. Today the firm exports to over 60 countries and is renowned for quality, service and environmental awareness. Andrew Muirhead claims to be the world’s biggest supplier of leather to the global aviation industry, supplying over 130 airlines and aircraft manufacturers. It also produces leathers for other transport, domestic, commercial, corporate and specialist uses. The firm cited a commitment to quality as key in keeping what is Europe’s oldest tannery at the “forefront” of the leather industry, producing “high performance quality leathers from hides reared through a unique blend of animal husbandry and fertile grazing, predominantly in Scotland.” The firm is not resting on its laurels, developing new ideas all the time. Experience and technology allows Andrew Muirhead to understand customer needs and develop new products designed specifically to meet those needs. Andrew Muirfield offers six ranges of finished leathers and three Natural Elements unfinished leathers. Scottish Leather Group Ltd is a wholly privately owned, independent company which was formed in 1965 and employs 550 people. The member companies of the Group are well established with a combined experience in tanning and finishing leather of over 490 years. Their specialist leathers are produced for a wide range of industries: automotive, furniture, marine, aviation, shoe and leather goods. The philosophy of Scottish Leather Group Ltd is a desire to establish the highest industry standards for quality, innovation, value, service and care for the environment. T: 0141 847 4520 W: www. scottishleathergroup.com

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555368-1038-Unwin

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MIIIXX MIX M MATCH MAT MA M ATC AAT TTCCH CH AAND NNDD

OOFFERING FFFERI ER NNGG YYOU OOU 1122 different ddiiifffffereennt sEATING sEAT NG s ut ons solutions n

HAL

SEAT FIXTURE

T BOLTS

555591-1038-Duoflex

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Duoflex Limited COACH & BUS RETRIMMERS • SPECIALIST UPHOLSTERERS

SPECIAL DEALS on re-trims using stock moquette during June & July

Tel: 01280 701366 Fax: 01280 704799 Email: info@duoflex.co.uk www.duoflex.co.uk

May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 29

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE INTERIORS

Holdsworth Fabrics Holdsworth Fabrics is the original ‘one-stop-shop’ for transportation interiors, removing the hassle of dealing with multiple suppliers for different fabric needs. The company’s fabric collection includes traditional wool moquettes and flat weave products for seating, as well as fabrics for wall sides, curtains and interior trims. All are fully compliant to UK and European FR standards. When designing and manufacturing textiles for mass passenger transport the Holdsworth team consider pattern, design, colour, composition, flammability and technical specifications, making sure the interior has aesthetic appeal while fulfilling the practical needs in terms of technical standards, performance and durability. Holdsworth has a large selection of stock backed fabrics to choose from in its standard product collection to buy with no minimums. However, a lot of their design work is client specific creating custom fabric to fit with individual requirements, whether it’s a new colour in an existing fabric quality, an entirely new design to fit with individual operator branding, or post treatments to give added performance. The company’s in-house product development department offers a comprehensive custom made design facility using the latest textile design software. It can send CAD print outs or real woven pieces of fabric samples for approval, with realistic minimum order quantities and lead times. The company aims to be at the forefront of environmental design and has been greening its products and processes for years. The Holdsworth design team constantly strive to improve the environmental advantage of fabrics using high wool content, renewable fibres and cotton backings. Vigor is the traditional classic range of wool rich fabrics for comfort, appearance and durability developed to meet the specific requirements of bus and coach transport system, manufactured from over 80% natural fibres. The company is also making lighter weight wool moquettes and flat woven fabrics to save both raw materials and weight on the finished seat while maintaining technical performance. Manufacturing is supported by a

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Holdsworth Fabrics have a long history and large stock base raft of environmental initiatives including comprehensive waste streaming for re-use and recycling, energy management and intelligent lighting systems and natural surface water for steam finishing. T: 01924 490591 E: info@camirafabrics.com W: www.holdsworthfabrics.com

level acceptance from OEMs is the icing on the cake. “They all say HAL is both functional and easy to use, with a simple one hand operation. Additionally, it looks stylish and modern in their vehicles. Those are not my words – that’s what they tell me. “I’m confident it’s going to be a major player and an even bigger seller for us for years to come.” Unwin’s flooring system Innotrax was launched over 10 years ago. It’s a system fully tested to M1 standard which quickly and consistently produces a level horizontal floor, as sections click smoothly together. Gerry said: “It’s been the floor of choice for several years in Hong Kong. It’s being supplied to the Hong Kong police force for use in their vehicles – general purpose travel minibuses and vehicles for riot control. It’s also being supplied to The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation for the transport of disabled people, so there are very varied users all having the same

requirement: a safe, tested and strong solution to their needs. “Closer to home there’s a widening customer base as well. It’s supplied to Vauxhall for use in police vehicles throughout the UK. “Initially, the primary purpose of Innotrax was to help with the transport of disabled people but now nearly half of the floors that we supply go out for general seating within minibuses, with no requirement for wheelchair access. “Mercedes in Dortmund are using it in conjunction with HAL on the production line. We also used to supply LDV. Unfortunately, they are no longer in business in the UK, but we did supply up to 15 floors a day, every day of the week, for a considerable period of time. It was all done in ‘just in time’ fashion. We were tasked to deliver to site to within 10 minutes of when it was needed, so we have plenty of OEM experience having supplied a number of the biggest OEM names in Europe.” Floors for LDV were cut

Unwin Safety Systems Hand Activated Lockable (HAL) seat fixtures, traditional Innotrax and the innovative Innotrax Flat Floor were designed by Unwin to be uniquely functional and easy to use, and these qualities mean they are being widely adopted. HAL is a removable seat fixture especially well-suited for use in community transport. Two major OEMs, Mercedes and Renault, have chosen Unwin’s HAL for use in their production minibuses. HAL’s adoption by major European manufacturers builds on its increasing popularity with customers in the UK, such as West Midlands Ring and Ride. Unwin Sales and Marketing Director Gerry O’Connor said: “HAL has unique functions, a unique design and people like its easy to use operation. “We supplied West Midlands Ring and Ride with HAL for 28 vehicles last year and they have just come back this year for the same number of vehicles and the same HAL specification because their drivers and operators are comfortable with its use. “Renault Tech is using HAL on their minibuses and so are Mercedes on minibuses coming out of Dortmund. That kind of high-

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE

› VEHICLE INTERIORS

by Unwin to the vehicle shape, supplied in halves, then fixed together, and lifted into place via forklift. The firm can cut floors to shape if supplied with CAD or SolidWorks drawings. Gerry continued: “Whereas traditional rails are mechanically fixed into the vehicle floor every 100mm, Innotrax is generally glued and then requires only one fixing per rail at the rear of the vehicle, it is so simple. “It keeps intrusion into the floor of the vehicle down to an absolute minimum and the OEM likes that solution. It’s also quicker to install because it is that much simpler. “Innotrax is also a system which is fully tested on a whole range of vehicles, and that’s especially important these days with Type Approval. We’ve tested it, we’ve verified it and we stand behind it.” Approved Innotrax installers are trained by Unwin and a review takes place every two years with the individual and the company they work for. The two things are

linked, employer and employee. Both have to hold certification at the same time. A more recent innovation is the Innotrax Flat Floor. Fully tested to M2 standard, it is an increasingly popular choice for three vehicles able to use it properly, the Mercedes Sprinter, VW Crafter, and Iveco Daily. It’s the traditional Innotrax floor to look at but the difference is that it is bonded across five purposebuilt and designed load-bearing aluminium sections and laid over cut-down wheel arches to maximise useable space within the vehicle. Gerry added: “We have worked closely with VB Suspension in the Netherlands. They have a choice of suspension systems which can be used, a simple block system, semi air, and full air suspension which is particularly good. A normal van can come to feel like a car in terms of comfort, quality and ride.”

T: 01935 827740 E: sales@unwin-safety.co.uk W: www.unwin-safety.com/

Koller Engineering Ltd Koller Engineering Ltd was established in 1980 by Max Koller. Still family run, the company specialises in design and manufacture of wheelchair accessible vehicle products, including: n Wheelchair Restraints and Wheelchair Occupant Restraints n Floor Rails n Removable mini-bus type Seat Fixings n Lightweight, Portable Ramps n Associated products The company is fully ISO 9001:2008 compliant and a recognised Motability “First Class Supplier”. Before being placed on the market, Koller products are tested to the latest stringent safety standards. Often this is in conjunction with major seat and wheelchair manufacturers and vehicle converters. This testing programme provides customers and potential customers with the

assurance they are purchasing products of a high standard. Koller’s extensive product range is designed for safer and easier for accessible travel. Products are designed to meet the demanding and changing needs of users, the variety of situations in which the products are used and the growing diversity in wheelchair design. Safety is the foremost consideration in all product design, with ease of operator use and occupant comfort also of paramount importance. Knowledgeable staff can provide support over the phone or in person for training in the correct use of all the products. Not a company to stand still, Koller Safety Restraint Engineers has introduced several firsts into the market, claiming to provide the customer with the product they need. As a result, many products are designed directly from customer feedback. T: 01935 426695 E: enquiries@koller.co.uk W: www.koller.co.uk

g n ry rs ci st ea vi u y er d 5 S in r 2 e th ove r

● ● ● ● ●

Passenger seating Hand & grab rails Refurbishment of vehicle interiors Full range of vehicle accessories Extensive range of material/trim

For more information call today on: 01487 710700 Abacus House, Highlode Industrial Estate, Ramsey, Cambs PE26 2RB

Email: sales@abacus-tp.com Mobile: 07760 992607

www.abacus-tp.com

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555342-1038-MartynIndustrials

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Martyn Industrials are pleased to announce the new 2012 Tarabus Flooring Range, including new wood effect and mosaic effect flooring, is now available, and can also be supplied with self adhesive backing if required.

