Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1077

Wednesday March 6, 2013 Issue 1077 | ÂŁ2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Coach driver gets nine months imprisonment for drink driving p4

OPERATOR:

Improving standards at Abellio's operations in Surrey p30

BUS:

FACE TO FACE:

Arriva's MAN EcoCity Tony Wilson on CNG buses delivered in Abellio's fast growth the North West p7 and bright future p24

for recruitm FOCUS ON

Abellio: delivering a quality service

JOB ADVE ent EVERY WERTS EK

RECRUIT N

OW

p18

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this week

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Troubles over the border

S

ome of you will doubtless think this week’s Editorial is somewhat akin to ‘Coach & Bus Wales’, but that’s inevitably the nature of a weekly publication – responding to events as they take place. Starting with the coach driver jailed for drink-driving (p4), I’m sure I’m not alone in being horrified at his actions. I’ve not succeeded in formally confirming his (former?) employer but I am reliably informed it was nothing to do with the highly reputable operators in his neck of the woods. One of the ‘joys’ of the post Leveson era which you’re unlikely to read about in the Left-wing press is the reluctance of the police to help us journos and this is a case in point. I must say however, that I find it most curious how a coach firm from St Helens can economically transport a school group – which is hardly going to be top rate work – to Liverpool for the day when it potentially involves at least 50-odd miles of dead mileage each way. This of course, comes when there is no shortage of experienced, highly reputable coach operators in the Wrexham area. I have received

an explanation from informed sources but again, I dare not legally publish anything until I receive official confirmation.

Meanwhile, as if 2012’s last minute BSOG cut wasn’t bad enough, the precise bus funding figures for operators and local authorities in Wales is still unknown – and that’s with less than a month to go until the start of the new financial year. However, what we do know is that funding will be slashed by 25% when it is capped at £25m for the Local Transport Services and BSOG budgets which will be combined into the new Regional Transport Services Grant. Taking account of the changes to dead mileage, the cut is realistically more like 33% – contrary to government ‘spin’.

Yikes! And there’s more too – as reported on p6.

Unfortunately, Welsh Transport Minister Carl Sargeant has declined my request for a groundbreaking interview, only agreeing to answer “up to” five questions electronically.

Boo. All is not lost however, as I’ve never been one for giving up easily...

Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

24

38

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

14

MD Tony Wilson talks about Abellio operations in London and Surrey

26

Engineering Director Phil Pannell talks technology and partnerships

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

16

CBW talks to Abellio’s Performance Director, Mark McGuinness

30

An insight into the workings at Abellio’s largest London depot

An overview of CBW’s focus on Abellio. Plus company history...

18

A look at Abellio’s deregulated operations in the provinces

36

A lighthearted look at the industry.

Plus Office Diary column

MD of UK Bus Alan Pilbeam shares his thoughts on Abellio’s ambitions

An unusual side on view of an Abellio ADL Enviro400 in Victoria

All the latest people moves from across the industry

News

Regional News Abellio Intro Face to Face

Face to Face

Performance

Operator Profile Big Picture

Engineering

40

Depot Profile

68

Last Stop

69

People

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

For all your relief coach driver needs call us today 0845 2416 288 www.justcoachdrivers.com www.coachandbusweek.com

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04/03/2013 19:07

4 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

news

“Within eight months, having looked at the way we worked and the way we were structured, we had already seen some early improvements.”

Mark McGuinness Abellio Performance Director

briefly According to National Express, over a million visits - the equivalent to more than 30,000 every day – were made to nationalexpress.com from mobile phones and tablets in January 2013. This represented a 140% increase year-on-year from 2012 and is the biggest spike in people using the site since its launch in April 2011. The increased mobile visits also had positive impact on sales figures, with revenue from tickets sold via handheld devices topping £1m every month for the last six months.

More demand for the coach has led to Chalkwell stepping up its commuter service from Maidstone to London. A sixth commuter coach now leaves Vintners Park at 0558hrs to cater for extra passengers believed to be leaving the train for the coach.

“The recent increase in rail fares averaging 6% is seeing more commuters turn to the coach which means meeting the extra demand from Maidstone,” said Chalkwell Operations Manager Andy Bates.

FirstGroup is introducing a 24-hour service on the 75 route between Hengrove and Cribbs Causeway, in Bristol from March 24.

Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director Marc Reddy said the company was also adding other late night journeys to several other routes including the 40, 43, 44, 48, 54, 70 and 90. A basic night ticket on the 24-hour 75 service will cost £2.90.

First has introduced a new customer charter and customer promise for customers in Hampshire. The customer charter outlines the company’s commitment to its bus passengers.

It explains what the company will do to keep customers informed about its services and how it will let them know about changes to timetables, or services if they are disrupted by road works or severe weather. The Customer Promise ensures passengers can easily claim a refund in travel vouchers for the cost of their journey if it is found their bus ran more than 20 minutes late, more than one minute early or if it failed to operate at all. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Face to Face p26

Drunk coach driver jailed for 9 months Judge describes the actions of Lewis Robert McDonald as the “height of irresponsibility” A drunk coach driver has been jailed for nine months after he took his passengers on a ‘terrifying’ 70mile journey.

Mold Crown Court heard how the 49-seater coach, driven by Lewis Robert McDonald of St Helens, swayed from side to side as it headed down a motorway.

Booked by the PTA of Madras Primary School, at Penley near Wrexham, the 30 adults and four teenagers had been on a shopping trip to Liverpool One on November 10 last year.

Headmistress Lynda Houston told how on the M53 he drove in the middle lane at about 20 mph.

Then on the A483 other cars had to take evasive action and sound their horns as the 69-year-old defendant changed lanes a number of times for no apparent reason.

A passenger told how he turned off the dual carriageway and drove the wrong way around a roundabout. As the coach approach

Overton, passengers shouted at him to slow down due to his speed on the tight bends at the bridge over the Dee, fearing they would end up in the river.

When the coach eventually stopped, a motorist who had followed for 15 miles and whose wife had contacted the police jumped on board and seized the coach ignition keys to prevent McDonald driving any further.

Police arrived and arrested him, and McDonald said: “That’s me finished.”

A breath test three hours after he set off from Liverpool showed he had 58 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath compared to the legal limit of 35. He said he had not touched a drop of alcohol for weeks but had a relapse. McDonald said he had returned home and had a couple of tumblers of whisky and coke.

“You have one and then you have two, don’t you,” he told police.

Defending barrister Oliver King said his client would never get behind the wheel again. McDonald, a coach driver for 40 years, admitted

Stagecoach’s discounted bus travel scheme for jobseekers Stagecoach has launched the country’s first long-term nationwide discounted bus travel scheme for jobseekers.

As of February 27, 2013 holders of a Jobcentreplus Travel Discount Card will qualify for half-price single and return tickets on Stagecoach services in the UK, with the aim of helping them to find employment. More than 800,000 people currently qualify for a Travel Discount Card. Those eligible include people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support and are actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser in returning to employment.

The scheme is being funded entirely by Stagecoach with no

The scheme is being trialled for six months prior to becoming permanent public sector support and will initially run for six months with a view to testing the potential for a permanent discount.

Charlie Mullen, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “Youth unemployment is one of the biggest issues facing our

dangerous driving and drink driving. Banned from driving for two years, he was also ordered to take an extended re-test before he drives again.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said it “beggars belief you started drinking knowing that you were taking a coach with passengers back from Liverpool to Penley”.

“Passengers became more and more concerned with people shouting at you during the latter part of the journey to get back onto the correct side of the road.”

He added: “You had far too much to drink and then to drive a coach is the height of irresponsibility.

You were responsible for your 34 passengers, most of them parents of young children.”

The judge also noted, worryingly, McDonald had told a probation officer he did not believe his driving had been affected by his drinking or that he had placed anyone at risk by his behaviour.

Asked to confirm details of Mr McDonald’s employer, North Wales Police told CBW the force was unable to comment on the story. country today and we know the bus is Britain’s most important mode of public transport. Stagecoach already offers the lowest bus fares of any major operator in the country, making public transport affordable for those on low incomes. We hope this new initiative can help kick-start careers for those who are struggling to get that first job or training place.”

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “Following a month long commercial trial of BusforJobs which gave free travel to jobseekers in January, I warmly welcome the fact that Stagecoach has decided to continue with a 50% discount to jobseekers. I would encourage other operators who took part in the scheme to consider offering similar discounts to help those looking for work to find work.”

Full details of the scheme can be found at www. stagecoachbus.com/backonboard

04/03/2013 19:09

March 6, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 5

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NatEx cite concession woes for fall in profit National Express posted a pretax profit of £164.1m for last year, down from £180.2m in 2011 as part of the operator’s financial report for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The Group said it was unable to overcome the decline of one million in the number of elderly and disabled passengers carried by its UK coach business, as a result of the UK Government’s removal of its concessionary scheme. Nat Ex claim the significant drop in coach passengers has driven the year-onyear decline in Group profit.

However, the Group described trading as “robust” for 2012 as it continued to improve services and deliver on its business strategy.

Other highlights included: Third year of growing non-rail profit, at £185.2m (£181.8m in 2011);

Cost savings of £34m for 2012 and improved operational performance; A Group non-rail ROCE improvement of 14% over 3 years to 10.6%; Generated £140m of free cash flow (before rail franchise handover) and funded over £125m of organic capital investment; Won nearly £2bn of new contracted revenue in the last 12 months; Successfully integrated Petermann with annualised synergies of $10m; and A strong balance sheet with long-term funding maturity.

The Group also proposed a 3% rise in its total dividend to 9.7p.

Dean Finch, National Express Group CEO said: “I’m pleased with the progress the Group as a whole

The new funding model due to take effect in Wales from April could contravene European Union (EU) state aid rules – according to CPT Cymru.

The Welsh Government’s new Regional Transport Services Grant (RTSG) will replace BSOG and the Local Transport Services Grant.

Because BSOG’s predecessor FDR (Fuel Duty Rebate) was created

before the UK joined the EU in the 1960s, state-aid rules do not apply to the existing funding – but any new funding has no such immunity.

The European Commission (EC) told The Western Mail: “The UK authorities have not yet notified a new bus grant in Wales which replaces BSOG from April 1. The European Commission therefore has not been able to assess if such a scheme would constitute state aid.”

If the EC later deems the RTSG illegal, bus operators and local authorities – already reeling from a 25% funding cut – may have to repay funding they received and spent, leading to more service cuts.

New Welsh bus funding could be illegal

has made, with four of our five divisions performing strongly. Our most significant challenge was the decline in National Express Coach’s elderly and disabled passengers by one million after the UK Government’s removal of its coach concession scheme. This

NatEx have tried to mitigate the drop in passengers by reintroducing the over 60s coach card However, the Welsh Government is confident the RTSG will be permitted, because measures will be taken to ensure the scheme fully complies with EU rules by 2019.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said transport minister Carl Sargeant had decided to introduce the new RTSG, for buses and community transport, following advice from a review group which included council and bus-industry representatives. She also said the grant’s first financial year, 2013-14, would be a transition year. “As part of its work, the Bus Funding Review Group considered the possible implications for the

made 2012 one of the most difficult years in National Express Coach’s 40 year history and has driven the decline in National Express Group operating profit. However, our recent contract wins in Spain and North America and selection

by German authorities to run two rail contracts are an indication of the international strength of our business, something we are determined to build on in 2013.

“We are optimistic about our future prospects. We expect to deliver organic growth in four of our divisions as our combination of value for money fares and operational excellence provides a compelling passenger offer in austere times. Strong cash generation and prudent management of our debt will provide flexibility in the future.

We are determined to build on our recent contract successes in Spain, North America and Germany as we leverage our strong international business portfolio to deliver growth.” new scheme of current state-aid legislation,” she said.

“The phased transition to the new RTSG scheme satisfies the requirement that such schemes should demonstrate progressive compliance with the legislation by December 2019.”

With less than a month to go, CPT Cymru’s Director of Government Relations John Pockett told CBW: “Because nothing formal was forthcoming, we have written for reassurance and look forward to receiving WAG’s formal reply.

Clearly, operators do not want to accept funding and then be forced to repay it.”

Vehicle Inspection & Maintenance Compliance Services

If you would like further information please call 01543 897505 or visit www.lloydmorgangroup.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com

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04/03/2013 19:10

6 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

news › BUSeS

42

Number of routes operated

by Abellio in London

briefly First Wessex has gained permission to redevelop its former Southdown depot in Hilsea, Portsmouth. The plans will see the 1930s building demolished and replaced with a six-storey building with 59 flats and a doctor’s surgery. In the face of opposition from neighbours, First Wessex successfully argued rejection of the proposal would mean they would lose the £500,000 awarded by Homes and Communities Agency to demolish the site.

Punter Southall is to provide actuarial and administrative services to the Reading Transport Staff Retirement Scheme. Scheme Actuary Gareth Jones won the competitive pitch for the £26m, 500-member scheme with colleagues Martin Harlow and Chris Sandys from Punter Southall’s Wokingham office. Reading Transport’s Finance Director, Greg Chambers, said: “We engaged Punter Southall to provide actuarial and administrative services for our Defined Benefit scheme and they have handled the transition from our previous advisors in a smooth and professional manner.”

In January, First Aberdeen halved the price of its ‘First Family’ ticket at weekends. As a result of the increase in patronage, First has extended the initiative until March 31. Up to two adults and three children can travel anywhere on the network for just £4 at weekends. Duncan Cameron, Director and GM of First Aberdeen said: “I’m delighted the number of families taking advantage of the offer has more than doubled.”

From March 20, 2013, revised European legislation will introduce new requirements to annual vehicle tests to reflect advances in technology. These changes will not affect the basic cost of a test. Tests carried out on cars, vans, HGVs, buses and coaches will be affected and checks on a number of items are being introduced including: Electronic power steering malfunction indicator lamp, Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative, Engine mountings and Speedometer. www.coachandbusweek.com

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£18m investment in South Yorkshire buses Funding will focus on improvements to city centre infrastructure, traffic control and audio-visual systems South Yorkshire has been awarded a grant of £18.3m of Government funding to improve bus services and information across Sheffield.

Norman Baker announced the DfT grant on February 26.

The grant combines money already paid directly to bus operators with new Government funding, to be invested in improving bus services and traffic management across Sheffield. The local bid, developed in partnership with operators, aims to improve access to jobs and services across the Sheffield City Council area.

The additional £18.3m funding

allows developments to be made in three key areas: Improvements to infrastructure used by routes in the city centre; Improvements to traffic control to reduce bottlenecks; and An extension to the provision of audio visual equipment on buses.

Proposals also include revenue schemes to reduce costs for operators to minimise future fare increases, highways improvements and technology to better control traffic signals and give priority to buses.

David Young, SYPTE Director of Customer Experience, said: “An effective bus network is an essential part of a vibrant economy and the BBA grant will help get transport moving more efficiently on key

Cllr Leigh Bramall, SCC Cabinet Member for Transport, Transport Minister Norman Baker and David Brown, SYPTE Director General, pictured during Norman Baker’s visit to endorse the bus partnership in November 2012

BBA & BSOG reform Conference A one-day conference on the Better Bus Areas Fund and BSOG Reform is to take place at The Axis, Birmingham on Thursday, April 25, 2013.

Organised by PTRC Education and Research Services, the conferences and training arm of the CILT, the event features several

high-profile speakers. Chaired by renowned Professor Peter Mackie from the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, speakers include David Sidebottom, Passenger Focus Director; David Young, Director of Customer Experience SYPTE; Robert Montgomery, Stagecoach; James Padden, Department for Transport; Mark Kemp, Oxfordshire County Council and Matt Gamble and Alan Brett from Atkins.

The event comes at a time when the DfT has announced reform and changes to BSOG.

corridors in Sheffield, support employment and improve air quality for everyone.

“We are committed to providing the best transport network for this part of Sheffield and this additional funding means SYPTE has secured inward investment in excess of £150m in the last two years.”

To qualify for BBA funding, the Sheffield Bus Partnership’s proposals had to demonstrate good value for money, patronage growth and emission benefits, reduced wait journey times and the support of local operators.

Giles Fearnley, First UK Bus MD, said: “The members of the Partnership, working together, have already made great strides in improving the quality of services but we have plans to do a lot more.

This funding will give a real boost to us being able to deliver on these further improvements, benefiting passengers across Sheffield.”

David Sidebottom, Passenger Focus Director, said: “The BBA is potentially good news for Sheffield’s bus passengers as it will deliver investment in infrastructure and new buses, all of which should lead to improved levels of passenger satisfaction with local bus services. Our annual Bus Passenger Survey finds out what passengers in Sheffield and surrounding areas think about their local bus service, so they will have the opportunity to give their verdict on whether the BBA has delivered the things that are important to them.”

