BUS TALK 14 February 2012

No.14 • February 2012

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN TfL MONITORED SCHEME

DRIVERS SHOW THEIR QUALITY G

O-AHEAD London has proved that it is one of the best operators in London following outstanding DQM results for 2011.

Blue Triangle has taken the top spot in the current DQM (Driver Quality Monitoring) ratings, moving up by an incredible eight places since 2010 with the best scores out of all the 19 operators.

London General came in at number three and London Central took fourth position.

DQM is a TfL monitored scheme in which a mystery traveller boards a bus and assesses the driver and journey through a number of different categories and a scoring system.

The scores are totalled when the

assessor gets off the bus and count towards the garage’s score.

To find an average for each garage, the scores from across the depot for the year are totalled and then divided by how many assessments have been made.

The lower the score the better for the garage and therefore the company as a whole.

Top ten “We have all done really well,” said Nigel Wood, general manager for Blue Triangle, Docklands and Mandela Way. “It is a very good set of results for everyone across Go-Ahead London.”

In the DQM garage ranking for 2011, garages from across Go-

Ahead London did incredibly well with four garages appearing in the top ten out of a total of 82 across London.

Blue Triangle was third with an average score of just 2.5.

Waterside Way was in fifth place and Peckham in sixth, the garage has improved considerably since 2010 rising by an astounding 73 places in just one year. Mandela Way came in tenth position.

Operations director David Cutts said: “Congratulations to all of our staff. It looks as if we have some of the best drivers in London for 2011 working at our garages.

“This is a truly excellent performance. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work and dedication. Well done.”

PAUL’S FIVER FOR A CUSTOMER: p3

REAPING BENEFITS OF TRAINING SCHEME: p4-5

ROUTES ARE A REAL REWARD

Go-Ahead London has been very successful in the latest round of tendering.

The company has won a five-year contract to run buses on Route 257, from Walthamstow to Stratford, outbidding rival company Stagecoach.

The new contract will begin in October and the service will run from Blue Triangle depot.

Route 257 will be operated using refurbished double-decked buses that were originally in use on Route 22.

Nigel Wood, general manager of Blue Triangle, said: “Recent tender wins, regular good performance and top results have placed Go-Ahead firmly on the map in east London. n Continued on page 7

GARY’S JOY AT RARE COIN FIND: p8

INSIDE: GO-AHEAD GETS READY FOR A SUMMER OF SPORT p6

Chris faces new challenges in his new top role THE new chief engineer for Go-Ahead London is looking forward to the challenges that his promotion will bring.

Chris McKeown was engineering manager at New Cross, Bexleyheath and Belvedere garages for three years before moving to sister company Metrobus. He returned to GoAhead London and took up his new role as chief engineer on 1 February.

Chris started his career with Go-Ahead as a graduate trainee in 2005 and has worked in engineering roles across the Group.

“When I heard that Richard Harrington had received a

promotion, I thought that the position of chief engineer was too good an opportunity to miss,” said Chris.

“It is good to be back!”

Chris is looking to acquaint himself with all the changes that have occurred since he left and familiarise himself with each garage.

...the position of chief engineer was too good an opportunity to miss.

He is also looking forward to working closely with engineering director Richard Harrington, particularly on the Equinox project.

“I wish to continue what seems to be a great run of engineering performance over the last year.

The engineering department is already running well, and I am hoping to sustain and improve on what is already in place,” said Chris.

“I have always enjoyed working with the engineering team and managers and I am looking forward to doing so again, albeit in a slightly different capacity.”

Stephanie comes to customer’s rescue.

ONE NEW Cross driver has the eternal thanks of one grateful customer.

Stephanie Amajoutt received a letter of commendation thanking her for her kind actions on 18 December.

She was driving on the 321 service, from Foots Cray to New Cross Gate, when a passenger getting on at Eltham High Street asked Stephanie to phone for an ambulance as a customer at the stop had collapsed with chest pains.

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Driver Anna Holmes proudly shows her commendation letter.

Stephanie refused to leave the scene and the frightened customer until an ambulance arrived to care for her.