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THE BIG PICTURE

March 2012 saw renowned Suffolk coach operator Galloway European introduce the first new Volvo triaxle into its top line fleet. In the industry’s best tradition, two of the newest members of Galloway fleet took part in the annual UK Coach Rally. This scene was captured by Editor Gareth Evans when the sun was literally shining down on the event at Peterborough’s East of England Showground on the afternoon of Saturday, April 21. Pictured in the foreground is Volvo 9700 Prestige Plus ‘BX12CWC’ driven by Ellis Padmore, as he completes the fourth exercise in the driving test - the tyre pad. Waiting in the background to start his driving test is fellow Galloway driver Kevin Chilvers, who is behind the wheel of Setra S416GT-HD ‘BN12EOO’. Of course, Kevin and his coach were recently the subject of our popular ‘Big Picture’ series in CBW1035.

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ALBUM CONFERENCE 2012

How to win friends and influence people Coach & Bus Week’s Martin Cole reports on this year’s ALBUM Conference which was organised and hosted by East Yorkshire Motor Services and attracted its highest level of support and sponsorship for many years.

ast Yorkshire Motor Services hosted this year’s ALBUM Conference which was held at the Forest Pines Hotel near Brigg. Not only did the event attract its highest level of exhibitor and sponsorship support for some years, the weather was perfect and delegates enjoyed a relaxed time with plenty of time for browsing between the formal sessions. This year’s theme, which EYMS Chief Executive Peter Shipp believed had ‘come to him in moment of inspiration’ was ‘How to make friends and influence people’ which opened the door for speakers to discuss various ways operators could promote themselves, improve their image and generally portray the industry in a better light through lobbying, marketing and public relations. Opening the event, Peter Shipp began with sad news informing the audience of Barry Baxter’s heart attack which had occurred just days after he retired as Engineering Director for Nottingham City Transport. He wished him a speedy recovery on behalf of all present. Introducing the first speaker, Peter said it was very encouraging Transport Under Secretary Norman Baker had made such a determined effort to appear. “Normally ministers will only agree to appear if they can schedule other appointments in the area,” explained Peter. “However, Norman Baker has come directly from London just to speak to us and must rush back again immediately to attend business in Westminster.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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Norman Baker Norman Baker, celebrating two years as Transport Under Secretary – which, he mused was something of a record - said the Department had seen a very busy year with developing its response to the Competition Committee Report’s findings and in coming up with a set of proposals to deal with the issues raised. Baker said he favoured introducing a single set of proposals aimed at driving more people to use buses. He did not feel it was the right approach to drip-feed policy changes which he believed would lead to constant revolution. He confirmed the Department would continue to invest in buses and highlighted the £70 it had earmarked for the Better Bus Areas initiative. He believed this would serve to encourage operators and local authorities to work together. The last round of Green Bus Funding had provided a further £30m which supported further low carbon bus acquisition while providing environmental benefits and assisting bus manufacturers and bodybuilders. Baker said he aimed to provide support for smaller operators which would enable them to take advantage of smartcard ticketing. He felt there was huge potential for encouraging card holders onto buses and allow them to use it with the sort of confidence holders of Oyster cards experience in London. Although he could not reveal details, he said the second tranche of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (£155m last year and much of it dedicated to bus improvement) would be announced on May 24. Baker said he also recognised

Transport Under-Secretary Norman Baker made an effort to appear

BUUK Chairman Gillian Merron gave a passenger perspective

“There are many challenges out there and a need for the government to take a strong role in aiding increased bus use – through providing the right kind of financial support and investment.” Gillian Merron Bus Users UK

how important it was becoming to attract young people onto buses. He said they must be encouraged as they were the passengers of the future. Short of time, he didn’t elaborate on the statement but closed by saying he felt the industry was generally in good condition and had a promising future.

Gillian Merron Chair of Bus Users UK, Gillian Merron said there were things going well and some which could be better – stressing it was important destinations people wanted to get to were reachable – on time and on budget. She said the number of bus users presented a very important part of the economic argument for rejuvenating town centres and high streets for shopping and leisure activities and was surprised they had been overlooked in the recent study undertaken by Mary Portass. Recent surveys indicated bus users delivered a very high proportion of retail spend – around 44% in Oxford and close to the same figure in Leeds and Sheffield. She believed this should be reason enough for town centre businesses to exert pressure on local authorities to assist in improving access and reliability for bus services. There were, she maintained, many challenges out there and a need for the government to take a strong role in aiding increased bus use – through providing the right kind of financial support and investment. However, she was delighted average levels of passenger satisfaction with bus services was up to 80% and convinced wifi connectivity played to the requirements of younger passengers. Having attended open surgeries run by BUUK to obtain direct passenger feedback, she said most people seemed very pleased with services but they did want to be heard if any issues cropped up. She praised the huge improvements in the quality of buses and their accessibility over the past few years. She also liked the visual appeal presented by some operators, particularly with highly distinctive liveries on branded routes. Real time information systems she considered as useful, although less necessary or effective where services ran at high frequencies. She also praised improved bus driving standards thanks to better training. Areas which caused concern or

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required improvements included the provision of clear information on fares. Prices were not often displayed prominently, sometimes with little indication of offers or savings available through multijourney tickets and quite often cash fares were daunting to some passengers. Also needing to be resolved was the conflict over space – was it for buggies or for disabled passengers? - the bays were often taken by buggies denying access for disabled passengers, a situation created by the easy accessibility of lowfloor buses, now victims of their own success, which promote travel by bus for parents with young children. Another regular complaint to BUUK had been buses being either too hot or too cold for comfort and many passengers becoming highly suspicious of drivers who told them they had no control over the heating in the vehicle. She asked the audience directly if this was true and was probably more confused by the varying answers she received. Some said there was no driver control in the specification of their buses and temperatures were at ‘set’ levels. Others blamed groups of passengers standing at cold bus stops bringing the cold aboard with them. Double deckers were said to be even more difficult to regulate because a driver would have no idea of upper-deck temperatures from where he/she sat. Encouraging operators to turn complaints into opportunities for change, she said it was a concern there were far too few evening and Sunday services. She also urged them to ensure their buses were always clean and tidy and offered well-designed affordable fares as a means to attract more passengers.

Giles Fearnley Managing Director of First UK Bus, Giles Fearnley began by expressing how impressed he was by Norman Baker’s dedication to his post and his efforts to attend the conference. He then posed a question: “Are we doing enough?” He said there was a need to spread the message of the value of bus services. It seemed lobbying public departments at local level was proving highly successful but the industry needed to be more effective at government level – especially as buses were carrying more passengers to the shops than other forms of transport. He

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said store managers frequently underestimated the value of having a stop close to their establishment and cited examples of where their businesses had either seen an increase where a stop had located nearby or a decrease where a stop had been removed. Announcing First had moved on from its Green Agenda, he said the company had commissioned a study from Leeds University to determine to value of buses in the wider economy and would launch a revised strategy in July. Greener Journeys was looking at ways people could be persuaded to do something else. It was currently funded by the ‘Big 5’ but the PTE Group were getting aboard. He said he was keen for ALBUM members to assist by providing as much data as possible. They had already gleaned much from the Passenger Focus Study. More would be a benefit and access to good data stopped a lot of argument and helped prove the case for improvements to infrastructure or bus priorities. Giles believed there was still much to do to persuade civil servants to side with the industry but it had to prove it was there to ‘deliver the goods.’ Stressing the need to cut journey times was the strongest argument to influence positive results. He praised BUUK for doing a lot of lobbying on behalf of the industry but it needed far more support in order to get over the importance of the BSOG issue. Passengers needed many things, he observed, but above all they required value for money. He feared service networks were becoming far less attractive to users as evening and Sunday services reduced and pointed out the requirement for their continuation

to attract young people. Peter Shipp suggested operators wanting to gain a stronger voice in the community should join their Chamber of Commerce if only as a means to inform others their schemes to reduce parking charges just worked against bus operation.

First UK Bus MD Giles Fearnley asked “Are we doing enough?”