The reform includes devolution of BSOG to local authorities to allow decisions to be taken locally. There will be the creation of a new local government fund Better Bus Areas which encourages local transport authorities and bus operators to work closely together to improve services, and boost passenger numbers by submitting business proposals.

For more information on the conference, contact Zeenara Najam at zeenara.

Najam@ptrc-training.co.uk

04/03/2013 19:11

March 6, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7

2009 225 The year Abellio entered the UK Bus market

SHARE WATCH

Vehicle capacity of Abellio’s Battersea Depot

Arriva invests £15.5m in green buses for NW Arriva North West has increased its green credentials with the introduction of 10 MAN EcoCity gas engine buses and 44 Volvo B5LH double-deckers to services in the North West as part of an overall investment worth £15.5m.

Special launch events were held for each of the deliveries at the operators’ Beechwood Avenue depot in Runcorn and outside Manchester town hall respectively.

The introduction MAN EcoCity gas engine buses to Runcorn follows a successful trial of the technology in Merseyside during 2012 and a £2m investment as a result of a bid to the government’s Green Bus Fund. The gas buses, powered by landfill-produced gas, went into service March 1 across Arriva’s 1, 2, X30 and 21 services.

The gas is provided by members of the Gas Bus Alliance. This recently formed organisation aims to support vehicle makers, dealers and operators with advice on all aspects of running low-emission Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles.

The 44 Volvo B5LH double decker buses with Wrightbus bodywork, are part of the largest order of its type outside of London

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Left to right: Rick Halsall, Head of Operations, Arriva Manchester, Cllr Andrew Fender, Chairman of the TfGM Committee, John Rimmer, MD, Arriva Manchester, Phil Stone, MD Arriva North West & Wales, Cllr Mark Aldred, Chairman of the Bus Network & TfGM Services Sub Committee and form Arriva Manchester’s first hybrid fleet. The vehicles entered service March 2 on the busy city service 10, which runs between Manchester and Salford.

The investment is part of a group wide campaign by Arriva to introduce more than £26.7m of new low carbon emission buses to its UK fleet. Arriva is funding £22.2m of the investment with the remainder provided by the Green Bus Fund.

Commenting on the introduction of the CNG vehicles John Rimmer, Managing Director of Arriva Manchester said: “The buses have been specially designed for the UK market and, as they run on bio-gas, provide a carbon neutral solution to the environmental challenges

Norfolk to trial £2.5m multioperator smartcard Transport Minister Norman Baker has approved Norfolk County Council’s (NCC) proposals for a demonstration project which will see smartcard technology rolled out to all county bus operators by 2015.

The project, costing up to £2.5m, will be paid for from funds which were announced last year as part of the Government push to get all buses in England smart enabled.

Norfolk was chosen for the pilot because it provides a mix of rural and urban journeys and a range of operators. The pilot lasts for three years but will be evaluated throughout so that the benefits can be understood and used nationally before the end of the trial.

Norwich P&R will be one of

News6,7top.indd 7

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, March 4. National Express saw the greatest proportional rise, while 21st Century saw the greatest proportional drop. Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

Norfolk was chosen for the pilot because it provides a good mix of services and operators the first services to use the new smartcards with a launch planned in early summer.

CBW understands operators are due to meet with NCC in the coming weeks to discuss the projects fine details. For example, First and

we face as a transport provider in the 21st century. This is a fantastic investment for Runcorn and these improvements are another step towards making bus travel as environmentally friendly as possible.

“The future will see further investment to reinforce our commitment to greener travel.”

On the new Hybrids, Cllr Andrew Fender, Chairman of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “Greater Manchester now has more new hybrid diesel-electric buses than anywhere outside London – by summer this year there will be 230. Our lead in this area is really something to be proud of and I’m glad to see Arriva playing their part.” konectbus already use smartcardenabled machines and AnglianBus has its own smartcard product.

The pilot will produce a series of outputs including: An evaluation of the benefits for passengers, local authorities and operators; Frameworks to procure services and supplies which other local authorities could use; Modular guidance for other local transport authorities to use; and a technical specification for smart equipment and support services suitable for use by smaller operators.

NCC’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation Graham Plant said: “This will help over 40 businesses operating over 700 vehicles to move to smartcards.

It will generate confidence in the technology, and with the smartcard being accepted by all operators, achieve a step change in service integration for passengers.”

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04/03/2013 19:12

8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

news › coaches

briefly The southbound carriagway of the M5 will be closed this weekend (March 9-10) between junctions 15-17 from 2200 until 0600hrs. The M4 to M5 South link roads will also be closed on these nights, from 2100 until 0600.

Work to strengthen the A14 Huntingdon rail viaduct begins this month. The rebuilding of parts of the northbound A1(M) near Alconbury, where it meets the A14, has also been planned to coincide with the work. This scheme will take place during May and June. Work on the viaduct will be limited to overnight lane closures on the A14 from mid-May, though some full closures will be required between Spittals and Alconbury for the A1(M) scheme during two weekends in June.

The main part of the scheme is due to start in summer 2013, with work expected to complete in the autumn. The majority of work will be limited to lane closures only and take place overnight between 2000 and 0600hrs the following morning when traffic flows are at their lowest.

A £1.3m ground investigation contract is expected to be awarded imminently, getting the A9 dualling underway in earnest. Subject to the mandatory standstill period, Transport Scotland will award the contract to Environmental Scientifics Group.

When this contract gets underway, it will mark the start of the Scottish Government’s programme to dual the A9 between Perth and Inverness by 2025. Work should last for four months. Progress is also being made elsewhere on the notorious route, on the Kincraig to Dalraddy section. Tenders for ground investigation work will be sought this month and these works are expected to start later this year, paving the way for construction to start in 2015/16.

A four-and-a-half mile stretch of the A46 between Tollbar End roundabout and the M69 near Coventry is to be resurfaced between March 11 and 22. All work will take place on the cross-country route overnight between 2100 and 0600hrs. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Anthony’s Travel names Beulas Spica in honour of Olympian The £225,000 coach is named after Special Olympian Omar Haddad, who the operator first transported 20 years ago Anthony’s Travel has named its new Beulas Spica after Special Olympian Omar Haddad.

When Anne, Richard and Tony Bamber were looking for an inspirational person after whom to name their latest coach purchase, they looked no further than Omar, who they first transported to school

20 years ago.

Anthony’s Travel’s purpose-built 49-seater MAN-powered Beulas Spica coach was officially launched at the Euro Bus Expo last November and entered service in December.

The fully accessible coach is fitted with a wheelchair lift.

Explaining the decision to invest £225,000 in the coach, Richard said: “We had noticed a growing demand for high quality fully accessible coach travel. While other options were available to us, many

Richard Bamber and Omar Haddad beside the new Beulas Spica

Leger Holidays in Sky TV documentary Leger Holidays promoted the benefits of coach holidays to the nation last week as part of a 12-part TV series on retirement and living.

Featuring interviews with Leger’s Managing Director Ian Henry, Marketing Director Huw Williams, colleagues and customers of the company, the 30 minute ‘HOW TO’ documentary highlights how empowering coach holidays can be for retired travellers seeking independence.

During the show, Leger representatives highlighted the many advantages coach holidays provide for retired holidaymakers, from the comfort and ease of door-to-door scenic drives to the continued support available from the driver and on board teams.

Leger’s unique Silver Service upgrades and Grand Explorer tours are also profiled to show just how luxurious and adventurous coach holidays can be.

Launched at 1930hrs on February 26, the documentary is to be repeated throughout March on both the FreeSat (channel 400) and Sky TV( channel 201) - giving viewers ample opportunity to tune in.

Huw Williams, Marketing Director at Leger Holidays, said:

of the coaches being offered to us sacrificed facilities for additional seating. What we wanted to ensure was that none of our passengers missed out and this coach has slightly more facilities than our other 49-seater executive coaches.

“Onboard facilities include air conditioning, a washroom, drinks machine, microwave, powerpoints, WiFi, a DVD player and even a karaoke machine.

“The tag line of the coach is ‘Access for all’ and therefore we thought it was only natural to name the coach after Omar.

“Omar has that shown that despite his disabilities they do not need to be a barrier. He has competed at the highest level and is a truly inspirational young man of whom we are all very proud.

“In selection of vehicle and facilities we have also received great support and advice from Bob Bryant of the Lets Go Stroke Club, a person and organisation which provide a real example of positive thinking.

“Bob tires us out just talking to him! His energy and enthusiasm certainly puts us more able bodied people to shame!”

“With over 30 years’ experience in escorted coach holidays, we’re obviously very passionate about the comfort, safety and security this method of transport provides especially for our retired travellers.

“Being invited to share this enthusiasm on a national TV platform was an amazing opportunity and we hope the show can inspire viewers to book themselves that dream holiday or well-earned break they deserve.

The whole team thoroughly enjoyed making the documentary and we look forward to seeing it on air.”

For more information on Leger Holidays, visit the operator’s website at www.leger. co.uk

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“In the grand scheme of things, we are a small operator, but we’re trying to provide the ‘big’ operator quality of service.”

Alastair Willis Abellio Surrey

Exhibitors gear up for BoBI The Best of Britain & Ireland event is taking place at the NEC in Birmingham next Thursday and Friday (March 13 and 14).

The exhibition allows trade visitors such as coach operators, group travel organisers and other travel product and service buyers the opportunity to meet and negotiate with hotels, venues, tourist attractions and tourism service suppliers.

ABTA The Travel Association has become the 14th trade association to throw its backing behind the show, and is taking part in the seminar programme on the Main stage in association with The Tourism Society. The ABTA keynote presentation on the first day of the show addresses the question of how the tourism industry can create more UK jobs.

This presentation is scheduled to take place after lunch on day one following the Tourism Question Time session chaired

by Bernard Donoghue, Director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, at which senior representatives of the industry from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales give their views on the current tourism climate and answering questions from the floor.

The show also features booking software specialists Distinctive Systems and Roeville who will

DJs like the sound of Motts’ DCPC

Popular radio personalities Ken Bruce (BBC Radio2) and Steve Madden (BBC Radio Berkshire), co-directors of ThisBus.com have just completed their Driver CPC qualification, having spent five days in the classroom at the Motts Travel Training School, under the stewardship of Darrell Minett, Motts’ Training Manager.

Being at the helm of the Routemaster operator in conjunction with their more public ‘radio’ lives meant taking DCPC instruction for the complete 35

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both be at hand to talk to operators about how their respective systems can benefit companies.

Andrew Fraser, Distinctive Systems’ Commercial Manager, told CBW: “We are looking to chat with existing clients and meet new clients at the show.

“We’ll be showing off a rewrite of our tour booking system, with a whole new look and new design.

“Visitors to the show can also find out about our gross payroll system and our vehicle maintenance system. All the latest features will be on show.”

The firm will also be able to talk about its Coach Manager Connect service which connects over 400 of Distinctive’s clients to create a network of operators, allowing subcontracted bookings to be offered and taken on easily and efficiently.

Roeville is showcasing its range of e-commerce solutions and back office reservation systems, with products available for a variety of different sized operators. t28 is an off-the-shelf package which meets the needs of small to medium sized coach tour operators whereas t3 is a premium product which can be customised to “fit into the corners” of larger and higher volume operators.

Operators with their own coach fleets can use the Roeville ph28 software for all their coach hire and contract reservations. This is a user friendly and highly flexible diary based system which handles quotations, firm bookings, driver and vehicle allocations, work ticket printing, confirmations and invoices.

Their faces say it all: Ken Bruce, Darrell Minett and Steve Madden hours at once was essential and Motts provided the perfect solution.

“We have had a most enjoyable week and have felt very much amongst friends. It’s nice to do business with such a professional and friendly firm. We would particularly like to thank Darrell for being so engaging,” said Steve.

Operator Profile p30

National Express has revealed it is on track for a Good Friday – and a Happy Easter – with strong advance ticket sales. Advance bookings for coach travel on Good Friday (March 29) are currently 57% up compared to 2012. On average, bookings are up 45% throughout the Easter period spanning from Maundy Thursday (March 28) to Easter Monday (April 01), compared to last year as people plan ahead for their holidays.

Journeys to airports are also up by over a fifth.

Sleafordian web bookings goes live Sleafordian Coaches’ new fully interactive online booking facility is now up and running.

Customers can now log directly on to the brand new website and view the many day trips and short breaks currently available. Should they then wish to make a booking, a seating plan is available enabling customers to see which seats are available and to select the seats they would like book. They can also select their preferred pick-up point from a list that includes Sleaford, Grantham, Boston, Heckington, Bracebridge Heath and Lincoln. Then it’s simply a case of going through to the check-out stage to make a debit or credit card payment. Gift vouchers can also be purchased, printed in denominations of £5, £10 & £20, and can be redeemed at the checkout stage as full or part payment.

The website also has a section containing testimonials from some of family-run firm’s satisfied customers.

Managing Director Mark Broughton said: “This is a further demonstration of our continuing intent to expand the services we provide. Whilst online booking and

The new Sleafordian home page payment isn’t for everyone, in the increasingly interactive world we live in, we believe it is something that should be available for those who want it.

“We also appreciate we have many customers who will prefer to continue using the more traditional methods of booking, either by calling in to our reception at Pride Parkway, Sleaford, to discuss their requirements face to face, or by booking by telephone and I would like to use this opportunity to stress that the new service is an addition to the services we currently offer and that both of the more traditional booking options will remain in place.”

Check out the new website at www.sleafordianholidays.co.uk

www.coachandbusweek.com

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news › international

Record tender for Iveco in Belgium The new buses are to be deployed throughout the Flanders interurban network BELGIUM Iveco has been awarded a record tender with Belgian Flemish public transport operator De Lijn for the delivery of 160 Euro 6 Crossway Low Entry buses.

Deliveries are due to start in early 2014. De Lijn quoted Iveco’s offer as the best in terms of economic and technical value.

The Crossways on order feature Cursor 9 engines with High Efficiency SCR (HI-eSCR), a fully patented advanced catalytic reduction system by FPT Industrial, which functions without the use of EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and guarantees reduced emissions and lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).

De Lijn operates a fleet of over 2,300 buses, transporting an estimated 500 million passengers each year across more than 225m kilometres in total. The new buses are to be deployed throughout the Flanders interurban network.

The Iveco Crossway Low Entry gained recognition in Europe

following an important tender signed last summer for the supply of more than 150 EEV (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle) buses to Germany’s largest transport authority, Deutsche Bahn Fuhrpark Service GmbH. The buses are manufactured at Iveco’s plant in Vysoke Myto, Czech Republic.

The De Lijn Crossway Low Entry is highly accessible thanks to two double doors (1,200 mm) at the front and in the middle, with a

completely flat floor in between to ensure practical wheelchair spaces. A retractable ramp for wheelchair users is installed in the centre entrance/exit and is deployed manually. The lowered front of the vehicle benefits from an interior height of 2,565m. It can be configured in terms of seats/ standing room according to the needs of the operator.

Iveco claims the unique FPT Industrial High Efficiency SCR (HI-eSCR) technology facilitates operating with low running costs, while guaranteeing the lowest possible environmental impact. The Cursor engine is also a leader in fuel economy and stands out for its robustness and high performance.

Euro 6 Crossway low entry De Lijn bus

First Student celebrates milestone

USA As part of the American School Bus Council’s (ASBC) Love the Bus Month, a campaign designed to raise awareness and appreciation for school bus drivers, First Student, an American subsidiary of FirstGroup, has recognised its school bus drivers across the US for their dedication to safety while transporting students for 100 years.

In 1913, Newman City Schools contracted with Patchett Bus and Transportation Company, providing student transportation services in California’s first school bus. Over the course of a century, the bus company ownership changed to First Student, the school bus design, safety features and driver training changed, but the commitment to safe, secure and reliable student www.coachandbusweek.com

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Wireless charging for electric buses in Germany GERMANY Operator Rhein-NeckarVerkehr GmbH (RNV) will carry out a trial of wireless inductive charging technology for electric buses.

The scheme involves two electric buses fitted with Canadian-based Bombardier’s PRIMOVE inductive charging technology, which enables them to be recharged wirelessly as they run in Mannheim, Germany.

The technology sees the wireless transmission of energy taking place between components embedded under the road surface and receivers mounted under vehicles.

It is claimed it eliminates the need for lengthy overnight plug-ins and lets vehicles be outfitted with lighter, smaller batteries, while allowing them to operate longer.

The project will help determine how the technology fares on a busy route. The data can be used improve infrastructure, batteries and operation.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development is providing €3.3m for the project, which is due to begin in Q2 of 2014.

KMB fares to rise 4.9%

First Student’s predecessor first ran school buses in 1913 in California transportation has remained.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are approximately 13 times safer than passenger cars and nearly 10 times safer than walking or biking.