“It wasn’t really anything,” said a modest Stephanie. “I am just glad that she was alright.”

The customer wrote in to offer her sincere appreciation of Stephanie’s actions and thanked her sincerely for her kindness.

“It brought tears to my eyes when the customer wrote in and thanked me. It was very humbling,” said Stephanie.

Anna, you’re a lifesaver...

U

NLESS your profession is one involving medicine, it is not very often you get to say that you saved someone’s life while at work.

Blue Triangle driver Anna Holmes was driving a late shift one evening when she came across an altercation between three men in the middle of the street.

As Anna drew closer she realised that one of the men was receiving quite a severe beating from the other two.

Thinking quickly, Anna drove the bus into the range where CCTV would capture images of what was going on and started honking her horn trying to get the men away from the victim.

“I started to get a bit worried as the men stopped what they were doing and started walking towards the bus,” said Anna.

“Luckily, they eventually departed and I immediately put out a code red so that the emergency services knew what was going on.

“The victim was absolutely

covered in blood so some of my passengers went to his aid while I was calling for help.”

It turned out that the man had actually been the victim of a stabbing and if it was not for Anna’s help, could have very easily died.

“Not only was he missing most of his teeth from the assault but the blade of the knife had also broken off inside him,” added Anna.

“I spoke to him soon after the incident and he said that if I had not intervened then things could have gone very differently.

“As well as driving I am also a special constable but I have to say I had never seen anything remotely like that before.

“I have been told that one man has been arrested as a result of the CCTV footage that was captured and hopefully the other one will be caught soon too.

“The police are sending a thank you letter to the garage which is great and I am very proud I was able to help in what was quite a surreal situation.”

Going that extra mile to provide a festive service IT was a busy couple of December days over Christmas for Go-Ahead London with airport services being laid on, as well as eight garages providing extra staff and buses at short notice for the District Line.

On Christmas Day, Go-Ahead London operated an express service between Gatwick and Heathrow airports, providing a much-needed link for travellers to the UK who would have had little alternative.

Volunteers The service was staffed by volunteers, and carried 50 per cent more passengers than last year following the introduction of the service in 2010.

The company also provided a rail replacement on Gatwick Express, during its annual Christmas Day shutdown.

Then on Boxing Day replacement buses

Driver Peter Lecount does his good deed for the day.

A

CUSTOMER thanked one modest New Cross driver from the bottom of her heart for his kind actions.

Peter Lecount encountered a distressed young woman while at the garage checking his bus over on 2 January.

It emerged that the customer had lost her purse on the Route 271 run by Abellio London and had gone to the wrong garage.

covered the District Line from Wimbledon to West Brompton and Wimbledon to Hammersmith, which was extended to central London, to cover industrial action taken by Tube drivers.

Operating manager Alan McCormack said that Putney, which provided a large number of the extra buses required, only had about 72 hours’ warning. The garage was already committed to providing rail replacement services, but extra buses and drivers helped ensure that services could be extended, too.

“If the extra buses and drivers weren’t available then I think we would have been quite overextended,” said Alan. “We have a wonderful group of staff who worked hard to make sure everything ran smoothly as no-one wants to get stuck away from home on Boxing Day.”

Darren has the drive to succeed at Mandela Way

New operating manager, Darren Barnden.

DARREN BARNDEN is looking forward to a new set of challenges having become Mandela Way’s operating manager at the end of January.

Starting as a driver five years ago, Darren quickly moved up the ranks and joined the internal management training scheme in 2009.

From there, he became assistant operating manager at Stockwell in December 2010 before moving to Mandela Way. “It’s great to have my own garage and I can’t wait to get my teeth stuck in to everything,” said Darren.

“The garage is already really well run and I hope I can continue to improve it as time goes by.”

Gimme five!

Criminal caught by camera...

Peter took her to the correct garage but realised that if her purse wasn’t there then she would be stuck, so he gave her £5 from his own pocket to get home.

“I gave her £5 without thinking about it, it was no skin off my nose,” said Peter. “She didn’t want to take it, so I told her that if she saw me again she could give it back to me – if not, then no worries.”