Nikki Honer, Bluestar Commercial Manager promoted PR methods

“It is important for operators to shout about their achievements, especially to local press and radio. Taking the initiative to provide media with information is inherently better than being harangued after a mishap or disaster.” Nikki Honer Bluestar

New collaboration between ADL and Scania in this Enviro300

Andy Boulton ADL’s Technical Sales Manager, Andy Boulton was somewhat offtrack from the conference theme but provided a useful presentation for delegates on developments concerning hybrid and Euro 6 products. He said since ADL’s formation in 2004 it had come a long way and technology was at the heart of the organisation. As ADL was not allied to a main OEM it was free to select components and systems it felt were most appropriate to develop long service intervals and reduced cost of ownership for its customers. Stressing the need to converse with customers and take note of their requirements, he pointed out this led to the introduction of modifications and improvements to continually evolve the designs. Two recent modifications include building in a few seconds delay to the door closing sequence which allows drivers or maintenance staff to exit without getting trapped and a switch for the vehicle cleaners which puts the internal lights on for 15 minutes. ADL now had 300 dedicated aftermarket support personnel and a 96% first-pick rate on spare parts to ensure minimal VOR time for repairs or maintenance. Turning to hybrids, Andy said the latest ADL/BAE Systems versions would incorporate a start/stop function allowing the buses to drive purely on battery power. The engine restarts automatically when the battery level drops to a pre-set level. These vehicles will have auxiliary power system to maintain the operation of power steering etc. He indicated battery cell prices were beginning to reduce – which would be widely welcomed. Further ahead, it was more likely the engine would be substituted by a fuel cell and possible inclusion of an electromagnetic induction capability to take advantage of boost charging during bus stop dwell times. With Euro 6 looming and an implementation date of January 1 2014, he confirmed ADL already had Euro 6 models in service with certain operators – both

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ALBUM CONFERENCE 2012

single and double deck. They were being thoroughly evaluated in reallife operation well ahead of the start date in order to provide the most accurate data possible on operating costs.

Nikki Honer Nikki Honer, Commercial Manager at Bluestar, said it was important for operators to shout about their achievements, especially to local press and radio. Taking the initiative to provide media with information was inherently better than being harangued after a mishap or disaster as it provided an opportunity to ‘manage’ the message put across. She said PR could be used to influence and educate with no real cost attached to much of it and it could easily change people’s perceptions. She urged operators to issue regular press releases to a variety of media, ensuring they kept ‘on brand,’ were well written, clear and easy to read, well-spaced and include at least one point of contact for further comment or explanation. Operations without an internal capability for this could use a PR agency.

Nicola Tidy & Chris Healy Nicola Tidy, Marketing and Communications Director at Nottingham City Transport, shared the platform with Chris Healy, MD of Clever4. Nicola’s theme was ‘How to woo and wow customers’ and she pointed out the major change in emphasis towards passenger satisfaction which has taken place more recently. She said her first ALBUM Conference after entering the industry had been in May 2002 and she had seen little in the way of strong marketing to passengers other than from trent barton. “ALBUM 2002 was all about AdBlue. Not a mention given to passengers, but ten years on, no AdBlue in sight and lots of emphasis on customers.” She reminded operators the bus itself was of little importance to passengers – what was important was the reliability of the service and the cost of travel. Buses were not necessarily a mode of choice for many people as they perhaps had no alternative available to them. Others would take the bus as a practical and often more economic means of travel whereas a proportion would choose it for environmental reasons. Some had low or no interest and www.coachandbusweek.com

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One of the new Solo SRs joining the Nottingham City Transport fleet buses were just a means to an end. When issuing promotional information she advised keeping communications direct and simple, destination and benefits driven. Stating all the benefits was important as it gave the opportunity to push the ‘green’ element or chauffeur driven nature of the journey. Adding a fun element or something memorable was often worthwhile too. However, she warned, one size does not fit all and it paid to target specific messages at certain groups. Paper literature and timetables were more familiar with the older generation while younger passengers were more inclined to favour electronic mediums. She also stressed the need to work on keeping existing customers as it was always more expensive generating new ones. Loyalty rewards had proved highly beneficial for NCT. A recent success had been hiring a local cinema where smartcard holders could view the latest film releases free on Sundays. They were given free popcorn too! Nicola said: “It has proved to be a good way of saying thank you to our customers. You have to be careful not to annoy regular passengers with discounted fares for new users. “Never forget, the customer is always right – even if most of time they are not. trent barton’s policy of giving passengers their money back if they are not satisfied is a very powerful tool and has cost them very little in cash terms for a huge amount of goodwill. Happy passengers will work for you – word of mouth is good PR.” Another successful NCT initiative

Clever4 MD Chris Healy offered advice on websites and browsers

Nicola Tidy from NCT stressed the importance of customer relations

“trent barton’s policy of giving passengers their money back if they are not satisfied is a very powerful tool and has cost them very little in cash terms for a huge amount of goodwill.” Nicola Tidy NCT

had been a real ale campaign offering travel around various pubs in the city. Another had been a deal with a theatre where theatre ticket prices included an offer of a £1 bus ticket to cover travel to and from the venue. NCT also had an annual round of promotions with attractive details at ‘Fresher’ events as the influx of new university students arrived. Taking on competitors, Nicola explained, required operators to promote their best advantages. She highlighted NCT’s recent campaign against the tram (which it is no longer involved with). The tram service gets constant complaints from users about the lack of available seats. NCT has mirrored the tram route with high-frequency buses and majored its promotion campaign on seat availability and comfort. Despite increased fuel costs and prohibitive parking charges, Nicola said the car had remained the top competitor to bus use, but there were signs of a shift. NCT recently targeted promotional material at a prestigious area of the city with many multi-car households. It resulted in a 4% increase in passengers from the area. Nicola reinforced the point – “A lot can be done to deliver a message for very little money.” She cited the launch of new buses last year with yellow livery. Their delivery coincided roughly with the BBC’s Children In Need appeal – so NCT invested £300 in vinyls to give them a ‘Pudsey bear’ spotted handkerchief appearance. The BBC took up the offer of a bus to take its local radio crew to all the fund raising events in the area. The result – NCT was mentioned many times throughout the day and developed a much stronger relationship with local radio while being exposed in a high-profile manner at each of the events. In conclusion, she noted a decline in printed timetable requirements and growth in all areas of e-communication. She said it was critically important to make full use of apps, e-newsletters, facebook and twitter. Chris Healy said: “Don’t waste your investment in your website.” There was, he explained, a high rate of change in how websites were now accessed, particularly with the proliferation of tablets, webenabled mobile phones, TVs and game consoles. In two years mobile browsing will have outpaced PC access to websites – so it is vital

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Join the discussion on Twitter by following us at @cbwtweets and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coachandbusweek websites are capable of working on mobile devices or users will become frustrated and turn to other sites. He said operators must adapt their current websites to cater for all browser sizes and types. Offering advice on change, he said if operators considered creating an app they should create one which surprises and delights the user by providing a new experience – not merely an access link to the website. Webites with cookies (which are generally quite helpful and speed up browsing) now face new legislation and they are prohibited from ‘tracking’ unless requested to do so by the user. Essential cookies are exempt from this but as explicit user consent is required to allow the tracking, Chris urged operators to do an audit of their cookies to ensure they were compliant. He said it paid to explain cookie use on the website. Social media Chris described as having low cost of entry which offered numerous opportunities for providing customer service and gaining feedback. It often dramatically increased traffic to websites. It also aided management of a brand as users communicated with one another about their experiences - so the information is noted and responded to. Users may often be talking about their experience with a competitor – monitor what they are saying, it’s free research on what competitors are doing and what people think of them. It can also bring new leads from many sources. “This is only going to get bigger, so get aboard now,” urged Chris. He said facebook followers for NCT currently numbered 18,000 and twitter had 3,000. “If you are going to do social media – understand it is full time. You cannot leave it. It requires immediate real-time responses in many instances.” Other speakers included Adrian Grant, MD of TAS, who spoke about the value of developing networks of contacts and the horrors of filling in tender documents, Ian Jones of Backhouse-Jones Solicitors who championed ‘different thinking’ and Lee Mitchell of charity Childline – now part of the NSPCC and the selected charity for ALBUM 2012. The gala dinner concluding the event was sponsored by Allison Transmission and wine was supplied by Scania. An auction of donated items combined with funds raised from the raffle resulted in

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£5,817 as a donation for Childline. Entertainment at the event was provided by the EYMS band. It was announced the next ALBUM Conference is to be hosted by Nottingham City Transport. James Freeman, CEO of Reading Transport assumes the role as ALBUM chairman for the next 12 months.