“Our drivers recognise the tremendous responsibility they undertake in transporting children

to school throughout the year,” said Linda Burtwistle, president of First Student. “Together, they drive more than 630 million safe miles each year, which is a remarkable number. We are proud of the work they do and appreciate our team’s commitment to excellence. We truly love everything about the school bus.”

HONG KONG The Hong Kong Government has announced fares on KMB services will increase by an average of 4.9% with effect from March 17. The operator said the rate will not be sufficient to offset the operating costs generated by wage costs, fuel prices and tolls.

KMB said: “As a company running labour-intensive operations with a rigid cost structure, the majority of KMB’s cost components surge as a result of fluctuations in the external economic environment. Sufficient resources are of prime importance if KMB is to maintain smooth operations on its 400 routes, which serve a total of 2.6m passenger journeys each day.”

KMB’s last fare rise application was made two and a half years ago.

Fuel costs have since risen by more than 40% and labour costs by 9%.

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SCOTLAND

To recognise a year working with Lothian Autistic Society (LAS), Lothian Buses has built a bespoke model bus for the charity to use at its holiday playschemes.

Built by the engineers at the company’s Seafield depot, the ‘ride on bus’ is painted in Lothian Buses colours with company vinyls and a bus number plate. It sits up to four children who can pretend to be riding on their favourite bus.

During the 12 months which LAS has been the municipally-owned operator’s charity of the year, it received over £60,000 of support, which included on-bus advertising, free bus travel and donations from staff and passengers.

Ian Craig, Managing Director, said: “LAS was chosen as our first Charity of the Year and we have enjoyed getting to know them and helping with the work that they do. With many of the children they support loving our buses, a toy bus seemed like the perfect gift.”

Kristin Armour, LAS, said: “We have had a fantastic year with the support of Lothian Buses and it has been a joy to meet so many wonderful people. The children will thoroughly enjoy this ride on bus as it can help the children with simple things such as sharing with others, taking turns and general social skills which they can find difficult at times. To have something so personal to LAS made by the engineers is very special to us.”

Furthermore, this year The Lothian Buses Employees’ Charities Fund, made up of donations from staff wages which are then matched by the Company, gave over £30,000 to local charities. It was set up in 1979 to provide assistance to local causes and charities.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Clerical and managerial staff at Bus Éireann recently voted against Labour Court recommendations implementing a recovery plan to deal with the state-owned firm’s deteriorating financial situation. The Labour Court proposals involved increased hours for staff as well as cuts to allowances and overtime and reductions in annual leave. The TSSA union said 240 of its members at Bus Éireann had voted by 3:1 against the proposals.

“This is a clear statement from our members that they will not be bullied or intimidated by senior management at Bus Éireann,” www.coachandbusweek.com

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

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

the union’s Irish organiser Jim Kavanagh said.

“They are being asked to bear all the pain while those at the top keep all their gains. It simply won’t wash this time around.”

The union said a meeting would be held with the other unions at Bus Éireann after March 7.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: “We still want to negotiate a settlement which is fair to all sides but our members are telling management loud and clear – if we have to fight for justice in the work place we will.”

Bus Éireann warned staff last week that if they undertook industrial action they might not have jobs to return to.

In a letter to employees, company Chief Executive Martin Nolan said: “Unlike those directly employed in the public and civil service that would have jobs to return to after any industrial action, we may not.”

The intervention of the Labour Court averted a threatened strike at Bus Éireann after management proposed unilaterally implementing a recovery plan to deal with its deteriorating financial situation.

MIDLANDS

Motorists using Birmingham’s city centre bus lanes to beat traffic jams will face £60 fines in a long overdue crackdown.

The City Council said the enforcement drive was designed to ease congestion, persuade

commuters to use public transport and cut carbon emissions – not make money for the cash-strapped authority.

Starting this month, CCTV cameras, both fixed and operated from marked vans, will monitor bus lanes in and around the city centre – according to The Birmingham Mail. The enforcement covers bus-only zones in Lower Bull Street, Moor Street Queensway, Priory Queensway and St Martin’s Queensway.

If successful, the scheme will be expanded to other bus lanes around the city which the council believes have traffic congestion problems or where drivers are ignoring the restriction.

Currently only buses, coaches and, for some roads, black cabs, or hackney carriages, are allowed to enter Birmingham’s bus lanes. The council’s licensing committee is considering allowing private hire cars permission to use the lanes in future but, for now, they remain banned.

The authority’s Executive Member for Development, Jobs & Skills, Cllr Tahir Ali (Labour, Nechells), said: “Police enforcement of bus lanes is not a priority so the council needs to take action.

“The fines we will be imposing are in line with police standard fines. Their purpose is as a deterrent and will provide the means of funding the enforcement equipment.”

Derby’s bus station could be extended to include its exposed coach bays as part of a leisure redevelopment strategy for the Riverlights complex.

The city council is building an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the site as part of a £50m scheme.

As part of this, the council is considering extending the bus station building to include the site’s coach bays and an enclosed area at the rear door which would link it to the new pool site. It may also change the concourse next to the coach bays so it is as wide as that in the main building.

The council reportedly aims to spend £20,000 in 2013-14 on investigation and design work.

Councillor Ranjit Banwait said: “We are working with the aquatic centre design team to look at how changes to the bus and coach station could best fit into the overall design. This will form part of a design brief which will enable options and costs to be established.”

SOUTH EAST

Arriva has increased the number of buses it runs to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury as of Monday (March 4).

A frequent service already links the hospital with Tunbridge Wells town centre but some journeys currently terminating at Knights Park will be extended to run through to the hospital.

This increases the total number of hourly buses to and from the town centre to eight and provides a half-hourly link from the Sherwood area to the hospital.

Arriva’s Regional Publicity Manager, Richard Lewis, said: “Since the new hospital opened in late 2011 bus services have provided important links from surrounding towns and villages to the hospital.

“By making a simple adjustment to our Tunbridge Wells to Knights Park timetable, we are able to add an extra journey each hour.”

Arriva Southern Counties, Chalkwell Coach Hire, GoCoach-Hire, Nu-Venture Coaches and Stagecoach East Kent have all signed the Kent Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnership with Kent County Council, in a bid to maintain and improve punctuality and reliability.

The agreement sees operators sharing their bus punctuality data with the county council with the aim of identifying and

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tackling problem areas.

Kent County Council has worked closely with bus operators through schemes, such as local Quality Bus Partnerships, which have seen new vehicles, bus stop improvements and better bus shelters.

The partnership has won the backing of Traffic Commissioner for London and the South East, Nick Denton. He said: “Bus operators are aware of the standards traffic commissioners expect for local bus services and of the targets set for punctuality and reliability.

Any additional means designed to achieve this are welcome and should give further reassurance to passengers about service reliability.”

Kent County Council Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste, David Brazier, said: “Kent County Council welcomes the Punctuality Improvement Partnership and the benefits it will bring to Kent’s travelling public. Maintaining and improving bus punctuality is central to providing a reliable alternative to the car. Encouraging bus use will enable both the council and bus operators to play their part in keeping Kent moving.”

Stagecoach South has relaunched its much improved route 39, which now runs every 10 minutes between Wecock Farm and Havant via Waterlooville, Crookhorn, South Downs College, Asda and Leigh Park. As part of the £1.5m investment a new fleet of 11 ADL Enviro200s has been introduced on the route. The vehicles are equipped with WiFi supplied by Icomera.

On March 9, to celebrate the launch, between 1030 and 1430hrs Stagecoach is creating a ‘VIP’ bus stop in the Waterlooville Precinct.

Visitors to the bus stop, complete with its own red carpet, will get the chance to experience a section of route 39 on one of the brand new buses for free. The VIP bus, decorated with a giant bow tie, will run between Waterlooville and Wecock Farm.

Stagecoach South’s Portsmouth Operations Manager, Bob Jackson, said: “We have invested a considerable sum in this new fleet of WiFi-enabled buses and can’t wait for residents to experience them. Those who perhaps haven’t used public transport for some time will be surprised at how advanced

Caroline Lucas MP has formally opened Brighton & Hove’s new 1 Stop Travel shop in North Street, Brighton.

The large shop, prominently located in the heart of the city centre, provides a comprehensive travel service of information and ticket sales for all public transport in the UK, including coaches and trains as well as local buses in Sussex. The new shop is open seven days a week and has extended opening hours on weekdays between 0730 and 1900hrs for the convenience of commuters.

The shop employs 21 staff and all are highly trained in searching for the best ticket deals available and are on hand to give friendly advice on the most cost effective way to travel. Facilities are much improved from the previous shops at Brighton Station and Old Steine, and the revamp has given customers a much more inviting space to wait and browse. Selfservice ticket machines for both UK rail and NX coach journeys are due in the spring, together with selfservice top-up facilities later in the year for the ‘key’ smartcard, to offer customers further choice in the way they purchase their tickets.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

This year’s popular Showbus event is being held at the Long Marston Airfield in Warwickshire on September 22

2013 n March 13-14 Best of Britain and Ireland (BoBi). Travel Trade Forum at the NEC in Birmingham. 01926 834796. www.

bestofbritainandirelandevent.co.uk n March 19-21 The Cleaning Show. NEC, Birmingham. 01737 855 086 www.cleaningshow.co.uk n March 20-21 UK Bus Awards Annual Conference. The conference is booked to take place in Fareham and will feature a visit to Hampshire’s Eclipse BRT project. www.ukbusawards.org.uk n March 23-24 Spring Transport Festival. Greater Manchester Museum of Transport. www.gmts.co.uk n April 6 South East Bus Festival 2013. Kent Showground, near Maidstone, Kent, brought to you by the organisers of ‘M&D 100’ and ‘M&D and EK 60’. www.facebook. com/southeastbusfestival n April 9-11 CV Show 2013. NEC, Birmingham. www.cvshow.com n April 20-21 UK Coach Awards & UK Coach Rally. Alton Towers, Staffordshire. 01753 631170. www.coachdisplays.co.uk or www. ukcoachawards.co.uk

these vehicles are and how quick and easy it is to take the bus.”

Stagecoach South is running a number of other initiatives to encourage local people to try the 39 which include ticket giveaways and reduced rates for Waterlooville Megarider weekly tickets until the end of April.

MD Andrew Dyer added: “The route really is for the local people. I hope they will find the service even more convenient and continue to help us shape what we offer in the future.”

n April 21 London Bus Museum Spring Gathering. Cobham Hall, Weybridge, Surrey. 01932 837994. www.londonbusmuseum.com n May 5 Cardiff Transport Preservation Group ‘A Municipal Running Day’. Barry bus depot, Vale of Glamorgan. www.ctpg.co.uk n May 12 First in South Yorkshire Sheffield Centenary Bus Rally.

Olive Grove depot will be open to the public, with modern & heritage buses on display. www.firstgroup.

com/ukbus/south_yorkshire/

n May 14-15 ALBUM Conference.

Belton Woods Hotel near Grantham, Lincolnshire. www.albumconference. co.uk n May 26-30 UITP Congress & Exhibition. Palexpo, Geneva. www.uitp.org. +(00)32 2673 610 n June 2 Clacton Bus Rally & Running Day, Clacton Factory Outlet, Essex. Classic and current vehicles. Entry forms & more details available at http://www. colneestuarypb.co.uk/ n June 11-13 ATCO Summer Conference. Merseytravel HQ, Liverpool. www.atco.org.uk n June 16 Swansea Festival of Transport. Free to enter & attend. Call organiser Ashley Lovering on 07814958379 or email swanseatransport@aol.com. Visit www.ntfwswansea.co.uk. n July 14 The Annual Peterborough Bus & Commercial Vehicle Rally. Sacrewell Farm (A47/ A1 junction). Free entry. 07828 754412 or 01462 626750 n July 21 Alton Bus Rally. Anstey Park, Anstey Lane, Alton, Hants. www.altonbusrally.org.uk n September 7-8 Bus Driver of the Year Final. Blackpool. Call 01303 251462. www.bdoy.co.uk n September 8 Bus & Coach Wales 2013. Rhyd y Car Leisure Centre, Merthyr Tydfil n September 10 Association of Trainers AGM. 1400hrs, Wembley.

For details call 01797 344251. n September 22 Showbus 2013.

Long Marston Airfield, Warwickshire. www.showbus.com

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

www.coachandbusweek.com

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16 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

GROUP PROFILE › ABELLIO

Abellio: going from strength to strength Andrew Cream gives an insight into this week’s focus on Abellio, which includes interviews with senior management and visits to its Blyfleet and Battersea garages

H

ot on the heels of our coverage of the ‘big five’ operators which dominated the pages of 10 issues of CBW over the last year, we are now moving our focus to a number of companies which occupy the next tier down of bus and coach firms, in terms of size and scale.

First up is Abellio, the Dutchowned firm which has operations in both London and Surrey. The company is relatively new on the scene, but after what some may deem as a rocky start to operating buses in this country, it is now maintaining its position at the top end of the operator league table in the capital.

To uphold the standards of our previous dedicated features, we

Abellio has risen up the TfL league tables in recent months

Abellio:

a brief history

National Express Group (NEG)owned Travel West Midlands broke into the London tendering market in 1998, winning contracts for the C1 and 211 routes, to start in June of that year. Trading as Travel London, a base was created at Stewarts Lane in Battersea. Optare Solos for the C11 and Optare Excels for the 211 were ordered. However, planning permission for the depot was refused – Wandsworth Council ordered Travel London to vacate the site by the end of 1999. An appeal proved unsuccessful. As a result, Travel London pulled out in August 2000, with operations passing to Limebourne.

In 2001, Travel London was acquired by Connex, which also traded as Veolia in other parts

One of the original Travel London Optare Solos pictured in store at Miller Street Garage in Birmingham after withdrawal from service in the capital in June 2005 of Europe and later the United Kingdom, but that is outside the scope of this article. Of course, Connex hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons at this time, being

ousted from its South Central rail franchise, but it did not prevent the French-owned firm from acquiring the troubled Limebourne bus operation.

have attempted to include a range of interviews.

Alex spent a day in London interviewing Engineering Director Phil Pannell and Performance Director Mark McGuinness. Phil explained the importance of training and vehicle presentation, as well as giving some information on vehicle procurement, while Mark detailed how the firm has improved its standards over the past four years.

James also had the pleasure of heading to the capital. His busy day included interviews with UK Bus Managing Director Alan Pilbeam and London & Surrey Managing Director Tony Wilson, as well as an extensive tour of Abellio’s Battersea depot, the operator’s biggest garage.

Alan gave his views on Quality Contracts, green issues and technological advances and Tony gave an insight into the workings of the company and how its reputation with TfL has been transformed.

I, on the other hand, took a trip to Byfleet, where I met Abellio Commercial Manager Alastair Willis and Surrey’s Operations Manager Tim Hatari. They explained the differences between London and its only deregulated network and also detailed what the operator is doing to improve standards.

As usual, we’d like to thank those who helped us put this issue together, most notably Alastair Willis and Julie Pummel.

National Express Group re-acquired the Travel London operations in 2004 after Connex lost its other UK rail franchise, South Eastern and decided to quit the UK altogether.

The summer of 2005 saw Travel London expand into Surrey, with the acquisition of TGM Buses (Tellings Golden Miller). This saw three further depots being added to the business – Byfleet, Hayes and Twickenham.

Launched at Thorpe Park, Travel London’s operations at Byfleet depot were re-branded ‘Travel Surrey’ in 2007.

However, two years later, in May 2009, the Travel London operations were sold to NedRailways (now Abellio), a subsidiary of NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) Dutch Railways, for £32m at a time when National Express Group was in troubled waters.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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FACE TO FACE › ALAN PILBEAM

Prioritising the customer experience James Day meets Alan Pilbeam, Managing Director of Abellio UK Bus, who explains the importance of a quality service, his thoughts on Quality Contracts & partnerships and the firm’s ambitions to be a bigger name in the UK bus industry

A

bellio was kind enough to send me on my own private doubledecker bus to see Alan Pilbeam at the Walworth depot. I travelled from the Battersea depot, which I visited earlier in the day (see page 40). It wasn’t just any bus, mind, but ADL’s trial stop-start hybrid.

I’d been told earlier in the day that drivers had needed special training to understand the bus wasn’t breaking down every time it stopped and it was plain to see why – the engine would fall completely silent, as if the key had been turned in the ignition, and wouldn’t kick in again until the vehicle was moving at about 10mph or so. This happened on multiple occasions on the short trip between the two depots, showing that the vehicle is particularly well suited to London roads even when not stopping to pick up passengers.

I met Alan who despite only being involved in the industry since 2005 is not short on passion and is very sure about what he wants the business to achieve. This was quite apparent from the white board absolutely covered in writing, all pointing towards the words ‘the best bus company’. He especially highlighted the importance of www.coachandbusweek.com

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providing a good service for customers and the benefits of an effective Real Time Information (RTI) system.