The grateful customer did, in fact, return Peter’s money to the garage the next day, praising Peter’s actions and declaring him to be “the best bus driver in London.”

“I didn’t expect her to return the money. It was really nice of her,” said Peter. “It was a real feelgood factor. It is just something I would do every day. If anyone is in trouble, I will always try to help them.”

A CRIMINAL was successfully convicted thanks to CCTV cameras aboard a GoAhead London bus.

Cameras on board a vehicle on Route 468, between South Croydon and Elephant and Castle, captured the perpetrator.

The CCTV images were later used as evidence in court and he was successfully prosecuted for robbery and sexual offences.

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Moving on up... n The Group graduate engineering training scheme is a programme that takes on a university graduate every year and provides an insight into different aspects of the business.

IN OUR Face 2 Face column we chat to Paul Muffitt who is a senior garage administrator at Mandela Way garage. We asked Paul a series of light-hearted questions.

n The intense programme covers a number of different areas across the Go-Ahead Group that helps the successful trainees go into engineering management roles.

Q: If you were an actor who would be your leading lady?

n Bus Talk catches up with the recent graduates of the scheme as well as a new trainee as he begins his career with GoAhead…

A: Meryl Streep.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: Every day is completely different from the previous day, especially at Mandela Way! Q: What is your earliest childhood memory?

Graduate Tharsan Rasalingam, right, now a satellite manager.

A: Riding my chopper bike.

Q: What character trait do you most admire in others?

A: Honesty.

Q: What was your New Year’s resolution?

A: To lose a little bit of weight and to get a bit fitter.

Q: Describe your perfect day.

A: Sitting in a bar in sunny Berlin – I have been there 24 times in the past six years!

Q: Who do you most admire?

A: Ken Livingstone.

Q: What was the first single that you ever bought?

A: The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Tight Fit.

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WO recent graduates of the Group graduate engineering training scheme have nothing but good words to say about the programme.

Matt Nixon and Tharsan Rasalingam both completed the scheme in October and are now in full-time employment with the Go-Ahead Group.

Tharsan is now a satellite manager for Go-Ahead London and Matt is the engineering manager at the Whitehawk depot at Go-Ahead London’s sister company in Brighton.

They both feel their professional success is down to the graduate training scheme.

“It’s an intensive programme which gives you a taste of all sides of the business,” said Matt. “You see a lot of different parts of the Go-Ahead Group – not just in London but in the provincial markets as well.”

As part of the two-year scheme, trainees spent time learning about vehicle maintenance and different managerial roles, visiting manufacturers and exploring other areas of the business such as marketing and finance.

The two even took a trip to Volvo in Sweden, where they learned about how vehicles were made.

They also took various qualifications including compu health and safety certificates and a PCV license to ena them to drive vehicles that carry passengers.

“We are tailor made to Go-Ahead which puts us at an advantage,” said Tharsan. “The industry is quite unique A six-month placement was also undertaken at the e of the course.

“My placement became my permanent position. The managers were pleased with my performance and the were happy to take me on full time,” said Tharsan. “Th programme was very good and I was fortunate to get o it.”

It’s an intensive programme which gives you a taste of all sides of the business.

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Scott is new kid on the block

We are tailor made to Go-Ahead which puts us at an advantage

Both Matt and Tharsan recommend the graduate scheme to others and believe that it gives someone a great insight into the business, “I would absolutely recommend the scheme to others,” said Matt. “For someone who is relatively new to the business, behind the scenes it’s a big operation.

“There is also such a great support network and always a lot going on.”

Tharsan added that the support he had received from the Go-Ahead Group’s engineering directors had been tremendous, as had the assistance provided by Simon Brown (I Mech E mentor). Simon has been working with the graduates towards achieving chartered status. Jim Collins, the Group’s graduate project manager, has also provided an invaluable role as a mentor and manager for the team.

Scott Millar, the latest recruit to the graduate training scheme.

GO-AHEAD’S newest trainee is thoroughly enjoying the Group graduate engineering training scheme.