The exhibitors

I may not have been to an ALBUM Conference for a few years but I have been to many in the past and I cannot remember one of them with such a high level of industry support. Some past events saw a handful of stands at the end of a room, others filled a small room – or in a good year, a much larger room. However, 2012 saw a massive increase with no less than 51 industry support businesses showing their latest developments or offering their services. Lack of space precludes the inclusion of reports on all exhibitors but a few of highlights follow. A novel product From Foreman Vehicle Services was revealed by Fleet Resourcing. The VDRS is a selfcontained fully integrated vehicle defect reporting system which is easily installed. It has a touch screen for the driver to enter first use and

walk-round check results into and the data is transmitted instantly via wifi or gprs to the central database. It eliminates the requirement for manual data entry on cards which then have to be collected, checked, acted upon and data manually recorded onto the database before the cards are stored for 15 months. The company said it is currently being installed into the 500 vehicle fleet of London United. E-leather has developed slip-over covers for seats and squabs which allow a customer to do an interior refurbishment in a day. There is no need to remove worn moquette or seat trim, which can often damage the foam underneath and the cover can also be foam-backed in varying thicknesses to ensure a tight fit. Triangle Software is a software programming business which can write and develop bespoke software to suit specific requirements or adapt off-theshelf packages to meet the specific demands of different enterprises. It can also undertake website applications, operations automation or legacy system upgrades across public or private sector users. Tokheim revealed it DiaLOG fuel management system which simplifies vehicle fuelling operations and vastly increases

Above left and right: New Wrightbus additions to the Delaine fleet and ALBUM 2012 host EYMS. Below: Cummins - one of many trade stands

fuel stock security. The system is compatible with most fuel pumps and can control up to 16 filling points. It links directly to office PCs via wifi or gprs connection and drivers can access it via electronic key or RFID tags. By installing a SmartFuel device on each vehicle it allows automatic recognition and no need to record odometer readings – in fact, odometers become redundant. It employs a nozzle recognition system which means even if a user is recognised as bonefide no fuel can diverted into a jerry can as the system would shut down and raise an alert. EP Morris highlighted its new EPM Engineering System – dedicated software developed to cover all requirements of the engineering department. It is modular, enabling customers to purchase only the facilities they require. The package integrates with commercial financial software packages – such as Sage. Modules include a diary for service schedules and inspections to meet O-Licence and VOSA compliance. A defect card module tracks all defect cards from driver through to resolution. Stock management ensures correct disciplines are followed around spares acquisition and stock control with any warranty items flagged for efficient claims management. The Job costing module analyses parts and labour costs and the engineering dashboard delivers key management information on the operation across multiple locations and operating companies. It can produce a wide range of reports and has a customised reporting facility for producing ad hoc reports quickly and easily. Carwood BDS showed its bookleaf aluminium wheelchair access ramp which it claims is 20kg lighter than its main competitor while offering a higher weight capacity. The company emerged following the demise of door specialist Deans and is also offering a complete range of British-made doors. It is shortly expanding into the market for specialist glass. Performance Friction Brakes – the title pretty much says it all. The company claims its friction materials can reliably out-perform and outlast those of its competitors. Holdsworth Fabrics showed examples of its moquette seat trim fabric with latest trend in patterns and designs alongside some of its more traditional fabrics.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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vehicle launch › man citysmart

MAN’s new Midibus – the 10.8m CitySmart MAN’s dedicated SLF midi for the UK expands the product range and underpins the manufacturer’s new approach and commitment to the market, reports Coach & Bus Week’s Technical Editor Martin Cole www.coachandbusweek.com

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itySmart, in combination with a Caetano body, is a UKdedicated product marking MAN’s first serious attempt at the market with a lowfloor midibus. It was launched earlier this year in Munich where it featured MAN Lion’s City bodywork but for markets like the UK it comes with a Caetano body to make it more competitive on price and offer more customer choice in specifying options. It was officially revealed at last week’s ALBUM Conference. Significantly, the 10.8m CitySmart body, which is a shortened version of the 12m

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Above: Light, spacious and comfortable interior. Below: Designed with easy access for maintenance

“The CitySmart has more than adequate power to deal with hilly terrain. It feels like a big bus but in the narrow backstreet areas of Swindon it proved highly manoeuvrable and is adept at dodging in and out of awkwardly placed parked cars.” EcoCity gas bus fabrication, extends the ‘family’ available to operators with familiarity in appearance and a high level of parts commonality to simplify spare parts stocking and improve availability. It has the same 2.5m width as the larger bus and employs the same structural profiles. The introduction of CitySmart reinforces MAN’s new approach to the market. Primarily, each product, EcoCity or CitySmart, is officially supported by MAN to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ for customers. A significant volume of spare parts for chassis or body are already in stock to ensure a fast response time and minimise any VOR time in the event of a breakdown or accident damage. Like the EcoCity, it has been

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developed specifically to meet UK market requirements by a dedicated project team of specialists. Much of the comment regarding specification preferences from operators who viewed or trialled the EcoCity has been acted upon and changes or modifications implemented into the initial CitySmart production. Changes include things like the complete sealing of the air intake grille which now includes a filter pad. It can quickly be removed and cleaned and keeps the radiator free of any accumulated dust or debris. The ‘bus stopping’ sign has been repositioned to the panel above the windscreen in line with operator requests and additional access

hatches have been installed in floor along the gangway and across the rear of the saloon floor to improve access for maintenance. Sealing strips have been inserted between the strip lighting elements to prevent dirt ingress and emergency glass breaking hammers placed into dedicated housings moulded into the coving panels. The back support for wheelchair passengers has also been modified with a semi-circular top profile rather than square shoulders. CitySmart is based on MAN’s A66 chassis (14.250 HOCL-NL) which is powered by a 250bhp Euro 5 compliant D0836 EGR engine which drives through a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox with Intarder

and ZF’s Topodyn system. A Voith D 854.5 transmission with SensoTop is optional for those who prefer it but this installation requires the rear overhang to be extended from 2,600mm to 2,900mm. The chassis has a rigid 5,000kg front axle and a hypoid 9,440kg rear. Wheelbase is 5,200mm. It is equipped with 265/70 R19.5 tyres. The body structure features steel tubular framing for the front and floor with side, rear and roof employing extruded aluminium profiles. The structure is given full underbody protection and anti-corrosion treatment with FT90. The front bumper is a three-piece unit for simple, cost-effective repairs and

www.coachandbusweek.com

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40 | COACH & BUS WEEK | May 30, 2012

vehicle launch › man citysmart

Above: Wide, accessible entrance. Below: Uncluttered driver station with a comfortable seat the rear unit has been designed for fast removal to allow improved access to components in the engine compartment. Body panels and access flaps are aluminium with GRP front and rear mouldings incorporating GRP access panels and swing-out sections at the front give easy access to sidelights, headlamps and indicators. Masats inward swinging double-leaf doors are employed at the entrance which features a manually-operated wheelchair ramp. The aisle area is uncluttered and free-flowing to provide excellent access to priority seating and the wheelchair/buggy bay. It seats a total of 37 passengers (including four tip-up seats) and can accommodate up to 32 standees plus one wheelchair. The seats are identical to those in the EcoCity – interurban-styled units manufactured by Kiel. These are certainly attractive in appearance and comfortable but www.coachandbusweek.com

MANCitySmart2.indd 40

operators requiring something different have five alternatives to choose from. MAN has pull-tested six different seats for CitySmart from different manufacturers – although it is difficult to see why the Kiel should cause any objection. The majority of seats are mounted cantilever-style. They are trimmed in a pale grey/blue moquette which

“CitySmart appears to have what it needs to provide viable competition in the midibus sector.”

compliments the light blue and grey interior colour of the saloon. The colour combination serves to create a very light and spacious feel to the saloon. In March this year when I attended the MAN Bus Days in Munich, a short spin around the locality in the Lion’s City bodied version showed the CitySmart to have smooth, rapid acceleration and to give a pleasant, quiet ride. However, the wide, flat streets did not give any real impression of the massive torque available. On a run out from Swindon towards Avebury it was clear the CitySmart has more than adequate power to deal with hilly terrain. It takes most inclines completely within its stride. Conversely, in the narrow back street areas of Swindon, it proved highly manoeuvrable and especially adept at dodging in and out of awkwardly placed parked cars and negotiating tight junctions. Overall, it displays great agility with plenty of power if required – although

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May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 41

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Above left: Swing-out light cluster. Above right: Sealed radiator housing

Above: CitySmart at a stop in Swindon. Right: Climate controls and switchbank. Far right: Good floor trap access from the aisle and across the rear its delivery is tempered and kept quite manageable by the Topodyn system. CitySmart appears to have what it needs to provide viable competition in the midibus sector. It is available immediately as MAN has built a small batch for stock and it has a list price of around £122,000. Another part of MAN’s new approach to the market stems from a redesigned demonstration programme. For the EcoCity gas bus MAN places it with the potential customer for six weeks. It will also provide the customer all the relevant telematics data related to its operation during the period. In return, MAN seeks assistance in gathering data from drivers and passengers. Drivers can be issued with simple questionnaires to gain details of their opinions on comfort and performance, wheras passengers are asked what they like or dislike. MAN personnel also take time to ride on buses in service and ask passenger opinions themselves.

MANCitySmart2.indd 41

A shorter four-week programme will apply to demonstrations of CitySmart.

Update

To date, the two EcoCity demonstrators have completed 12 assignments, covering over 26,000 miles between them. Results show they have made an average of

30% savings and their utilisation has been 98%. MAN says the total operational cost saving average to date equates to between £1.2m £1.9m on 10 buses over 10 years. A further 14 demonstrations remain due in 2012. Passenger responses analysed to date show 91% stated a preference for the EcoCity over any other bus.

