Midlands
FIRST BUS A FOCUS ON MIDLANDS ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2016 - MARCH 2017
FIRST SOUTH YORKSHIRE
A FOCUS ON SHEFFIELD ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2014 - MARCH 2015
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The Department for Transport says that 5 billion bus journeys are made every year* in the UK and First Midlands makes an important contribution to this figure in the areas we operate. All 3 areas operating under ‘First Midlands’ are very different, and through local management and planning we aim to provide a service tailored to local needs. From multi-cultural Leicester, to the unique challenges of the ‘six towns’ of Stokeon-Trent to historical Worcester and its scenic rural setting we understand the needs of our customers. Innovative solutions from our depots – such as our Service Delivery Manager in Leicester, proactive service regulation at Keele University in the Potteries and our Hay Festival service in Worcestershire provide the highest levels of service. The senior team in the Midlands has nearly 200 year’s experience within the bus industry. As part of Firstgroup we can take advantage of being part of a global operation, calling on the experience and knowledge of our colleagues in FirstBus. A recent example is the introduction of our new multi-modal journey planning app.
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As well as supporting our national charity partner Prostate Cancer UK, depot teams are active in supporting causes closer to home, such as Donna Louise Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent, Rainbows Hospice in Leicester and the Mayor’s Tree Planting campaign in Worcester. I hope you find the information in this report useful and would welcome any comments or questions you may have. *Source - Greener Journeys/KPMG: A study of the value of local bus services to society
Managing Director Nigel Eggleton
Midlands
12.2 million Miles operated per year
Our networks are designed to make the most of each & every journey with routes designed to reflect local demand. Buses leave our depots before 5am and return after midnight to get people where they need to be, when they need to be there.
290 Buses Maintained by our in-house specialist teams. 35% of the fleet is Euro V or better for cleaner air. New vehicles are equipped with the latest spec Euro VI engines, free WiFi and a bright comfortable interior whilst a refurbishment program for older vehicles keeps them fresh & inviting.
86% Recycling rate All of our depots are ISO14001 accredited, holding us to the highest environmental standards. By achieving a high recycling rate we show our commitment to being an environmentally responsible company.
8 Local authorities served We operate in areas covered by 8 different local authorities: Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Stoke-onTrent city council, Staffordshire County Council, Cheshire East Council, Worcester City Council & Worcestershire County Council. In Worcester and the Potteries we operate several longer distance routes serving communities and residents in many different areas. We work to develop strong working relationships with all local authorities for the benefit of our passengers and bus users overall.
845 Staff We’re major employers in our operating areas We employ 11 apprentices in our engineering teams and offer full training to new drivers when they join the team. Our pension & rewards package is industry leading and our recent staff survey showed 65% of staff are engaged, an 11% increase on just 2 years ago.
Our customers made over
31.5 m journeys On our services covering Leicester city, The Potteries (including Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme & surrounding areas) and Worcestershire. Just over 30% of passengers travel with us on free concessionary passes – paying customers purchase a mixture of single tickets, day passes and longer term tickets.
88.6% Punctuality We have improved our punctuality/reliability but strive for further improvements. New technologies and old fashioned ‘boots on the ground’ enable us to revise our timetables to provide even higher figures. Our team in Leicester recently won a team award from FirstGroup for their work improving punctuality.
Midlands
2 Depot Open Days in 2016 Giving local residents the opportunity to see behind the scenes and discover what really goes into running a local bus service at our Leicester & Potteries depots.
£4
Our most popular ticket A price point available in all 3 areas (held since 2013 in Potteries, 2015 in Worcester & Leicester) providing a great value, easy to understand product for a full day’s unlimited local travel.
56% mTickets growth Through mTickets (tickets bought & used through a mobile app) customers can pay without cash, access better value tickets and speed up their journeys. We continue to invest in new technology to improve the experience of travelling with us, such as the forthcoming introduction of contactless payments
Customer Satisfaction First Midlands scores 83%
As measured by Passenger Focus in Leicester & The Potteries in 2016. We have made significant progress in recent years – the 2015 figure for The Potteries was 79% and our focus is on further improving this rating. The Passenger Focus survey did not include Worcester in 2016. Our own research shows customers are consistently ‘satisfied’ with our service.
First Midlands is part of FirstGroup plc, the leading transport operator in the UK and North America. Our vision is to provide solutions for an increasingly congested world...keeping people moving and communities prospering.
Our services help to create strong, vibrant and sustainable local economies and our opportunity is to be the provider of choice for our customers and communities by demonstrating the importance of our values…
Dedicated to safety
Committed to our customers
Accountable for performance
Supportive of each other
First Potteries Ltd Dividy Road Stoke-on-Trent ST3 5YY Leicester CityBus Ltd Abbey Lane Leicester LE4 0DA First Midland Red Ltd Padmore St Worcester WR1 2PA Email: Visit www.firstgroup.com & select ‘Contact Us’ First Customer Services – for fare information, general questions and comments 03456 020 121 0700 - 1900 Monday to Saturday (excluding Bank Holidays), 0900 - 1700 Sunday Traveline – for timetable enquiries and route information 0871 200 2233 Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge
Setting the highest standards