Abellio has plans to be one of the major players in the UK bus market

CBW: How has Abellio developed in the UK since 2009?

ALAN PILBEAM: Abellio is now 10 years old and has grown quite radically in this time. It’s a very entrepreneurial business.

We acquired the current bus business from National Express in 2009 and it’s fair to say there were a lot of issues post-acquisition from a quality and cost perspective, which was unfortunate.

A lot has been happening within Abellio London & Surrey to turn the business around and some hard lessons have been learnt. It was important to make sure we had a good team and were doing the basics right. You need to get your house in order before moving on.

We’re ambitious and have plans to be one of the major players in the UK bus market.

Getting the right team together was the most important thing. We have established good control and discipline over the business and now have a good bunch of guys on board who know what they’re doing.

CBW: Why did Abellio decide to move into the UK Bus Market?

AP: Abellio’s parent company

04/03/2013 14:23

NAME: Alan Pilbeam AGE: 45 POSITION: MD, Abellio UK Bus CONTACT: 0207 7888555 www.abellio.co.uk

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Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) saw an opportunity to leverage its strength in public transport by entering the UK Bus Market after successfully developing its UK rail business beforehand.

We’re not the only bus operator in the UK with similar ownership and it gives us expertise with multimodal transport. This is something which Abellio is seeking to develop.

Within the UK bus market we are focussed on delivering a high quality service, which chimes with the values of NS and Abellio Group. It’s a good market with good opportunities and fits well with what Abellio is about in terms of the importance of customer care.

CBW: What similarities and differences are there to Abellio’s services in Europe?

AP: It’s the same wherever you are from an operational standpoint.

What really varies between regions is the level of local authority support you get.

It requires the same disciplines and the same skill set wherever you are but how you generate revenue varies.

The key is optimising operational efficiencies and making sure customer care is second to none.

It was the same when I worked in logistics. With a poor quality service, you will fail. Give the customer what they want and you have a better chance as long as you’re efficient.

CBW: How are key decisions, such as fleet buying, made within the company?

AP: Within London, TfL is our key stakeholder. They are our direct customer, though we prefer to call them a partner. It’s TfL’s network and it is under their control. We deliver our service as per contract and extensions are a straightforward decision based on performance and price.

From an investment point of view, we work with our Group as a whole to weigh up options, whether it’s buying or leasing vehicles.

Currently all of our new vehicles are procured from our partner ADL. It’s important to consolidate your bus product as much as possible to simplify maintenance and engineering, and we’re happy with the product and the partnership approach we’ve developed with ADL. It was an economic decision to set the relationship up and is also based on how ADL

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FACE TO FACE › ALAN PILBEAM

worked. It’s not just about reducing cost but understanding the key part they play as a manufacturer in service delivery.

Where appropriate we’ll always aim to have strategic partners which I think are critical for a good service. It’s about whether they are going to be with us for the long term and are aligned with our ethos.

CBW: How does Abellio fare in terms of customer satisfaction?

AP: We are looking to work with Passenger Focus this year to understand our customers’ perception of our services and the issues they have, and what we can do to improve.

In London there’s a lot of work TfL themselves do. We get useful feedback from the Mystery Traveller Survey and customer comments.

We want to ensure we provide a reliable, clean bus service with a welcoming driver. In Surrey in particular, where contactless technology isn’t as prevalent, it is easier to ensure there is a good interface between the driver and the passenger. We recognise that there is still some way to go. To achieve this we’ve taken a large number of actions geared around specific feedback from customers in order to improve customer service and give the customer what they want.

We get good information from TfL, which is a very professional and well organised body. It helps us to see if we’re improving in key areas. We’re fairly aware of where we need to improve but it’s better to hear direct.

CBW: What is your view on Quality Contracts versus Quality Partnerships?

AP: Quality Contracts are being argued about in a number of areas throughout England. There is clearly a dispute about the benefits they provide. I personally believe Quality Partnerships are the way to go for the best benefit overall. QCs are not totally destructive and it is possible to deliver through them, but I believe partnerships are more likely to succeed. A QP is the right approach to improve services and can help the stability of a network, making sure services aren’t changed too frequently. There’s lots of good evidence to back this up where companies and local authorities have worked together.

If a local authority introduces www.coachandbusweek.com

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Alan Pilbeam, Managing Director of Abellio UK Bus, has been with the company since 2011

Alan Pilbeam: a brief history

Alan’s background was originally in logistics. He spent 14 years at Tibbett & Britten, where his final role was Commercial Director for the UK and Ireland. “We generally ran the supply chains, warehousing and distributions of customers,” he said.

Alan transitioned into public transport in 2005 when he joined First Manchester. From there, he moved to First West Yorkshire and then to First in East of England (a combination of Eastern Counties and Essex). He then joined Abellio at the end of 2011.

He said: “I often wondered how I’ve ended up in this industry, but it’s definitely far more fun. The Abellio team and many people in the industry have a passion for providing quality bus services. We don’t have to encourage it; they are passionate about it.

“We can all see the product out there every day and it’s something that we can be proud of.”

QCs on its own, it has all the administration costs involved in setting it up and then running with it. Unless there is a belief the networks are incredibly inefficient, which I don’t think there is evidence for where studies have been done, it doesn’t seem like a good idea. Passenger Focus surveys are consistently showing very high satisfaction scores in areas where QCs have been proposed, so why risk putting in a QC which is expensive and not a guaranteed solution? Operators want to do more and are passionate about what they’re trying to achieve.

Secondly, I don’t believe operators are making excessive profits and consequently I don’t think a QC is likely to save money from an economic point of view.

We’re all looking to drive up patronage and to do that we have to understand who competes with who. The car is our key competitor.

If you look at car ownership figures over the years, it largely explains the impact on bus patronage, however you could argue that bus patronage should have developed better.

I still think the system of regulation that we have is good, although there is always room for improvement.

CBW: Would the London model work elsewhere?

AP: If you’re willing to invest a huge amount of public money into services you would certainly improve them, but I don’t think the London model is economically viable for elsewhere in the UK in order for the cost-benefit analysis to stack-up.

From Abellio’s point of view, the key is to work proactively in partnership with the relevant stakeholder groups in each area. A good service is far more likely to be used and it’s surely easier and more likely to succeed by working in partnership. If things move forward in a different way we are flexible and agile enough to operate under any regime, whether it’s a QC, QP or the London model.

CBW: How significant is the recent contactless payment system rollout across London?

AP: I was looking at a system similar to this in 2007, so it is very well trialled and makes enormous sense. At some point everyone will have one of these contactless payment cards and it’s an obvious step forward for anywhere, not just in London. It’s a nationwide smartcard.

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FACE TO FACE › ALAN PILBEAM

We are seeking to expand the service offering to other rail companies.

which is already a huge success, the amount of cash payments in London will be negligible. It will be very popular with customers and interesting to see where this develops for TfL. It’s very opportune timing and gives us a way forward to help with the smartcard dilemma and avoid handling cash.

CBW: Where does Abellio stand on green issues?

AP: Abellio has five strategic foundations which all of our action plans deliver against. These are: ■ to provide operational benefits; ■ provide commercial & financial benefits; ■ help the local and wider society; ■ meet the needs of our people; and ■ the most important part: create a better service for our customers.

As part of this, the team is pretty passionate about our company’s impact on society and clearly buses have an obvious impact on the local environment. Anything we can do to make them greener is a benefit.

We’re trialling an ADL vehicle with stop-start technology as you know and we have ongoing emission reduction campaigns which we are continually measuring the success of. We’re also working hard to reduce fuel use and evolve environmental products. If there are experimental trials needed, whether it’s with biogas-powered, electric or similar vehicles, we’re always willing to work with manufacturers.

Taking measures to be greener is not something we do just for the sake of it. We’re passionate about doing it for the right reasons and doing everything we can to be a responsible company. We need to play our part in reducing the level of emissions in London.

CBW: What new technology has Abellio invested in since 2009?

AP: When considering new technology, we want to make sure we invest as part of setting our strategy going forward and not just as a kneejerk reaction to things starting to go wrong.

On London buses, the audiovisual and RTI we have is exactly what is needed for the customer.

Outside London, there is an ongoing debate about AV being fitted and whether it should be built into new vehicles or retrofitted onto older buses. If money for the investment is available it’s a great system but generally I don’t think it’s viable to www.coachandbusweek.com

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Alan believes the London model is not sustainable outside the capital retrofit buses outside of London.

We’re conscious of not just doing something for the sake of it.

A case in point is smartcard NFC technology. With the new system rollout in London, it’s clear to see that we don’t have to set up our own special club with our own smartcards if everyone is carrying a contactless bank card already.

Technology has a part to play but it will not change business by itself.

It’s about having the right tools when appropriate.

CBW: Are there any new technological developments on board buses which you feel have great potential in the future?

AP: RTI has been here for a long time and is very successful in London and some other areas.

There’s a number of systems available, whether it’s through text messages or displays, and I think a good RTI system is an essential part of providing a world class bus service. It’s especially useful for low frequency services, where good information is one of the most important things you need to provide passengers with.

It’s important to give actual real time information and not just give passengers the schedule.

Sometimes passengers can text to get an update and be given the next bus according to the schedule, which can be completely inaccurate in real time. This makes the system lose all credibility and passengers stop using it. You need to make sure it’s working properly.

Technology evolves and there may be a better way of providing information later. This means you have to be very careful of the

choice you make and whether it’s future proof – as much as I hate the term. While a system might still work perfectly well for a long time, technology can just surpass it.

It’s like with cathode ray tube TVs compared to flat-screen – the CRTs still work but the new technology is just far better.

In a lot of areas the funding for an RTI system comes from the local authority. Everyone is under pressure at the moment including LAs and unfortunately that has implications. It can come down to a choice between losing the RTI or stopping the subsidy for a route, which is not a straightforward decision.

CBW: Does Abellio provide any rail replacement services?

AP: Operators ought to be doing more to make the public transport system in the UK work better between different modes; certainly when bus operators have sister companies in rail.

Abellio took over the Greater Anglia Rail Franchise in February 2012, and also operates Northern Rail and Merseyrail together with Serco. We’ve developed a cost effective rail replacement solution to manage the emergency and planned rail replacement for Greater Anglia. The services began in October 2012.

The key here is local knowledge.

We have a team based on the patch to establish a local presence and partner with businesses in the area, such as Stephensons of Essex. We also have a good working relationship with Greater Anglia, which is best for meeting both its and its customers’ needs.

CBW: What are your proudest achievements at Abellio?

AP: My proudest achievement is assembling the team at Abellio UK Bus. The team we’ve pulled together is really solid and will continue to take us where we want to go.

There’s a number of other aspects of the business which you could highlight – improvements in punctuality and reliability or looking at how in the last year we have started out with the basics and are now providing a service to be proud of.

The ‘who’, though, is critical. Once you have the ‘who’ you can deliver the ‘what’. You wouldn’t stand a chance of achieving anything without a good team.

CBW: What mistakes have the company learnt from?

AP: With the right team the serious mistakes are less likely to happen.

Not everything works perfectly on the first attempt – it’s a case of honing it.

We’ve got a number of actions we’re continuing to develop, some of which are more successful than others, but generally there hasn’t been anything where I’ve gone, ‘Do you know what? That hasn’t worked at all’, though there are things we’ve adjusted.

CBW: Any closing words?

AP: The bus industry as a whole is going through a difficult few years.

There is a lot of pressure on local authorities, as well as the ongoing debate on concessionary funding and whether it fulfils the ‘no better no worse off’ notion. There’s also the BSOG review and the cuts it has already suffered, along with increasing pressures from insurance and diesel prices.

However, my impression as a whole is that the industry is doing well despite these pressures and at the end of the day everyone in business has to deal with these exogenous events. One thing which makes me proud is that this industry is rolling up its sleeves and getting on with it.

It’s a real passion for operators, certainly for us, to provide the best service possible. If you can do that, you’re likely to succeed. Overall, strong Passenger Focus results imply the industry must be doing things fairly well.

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FACE TO FACE › TONY WILSON

Tony said Abellio is happy to work on behalf of TfL and recognises its role as a contractor

A bright future ahead James Day meets Abellio London and Surrey Managing Director Tony Wilson, who while not shying away from the brief and rocky history of the operator, is convinced it is now in good standing

T

ony Wilson is the sort of straighttalking Director I really enjoy interviewing – happy to talk about how the operation has improved and describing himself as someone who hates impenetrable management speak.

Tony described Abellio’s bus business in the UK when it was acquired as a thrown-together business, where many of the employees who had grown up from within hadn’t had exposure to a

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consistent professional base. “There have been a lot of changes put into place since I came in,” Tony said.

“We’ve managed to restructure service delivery and turned parts of the business from a potential horror story into a success.”

Tony gave me the rundown on Abellio’s bus services in the UK. At the end of 2012, Abellio had 623 buses on its books. 559 of these operate in London where Abellio runs 42 routes, the largest of which are route 343 (24 hour) and 344 (not 24 hour), both with a PVR of 23 vehicles. The remaining 64

vehicles are based in Surrey.

Abellio operates from six depots, five of which are in London and has a peak vehicle requirement of 561, 56 of which are in Surrey. The operator holds an extra 10-12% on top of its PVR as spare vehicles. The business employs approximately 2,100 staff, of which about 1,800 are drivers.

“One feature of the business is that it has grown at an impressive rate over the years under National Express ownership and Abellio,” Tony added.

“Last year was prodigious

between March 2011 and the middle of 2012, when we started nine contracts. That’s impressive by any standards, especially when you consider we’ve only given up a single contract – the 129.

“While our growth in terms of fleet size and turnover has been very impressive, and the retention rate of our contracts equally so, our profit profile has not matched it.

“In 2010 Abellio made a loss of £4.7m, followed by an underlying loss of £1.8m in 2011. However in 2012 it made a small positive margin. It doesn’t feel like much on the face of it but in reality it’s a massive turnaround and we anticipate a healthy profit at the end of this financial year. Through a lot of hard work and restructuring we’ve started turning the business into something which really stands up to the competition.”

Getting the right people Tony said that a large aspect of getting the business moving in the right direction was making sure the right people were employed in the right places.

“The top team has completely

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changed and middle management has been largely restructured,” he explained. “With such a huge amount of change people were looking over their shoulders but now there is a definite feeling of success. People on the shop floor feel more secure and know we are sustainable.”

To help turn the business around, the Abellio management were honest and open with their staff and worked to instil a sense of pride. Figures seem to imply this has been a very effective approach.

“18 months ago we were at the bottom of the London operators in terms of Excess Waiting Time (EWT),” Tony said. “Performance figures like that have a direct impact on our bottom line – a difference of £1.6-2.4m to give you some perspective – and as a result we weren’t going anywhere.

“In the spring of 2011 we took the performance managers to one side and asked ‘is this the position you really want to be in?’ We told them how it is, what we could achieve and more importantly why we wanted to do things which affected them. I haven’t seen the sort of effort which was made to give people the ‘why’ anywhere else.

“They took the message on board and in TfL period eight (October) last year, we were in first position in the same league table, moving from bottom to top in the space of 18 months.

“That simple thing has given people belief. It’s got them talking about gaps, frequency etc and actually had drivers seriously thinking about headway management.”

Tony said Abellio’s status with TfL has now been transformed to that of a real credible player in the London market, instead of the “cheap and not-so-cheerful” reputation it used to hold. Now, Tony said Abellio is good on both price and quality of service.

“We want to be viewed by others as the best bus company and have put together an array of improvement plans and some fairly simple campaigns,” he continued.

“An example of this is asking our drivers to welcome passengers when they board. It’s an alien concept in London and can be quite a novelty to passengers who are not used to it. It’s fair to say bus drivers in London have a fairly poor reputation for customer interaction but we can transform this view in society.”

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Working to contract

While Abellio has been working hard to improve its service for customers, it is under no illusions about who controls the London market.

“We work on behalf of TfL and are happy to work in partnership with them,” Tony said. “Where we’re at, we recognise our role as a contractor and we’re not sitting here saying we run the bus service or trying to make TfL’s life difficult.

We’re here to work with TfL and the businesses have a strong overlap.

We’ve been very open with them about what we’re doing to improve and how long it will take.

“We’re here to work to a contract and do it in such a way as to benefit our business. We want to know how society views Abellio – does it know anything about it? But we’re not precious about having a massive Abellio logo across our vehicles. It’s a bad analogy, but it’s TfL’s train set.”

Abellio is currently trialling a stop-start hybrid and a Euro 6-engined bus, both from ADL. The operator recently had the highest proportion of hybrid vehicles by PVR across London. With a very young average fleet age, this trend

Tony Wilson:

for running the latest vehicles and technology may continue with the New Bus for London (NBfL).