The 250bhp Euro 5 MAN D0836 packs plenty of power

The main ‘likes’ were quietness, vibration free, comfortable, no smell of diesel, saloon environment and the overall environmental friendliness. Driver responses determined 73% showed a preference for EcoCity over the bus they currently drove. Their main likes were quietness, lack of vibration, driver comfort and its driveability/responsiveness. A total of 34 EcoCity gas buses have been ordered and MAN says a similar number are currently under negotiation. From October 2012 a sufficient quantity of bio-methane from an anaerobic digester facility becomes available to run all 34 vehicles as carbon neutral. Additionally, to develop its service network, 60 technicians have been through general awareness training for gas buses. A dozen have been fully trained on the complete product and 12 more are undergoing the same training. Ongoing training for dealerships immediately involved with gas bus operators is being provided. www.coachandbusweek.com

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42 | COACH & BUS WEEK | May 30, 2012

COACH&BUSMARKET – the place to buy and sell

To advertise on these pages for as little as £30 just call 01733 293247 2003 MERCEDES 412D SPRINTER

MERCEDES 814D OPTARE NOUVELLE ’54 Plate

2004 (54) Neoplan Starliner Tri-Axle Corporate/Team Coach

15 seats and wheelchair lift, manual gearbox, tacho

For more information visit

£6,250

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

5 speed manual, 29 recliners + crew seat, 3 point lap belts, water boiler + fridge, dark-tint windows, in-swing door, carpet, curtains, large boot, radio/PA/CD/ PA/DVD+Monitor. Full MOT if required. £34,500.00 + VAT.

Tel : 01905 458529

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.

£94,000 + VAT o.n.o.

For more details call Patrick or Murray 01787 477701/ 07730 671064

Volvo B12 Van-Hool 1995 14 berth sleeper

LEZ compliant, MOT 03/13, static A/C, tow bar. Well maintained, ready to work. For more information call Tim on 07900 111110 or email tim@sleeperbuses.info

2003 FORD TRANSIT 410

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

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

Volvo B12M VanHool

17 seat factory bus, ex-council, low mileage, Class 5 MOT

£4,950

For more information visit

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

VAUXHALL VIVARO 9 SEATER LWB MINI BUS Passenger and Commercial Vehicles Recovery Dismantlers Parts Sales

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

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

£55,000 and £65,000

Contact Ian 01443 681995

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

• 2009/59 • 59,000 miles • air-con • in Star Silver metallic £8,995 +VAT

tel: 01874 611721

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

553368-1036-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

SOLD

(08) 2008 Ford Transit 3.5ton 15 seat 2.4tdi, 115ps, high back seats with three point belts, tacho £13,800 (

(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

(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

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 (09) 2009 Renault Master 16 seat minibus, tacho,high back seats with three point belts, 35,000km £15,650 (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 (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%

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Ensig DOUBLE DECK 1997/8 VOLVO OLYMPIANS Seatbe exampleslted no available w

LEZ

COMPLIANT

Volvo engines, Euro 2, 78 seats, converted to single door, new COIF, tyres included, UK registered ready to work.

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

2000 W REG MERCEDES 814 VARIO

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

Manual, tacho, 28 coach seats with 3 point belts.

1995 M REG DENNIS DRAGONS

ZF automatic, Plaxton Premiere 350, air-con, 57 seats.

1998 DAF SB3000

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

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 (£375)

2001 Y REG DART SLF’S

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

OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY -

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

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nbus ER SPECIALIST DDA compliant, 8.8m, 28 seats, LEZ compliant, Hanover LEDʼs, from our own fleet.

2001 Y REG DART MPD

GREAT VALUE DENNIS DARTS!!!

2001 Y REG DENNIS DART MPD’s

Plaxton Pointer 2 bodies, 29 seats, LEZ compliant post 2012 with traps, DDA compliant, long MOTʼs.

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

Hanover LEDʼs, East Lancs Myllenium body, 39 seats.

2003 MAN 14220

Euro 3, ZF automatics, 35 seats, East Lancs Myllenium bodies.

2003 MAN 11.2220’S

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

Cummins Euro 3 ISB engines, Allison gearboxes, Caetano Nimbus bodies, 10.7m, 37 seats, full DDA.

£7000 just spend on recon engine, MCV Evolution body, 40 seats, DDA, Hanover LEDʼs.

2002 DENNIS DART SLF

1999/2000/2001 V/X/Y REG DENNIS TRIDENTS Cummins/Voith, LEZ compliant with traps, Plaxton President bodies, 62 seats or 70 when converted to single door.

2001 X REG DENNIS DART MPD’S 25 seats, ramps, good MOTʼs.

2007 VOLVO B9TL’S

2007 MAN 14.220

Voith automatic, East Lancs body, 49 dual purpose seats just retrimmed, supplied with new MOT.

1995 N REG SCANIA L113

ZF automatic, SLF, Wrights body.

2000 X REG VOLVO B6

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

Straight from MOD

VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER

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

MERCEDES VARIO 612

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

06 MAN EVOLUTION

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

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

BERKOF RADIAL 1998

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

02 LDV

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

£P.O.A.

CAETANO (SALVADOR) 1998

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

1996 DENNIS JAVELIN

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

BMC AIRPORT BUS

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

£15,000

1996 VOLVO PLAXTON PREMIER HIGH LINER

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

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IVECO SERVICE BUS

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

£65,000 + VAT PX considered.

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

£49,500 + VAT

03 MERCEDES VARIO

With wheelchair lift, 13 seats, low mileage.

£12,000 + VAT

1995 PLAXTON PREMIER

B10 engine In excellent condition throughout MOT

£16,000 +VAT

02 SETRA

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

£45,000 + VAT

Part exchange considered

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Have the following coaches for sale

2 x 2003 SCANIA ARIZAR CENTURY’S

LEZ

COMPLIANT

With 49 reclining seats. One vehicle is white with no markings and and is MOT’d until Sept 2012. The other has removable vinyls and is MOT’d until May. Toilet, PA system, aircon in both and they are in very good condition. £57,500 LEZ Compliant £50,000 non-Compliant

2002 MAN MAGO I Charcoal gray with 33 reclining seats. Air-con and PA system. To be sold with new MOT. A rare vehicle possibly the only one in the UK. We have had this Midi coach since new and it has performed very well for us. Priced at £25,000 o.n.o

Call Peter today on 0131 554 5413

555604-1038-Heatons

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HEATONS MOTOR CO. WIGAN - tel 01942 864222 www.heatonsmotorco.co.uk WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

READY TO WORK

PSV’d 05 BMC PROBUS 850 Covered 81,000 miles, council owned from new, 35 highback reclining coach seats with 3 point belts, full air conditioning, luggage racks, blown air, music system, tv, fridge, aircraft style lockers, generous underfloor storage, Cummins engine, automatic ZF gearbox POA

57 FORD TRANSIT MWB, covered 64,000 miles, factory spec minibus, 8/11 passenger seats, twin SLDs, full electric pack, excellent value POA

D L O S

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

LEZ

PSV’d

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 POA

READY TO WORK

09 FORD TRANSIT LWB 17 seat factory minibus, covered 66,000 miles, digital tacho, central locking, totally immaculate, 12 months PSV test POA

PSV’d 54 PLATE IVECO 50C13 IRIS BUS 16 highback passenger seats, 3 point belts, full air conditioning, panoramic tinted windows, front low step entry, one owner, looks excellent, excellent drive, excellent value, 12 months PSV test, ready to work POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

LEZ

COMPLIANT

56/07 IVECO coachbuilt with 14 highback coach seats, complete flat floor, external cassette tailift, Powerdoor front entry, saloon heater, sound system, lots of Unwin tracking, low miles, this must give excellent value POA

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 POA

PSV’d

LEZ

D L O S

06 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI Plaxton Pronto coachbuilt, 15 highback seats, power door, front low step entry, air conditioning, external PLS cassette tailift, silver metallic, totally showroom condition, low miles POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

COMPLIANT

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 POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

D L O S

06 FIAT DUCATO SWB, 6 highback seats, Unwin tracking, Rolac ramp, covered 52,000 miles, SLD with cassette step, stunning silver metallic, showroom condition POA

LEZ

PSV’d

54 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI 16 highback passenger seats, Koch low floor service bus, wheelchair accessible, PSV tested, very original or can paint to your colour at additional cost, drives superb POA

03 MERCEDES VARIO 814 Coachbuilt with 24 highback seats, low miles, complete flatfloor, powerdoor front entry, external PLS fully automatic tailift, totally immaculate and excellent value for money, choice of 2 POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

COMPLIANT

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, low mileage POA

PSV’d

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

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 POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

52 MERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI 14/16 highback seats, UVG coachbuilt, powerdoor front entry, manual transmission, exceptionally clean, choice of 5 POA