Recent university graduate Scott Millar has been kept busy since he began the programme in September.

“It has been absolutely great so far, I am really enjoying myself,” said Scott. “It is exactly what I was looking for in a graduate programme.”

Scott was thrown in at the deep end on joining Go-Ahead. He began by getting to grips with a new programme that will soon be in widespread use across engineering departments.

He has also had more hands-on

roles in garages across London as well as looking at energy saving proposals for the company.

“I have also completed my PCV training,” said Scott. “I have never lived in London before so getting to grips with driving in London was a really great experience.”

In the coming months, Scott will be spending time with other operating companies within the Go-Ahead Group and visiting manufacturers of Volvo in Sweden and Wrightbus in Ireland.

“I am looking forward to being able to help with next year’s recruitment process by speaking to potential candidates and sharing my experiences,” said Scott.

promoTIONS

Graduate Matt Nixon, now an engineering manager.

CONGRATULATIONS to the following who have recently received promotion to garage administrator or senior garage administrator: BEXLEYHEATH n Nicola Margerison (garage administrator) CAMBERWELL n Ricky Field (senior garage administrator) MANDELA WAY n Janet Howell (senior garage administrator) PECKHAM n Peter Cooke (garage administrator) n Diana Gasianceva (senior garage administrator) PUTNEY n Bradley Embleton (senior garage administrator) n James Ensor (garage administrator) STOCKWELL n Gennaro Borrelli (garage administrator) n Elizabeth Brion (garage administrator) n Kerry Wentworth (garage administrator) SUTTON n Maria Aiken (garage administrator) WATERLOO n Jordan Campbell (garage administrator) These appointments were delayed due to the uncertainty over the potential closure of Mandela Way garage in 2011, but recruitment went underway as soon as the future of the garage was secured.

These new roles were taken up on 31 December, 2011.

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Gearing up for a busy summer G

O-AHEAD London is going full steam ahead in the build-up to one of the biggest events the capital has ever seen – the Olympics.

Go-Ahead London was successful in its bid for the provision of transport on behalf of LOCOG (London Organising Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games).

This means that the company is providing 100 vehicles and more than 200 staff to provide transport to the Olympic family – which includes the athletes participating in the events, the media and technical officials.

Go-Ahead has also been awarded the contract to provide transport for the sailing event in Weymouth, a task it is undertaking in

conjunction with Go South Coast.

“The recruitment is going full pelt for getting the staff involved,” said commercial manager Colin Farrant. “Volunteers have been selected and are currently going through an accreditation process with the Home Office.

“The security checks are stringent because of the high profile athletes who will be taking part.”

Training All members of staff will receive two days of training around venues being used for the Olympics, including the Stratford Olympic Park.

The company is involved in providing transport for test events in Weymouth and for the diving competition at Docklands ahead of their

contract beginning on 15 July in time for the opening ceremony on 27 July.

Go-Ahead London are being supported in this momentous task by sister companies Brighton & Hove and Go North East, as well as Metrobus. They will provide support in the form of drivers and vehicles.

As well as the prestigious Olympic Games, Go-Ahead London also has to run the special services that it provides for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and the Farnborough Air Show.

“It is going to be a very busy summer for us all here at Go-Ahead London,” said Colin. “But I believe it is going to be incredibly interesting for all those involved.”

COMMENDATIONS

Hannah lands key Olympic role

Hannah Self is enjoying her new role.

HANNAH SELF is going to have her work cut out for her in the run up to the Olympics, having been seconded to the commercial department.

Merton operations manager Hannah will be assisting with the planning and delivery of GoAhead London’s responsibilities to LOCOG during the Olympic games.

Hannah’s principal role will be to coordinate and manage all volunteers for Go-Ahead London and other Go-Ahead subsidiaries in the lead up to and during the games.

The first task Hannah undertook when she started in the role on January 26 was to compile a list of frequently asked questions and their responses, which were then delivered to each garage.

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Trips to Go-Ahead subsidiaries Go North East and Brighton & Hove were also on the agenda to help brief colleagues outside London who will be travelling to the city specifically for the games.