“The NBfL is an interesting concept. While there’s no imperative for us to trial new technology and vehicles, we’re very happy to talk to TfL about how it may be introduced.

“It will eventually transition to awards on new contracts and it’s inevitable that we will be using it in time.”

The Surrey challenge

Although Abellio Surrey represents just 5% of the operator’s annual turnover, £7m of £119m, it has been working hard to build up its services there in a market which Tony described as being very difficult.

“Surrey is a really tough market commercially,” Tony said. “There is really high car ownership, spread out population centres in the more rural areas, 50% of our passengers there are concessionary pass holders and it is difficult to put a network together in a coherent fashion. Bus networks in Surrey have been reduced and in decline for number of years.

“It’s a serious challenge and our original network review

a brief history

Tony joined London Transport in 1977 as an Engineering Graduate Trainee after gaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Leeds University. He originally spent much of his first year working on the Underground before he moved on to the city’s bus services.

As he progressed in the industry, remaining in London through the privatisation of the industry..He was promoted from Engineering Manager to Technical Services Manager and then on to Head of Engineering with London Northern before spending time as Business Development Manager at Metroline.

After this, Tony joined First Capital as Engineering Director before it was amalgamated with First CentreWest. While at the company he took the role of Operations Director, then Managing Director before leaving in September 2006.

After leaving the London area, Tony almost immediately joined Arriva in Denmark to work on a

when we entered the market found fare prices to be completely unsustainable. We’ve spent three years trying to put things back together and get fares set to a sensible level to attain a reasonable commercial outcome.”

One of the biggest challenges in the Surrey market seems to be dealing with demand which is quite unresponsive to changes to its bus services.

“The cuts to BSOG were something which had to be reflected in fare prices, and when fares went up the realities of the market showed,” Tony explained.

“Even with back-to-back fare increases, elasticity of demand was pretty much zero. After another more moderate rise in January elasticity was still low.

“We’ve introduced some incentive ideas to try and get the market to respond. This includes some concessionary initiatives, as well as the Christmas family ticket, for either two adults with two children or one adult with three children. It did well enough that we’ve transformed it into an ongoing product.”

With the Abellio Surrey business being relatively small, the infrastructure required with an advanced smartcard or NFC ticketing system would not be financially viable. Because of this, Abellio instead decided to incorporate mobile phone tickets into its service, using Mobile Onboard.

“Mobile Onboard fits our business model in Surrey very well and it will be interesting to see how take-up goes,” Tony said.

Approachable management Abellio Managing Director of London and Surrey, Tony Wilson business improvement plan for four months. He then spent just under two years working in various operations in mainland Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary and Serbia.

In April 2009, started work with NedRailways (now Abellio) on the acquisition of Travel London from National Express and has been with the operator ever since, including a nine month spell in Germany. He took the role of Managing Director with London and Surrey on January 1, 2011.

Tony feels it is important for managers to keep their doors open and interact with their workforce.

“Management and Directors should be visible. We talk to people,” he said.

“On occasion you can be seen as soft and you need to strike a balance, but we like to be an approachable business.

“I hate management speak. I don’t see how operators can talk management ethos to someone who doesn’t have English as a first language, for example. It’s an obvious but bold step to think about how you talk to drivers in a structured way. Hopefully with the strides we have made we will be seen as a success story.”

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FACE TO FACE › MARK McGUINNESS

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NAME: Mark McGuinness AGE: 47 POSITION: Performance Director CONTACT: 0207 7888555 www.abellio.co.uk

One step at a time Coach and Bus Week’s Alex Tyler speaks to Abellio Performance Director Mark McGuinness about the importance of getting the basics right and how to improve, as well as maintain, performance

M

ark McGuinness joined the industry as a bus driver at Hanwell Garage for London Transport in 1987. “I guess like a lot of people I thought I’d drive a bus for six months to pay some bills as I’d been made redundant. But 26 years later, I’m still doing it,” he mused.

Mark started working in west London at what would become CentreWest.

“Around 1995 I became a service controller,” he continued. “In 1998 I was running a depot. I actually went back to the old depot where I used to be a driver. Soon after, I moved to Uxbridge followed by Westbourne Park. So I had worked in a few depots by the time First took over. I then became Head of Service Delivery for First London in 2005, doing a similar job to what I do today.” Mark joined Abellio in June 2011, when the firm was towards the bottom of the Transport for London (TfL) league tables in performance.

Mark explained when he took the role it was very clear what was expected. “It was a new role which had been created because our on-road performance had not been very good. I was brought in very much with the aim of improving service quality and delivering a better product to TfL and customers. It was all about pulling the existing team together and giving them some direction – telling them where we were going and how we were going to get there. I believe that in the London market, if you want to get performance right its got to be someone’s day job, rather than a part of someone’s

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Above: Abellio went through extensive retraining and reorganisation to improve its performance Left: Performance Director, Mark McGuinness job. Abellio was very serious about improving and it’s been a great experience achieving what we have so far.”

Back to basics

In order to achieve this goal, Mark began a process of reorganisation and retraining for the Performance team.

“We had a good team of supervisors and performance managers but they lacked someone to give them the necessary direction and tools which they could use,” he said. “Within eight months, having looked at the way we worked, the way we were structured and the way reporting lines worked, we had already seen some early improvements.”

“Before that, it was all a bit disjointed,” he continued. “Due to the way the business had grown under its previous guises, there hadn’t really been a dedicated strategy for performance and a consistent level of training hadn’t been given to anyone. It was about

getting the structure right, but also about giving the guys some good nuts and bolts service control training.”

Staff were also given guidance in softer skills, which included good communication as well as strategies to get the best out of their drivers. They were also encouraged to consider how they look at their own performance.

“With the aid of a training provider experienced in both service delivery and training teams, we developed a programme which was geared specifically to where I had seen gaps in the team. It was designed with Abellio staff in mind.

As far as the team were concerned, they weren’t happy being at the bottom they wanted to be at the top, but it seemed they never really believed it could happen. One of the most positive things I noticed was, unlike in some roles and organisations which are resistant to change, this group actively embraced it and wanted new ways of working.”

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FACE TO FACE › MARK McGUINNESS

“Everyone was put through the new training programme,” continued Mark. “This took us a long way but at the same time we also had an issue with the balance of the workload between Roadside and iBus (Control room) staff. We put that right when we changed the structure around. We introduced a good work load model which I had implemented elsewhere. As a result, we saw performance improve pretty quickly; it was about going back to basics in a lot of areas. That culminated in the middle of last year, when we were really seeing the benefits, and towards the end of last year there were a few last pieces of the jigsaw to get right, in terms of team compilation.”

This hard work came to head in November when Abellio hit number one in the EWT high frequency performance league tables. However, according to Mark the journey is not complete yet, and he knows there is still more work to do. “We can always be better,” he said. “We still have some improvements to make in the high frequency services which are the bulk of our work. However, we also have a lot to do in improving low frequency services in London and on-time departures in Surrey. We are keeping the momentum going and trying to take the team on to the next level, we are also getting into the nitty-gritty of on-time delivery.”

With no small amount of pride, Mark said: “Our aim is very clear. We want to be the best bus company in London and Surrey.

This isn’t just about service performance but covers every area, including engineering and driver standards. We’ve worked well with TfL. They recognise the improvements we’ve made and what we are doing, they have helped us along the way. I think we’ve restored their belief in us as a company.”

Maintaining standards

So far, for the last six months, the company has managed to maintain an EWT league table position among the top five operators.

“It’s a challenge keeping people fresh,” commented Mark. “We have just come through a period when Vauxhall was closed for three and a half weeks because of the tragic helicopter incident. Obviously, this involved major road closures which had a severe impact on our network around Battersea and also knocked www.coachandbusweek.com

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and recording voice calls as early potential strategies.

“I don’t believe technology by itself is going to take us to the next level,” said Mark. “But it can be part of that journey. We currently have an e-newsletter we send every month and we are using surveys of staff groups to look at how we can improve. We also have a dedicated email address where staff can make suggestions to us, because it isn’t always easy to find the time to speak face to face to managers or supervisors.”

Regulated and deregulated

Abellio London and Surrey is building the right relationship with TfL onto some of our Walworth routes.

There were some days when disruption was particularly bad, yet we still managed to get a very good result. We were fourth in the league tables for period 11. The difference now, is the team have got the belief and the plans for when things do go wrong. Maybe 12 to 18 months ago, the service wouldn’t have coped anywhere near as well as it did. With the right skills and plans in place we maintained healthy performance and continued to offer a good service to customers.”

Mark has a very positive outlook and stressed that Abellio does not accept a good day as a good day, they “try to make it an excellent day”.

“When we’re not having so much disruption we really get into the fine tuning of the services,” he said.

“That’s been bred with the success that the team has managed to pull together themselves.”

Abellio Route Control (ARC)

Abellio invested in a new control centre at Battersea which manages routes from the three south London depots. West London routes are controlled from Twickenham.

“ARC had previously been around but it was basically the radio control teams who use the London iBus vehicle location system, We now

have a team of road side controllers who also play a big part in ensuring we run smoothly,” said Mark. “It was a bit disjointed, and my view was always that we needed to invest a lot of time in getting the two teams working well together.

“The team in the south were previously based in Walworth but it wasn’t a great environment to work in. We moved them to a better more controlled environment in Battersea, which is only temporary as we plan to move them to a more permanent home in the next year or so. Where they are now they have less distractions and can focus on their core task which is delivering quality bus services.”

Moving forward

Where do you go from here? Mark explained: “This year is all about developing a team with excellence at the core of everything they do, so now it’s about drawing on their expertise. A lot of the last 12 months has been telling them how to do things, now we want to hear from them how things should be done to develop them further and take us to the next level in performance.”

Mark said he is also looking to see how they can make better use of technology to improve things further, citing the introduction of LCD screens, group texting

On the performance differences between regulated and deregulated service performance, Mark said: “When it comes to London (low frequency) and Surrey, in terms of how they perform, they are very similar at the moment. They are different in how they work, in what drives them, the commercial against the regulated but ultimately it’s still about getting services to run on time. As I said earlier, we’ve got work to do but we know that we have the team to deliver.”

Mark said of working with TfL: “I’ve worked with them for a number of years at supervisory and managerial levels and I find them great to work with. By building the right relationship with them you can have very honest, open and constructive discussions. There’s a big element of trust involved on both sides. This, in turn, generates belief.”

“Of course, that has become easier over the last six to eight months as there has been recognition of our improvements,” he added.

Positive developments

“One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed in recent months is in the number of CVs we’re receiving,” commented Mark. “I think people now see it’s an exciting time to be part of the rapidly improving business which we have. It’s a great place to work.”

As for the future of the group, Mark said: “We are very clear we want to grow in both London and nationally. We’ve achieved good growth through tendering, and acquisitions are not out of the question. I think the timing of what we have delivered in terms of recent improvements is good, because it shows we can provide a quality service at attractive costs.”

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OPERATOR PROFILE › ABELLIO SURREY

Abellio outside the capital Coach & Bus Week’s Andrew Cream visits Abellio Surrey to find out about its operation, how it is improving its services and the differences to operating in London

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bellio’s Surrey division is its stand alone operation based outside of the company’s normal operations in London’s regulated market.

The company is based in Byfleet, with a modestly-sized head office and three parking areas for the fleet, all within close proximity of each other. I visited the main administration base to meet Abellio’s Commercial Manager Alastair Willis and Abellio Surrey Operations Manager Tim Hatari.

For a bit of background, the depot was previously owned by Tellings-Golden Miller. It came into the hands of National Express in 2005 and services operated under Travel London and then the Travel Surrey name. In June 2009 Abellio took over the operation, although the rebrand didn’t take place until October that year.

Surrey vs London

The operation has 63 buses in total – 54 branded Abellio Surrey with its white and red livery and nine ‘The Green Bus’ vehicles. The latter are run on school services and have been franchised out to Abellio by Birmingham-based operator, The Green Bus. Out of the 54 Abellio vehicles, 52 are single deckers, predominately Dennis Darts, and two are double deckers.

Alastair said: “The Green Bus www.coachandbusweek.com

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Abellio Surrey operates a largely small-town network with low frequency routes

work is a very recent addition – we took on these contracts at the start of this school year, in September 2012.

“It was a great addition to our portfolio as we are used to working on the contracted side of the industry.

“The learning for us is coming from the deregulated services. We have come a long way with this but we have got a way to go.”

Of Abellio’s six depots, Byfleet sticks out for obvious reasons, being the only one to operate outside of the tendered London market. I asked Tim and Alastair what they perceived to be the biggest differences between the two markets.

“Both have their own challenges,” Alastair said. “For example, it’s a more intensive scale in London.

However, in Surrey we are wholly accountable for promotion and marketing of services and also, the subsidy the local authorities receive to support bus services is significantly lower than that under TfL. Our Surrey business, however, still has the same processes and procedures and engineering standards in place as our larger depots.

“The biggest challenge of Surrey though is the expectations people have of the network, especially people who are used to London.

Buses are so frequent in London and because of the nature of the area we can’t replicate that kind of frequency here.”

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Drivers who come to Abellio Surrey are also often ex-London drivers. Tim said: “Drivers can be used to more resources and they can get a bit of a culture shock.

But the key is to talk through the differences with staff.”

Improving standards

As of last week, the operation has had a restructure with Tim and Engineering Manager Richard Slack now wholly responsible for the business unit. The company has also introduced a Staff Manager role to deal with staff issues and help address matters relating to service provision. “This improved structure is going to allow us to focus on the quality of the product,” Tim explained.

Tim has been working with Abellio Surrey for 12 months now, having moved across from one of the London depots. He has seen many changes in this time and is working with the staff to make sure they are on the same road as the company.

Apart from new arrivals, the majority of drivers have stayed with the business since it was Travel Surrey.

“It is in essence the same company but with a big culture change,” Tim explained. “We are still on that journey of change in terms of how we do things and for the most part the staff are with us.”

The company is currently working at improving its punctuality, vehicle presentation and customer service skills.

Tim continued: “We have got a firm target to achieve 95% punctuality across services and this message is being given out to all staff. As a minimum requirement we should be departing the terminus at 100% on time, which would give us a good chance of achieving 95%.”

Just after the network was reorganised in 2010, punctually was at its lowest at around the high 70% mark. Now the operation has reached the low 90s – and Tim believes they will hit the 95% mark by the middle of this year.

“We know we still have a bit more to go. It’s been our prime focus for the last couple of years,” Tim added. “It’s about continual evaluation. We are never resting on our laurels.

“I will very soon be recommencing one-to-one reviews with the staff, spending personal time with them,

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putting across the core messages of the company.

“This will include something we have set up called ‘Welcome to Wow’, which includes getting the basics right, like smiling and greeting passengers, which is all part of our effort to improve the customer experience.”

Plasma screens have also recently been installed across depots to help get these key messages across to the drivers. Abellio Surrey has the ability to access the system locally in order to put up local initiatives and messages relevant to the Surrey team.

The firm has also ensured the Trade Union is happy with its plans.

In January the company Directors met with the union to explain its core messages. “It went down exceptionally well,” Alastair said.

“We had a very positive response.”

“Our ambition is to be the best bus company in London and Surrey,” he continued. “It’s a very bold ambition but we believe we can get there. We have never previously had such an established ambition.”

Tim added: “And such a statement will only work with the drivers being involved.

“We also want to see commendations coming from customers. We’re aiming not just to reduce negative feedback but also increase positive feedback.”

Actions speak louder

When talking about improving services and changing culture, some companies, in the transport industry and further afield, could be accused of being all talk. Abellio Surrey however is actively working with third parties in order to get a better picture of what needs improving and how to go about doing it.

The operator is working with AA Drivetech to carry out checks on its drivers as a way of finding out what needs to be improved on. “We want to ensure we are doing what we have set out to do and this work will help us deliver the best driving standards,” Tim explained.

‘Mystery traveller’ journeys are also conducted, both in-house and

by Bus Users UK, while the firm is also looking to work with Passenger Focus for them to undertake their customer survey on its network.

Alastair said: “We want to try and benchmark ourselves against what is happening elsewhere in Surrey and the UK in general. Are we where we want to be? How do we rank? It will be quite interesting www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: Abellio Commercial Manager Alastair Willis and Abellio Surrey Operations Manager Tim Hatari

34 63 2.9m 123 routes

buses

passengers

drivers

to see what that brings.

“We want to be open and honest.

If there are areas where we are not up to standard then we need to do something about it. What we want to do is make sure what we are delivering is to a high standard.”

Transparency does seem to be something which is taken seriously, which is exemplified by the fact that all fares are put on the company’s website – something which some operators are not willing to do.