D L O S

PSV’d

WERE DO YOU FIND THESE 07 MERCEDES VARIO 616 Mellor Coachcraft coachbuilt, 15 high back seats all on Unwin tracking, complete flat floor, Ricon fully automatic internal tailift, powerdoor front low step entry, a good quality bus, LEZ compliant, will come with 12 months PSV test, excellent value POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d 09 PEUGEOT BOXER MWB, low miles, 6/8 highback passenger seats, Ricon internal tailift, twin SLDs, air conditioning, showroom condition POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

56 RENAULT MASTER MWB 6/8 highback passenger seats, Ricon internal tailift, lots of Unwin tracking, SLD with cassette step, totally showroom condition POA

52 VOLKSWAGEN LT 46 8/10 highback seats plus wheelchair spaces, Ricon internal fully automatic tailift POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

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 POA

53 IVECO 50c13 Only covered 30,000 miles, local council owner, 16 highback passenger seats, Powerdoor, lots of Unwin tracking, PLS external cassette tailift, panaramic tinted windows, COIF, totally immaculate POA

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

02 MERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI covered 57,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, Powerdoor external cassette tailift, 8 highback seats plus wheelchair spaces or would up seat POA

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

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

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

555589-1038-Pickrell

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H.W. PICKRELL MINIBUS AND WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES

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

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

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

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

07 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 313CDI 2.2

07 REG FORD TRANSIT 350 2.4TD

2004 54 REG IVECO 50c13 IRIS BUS 2.8 TURBO DIESEL

56 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

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

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

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

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

09 PEUGEOT EXPERT TEPEE 1.9 HDI

06 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5TD

2009 59 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO SL28 2.0 TD

06 REG RENAULT MASTER SM33 2.2TD

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

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

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

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

07 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 313 CDI 2.2

53 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 416 CDI

58 REG FORD TRANSIT TOURNEO CONNECT 1.8 HDI

07 REG RENAULT MASTER LH35 2.5TD

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

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

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

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

60 REG RENAULT MASTER SM33 2.5TD

2008 08 REG IVECO 50c15 IRIS BUS 2.8 TD

2009 09 REG VAUXHALL MOVANO LM39 2.5TD

3005/06 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVK TREKA

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

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

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

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

2008 57 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO LH28 2.0 T D

06 REG FORD TRANSIT T300 125BHP 2.2TD

54 REG M ERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI

07 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

Manual gearbox, hi roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 4 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 30,280 miles only.

6 speed geabox, high roof, SCW conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 6 high back seats plus 2 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, only 2,682 miles, ex-NHS.

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

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

06 REG RENAULT MASTER SL33 2.2TD

2005 05 REG FORD TRANSIT 2.5TD

06 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.2TD

2004/05 54 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 416CDI AMBULANCE

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

Manual, high roof, PAS, LWB, new conversion, side loading door, AVS side step, 11 high back CT seats, m2 tested fully tracked floor, roof vent, new AMF tail lift.

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

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

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May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 53

2005 Ford Transit 410

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

2005 MAN 14.240 MCV EVOLUTION SERVICE BUS

40 seats, NEW MOT TO MAY 2013, repanelled and repainted 2 pack white, engine overhauled, Hanover LED destination gear, drives fantastic, superb condition.

£26,500 + VAT o.v.n.o.

Contact Steve on 07795 347476 or 01492 640320 (North Wales)

2007 Ford Transit

17 seat factory bus, only 39,000 miles, COIF, tacho and new PSV

£12450

For more information visit

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

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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!!

SDRC0ACHhelp

“Assisting the Coaching Industry”

2 x 1990 Volvo B10M Manual Plaxton Paramount 3500 57 Seaters With Courier Seat, Long Test, Brand New Re-Trim & NEW Sprayed White £8,500.00 + VAT

1996 Dennis Javelin Manual Berkhof Excellence 2000 53 Seater With Courier Seat, Tested Till June, But Will Supply New Test & NEW Spray White £7,500.00 + VAT

D L O S

2008 Mercedes 613D Oynx Manual, LEZ 4, Minicoach 24 Seats, AIR CON, Long MOT & London LEZ Euro 4 £38,000.00 + VAT

1995 Volvo B10M Auto Plaxton Premier 350 53 Seat Standard Exec, Level Floor, Mounted Toilet, NEW Retrim & Spray, Long MOT, Mint! £16,000.00 + VAT

READY FOR START OF SEASON Volvo B10M Plaxton Premier 320 Automatics Brand New Converted 70 Seat Coaches, New Seats & Spray, Certified And Ready To Go...

Authorised stockist Kinglong parts and glass.

01651 872864 Office 07769719252 Mobile 24/7 kinglongscotland@yahoo.co.uk

Station Yard, Oldmeldrum, AB51 0EZ

www.SDRcoachhelp.com 24 Hrs 0844 576 3300 1 x 1993, £18,500.00 + VAT 1 x 1994, £22,500.00 + VAT

1 x 1995, £26,500.00 + VAT 2 x 1997, £29,500.00 + VAT

Hunnable Industrial Estate, Toppesfield Road, Gt Yeldham, Essex CO9 4HD

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BUS & CO A CH S A LE S

2010 2010 2006 2006 2005

MAN Panther DDA 49 seats A/C front w/chair lift Volvo B12B Prestige 49/51 sts A/C Mercedes Touro 49 seats A/C MAN Plaxton 49 seats A/C Iveco Beulas 49 seats A/C

2004 2004 2004 2003 2003

MAN Marco Polo 70 seats A/C Volvo B12B Caetano Enigma 49 sts A/C MAN Noge Catalan 51 seats A/C MAN Marco Polo 70 seats Volvo B12M Caetano Enigma 49 seats A/C

2003 2000 1998 1998 1996

Volvo B12B Caetano 48 seats A/C Iveco Beulas 49 seats A/C Volvo B10M Excalibur 49 seats Merc Beaver 27 seats Volvo Strider 49 seats

TO VIEW CALL 07979 295668

2004 Optare Solo M920 33 seats, Mercedes engine, Allison automatic gearbox, MOT Nov 2012, direct local authority. Fitted with all new aluminium side panels repainted in Diamond white. Additional options include electronic destination and repaint into your livery if required £27,950

2003 Mercedes 814D Vario 33 seat coach. 5 speed manual gearbox. Three point seatbelts, boot, luggage racks. £23,450

1999 Mercedes 814D Vario

1999 Mercedes 814D Automatic

4.2 litre turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, 33 bus seats fitted with retractable lapbelts. Ready to work. In daily use. Photo shows typical bus. Choice available. £9,250

4.2 litre turbo diesel, Allison automatic gearbox, 31 bus seats, repaint in white, ready to work. £8,950

1996 Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer SLF 37 seats. In daily use. Vehicle has been recently repainted. (number plate and electronic destination not included). £5,000

1997 Mercedes 814D Plaxton Beaver 33 seat with belts, Allison automatic gearbox, both vehicles MOT to Sept 2012. Ageless plate fitted. Choice of 2. 1 with 'urban' bus seats and the other with retrimmed bus seats. £4,950

1999 Mercedes 814D Vario Repanelled as required, repainted in diamond white, 33 coach seats fitted, 2 point retractable seatbelts, long MOT. £14,950 + VAT

2002 Mercedes 814D Vario 33 seatbelts, 4.2 litre turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, MOT August 2011. £11,950

1997 (but you’d never know) Marshall Capital Dennis Dart One previous owner from new, well maintained example direct from municipal bus company. Retrimmed seats. Tinted glass. £8,450

1996 SLF Dennis Dart

Ex-major operator, MOT expired, but in good order. Sold as seen £3,500 or with 12 months MOT £4,500 + VAT

1997 Marshall Capital, Dennis Dart One previous owner from new, well maintained example direct from municipal bus company. Tinted glass. £6,000

DON’T FORGET OUR BUS RENTALS Short and long term hire available on any of these vehicles, ask about ‘Rent to Buy’ as well !

Nextbus Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire Tel - 01249 462462 - 24 Hr Mobile - 07590851477 www.next-bus.co.uk email - sales@next-bus.co.uk

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2003 Ford Transit 410

Coach build body, taillift, powerdoor, 65,000 miles Class 5 MOT

£5450

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

COACHES & BUSES WANTED FOR AUCTION for our UK & Commonwealth buyers Our main interest is equipment available due to Retirement or Fleet Reorganisation. All equipment would be marketed worldwide through our Special Auction Events Team. See our website history for people we have worked for.