“I am a massive fan of the Olympics so I am looking forward to really getting my teeth stuck into the role,” said Hannah.

“As well as being a point of contact for everyone I will also be responsible for any communications.

“It’s definitely going to be a busy but exciting period for me as I also have my day-to-day role as well as studying for NEBOSH to contend with!

“I tried to get tickets for the Olympics myself but wasn’t successful so it’s nice to be involved in the Go-Ahead team working on the project instead.”

BEXLEYHEATH n A RELIEVED mother has praised Christopher Cook for helping her son return home safely after he lost his bus pass during his journey.

BLUE TRIANGLE n EDWIN Miller and Andy Irabor have received a commendation from Ms Nash for helping to return her daughter’s games console when it was left on Edwin’s bus.

MERTON n A SATISFIED customer has commended Diakaridia Dembele for “thoughtfulness and consideration” when helping elderly passengers on and off his bus.

Miss Evans said everyone on the bus was “delighted and expressed their appreciation” at his actions.

NEW CROSS n A SATISFIED customer has written in to thank Elizabeth Smith for her “polite and helpful” manner when dealing with passengers.

PECKHAM n MR MAYNE has written in to thank Francis Bukari, Peter Smith, Edwin Asafu-Adjaye and Selime Serit for their teamwork in helping to return his wallet, which he left on the 37 service.

STOCKWELL n GRATEFUL Ms Man has thanked Jeremy Couchman for his “helpful and courteous” manner when helping foreign travellers with their routes. n COLIN Shirley has been commended by a customer for “his kindness” when she ran out of money and could not pay her fare but also risked being late for work.

Colin gave the customer a fare notice so that she could continue on her journey.

He bangs the drums ...loudly!

Driver and drummer Oz Hassan doing what he loves.

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LAYING the drums in Seville’s Estadio de La Cartuja means Oz Hassan is one of very few people who can say they made more noise than the crowd of 10,000 surrounding them.

Blue Triangle driver Oz first took up the drums when he was in school and once he had banged out his first rhythm, he was hooked.

At the age of 17, Oz got the opportunity to travel round Los Angeles with the band Neon Bomb and has played in various countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Not one to neglect his home country, Oz has also played in a number of notable venues in locations all around the UK. “About four years ago I joined a band called The Dirty Rich, which helped me get to know a lot Paulmusic-orientated people,” said Oz. more Broomhall.

“I then left the band for a while a couple of years

ago and was soon after given the opportunity to play in Seville – certainly one of the highlights on my career.

“I remember that being a particularly stressful trip as not only did I get to play in front of thousands of people, but my wife also went into labour while I was out there, too!”

Since then, Oz has rejoined The Dirty Rich, which specialises in its own genre known as ‘punk rave’.

“During our travels we have supported acts such as the Rat Pack, which was extremely influential in the dance scene.

“It’s been six years of hard work as a musician, but it feels like our efforts are really starting to pay off now.”

If you are interested in listening to Oz and his band-mate’s music first hand then do not hesitate to visit www.thedirtyrich.com.

Tender news from across London IN OUR regular column for Bus Talk, we highlight just a few of the recent announcements made in the latest round of re-tendering.

All operators have retained their routes for a further five years.

Arriva Kent Thameside • Arriva Kent Thameside has retained Route 370. This service, from Romford to Lakeside, will run with existing double deck buses (11PVR).

Arriva London North • Arriva London North has retained Route 128, from Claybury Broadway to Romford. Existing double deck buses (13 PVR) will run on this service.

London United • Route 220, from Wandsworth to Willesden Junction Station, has been retained by London United. This service will run in the day with new double deck diesel buses (25 PVR), with existing hybrid buses being used on the night service.

Stagecoach East London • Route 103 has been retained by Stagecoach East London. A mixture of new and existing double deck buses (12 PVR) will run on the Rainham to Romford service.

• Stagecoach East London has also retained Route 175, from Dagenham to Chase Cross. This service will be operated with existing double deck buses (12 PVR).