Network restructure

Running an operation in such a financially unstable time is tough for the best of companies, but reshaping a business during the economic downturn must be even harder.

In 2010 Surrey County Council conducted a review of its bus services in North Surrey, with

Abellio Surrey’s 441 route forms part of a partnership with Surrey Council

the intention of a major overhaul to reduce its budget. While the end result of the review wasn’t as significant as it could have been, it still had a major effect on Abellio Surrey.

“The bus review was a real turning point for us,” Alastair explained. “It was a big change and we had to look into significant savings across the business.

“Surrey County Council undertook a big consultation on the network and we worked in partnership with the council to deliver the most effective solution.

Previously, all our services were contracted but we started four commercial routes at this time which we needed to enhance and develop ourselves.

“The council was originally planning a major reduction but it’s now a similar size network with a similar number of vehicles. It has been a challenge to significantly reduce our operating costs but we have achieved this and are now trying to further develop our services.”

Embracing technology

Alastair highlighted some of the technology the business uses which helps them reach the objectives they have set.

The Synectics Genius system is used across Abellio and indicates how well drivers are performing.

“We use the Genius system and promote it as “DriveWell”. This initiative is one of the core pillars for improvements

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across the business,” Alastair commented. “We incentivise the scheme and are currently working with Synectics to get best use of the system.

“It is part of our strategy for improving standards and generating fuel efficiencies.”

Abellio Surrey also uses Surrey’s real-time system, which is provided

by Trapeze, which is used for vehicle tracking and monitoring reliability. “This helps us improve the visibility of the bus, information about timekeeping and information about services,” Alastair explained.

The system is about to go through an upgrade, which will include a move to GPRS. Abellio will be the first operator in Surrey to get the upgrade.

The Surrey operation has recently launched mobile ticketing courtesy of Mobile Onboard. The system works through passengers buying their tickets at their convenience and then showing a ticket to the driver on their mobile phone.

“It’s quite exciting. We’re pleased with how it’s going,” Alastair said.

“The feedback has been really positive – it seems to be quite easy to use.

“You can currently get weekly and monthly tickets using this system; we wanted to trial it with these tickets first to see how it goes.

“It’s all been working well; sales are regularly happening and going through the system. I think it’s an excellent product.”

Due to the nature of the operation, that is, low frequency services, Alastair believes the product is well-suited for them.

“We don’t need a dedicated app and we don’t need to install technology onto the vehicle. This is a costeffective solution.

“You don’t need something technically advanced to display something through your phone – we didn’t want a sophisticated system. For what we want it fits the market we are trying to attract,” The firm is also looking at how it can expand the system in order to role out other products, such as dedicated fares and travel schemes with local businesses such as local hospitals.

“We want to see what else we can do, like moving our school season tickets onto it,” Alastair added.

Surrey’s challenges

Naturally, in a deregulated market there can be a lot of competition.

Alastair explained that, due to the nature of the network in the area www.coachandbusweek.com

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Above: The Trapeze real-time system, used for tracking and monitoring reliability. Below: An on-bus ad for the Mobile Onboard ticketing system

the UK – which Tim firmly believed held true.

“It’s a very rural service, our busiest route is every 30 minutes,” Tim explained. “Plus, it’s a fairly affluent area – high car ownership is an added challenge.”

With that in mind, would a ‘premium’ service work, similar to Stagecoach’s Gold routes?

“There are lots of small towns and it’s hard to join them all up,” Alastair said. “We would love to have a ‘Gold’ route but apart from two services which run into Guildford, we don’t serve any cities – it’s basically a small town network.

“We haven’t got the kind of network that would warrant the investment a premium route requires.

The service would not support the high frequency product.”

Healthy partnerships

they operate, many are attractive to small operators as they often just need one or two buses to run.

He added: “In the grand scheme of things, we are also a small operator, but we’re trying to provide the ‘big’ operator quality of service.

“We can call upon the established policies and procedures we have implemented across the business and aim to be flexible and can grow and adapt as we need to. The demise of Countryliner is a good example of this as we were able to pull in buses from other depots to take over some of its tenders with one day’s notice.”

I was keen to ascertain whether Abellio had wanted to take on Travel London’s Surrey routes when it acquired its operations, or whether it was just part of the package. Alastair assured me it was certainly the former, adding: “Having Surrey is an invaluable aspect of the business. It gives us an insight into how to operate outside of London. It is a pivotal part of the company if we want to grow.”

I took it a step further by suggesting that, if you can crack Surrey, you can crack anywhere in

Abellio Surrey: four point plan

Abellio has created a four-point plan to show the ways in which the company is looking to improve: - Achieve 95% 1 Punctuality on-time punctuality.

Service - Improve 2 Customer customer service and driver standards. Staff forums are held to get feedback and ideas and the Directors visit quarterly to monitor progress. vehicle presentation.

3 Enhance The operator is currently carrying out a mini refurbishment project on its vehicles, refreshing them to improve their overall standard. marketing through 4 Increase value for money offers.

This includes making bus travel look more attractive to those who predominately use their cars.

One way in which operators are trying to alleviate the added financial burdens is through partnerships and greater communication with local authorities.

Tim said: “We are in the process of finalising our punctuality improvement plans and aim to work together with the county council on these. The relationship with the council is a healthy one and we have some good foundations to build upon. We are in regular dialogue with them and are in a good position to do a lot more.”

“We have both got our challenges,” Alastair added. “But we work closely with them and try to understand each other’s views.”

Abellio Surrey is part of a formal Quality Partnership (QP) with the council and First, concerning Abellio’s 441 route.

The two operators have released a joint brochure to advertise the routes, which run between Heathrow, Staines, Egham, Royal Holloway (part of the University of London) and Englefield Green.

The 441 QP, which has existed since 2005, brings the parties involved together to improve information to passengers. There has also been investment in early morning services and the two operators accept each other’s fares.

Alastair continued: “There is also a Guildford QP which we are keen to be involved with to firm up our partnership work with the council.

“Working in partnership is one of our strengths. If we need to change then we can be flexible and adaptive to that.”

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THE BIG PICTURE

This week’s Big Picture, which was caught on camera by CBW Editor Gareth Evans on the morning of Wednesday, October 10, 2012, is an unusual one, being a sideon image instead of the all too familiar front three-quarter view.

Gareth said when the opportunity arises he likes to take photos of vehicles which are different from ‘the norm’. The Abellio London ADL Enviro400, pictured on Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria working route 211 to Waterloo, carries the registration SN12APO and fleet number 9555. The service runs from Hammersmith, via Victoria, Sloane Square, Chelsea and Fulham. The scene features trees & attractive architecture, which even includes several balconies.

The photographer was standing on the pavement opposite in a gap between where Arriva’s Green Line and Stagecoach’s Oxford Tube coaches serve the stops. Allocated to Battersea Depot, the vehicle entered service last summer – one of 70 ADL vehicles which entered service with Abellio in 2012.

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FACE TO FACE › PHIL PANNELL

An ADL Enviro400 being serviced at the Battersea depot

Raising standards at Abellio

Coach and Bus Week’s Alex Tyler speaks to Engineering Director Phil Pannell about the particulars of Abellio London and Surrey’s bus operations www.coachandbusweek.com

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fter successfully negotiating my way across London for the second time in as many weeks, I arrived at Abellio London and Surrey’s Walworth Depot in Camberwell.

During my visit, and at the time of writing, the depot was undergoing refurbishment to its offices, and after I was greeted

by Abellio London and Surrey Engineering Director Phil Pannell, I was given the honour of being the first to use the firm’s new board room in an official capacity.

“I’ve been in the bus industry since June 6, 1978,” Phil said. “I joined after leaving school at 16 so that’s 34 years now.

“I started with FirstGroup in Plymouth, back when it was Western National Omnibus Company and worked for them for just over 33 years. I spent time in Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Essex, the Eastern Counties, and I spent two and a half years working all over UK for what was then central

engineering with FirstGroup.”

Phil joined Abellio in July last year and as part of his current role, looks after six garages, over 650 vehicles, 125 skilled staff and roughly the same amount of Dynamiq contract cleaners.

“When I worked outside of London people always said that working in London is different,” he commented. ”I always said that was rubbish, a bus is a bus and a garage is a garage. However, I’m getting used to the environment; it’s certainly a different approach.

It means our main customer, if you will, is Transport for London.”

Training

With the aim of improving the skills base of vehicle examiners, Abellio has been working in partnership with the FTA to train their examiners on how to inspect vehicles to the latest legal specifications.

“This involved eight courses, which were five days in duration, with five people on each course,” explained Phil. “We have already trained the core team and we’ll be

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starting the second batch of training in March this year which includes the vehicle supervisors, the rest of the vehicle examiners and the engineering managers.”

“We started with the vehicle examiners because they are the ones who actually say our vehicles are safe and what work needs to be done to them,” he continued. “Next to the manager, they are the most important people in the garage as they say what is needed and what we intend to spend on what vehicle, while the manager gives the go-ahead.”

Asked what prompted this flurry of training, Phil said: “It became clear development was needed and I knew we would reap the benefits of proper training. It was centred on giving confidence and skills, and as a result, we got a better job from people all around. It’s a good arrangement for all involved, and it helps with raising standards.”

“We work to get the staff properly accredited then move on to fill any skills gaps as we identify them. Reliability, standards, presentation, it all goes hand in hand,” he added.

Presentation

Phil noted that operators in London by and large tend to work in partnership with external contractors to clean their vehicles and depots. Encouraging best practice with Dynamiq Cleaning is an area of focus for Abellio.

“When I came in eight months ago, we started with an initial look at what Dynamiq was doing with us,” he explained. “We identified some areas where we felt we could improve and that’s where we have moved forward.”

“We changed the cleaning chemical to give a better shine, a better finish and we looked at the way we present the vehicle. We also changed our scoring which is our internal score between Dynamiq and ourselves on the presentation.

We see Dynamiq as a key partner for us.

“In terms of presentation, we will keep evolving until we are at the stage were we are happy with it. At the moment we are well on our way.”

buses on a few London routes and one stray Optare Solo can be found plying the roads in Surrey.

On vehicle procurement, Phil said: “In London, the contract specifies the capacity and size of the vehicle, rather than the type or manufacturer. An example would be a single deck vehicle has to have a 60 capacity and then you see who produces a single deck vehicle to TfL specification, the same goes for double-deckers. We get the choice of supplier, and we can put extras on the vehicles.”

Abellio is currently in a partnership with Alexander Dennis Ltd. “We try, where possible, to buy from them,” said Phil. “At the moment, they don’t make a 12m single-deck to meet London specifications, however they do supply us with all other bus requirements.”

Asked whether he had a preference for vehicles Phil said: ”I like the ADL product for two reasons, they are reliable and at the moment, they are among the most fuel economic vehicles on the market. Fuel being the biggest expenditure has a big impact on procurement.

“The fuel prices recently have not helped us in any way shape or

form. The latest fuel tax curtailment has certainly helped us, but fuel and staff wages remain the two biggest cost bases.”

Leaner and greener

On methods to improve fuel economy, Phil said: “We are currently four months into a trial with Energenics and their fuel additive Envirox. The trial concludes in two months time, at which point we will fully validate all the information that we’ve got. However, initial results show a percentage saving and it is definitely improving our fuel consumption.”

Like many operators these days, diesel alternatives and greener vehicles are finding there way into the Abellio fleet.

“Ultimately, we are lead down the path by Tfl, which has a strong drive for greener vehicles,” said Phil. “But we have 43 double deck hybrids, of which six we own and 37 are leased. They are the greenest vehicles we have.”

“Also, there have been two Euro 6 vehicles built by ADL,” he continued. “One is in Manchester on trial and we’ve got the other one. So we’re the only company in London which has a Euro 6 production vehicle on trial in service. Though it had a rocky start, for the last three months due to a software issue, it has since been very reliable and on the fuel economy side has been very positive.”

Future ambitions

Phil Pannell has worked in the bus industry since 1978

Asked about the future for Abellio, Phil said: “We have a five-year business plan, and are looking to expand our business. We have a vision to grow, either by winning routes, or acquisition, so we have ambitions.”

Vehicles

The Abellio London and Surrey fleet is largely uniform, consisting predominantly of ADL Enviro200s and 400s with a few SLF Darts. The company also runs Volvo Wright

AbellioEngineeringTOP.indd 39

A Dennis Dart operating on the 446 route in Addlestone, Surrey

Abellio is a main client for Dynamiq

Dynamiq Cleaning: In 2007, with the aim of strengthening its transport cleaning capabilities, Dynamiq Cleaning acquired Interclean, a firm originally formed to supply cleaning and support services to the London Bus Market.

The firm now enjoys a strong presence among the capital’s operators.

“In my experience, the most successful contracts are when the clients see us as an extension of their own business,” said Dynamiq Cleaning MD Guy Pakenham.

“I’ve been doing this since 2001 and there used to be a real them and us attitude between operators and contractors. It makes for a good relationship when engineering and operations view a contractor favourably.”

Commenting on the relationship with Abellio, Guy said: “We operate in 40 garages across London and Abellio is one of our main clients.

“We worked with the company when they were Travel London and since May 2011 we operate in all of their garages supplying bus cleaning, depot cleaning, bus shunting, fuelling, allocation and cleaning staff in addition to maintenance of the cleaning machinery.”

“Effectively, when drivers finish their shifts, that bus becomes our responsibility,” he added.

“Abellio is a good client, and they are very interested in presentation,” he enthused. “They are very keen and are actively involved in auditing the quality. We perform run out checks, to ensure they have had a proper clean, so when they hit the streets they are looking presentable.”

“We have agreed a specification with Abellio, which can be monitored. It’s essential to define what is clean and what isn’t clean.

“In addition, we are always working closely with them to improve standards while keeping costs down, which are vital in this economic climate.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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DEPOT PROFILE › BATTERSEA

Battersea – a one stop shop bus garage James Day visits Abellio’s largest London depot at Battersea to get a ground-level feel for the operator’s expanding and evolving services in the capital

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isiting Abellio in London gave me my first ever experience of buses in the capital, after boarding the operator’s own 156 route between Vauxhall and Wimbledon, affectionately named the ‘country route’ since it does not go to the West End. While the excellent audio-visual system ensured even someone as clueless about London streets as me got off the bus at the correct stop, I was fortunate to bump into a man in Abellio hi-vis to direct me to Battersea Depot, which is about as tucked away as you can get in London. With no close residential neighbours and therefore no concerns with noise

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pollution, Battersea can have maintenance and testing carried out through the night, reducing downtime for the fleet during the busier peak hours.

Battersea depot originally belonged to Limebourne, which was acquired by Travel London, resulting in the firm moving from its nearby Stewarts Lane former railway depot in 2002. The site had significant limitations, including a single fuel pump at the roadside requiring buses to queue up, little room to manoeuvre on the premises which only had a capacity for 100 vehicles and workshop facilities only suitable for singledecker buses, which the operator did not use at the time. This resulted in vehicle lifts being moved outside and work being done out

in the open. Clearly, expansion was required.

In 2010 Abellio, having taken over from Travel London, expanded the depot to its current capacity of 225 vehicles. The site is currently home to 182 vehicles, with a peak vehicle requirement of 163 for the nine routes running out of it, and 530 drivers, making it the biggest depot Abellio has. All vehicles at the depot are double-deckers with the exception of the 14 ADL Enviro200s which run on route C10. The site houses two bus washes, with space for a potential third later. New office space has also been constructed, replacing the Portacabins which had been used previously.

I met Jon Batchelor, Operations Manager, and Dave Hillier, Engineering Manager. Both of

Above: The stop-start hybrid going through a bus wash at Battersea depot.

Below: The depot is available for coach parking during the day

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Synectics:

cctv & telematics

ADL staff are based permanently on-site for servicing requirements them are bus enthusiasts at heart and are highly experienced in a variety of roles, both having worked their way through the industry since 1974.

Expanding Services

Abellio’s services are gradually growing in London. The operator controls 6.7% of the London market, a figure which has grown by 1% over the last 18 months.

Currently nine routes operate out of Battersea – standard routes 156, 211, 414, 452, C3 and C10, and the 24-hour routes 3 (with the N3 night bus), 344 and C2.

“We got the C10 just before I arrived at Abellio,” Jon stated. “The C2 came in shortly afterwards.” Many outside factors impact on services from Battersea, including congestion charging and short term roadworks.

There is potential for more changes in the foreseeable future as well.

The London Underground Northern Line is being extended to cover the new American Embassy, with a lot of expansion planned for the area.

Battersea, along with Abellio’s Twickenham depot, allows coaches to be parked on site for £30 per day and there were a number of Chalkwell commuter coaches at the site during my visit. National Express also had vehicles parked on site, which were formerly parked at Nine Elms, due to the depot’s close proximity with Victoria Coach Station.