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

For further information please call Malcolm Harrison on 01630 674326 or email malcolm@malcolmharrison.co.uk MALCOLM HARRISON AUCTIONS

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

2003 Neoplan Skyliner 1999/2000 Dennis Trident Alexander ALX 400 V and X reg, long wheelbase, EURO 4

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

Bargain at £89,000 + VAT For more information visit

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

Tel: 01296 398300 Motts Travel, Buckinghamshire

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SF05 YHH – 2005 Bova Futura 55 seat exec, centre sunken toilet, Air Con, can be LEZ at asking price. No sign writing, metallic silver, ready to go 6 speed Manual, TAX and MOT. £80,000 + VAT T14 TSE (2005) Bova Synergy 83 Seat Double Decker Full Exec, Twin Stairs, Ski Box, 4 Monitors, Air Con, can be LEZ at asking price, Tow Bar - sold with Ifor Williams Trailer, MOT and TAX £165,000 + VAT T13 TSE – 2000 (W) Bova Futura 49 Seat Exec, Centre Sunken Toilet, Air Con, Automatic (ZF). Can be LEZ at asking price, interchangeable boards to sides and rear, DDA Sch.3, Hanover boards, TAX and MOT. £40,000 + VAT

Call Junior – 07779 801862 – 01922 647100

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

VOLVO B6 BLE ALEXANDER ALX P & R REG 35 seats

From £3,750

For more information visit

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

DIAMOND JUBILEE BANK HOLIDAY WEEK CBW will still be first with the news, job vacancies and latest vehicles for sale on

Wednesday 6 June. We’ll be producing that weeks issue early and can accept all advertisement bookings until

2pm on THURSDAY 31 MAY For Vehicles for Sale, call Jade on 01733 293 247 jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com For Job Vacancies, call Ian on 01733 293 484 ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

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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

CRAIG TILSLEY

ENGINES

Tel: 01782 791524 or 01782 791527

Fax: 01782 791316

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

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

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED Looking for a

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

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

Specialists in Used Commercial Garage Equipment

Tel: 01524 271200 www.checkpoint-safety.com

MERCEDES ENGINE SPECIALISTS

WE ALSO RECONDITION ALL MAKES OF BUS & COACH ENGINES

Direct from the UK’s No.1 since 1975 01270 526333

www.creweengines.co.uk

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

Coach & Bus Week – the only paid-for weekly magazine in the bus and coach industry – there’s no comparison!

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

INSURANCE

Commercial Garage Equipment Commercial Lifts

www.bwsequip.co.uk

email: bwsequip@hotmail.com

Crewe Engines Ltd

Federation of Engine Re-Manufacturers

Contact Jade Cassidy now for our current offers: 01733 293247 jade.cassidy@rouncymedia.co.uk

Inspection Pits

BWS 0117 953 0381

Call now for a quote or more information

great deal to promote your products and services?

Brake Testers

SPECIAL OFFERS

CHECKPOINTS

Mobile Lifts

Tel: 07538 218194 www.commercialgarageequipment.co.uk Email: sales@commercialgarageequipment.co.uk

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COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED GARAGE EQUIPMENT

TICKETING

REGISTRATIONS

COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED

G £750 44 NXA 80 HXE 99 HXY ALZ 303 AXZ 88 ECR 767 IIG 62 JUI 808 RXI 85

SPEEDY REGISTRATIONS CO LTD G ‘Buy with confidence – CNDA Member’

£350 £99 £99 £50 DKZ 303 HIG 5338 MNZ 1195 CXZ 5851 JBZ 484 HIG 5339 ONZ 1180 CXZ 5852 MKZ 969 IIG 7764 REZ 3369 DFZ 4697 NUI 636 IIG 7765 RUI 2117 DFZ 4698 PXI 494 JIG 8894 SEZ 5766 DRZ 7441 RBZ 696 JIG 8895 SUI 8836 DRZ 7442 SCZ 878 KIG 5113 SUI 8837 IFZ 8350 UIW 626 KIG 5114 TJZ 1116 IFZ 8360 YXI 585 MJZ 6749 TJZ 1119 JFZ 8304 We Buy for Cash, also Part Exchange

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

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

£50 JFZ 8305 JIG 8947 JIG 8948 KIG 5158 KIG 5159 RNZ 2214 RNZ 2215 TUI 5818 TUI 5819

Looking for a great deal to promote your products and services? 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!

TRAINING

Don’t forget to say that you saw it in

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

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COACH&BUSCLASSIFIED TYRES

• Tyre fitting machine now available •

MAY SPECIALS 205/75R 205/75R 215/75R 215/75R 245/70R 265/70R 265/70R 275/70R

17.5 BUDGET STEER 17.5 BARUM STEER 17.5 BUDGET STEER 17.5 BARUM STEER 19.5 BUDGET STEER 19.5 BUDGET STEER 19.5 BARUM STEER 22.5 BUDGET STEER

£102.00 £132.00 £99.00 £132.00 £128.00 £136.00 £185.00 £175.00

Remould and premium tyres price on request Free delivery on 4 tyres or more We have more tyres in stock – please give us a call for quotes

275/70R 275/80R 295/80R 295/80R 315/80R 315/80R 11R22.5 305/75R

22.5 BARUM STEER 22.5 BUDGET STEER 22.5 BUDGET STEER 22.5 MIDRANGE 22.5 BUDGET STEER 22.5 MIDRANGE BUDGET STEER 24.5 GOODYEAR NEW

ew Number N 01684 560029 Adam : 07841 239411 Mark : 07545 735303

www.tdtyres.com

TYRE EQUIPMENT

£245.00 £190.00 £178.00 from £245.00 £198.00 from £255.00 £175.00 £550.00

All prices subject to VAT and availability.

VEHICLE SPARES

Trevor Wigley & Son Bus Ltd

TW FULLY LICENSED END OF LIFE VEHICLE CENTRE

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

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

www.twigley.com

May 30, 2012 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 61

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

It has to be seen to be believed… Ironically, the CBW editorial team never saw this coming… Miele Professional has announced details of its professional washerextractors and dryers which enable users to wash and reprocess highvisibility garments on-site. As we all know, high-visibility apparel is intended to make the wearer more visible with colour enhanced fabrics and reflective taping. Like any type of clothing, these garments can fade, become soiled and torn. However, with high-visibility apparel, these imperfections can reduce the effectiveness of the garment, making it dangerous when used. Where the items usually have to be sent off-site to a specialist cleaner for washing and reprocessing, Miele’s PW 6167 washer-extractor & PT 8407 dryer can care for these items with a specially designed programme. Valuable protective garments are ready for re-use after only 2.5 hours – washed, dried and with repellent properties fully reinstated. Les Marshall, Miele Professional Sales and Marketing Director, said: “Contracting work out to a commercial laundry involves considerable effort, distances and waiting times and often results in the need for double the amount of inventory. On-site reprocessing with Miele’s professional machines represents a viable and efficient alternative to companies who need to care for high visibility items on a regular basis.” Well what can we say? It certainly looks promising. Perhaps it’s time for reflection…

Dilbert

Monday: Press day. Problems sending pages to the printer mean I end up leaving later than desired. Tuesday: Fly from Birmingham to Frankfurt. The flight leaves an hour late due to “technical difficulties.” Get by on one coffee (breakfast) and an espresso late in the evening as I’m tired. Sleep on the flight. Enjoy a scrumptious meal, press briefing and an interesting discussion with Jan Aichinger. Also catch up with my European counterparts.

Miele Professional claims its cleaning product is the key to a brighter future

Enjoy a good book? Try park and read Passengers catching a park and ride bus into Cambridge can pick up a book when they climb aboard. Titles are stocked at four of the five sites on the outskirts of the city, and customers can borrow books free and return them when they have finished with them. People can also donate books once they have read them, to help the collection grow. Councillor David Harty, the

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Libraries, said: “‘Park and read’ provides the perfect way to relax on board. Simply borrow our books, read them at your leisure and then return them or bring a book in exchange to the park and ride or guided bus site. The ‘quick reads’ collections of books are the perfect length to dip into during a bus journey and we hope they inspire people to discover the joy of reading and to join their local library, where an amazing selection of books can be borrowed.” CBW understands there is no need to book ahead…

Wednesday: As I drive an LHD Citaro round the streets of Wiesbaden, enjoy a spot of banter in German with the Mercedes guys – they know me from the past. Receive a text message on my mobile. One of the guys looks around. Asked what’s wrong he says he’s heard a steam train whistle and we’ve just crossed a railway bridge. “It’s my personal mobile alert,” I reply in German. “You’re not the first & certainly won’t be the last.” Going through security at Frankfurt Airport, the officer asks: “Englisch/ Deutsch?” In German, I reply: “Welsh, English, quite a lot of German and a bit of French.” He smiles and says in German that he can’t speak any Welsh, before wishing me a safe journey. Takeoff an hour or so late. Sat in the middle seat and with my notepad in the locker, write down ideas for CBW on a serviette. A lady kindly offers the use of her writing pad. Thursday: Discussing the week to date with my colleagues and also update plans for the coming issues. Write up the core of my Citaro feature and start to go through the mountain of emails which have piled up in my inbox. A letter arrives from an individual who certainly seems to be living up to my nickname for him. As ever, humour is the best antidote to deal with irritants. Friday: A hectic but happy and productive day in the office. www.coachandbusweek.com