Ian’s on the search for ROUTES ARE A REAL REWARD costume inspiration! n Continued from page 1

IT’S THAT time of year again when Merton engineering manager Ian Bates hits the streets in preparation for yet another London Marathon.

Ian, who ran both the London and Brighton marathons last year, hopes to raise a minimum of £2,500 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Last year Ian ran in a dinosaur costume and he says he is looking for any suggestions people have on what he can wear for this year’s event.

“Nothing has been decided at the moment so any ideas people have for what I can wear are more than welcome,”

said Ian. “The costumes are uncomfortable but it’s also great as no-one can see me huffing and puffing and it’s also an excuse not to run as quick!

“I actually lost both of my parents to cancer so Macmillan Cancer Support seemed like a logical choice of charity to raise money for.

“The care they give is second to none and I hope to raise a decent amount of money for them.”

If you want to donate to this very worthy cause then just visit Ian’s webpage at www. justgiving.com/ianbates41.

“I am delighted that this most recent tender pushes Blue Triangle over the mini-milestone of one per cent of the London bus market.”

Prolific high frequency Route 22, from Putney Common to Piccadilly Circus, was also retained by GoAhead London for a further five years.

This route, which runs out of Putney garage, will receive ten brand-new hybrid buses when the new contract begins in October. The remaining 13

buses for this route are conventional diesel.

Putney operating manager Alan McCormack said: “It is very good news – everyone here at the garage is delighted. Route 22 is one of our three major town routes and it is very popular with the staff. The garage is producing very good targets and this retained route has been a real reward for staff, the directors are very pleased with us,” said Alan. “All our staff are really looking forward to driving the new hybrid buses.”

Have YOU got a story?

If so, why not get in touch?

We’re always on the look-out for articles about our readers so give us a call on 01932 243400 or email us at go-ahead@ruxley.co.uk BusTalk l February 2012

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Emma proves to be a real sweetie!

COLLEAGUES at Bexleyheath have been indulging their sweet tooth while raising money for the Demelza Hospice at the same time.

Anyone can buy a packet of sweets or biscuits from the counter in the garage for £1, with all proceeds going to the charity.

The Demelza Hospice provides respite care, short breaks, symptom control and end of life care for children and young people with life-limited and life-threatening conditions, including those having treatment for cancer.

So far, after only five months, more than £600 has been raised for the charity and senior garage administrator Emma Tooze thinks there will still be more to come.

“We have someone who comes in to deliver the sweets to us and at the rate they’ve been selling we’ve been seeing him quite a lot recently,” said Emma.

“I think everyone is happy to chip in a pound now and then and after selling them for a while it all adds up!

“The charity is a really worthy cause to support too and does some fantastic work with children in the area.”

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HEN Camberwell driver Gary Chappelle travelled to Hampshire with the Surrey Searchers metal detecting club he had no idea he was going to make the discovery of a lifetime.

Gary has been a metal detecting enthusiast for more than 15 years, travelling around the UK to attend meets at the weekend.

On December 4 Gary and friends were busy searching an area near an old medieval village when Gary discovered a 24-carat gold half noble.

The particularly rare coin features Philip the Bold and is due to be auctioned.

“When we were looking around we were just finding the usual stuff at first,” said Gary.

“I was speaking to my friend and we agreed to tell each other if we found anything good – I walked a further ten

steps, my detector went off and I found the coin!

“At first I thought it was a bottle top, but on closer inspection I knew straight away what it was. Everyone was astounded when I showed them.

“Since then I’ve been and had the coin flattened and also taken it to be valued in London ahead of the auction.

“The reserve price on it will be £50,000 and the last similar coin auctioned was sold at £460,000.

“There’s still a long way to go until the auction so I’m not counting my chickens at the moment but I am certainly more than a little bit excited to see how it turns out!”

Emma Tooze, right, and Garry White raising funds for the Demelza Children’s Hospice.

Above, the rare coin that Gary Chappelle, left, unearthed with his metal detector.

Gary could be coining it...

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Published by Go-Ahead London. Produced by Ruxley Communications, Walton-on-Thames. Printed by Evolve Print Solutions, Rickmansworth.