Jon added: “It’s a way for us to utilise our resources and maximise our revenue.”

ADL Dominance

While vehicles at some other Abellio depots are from a mixture of manufacturers, the fleet at Battersea is very modern and dominated by ADL. 70 new vehicles were delivered over the last year, www.coachandbusweek.com

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including 30 hybrids, taking the average age of the fleet to around three years. 22 of these hybrids operate on route 3.

“The oldest vehicles in the depot are 14 Tridents used on route C3.

We’ll be withdrawing the Tridents later this year,” Jon explained. The average age of fleet will get even younger after the Tridents have gone.

“We run hybrids on the C3 on Sundays. The vehicles are spare that day and we like to keep them on the route at all times to make the best use of their improved fuel efficiency.

This is no requirement of TfL, we do it through our own initiative.

“The rest of the fleet are all Enviros. Our hybrids all operate on our 24-hour routes to make the most of them. They’re only off the road for services and maintenance.”

Currently on trial at the depot is an ADL stop-start hybrid. Carrying the fleet number 2442, it is the 300th hybrid to be introduced in the capital. It runs on route 211, which runs six hybrids out of its vehicle requirement of 19 buses.

ADL is borrowing the vehicle back in the near future to show off to potential customers.

“It’s quite unusual. We had drivers calling us and telling us it had broken down when the engine cut out, so we had to do a bit of explaining,” Jon said.

One stop shop

Expanding Battersea has left plenty of space to accommodate new facilities. On the engineering and cleaning side, there are two bus washes and a chassis cleaner, as well as three pits and three sets of Stertil Koni vehicle lifts. Battersea employs circa 30 engineers.

Dave explained the location of the depot makes it an ideal

Synectics provides both CCTV and telematics systems to Abellio – both in Surrey and in its regulated London network.

Iain Stringer, Synectics’ Sales and Marketing Director, told CBW: “Not only is CCTV a prerequisite for TfL, but it helps Abellio reduce insurance costs and improves the passenger experience. People feel safer when they can see a CCTV system on the vehicle.

“The telematics system helps drivers be more aware of driving economically, and therefore can lead to fuel cost savings of between 5 to 8%.”

There are a lot of suppliers in both the CCTV and telematics market, so why choose Synectics?

Iain said: “Our willingness to work with operators to help them develop is a big factor in why companies choose us. As is our strong reputation and the fact that we have a true nationwide coverage of service engineers.

“We do all of Abellio’s service work on the systems so they get the most from the investment.

“Also, the fragmented nature of technology solutions you can find on a bus makes managing them quite difficult, but if operators choose us for both their CCTV and telematics needs, they only have one provider to speak to.”

The iBus system provides real-time information about bus locations

Abellio Route Control:

monitoring journeys across the capital

Abellio Route Control (ARC) is based at Battersea depot and controls all of the operator’s routes across the capital, covering Battersea, Beddington & Walworth. The company’s two other depots at Hayes and Twickenham are controlled at Twickenham garage.

All of Abellio’s buses in London use the iBus system, which provides accurate real-time information about bus locations and the distance between vehicles on the same route. On the screen, vehicles are depicted as arrows containing basic information, coloured red when a vehicle is too close to the vehicle in front and green when it is too close to the vehicle behind. There are also turning points highlighted, where a vehicle can be turned around to fill a gap which has opened up in the opposite direction.

Each terminal is configurable to the controller’s preference to some extent.

The system certainly relies on the controller being on the ball. The controllers can get in touch with individual drivers at the touch of a button and tell them to hold at a stop for a minute or so in order to maintain headways between vehicles. Likewise, drivers can get in touch with ARC if they have any concerns. Many of Abellio’s services in London are high frequency, where maintaining headways is more important than the specific arrival time of individual buses. Generally only the first and last journeys of the day have a specific time listed.

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DEPOT PROFILE › BATTERSEA

Jon Batchelor & Dave Hillier: a brief history

Dave Hillier, Engineering Manager, and Jon Batchelor, Operations Manager engineering base. “It’s a good site to be in. The public don’t walk by and we can service 24/7 or test brakes on a rolling road without disturbing anyone,” he said. “We’re also next door to Gatwick Express and benefit from nearby Network Rail security.”

Abellio’s recruitment and Driver CPC training is also done on site, as well as Abellio Route Control (ARC) using the London iBus system.

Some recruitment was ongoing during my visit, an on-site medical and a brief driving test in a van to ensure applicants can handle the larger vehicles. Applicants are not required to hold a PSV licence before they apply. As well as the medicals, the on-site surgery also performs drug and alcohol checks.

CCTV is also streamed to Battersea. On screen was a Synectics system of 15 cameras on a double-decker bus, which the operative told me was the best system Abellio uses. The image www.coachandbusweek.com

AbellioBattersea.indd 44

Jon started off as a bus operations trainee with London Transport, spending time in a variety of different departments for a few years. He became a bus conductor, then a driver for five years before starting to move up through the ranks as a Road Inspector, Garage Inspector and Assistant Operations Manager.

When Stagecoach first took over from London Transport in 1994, Jon took the role of Operations Manager at Leyton garage and also worked at garages in both East London & Selkent districts.

Leaving the business just before Stagecoach reacquired it at the end of October 2010, Jon’s next role was something quite different. “I got a job for an operator based in Amman in Jordan,” Jon said. “They wanted an Operations Manager, I applied on a Sunday and was interviewed the following Wednesday. I headed out there within a month of applying.

“I stayed until the operator was bought out by the government, who sent all the Brits home. When I got back I saw this job advertised and I’ve been here since July 2011.”

Dave joined the industry as an apprentice, spending his first year on the job at a training centre sponsored by TfL. Following this he spent two years at Chiswick Works, TfL’s main engineering centre at the time.

“Anything from any garage needing work on the chassis side used to go through Chiswick, while work on the body side was done at Aldenham,” Dave explained. “Buses went there every seven years. The body would be lifted off the chassis by a crane. The chassis was then sent round one part of the facility, with the body going round another. Chassis and bodies would then be paired up again at the end, but you wouldn’t always have the same body on the same chassis.

“There used to be dedicated buses to get the workforce there and lunchtime services into Edgware so staff could do something with their break.

“It was a conveyor belt of repairs, a really amazing place to work.”

After Chiswick, Dave joined Wandle District before moving to Merton Garage in 1989 as Engineering Manager.

Dave was part of the management buyout at London General in 1994, before it was acquired by Go-Ahead in 1996. He remained with the firm until 2004 when he moved to London United and then joined Travel London in 2006. He stayed at the company after its acquisition by Abellio.

“The roadside ticket machines in London are being phased out now.

They’re just not being used, but there is still a cost to maintain them.”

One single team

There are three pits and three Stirtil Koni vehicle lifts at Battersea quality and frame rate was certainly very impressive considering the sheer number of individual video feeds being displayed simultaneously.

With the runaway success of the Oyster card combined with new contactless payment system installed across London,

cash handling is one area where expansion is definitely not required.

“We don’t really take a lot of money anymore as the Oyster is such a no brainer,” said Jon. “Some drivers only pay in £8-9 per shift.

“But even with figures as low as this we still have to arrange the collection and counting of it.

Throughout the day I was struck by the cheeriness of all of the staff I saw, in spite of the clichés often thrown around about grumpy bus drivers and the indifference of Londoners. It really came across as a very pleasant place to work and it was clear that the different departments in the workplace were not segregated. Jon and Dave greeted every driver and staff member we passed and there was no shortage of friendly banter to be had.

“Operations and engineering are not separated here,” Jon said. “We work together in one single team.

“Creating a better team means better performance in the end,” Dave added. “It’s a big garage but a small workspace. We see each other all the time.”

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" E W F S U J T F

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2007 Daf SB4000 – Van Hool Alizee T9 48/9 seats, rear floor mounted toilet & servery, A/C, 368,000 kms, one owner, mainly used for tours and private hire.

Sold with 12 months MOT, excellent condition.

7HO

All Vehicles Direct Fleet Many With COIF’s, PSV’s, Wheelchair

Access Lifts

& Ramps

ÂŁ100,000 +VAT Phone Ernie 07932 734273 or office 01253 725999 ask for Pam G-Line Holidays Ltd www.g-linecoaches.co.uk

Mercedes Benz Vito 111 CDI

2002 52 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI FRONT ENTRY 15 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WELFARE MINIBUS

NOVEMBER 2011 61 MERCEDES SPRINTER 516CDI EXTRA LONG 16 SEAT COACH BUILT MINIBUS

2200 turbo diesel automatic, certificate of initial fitness, electric front entry door, analogue tachograph, panaramic glass, underfloor electric wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, lift up sky lights, 172000 klms/108000 miles, excellent condition, finished in white, supplied with 12 months MOT or PSV, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty ÂŁ8995 + VAT

2300 turbo diesel euro 5 manual engine, 16 non reclining luxury coach seats with piping, luggage racks with forced air and reading lights, large panoramic windows, large illuminated luggage area, show curtains, walnut dash, drivers locker, radio and CD player system with 6 speakers, GRP lowered entrance step, GRP body skirts, COIF ÂŁ47995 + VAT

Ben Weaver Commercials 0114 275 7076

Ben Weaver Commercials 0114 275 7076

2010 MAN Beulas <RXÂś UH L Q FRQW URO

3 seat wheelchair accessible minibus, LEZ compliant, MOT until July, air con, plain silver, Euro 4, 300kg tail lift capacity, armrests.

Five in stock.

71 seats, LEZ, Glory Euro 5 + EEV, WC, climate control, hot drinks, amazing luggage capacity, fantastic condition, MOT 31/10/2013, fully DDA, only 149,000km, sale due to fleet restructure.

ÂŁ5,000

ÂŁ225,000 + VAT

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

Florida Taxi Coaches 01787 477701

Ford Transit 17 Seat Minibus

MAN Tourliner

ÂŁ15,750

460bhp Euro V engine, 12 speed AStronic gearbox, white with removable vinyls, no scrapes or scratches, Durabright alloys, many extras, MOT till September 2013.

Pembridge Vehicle Management 01633 485858

ÂŁ168,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

4.1 ton, 2.4 diesel engine 140 ps, six speed gearbox, tachograph, COIF, PSV.

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Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com

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2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313

2004 Setra S415 HD

2004 Ford Transit

ASTronic, retarder, aircon, 2 x monitors, radio/cassette, crew seat, fridge.

Vehicle currently undergoing MOT preparation and test.

1996 Volvo VanHool B9M

ÂŁ79,500

17 seats, lap/diagonal belts, 2 x air bags, 121,000 miles, FSH, remote central locking, radio/cassette, one previous owner, very tidy throughout, no internal damage. ÂŁ3,950 + VAT

Evobus - 02476 626046

Crystal Coaches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 020 8960 8800

Royal Blues - 01803 872422

2011 ENVIRO 200

2008 MAN A22 Wrightbus Meridian SLF 12m

1998 Volvo VanHool B10M Alizee

Ex-rental, LEZ compliant, ZF automatic, 44 seats + 26 standees, wheelchair ramp, Mobitech LED, digital tacho.

38 reclining & belted seats, air-con, PA/Video/ DVD/VCR, floor mounted WC, full servery, full service history, MOT to October 2013.

ÂŁ15,000

Choice of 5 from ÂŁ294+VAT per week

48 reclining & belted seats, air-con, PA/Video/ DVD/VCR, floor mounted WC, full servery, full service history, MOT to December 2013.

EnsignBus 01708 865656

Santander Used Assets 07753 712444

Royal Blues - 01803 872422

Dennis Dart Mini Plaxton Pointer 8.8m

2006 Plaxton Pointer Plaxton/Transbus

Mercedes 814D Euro Coach

Euro 5 Cummins engine, currently 62 seats with tables and luggage area but can upseat to 70.

MOT till Aug 2013, CCTV cameras, CCTV recorder, manual front, side & rear destination, front ramp, Euro 2, blue patterned moquette.

29 + 17 seats, 323,719 miles.

PSV 12/5/13, taxed 30/4/13, full service history.

POA

ÂŁ5,750

POA

ÂŁ58,000

EnsignBus 01708 865656

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

Arriva Bus & Coach 01274 681144

Contact William on 07733 914050

2005 Bova Futura

2009 Renault

2 x 2007 (57) Optare Solo M950 Slimlines

2002 Futura

84,000 miles, 16 seats + 1, one owner, full service history, superb condition, converted to an exceedingly high specification.

10.7m, Euro 5, 35 e-leather seats, very low mileage, Hanover destination, DDA compliant.

ÂŁ29,995

POA

Kripton UK - 07845 808096

2010 ENVIRO 400

49 seat executive, excellent condition inside and out, used only for touring and excursions, 12 months MOT, 470K kms, owned since new, genuine reason for sale. ÂŁ75,000 + VAT o.n.o.

Call Paul â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 07968 106891

16 reclining seats, perfect for airports, takes 20 big suitcases, A/C, TV, DVD, hot drinks & fridge, 3 point belts, overhead racks, front entry, 166,000kms, great on fuel, sale due to fleet restructure.

ÂŁ19,000 + VAT

Florida Taxi Coaches 01787 477701

32 seats + 17 standees, Cummins engines, Alison gearboxes, full service histories, both with current MOT, average mileages. Each one will be re-sprayed in white or in the new ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colours if required.

ÂŁ49,000 o.n.o.

Courtney Buses 0118 973 3486

ÂŁ25,000

Full exec spec, Eminox euro 4 exhaust, 49 seats, green cloth, manual, 792K kms, new MOT on sale.

ÂŁ55,000 + VAT L.J. Edwards: 01323 440622 option 2 or John 07974 369570

Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com

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48 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

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2003 Scania CN94UN Omnicity SLF 12m

Network Warrington have the following vehicles for sale

2000 SCANIA T9

42 seats + 31 standees, DDA compliant, 12 months MOT. ÂŁ39,500 + VAT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CHOICE Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

53 seats, excellent condition, PSV 26/5/13, Taxed 30/4/13, service records. Lovely bus all round and just had an interior re-trim.

2003 Futura

2006 Volvo B7TL Wrightbus Gemini SLF 10.7m

ÂŁ24,750

Contact Eric on 0792 138920

Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m Full exec spec, Eminox euro 4 exhaust, 49 seats, green cloth, manual, 695K kms, new MOT on sale.

2000/2001 V & Y Plate, Cummins 6BT, Allison AT545 4 speed auto, Marshall body, 40 seats.

Ex-rental, LEZ compliant, 67 high back seats, 1 tip-up + 14 standees, wheelchair ramp, Mobitech LED, air-con, CCTV, MoT Dec 2013.

ÂŁ65,000 + VAT L.J. Edwards: 01323 440622 option 2 or John 07974 369570

Contact Ian Parker (Engineering Manager) Warrington Borough Transport Ltd Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington WA4 6PT. Tel 01925 634296

Santander Used Assets 07753 712444

2010 Temsa Avenue

Iveco 17 seat wheelchair accessible minibus

Unwin Innotrax floor to take five wheelchairs, underfloor lift, rear heating, tachograph, front entry drop step with slam door, COIF, PSV.

2004 Iveco Daily 45c13

11 seat front entry wheelchair accessible minibus, white, diesel, 80,000 miles.

POA

1998 Volvo B10M Jonckheere Mistral

ÂŁ15,495

ÂŁ10,000 - no VAT

Converted to 70 seater in September using Cogent 3+2 seating all fitted with 3 point belts, MOT till Oct 2013 and has no known defects.

Arriva Bus & Coach 01274 681144

Pembridge Vehicle Management 01633 485858

Ben Weaver Commercials 0114 275 7076

ÂŁ35,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

Neoplan Starliner

Dennis Plaxton Coach

VOLVO B12B

2002 Mercedes Vario 614

32 leather seats, full rear servery, airline style overhead lockers, 240V inverter and onboard generator, Blaupunkt sound system with DVD & Sky TV, ASTronic gearbox, A/C, WC, fully carpeted, removable ski box.

Cummins 420, Plaxton Paragon body, Asotronic gearbox, air con, long MOT, excellent MPG. Has been used exclusively on our tour programme. Regd March 2004.

42-48 seats, 60,667 miles.

POA

ÂŁ65,000 + VAT o.n.o.

Florida Taxi Coaches 01787 477701

ÂŁ48,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; choice of 5 Contact Tom Smith or Peter Tetlow on 0845 130 5777 for more details

375,604 miles, PSV 25/4/13, taxed 31/3/13, full service history.

ÂŁ120,000

Contact William on 07733 914050

13 seat front entry wheelchair accessible minibus, diesel, 160,000 miles.