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RECRUITMENT

New FD at Shearings Shearings has appointed Gary Speakman as its new Finance Director (FD). Mr Speakman joins the board of Wigan-based Shearings from Ainscough Crane Hire, where he was FD from 2008. He has previously held the same position at corporate advisory and investment group Acceleris plc, Sportech plc, the global provider of football and horse racing pools betting and Littlewoods Gaming. He spent his early career with global tobacco giant Gallaher Group plc and Leyland DAF. Mr Speakman replaces David Newbold, who has retired. Denis Wormwell, CEO of Shearings Group, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gary is a high calibre FD with an excellent track record at some of the North Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most successful businesses. His combination of

New CPT Chairman for the Northern Region

Denis Wormwell, CEO of Shearings Group, and new FD Gary Speakman strategic and operational expertise is a valuable addition to the Board as we focus on delivering our growth plan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d also like to thank David Newbold for his commitment and service to Shearings during his time with the business.â&#x20AC;? Gary Speakman commented:

Transport for South Hampshire Better Bus Area Fund: Call for Expressions of Interest TfSH has been awarded ÂŁ4.5m of DfT funding following a successful bid to the Better Bus Area Fund developed in partnership with the South Hampshire Bus Operators Association (SHBOA). Bus operators operating buses in South Hampshire are invited to bid for funding subject to the criteria of the granting regime which will be outlined as part of the process.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having expanded our customer base in 2011 and extended our 2012 holiday programme, Shearings is ideally placed to consolidate its position in the market and continue its growth. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m delighted to be joining Denis and the team at an exciting time for the business.â&#x20AC;?

The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) announced Steve Noble has been elected to the role of Chairman, CPT Northern Region. Steve, whose background was in the National Bus Company, but who has also worked aboard, became MD of Northumbria Motor Services in Newcastle in 1994 subsequently becoming MD of Arriva North East in 1999 based at Arrivaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head office in Doxford, Sunderland. He is now Director of CPT member Connect Transport of South Tyneside. Steve said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look forward to the challenge and will be aiming to further raise the profile of CPT, whilst promoting the role and benefits of membership of our trade association.â&#x20AC;?

Your First Choice for Recruitment

Expressions of Interest are welcome from bus operators currently operating in South Hampshire who wish to bid to deliver the following bus enhancements within the period 1st June 2012 -31st March 2014:-

t 0O #VT 8J 'J t /FYU 4UPQ "VEJP 7JTVBM "OOPVODFNFOUT t -&% -JHIUJOH t *OUFSOBM #VT 3FGVSCJTINFOU The process is open to ALL bus operators currently operating scheduled services in South Hampshire on routes that have operated for at least six months and/ or have a minimum of six months remaining on a tendered contract. There is a requirement for operators to contribute and part fund different elements and a need to maintain the equipment in operational vehicles in the area until 31st March 2017 (or provide like for like replacement at their own cost once the grant has been made). Full details will be made available to those wishing to express an interest.

5P 4VCNJU BO FYQSFTTJPO PG JOUFSFTU QMFBTF DPOUBDU TUVBSU CBLFS!IBOUT HPW VL $MPTJOH %BUF GPS &YQSFTTJPOT PG *OUFSFTU JT IST PO 'SJEBZ TU +VOF

Coach & Bus Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-established recruitment portfolio attracts candidates across sales, marketing and management, delivering not just quantity but quality candidates, providing exceptional value for money. In addition to our unrivalled print-based product, at no extra cost recruitment adverts are also automatically placed online at www.coachandbusweek.com, where they remain on view until a positionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closing date. Coach & Bus Week and www.coachandbusweek.com combine to create the ultimate recruitment solution, guaranteeing your vacancy is seen by every jobseeker that matters from sales agents to board level. To get your vacancy seen by quality candidates, call Ian Gillis on 01733 293484 or email ian.gillis@rouncymedia.co.uk

www.coachandbusweek.com

People.indd 62

28/05/2012 20:39

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

Contact Ian Gillis 01733 293484

ian.gillis@rouncymedia.co.uk

Driving Standards Manager

New Chief Operating Officer for First UK Bus Jeroen Weimar has been appointed Chief Operating Officer at First UK bus as of June 11, 2012. He joins from Serco where he was MD of its UK transport business. His responsibilities included the National Traffic Control Centre, the Docklands Light Railway and Serco’s joint ventures with Abellio which operate Merseyrail and Northern Rail. Prior to joining Serco he was TfL’s Chief Operating Officer for Enforcement and Compliance, including transport policing and

community safety, civil traffic enforcement across London’s major road network as well as revenue protection on London’s bus network. Jeroen said: “I am excited to be joining a dynamic and committed team which delivers over 2.5m bus passenger journeys a day across the UK. I look forward to working together to build the best bus business in the country.”

Based in London & Surrey Competitive salary and Benefits package We are currently advertising vacancies for a Driving Standard Manager for Walworth and Twickenham depot. The successful applicants will assist the Operations Manager and depot and be responsible for all matters related to driving standards and their effective and efficient management and control to meet TfL and company requirements. A key part of the role will be to investigate all accidents and incidents involving the Company’s vehicles and take appropriate action with staff and where necessary liaise with the Intervention Team as appropriate. Ensure all accidents e.g. road or personal injuries and employer liability are recorded and investigated. And investigate and make sure Customer Complaints are internally being responded to in a timely manner as appropriate. You will be required to have a good working knowledge of all relevant legislation and ensure compliance with Drivers Hours Regulations, Health and Safety Regulations and all company policies and procedures. You will assist in developing all members of your department by identifying and organising job related training and development needs. Further details of the role are included in the role profile / job description which can be obtained from Jackee Adamson, HR Advisor by calling 0207-788-8722. Applications by way of a C.V. and covering letter clearly detailing your experience, knowledge and suitability for the role are to be forwarded by email to jackee.adamson@abellio.co.uk or post to:

Jeroen Weimer

Jackee Adamson - HR Advisor, Silverthorne Road, Battersea, London, SW8 3HE Closing date for applications: 15th June 2012 Abellio is an equal opportunities employer

Environment

Integrated Transport Manager Salary: £38,961 - £41,606 per annum

www.abellio.co.uk

Join the team where your skills and experience will be respected.

Post Ref: HRA 11543/3471

Arriva buses. Here to take you there.

Based at the Quays, Baglan Energy Park, Neath SA11 2GG. The Integrated Transport Manager (ITM) is a new key operational management position for the Council and will manage the newly formed Integrated Transport Unit (ITU) bringing together all aspects of passenger transport and fleet services for the entire Council with a revenue budget in the region of £12m p.a., a substantial workforce, many vehicle, plant and built assets and several hundred passenger transport contracts. Alongside this demanding operational and stakeholder management remit is a requirement to strategically manage the development of the ITU including influencing the development of the local bus and community transport network, leading on shared services transport opportunities, developing new policies with key stakeholders within the Council and delivering on demanding efficiency targets. The Integrated Transport Manager will be expected to demonstrate a track record of achievement in both strategic and operational management, able to demonstrate evidence of successful delivery of major policy and change programmes and have substantial senior management experience in a similar functional area. You must be educated to degree level or equivalent with appropriate professional and/or management qualifications. Membership of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (or equivalent) is desirable For an informal discussion, please contact the HR Recruitment Team on 01639 686837 or email jobs@npt.gov.uk who will arrange for you to be contacted by David Griffiths, Head of Transportation and Engineering. You may apply online at the authority’s website jobs.npt.gov.uk download an application pack or contact the HR Recruitment Team by e-mail at jobs@npt.gov.uk or by telephone (01639) 686837 quoting the post title and reference number. Closing date: Friday 15th June 2012 at 12 noon

www.npt.gov.uk

Drive your career...

Engineering Manager / Cannock Engineer yourself a great opportunity…. Arriva is one of the largest transport service organisations in Europe, employing more than 47,500 people and delivering more than one billion passenger journeys across 12 European countries every year. Arriva Midlands operates services from 16 locations across a diverse and geographically dispersed region. We are seeking to recruit an Engineering Manager to support our Cannock and Stafford Outstation Depots. Reporting to the General Manager the successful candidate will be responsible for all engineering operation functions, including engineering and support staff, maintenance of the 90 bus ﬂeet to Company and VOSA standards and compliance with Health and Safety requirements. The successful candidate will have exceptional attention to detail, work allocation and people management skills, along with the ability to work within a budget. Other requirements include IT literacy and computerised inventory systems experience. Knowledge of quality management techniques and processes will be an advantage. A full driving licence is required for this post and PCV/LGV licence entitlements are advantageous. In return we offer an excellent remuneration package commensurate with your skills and experience and suitable training will be provided.

How to apply: Interested candidates should apply in writing with a copy of your full curriculum vitae together with covering letter to: Louisa Starling, Personnel Manager, Arriva Midlands 852 Melton Road, Thurmaston, Leicester LE4 8BT or email: vacancies.midlands@arriva.co.uk arrivabus.co.uk

Making a difference Gwahaniaeth er gwell

Closing Closing date forDate: applications: Friday Friday188 May June2012 2012

Arriva is committed to diversity. If you are good, you’re welcome

www.coachandbusweek.com

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