ÂŁ6,995

Ben Weaver Commercials 0114 275 7076

Telephone Jade Cassidy on 01733 293247 or email jade.cassidy@coachandbusweek.com

696286-1077-Pickrell

H. W. PICKRELL

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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.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINI BUSES For latest stock arrivals follow @h_w_pickrell 09 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5 TD

10 REG RENAULT MASTER LM 39 2.5TD

06 REG FORD TRANSIT 430 JUMBO 2.4TDCI

60 REG F ORD TRANSIT 330 2.4TDCI

Manual, high roof, PAS, LWB, new conversion, side loading door, AVS side step, 14 high back seats, AMF m2 fully tracked floor, full air con, Ricon tail lift, tacho fitted, only 46,750kms.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, side loading door, side step, 11 rear high back seats, full Unwin tracking, Eberspacher heater, underfloor Ratcliff tail lift, 31,813 miles.

Manual, semi high roof factory bus conversion, side entry slam door with low entry step, 14 x high back seats plus driver, air con, ex lease, only 32,997 kms.

6 speed manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, MWB, tacho, SL door, 12 rear standard factory high back seats, no tracking (can be fitted), underfloor Ratcliff tail lift, one owner local charity, 20,104kms.

08 REG IVECO 50C18 3.0TD

06 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI

56 RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

59 REG VAUXHALL MOVANO LM39 2.5TD

6 speed manual, high roof, MWB, Wilker conversion ambulance, SLD, fitted with Jany fold up seat in rear, Ferno Pegasus stretcher, full air con, Eberspacher heater, piped oxygen & Entonox, 16,410 miles only.

Auto gearbox, LWB, PAS, Frank Guy conversion, n/s full height electric power door, 16 high back removable seats on NMI quick release, Eberspacher, PLS underfloor tail lift, ex local authority, COIF’d, 103,080 kms.

6 speed manual gearbox, high roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 6 rear high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 14,300 miles only.

Manual 6 speed, high roof, PAS, LWB, Mellor conversion, side loading door, new AVS side step, 14 high back seats, new AMF m2 fully tracked floor, AMF tail lift, tacho fitted only 35,749 kms. (22,214 miles).

58 REG IVECO DAILY 50c13 IRIS BUS 3.0

NEW UN REG IVECO DAILY 50c17 IRIS BUS 3.0

07 REG MERCEDES 814D VARIO

07 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 313CDI 2.5 T D

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, power front entry door, 16 rear high back seats,Unwin tracked floor, Eberspacher heater, destination board, underfloor Ratcliff tail lift, COIF, 63,371 miles.

Agile gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, power front entry door, 16 rear high back seats, Unwin Innotrax flat floor, underfloor Ratcliff t/lift, COIF/IVA to take up to 5 wheelchairs.

Mobile police unit/emergency comms unit, PAS, side entry door with electric step, Eberspacher heating, Ratciff tail lift, kitchen, entry CCTV, only 46,900kms from new (ideal camper conversion).

Manual, semi high roof minibus conversion, twin side entry sliding door with electric step, 14 x high back seats plus driver, air con front & rear, fully tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, ex NHS, only 25,000 miles.

06 REG IVECO DAILY 50c13 IRIS BUS 3.0

06 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVK TREKA

57 REG PEUGEOT BOXER 2.5TD

08 REG FORD TRANSIT 430 JUMBO 2.4TDCI

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, power front entry door, 16 rear high back seats, Unwin tracked flat floor, Eberspacher climate control, underfloor PLS tail lift, COIF, 67,671 kms.

Auto gearbox, LWB, PAS, climate control, n/s/f electric power door, 16 high back removable seats on NMI quick release, Eberspacher, PLS underfloor tail lift, ex local authority, COIF'd, 82,180 kms.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, O&H conversion SLD, AVS side step, 8 rear high back seats plus 1 x wheelchair space, Unwin tracking, Eberspacher heater, Ricon tail lift, ex local authority, 20,286 miles.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, side loading door, AVS side step, 13 rear high back seats, Unwin tracked floor, Eberspacher heater, air con, underfloor Ratcliff tail lift, tacho, 53,946kms.

07 REG VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER CR50 UVG TREKA

08 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5TD

2008 57 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO LH28 2.0 TD

08 REG FORD TRANSIT 430 JUM BO 2.4 TDCI

Auto gearbox, climate control, n/s/f electric power door, 16 high back removable seats on NMI quick release, Eberspacher, PLS underfloor tail lift, ex local authority, COIF'd, 81,280 kms.

Manual gearbox, high roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, AVS side step, 8 high back seats plus 2 x w/chairs & driver, Unwin tracked floor, ricon internal tail lift, 33,175 miles only.

Manual gearbox, hi roof, O & H conversion, PAS, side loading door, side step, 5 high back seats plus 1 x w/chair, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 30,280 miles only.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, side loading door, electric side step, 11 high back seats, Unwin tracked floor at rear, Eberspacher heater, underfloor Ratcliff tail lift, tacho, 34,955 miles.

57 REG RENAULT MASTER LM 35 2.5TD

09 PEUGEOT EXPERT TEPEE 1.9 HDI

2009 59 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO SL28 2.0 TD

54 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVG TREKA

Manual gearbox, PAS, LWB, Euromotive conversion, SLD, AVS side step, 12 rear high back seats, Unwin tested Innotrac floor, Ricon tail lift, ex local authority, 20,775 miles.

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

Manual gearbox, 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.

Auto gearbox, LWB, PAS, climate control, n/s/f electric power door, 16 high back removable seats on NMI quick release, Eberspacher, PLS underfloor tail lift, ex local authority, COIF'd, 104,180 kms.

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Ensig DOUBLE DECK 85

SEAT S

2000 DENNIS TRIDENTS Alexander ALX400 bodies, converted to high capacity 85 seat school buses.

LEZ

COMPLIANT

1999/2000/2001 V/X/51 PLATE DENNIS TRIDENTS Cummins/Voith, LEZ compliant for 2012 with traps to Euro 4, CCTV, Alexander ALX400 bodies, DDA compliant or upseated to 80 seats.

1999 T/V REG DENNIS TRIDENTS

1999 T/V REG DENNIS DART SLF’S

Caetano Compass bodies, 39 seats, ramps.

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

1995 M REG OPTARE SPECTRA

1996 LEYLAND OLYMPIAN TRI-AXLE

Gardner engine, Voith gearbox, 100 seats with seatbelts.

DAF engine, Voith gearbox, low height, 77 seats.

1998 R/S REG OPTARE SOLO’S

1999 VOLVO B7TL’S

Merc engines , 8.5m long, 30 seats. £4500 each plus tyres.

SWB, CCTV, particulate traps so LEZ compliant, Plaxton President bodies, dual door 62 seats or single door 71 seats.

2001 Y REG DENNIS DARTS

2002 52 PLATE VOLVO B7TL’S DDA and LEZ, 70 seats, Euro 3, £24000 plus VAT.

Plaxton Pointer 2 bodies, 10.1m , Cummins Euro 2 engines, DDA, 31 seats, CCTV, particulate traps fitted, LEZ compliant, only £6000 each plus tyres.

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

K ER SPECIALIST 1990 LEYLAND OLYMPIAN OPEN TOP

1998 R REG VOLVO B10BLE’S

Cummins L10 / ZF, 78 seats.

1998 R REG DENNIS JAVELIN ZF 6 speed manual, Plaxton Premiere 350, 53 seats.

2005 VOLVO B12B

I-shift, Plaxton Panther, 49 seats, air con, rear toilet, £45000 plus VAT.

1992 LEYLAND OLYMPIAN

Cummins L10 / ZF, Alexander RH body, 78 seats with retractable belts, MOT Oct 2013, tacho.

2000 VOLVO B7TL’S

Voith automatic gearboxes, SLF, Alexander ALX300 bodies, 44 seats and 27 standing, heavy duty low floor buses. They can also be converted to be DDA compliant.

1995 N REG VOLVO OLYMPIAN

Northern Counties body, Volvo engine, 74 seats, seatbelts fitted.

2002 02 PLATE DENNIS TRIDENTS

Euro 3 Cummins engines, DDA compliant , Plaxton President bodies, Hanover LED’s, 67 seats converted to single door or 62 seats as dual door.

2000/2001 VOLVO B7TL’S

LWB, CCTV, particulate traps so LEZ compliant, Plaxton President bodies, dual door 67 seats or single door 77 seats, DDAS compliant.

1995 M REG VOLVO B10M

ZF 6 speed manual, Caetano Algarve body, 49 seats, centre sunken toilet, very smart for age.

1995 M REG VOLVO B10M

Alexander ALX400 bodies, 80 seats, DDA compliant.

ZF 6 speed manual, Plaxton Premiere 350, 53 seats.

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

682633-1076-Eastwoods DPS

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DUE TO ILLNESS OF THE MD, MASSIVE SALE WITH HUGE REDUCTIONS – ALL MUST BE SOLD!

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.

Straight from MOD.

£P.O.A

Straight from MOD

1995 PLAXTON PREMIER B10 engine In excellent condition throughout MOT

£16,000 +VAT

06 MAN EVOLUTION

14/220, 37 seats, SLF automatic, wheelchair ramp, superb condition throughout, fully MoT’d.

£45,500

Part exchange considered

BERKOF RADIAL 1998

53 seats, Cummins 300 engine, ex council, manual box, air cond, MoT, very low mileage, super condition.

£19,500

CAETANO (SALVADOR) 1998

57 seats, in white, Cummins 245 engine, MoT Sept 2012, very clean vehicle.

£19,500 + VAT

BMC AIRPORT BUS

32 seats, 220 Cummins, new MoT this week.

QUICK SALE WANTED.

£15,000

DRIVER TRAINING VEHICLE

MERCEDES VARIO 612

1998, 20 new seats, wheelchair lift on wheel tracking, 20 new seats.

Choice of 6.

TRADE SALE OR SEPARATE

1995 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIER HIGHLINER

53 recliner seats, 290 Cummins, automatic, continental door, toilet, full years MoT, must be seen.

£POA + VAT

02 LDV

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

£P.O.A.

DENNIS JAVELIN

10 metre, 47 seater, ABS brakes, new Class 5 for driver training, Cummins 220 engine, 6 speed gearbox, new stretch panels repainted white, ready for service.

£14,250

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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

02 SETRA

1996 VOLVO PLAXTON PREMIER HIGH LINER

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

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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NEW PRE-REGISTERED FORDS

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

FORD TRANSIT MINIBUSES

(12) 2012 Ford Transit 17 seat minibus 2.2tdci 135ps, tacho, 2300 miles only, ex-demo in silver, COIF/PSV £20,695 (12) 2012 Ford Transit Tourneo 9 seat Trend 2.2 125 PS, air-con, Bluetooth, in Midnight Sky Blue, 2,608 miles £14,900 + VAT (11) 2011 Ford Transit 9 seat Shuttle Bus, twin side loading doors, large rear luggage area, delivery miles only £16,995 (10) 2010 Ford Transit 17 seat 140ps minibus, tachograph, 33000 km,FSH, COIF/PSV £15,250

D SOL

(07) 2007 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4tdci 115ps air-con, tachograph, 76,000kms, COIF/PSV £11,995 (57) 2007 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4TDi 100ps, six speed gearbox, tacho with 16,000 miles, COIF/PSV £11,995

OTHER MAKES

OTHER MAKES

D L O S

(06) 2006 Volkswagen Transporter 9 seat minibus, 85PS, rear tail gate, twin side loading doors, 112,000 miles £7,995 (56) 2006 Peugeot Boxer 3.5t on 17 seat minibus 2.8 diesel, high back seats with three point belts, 33,000 miles £8,995

(55) 2005 Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat minibus 2.8 diesel, with three point seat belts, tow bar, removable seats to rear, 77,000 miles £6,995

LDV MINIBUSES

(57) 2007 LDV Maxus 17 seat, high back seats with three point belts, twin side doors, COIF/ PSV, silver £7,500

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

(55) 2005 Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat wheelchair accessible minibus, tracking to take two wheelchairs, low side entrance step, easy clean floor £7,495 (57) 2008 Iveco 50c15 wheelchair accessible minibus, 17 seats or 4 seated + 5 wheelchairs, rear heating, underfloor tail lift, front entry drop step, COIF/PSV £15,495

(57) 2008 Iveco 50c15 wheelchair accessible minibus, 17 seats or 4 seated + 5 wheelchairs, rear heating, underfloor tail lift, front entry drop step, 90,000 km COIF/PSV £15,495

New Peugeot Boxer 16 seat 3.5 ton and 17 seat w/chair accessible minibuses, 2.2 diesel 120ps, six speed gearbox LEZ COMPLIANT From £24,750 + VAT

(07) 2007 LDV Maxus 13 seat wheelchair accessible minibus, under floor lift, space for two wheelchairs, electric side step £8,495

(56) 2006 Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat LWB minibus, 2.8 diesel, high back seats with three point seat belts, 19,000 miles only £9,450

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

Volkswagen Crafter 2.5 diesel, 17 high back seats with three point belts, 30,000 miles, COIF/PSV £15,750

(06) 2006 Vauxhall Vivaro 1.9 cdti 9 seat, inboard lift, tracking for 2 wheelchairs, 45,000 miles £8,995

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%

682251-1077-Ventura

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696148-1077-Blythswood

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06 (55) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDi TREKA BUS W/CHAIR ACC 97000KMS COIF/PSV £18,495 CHOICE

07 (57) VW CRAFTER LT35 16 SEAT INC DRIVER WHEELCHAIR ACCESS INBOARD LIFT 43,000 MILES SILVER METALLIC COIF/PSV £19,995

2010 (10) FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT MINIBUS 115PS HIGH ROOF SILVER METALLIC 60,000 MILES COIF/PSV DIGI TACHO £15995

2005 (05) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT MINICOACH OLYMPUS CONVERSION 220,000 MILES AIR CON LUGGAGE RACKS £ 18,495

07 (07) FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT MINIBUS 115PS COIF 47,000 MILES £11995

2006 (06) MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT MINICOACH 189,000 MILES COIF/PSV OLYMPUS CONVERSION. DROPWELL BOOT £20,500

MULTIPART & LDV/MAXUS PARTS STOCKISTS

(PONTYPOOL) LTD

P.O.A.

• ALTAS CONVERSION • 17 SEAT MINICOACH • DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS • FULL AIR CONDITIONING • POWER DOOR LOW ENTRY STEP

NEW MERCEDES SPRINTER TOURLINE 519CDI

Tel: 01495 757111 Mob: 07850 739446 (Haydn) or visit our website www.minibussales.biz to view the above stock

03 (53) IVECO DAILY 50c13 17 SEAT MINIBUS COIF/PSV £7,495

14:15

05 (05) VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER T30 104 TDi WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS £8,995

4/2/13

2011 (11) FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT MINIBUS HIGH ROOF T430 115PS SILVER METALLIC 48000 MILES DIGI TACHO AIR CON CRUISE CONTROL. £16,995

p53_CBW_1073 Page 1

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58 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

681297-1077-Connaught

4/3/13

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Mini Coach Sales

BRAND NEW COACH BUILT MERCEDES 516 FERQUI SOROCO 16 high back leather trimmed reclining seats, courier seat, A/C, D/G, power door, large boot, DVD, silver metallic. AVAILABLE NOW.

BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ 516CDI EVM SHUTTLE 16 high back seats, 3 point belts, luggage racks and A/C.

BRAND NEW MERCEDES FERQUI TORO 28/32 high back seats + courier, A/C, D/G, forced air, reading lights, power door, large boot.

Order now for April delivery.

MORE PHOTOS AND DETAILS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE: www.connaughtpsv.co.uk

BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ FERQUI SOROCO 19 high back seats, 3 point belts, A/C, D/G, forced air, reading lights and boot.

Order now for May delivery.

BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ 513CDI EVM CLASSIC 16/19 high back seats, 3 point belts, luggage racks and A/C.

2009 59 REG MERCEDES 311 CDI SPRINTER 16 high back seats, forced air, reading lights, luggage racks, and drop step.

2007 07 REG MERCEDES 515CDI SOROCO 19 high back seats, 3 point belts, A/C, D/G, forced air, reading lights, power door, boot in silver metallic.

2007 07 REG MERCEDES 413 CDI SOROCO 16 high back seats, forced air, reading lights, A/C, power door and large boot.

2006 56 REG MERCEDES 616 SOROCO PLUS 16 high back leather seats, 3 point belts, A/C, D/G, forced air, reading lights, fridge, DVD, power door and boot.

2005 05 REG MERCEDES 814 VARIO MELLOR 33 high back seats, 3 point belts, forced air, reading lights, power door and boot.

2002 02 REG MERCEDES 413CDI SOROCO 16 high back reclining seats, 3 point belts, forced air, A/C, reading lights, power door, large boot.

Steve Peach Tel: 01302 770863 Mob: 07836 551020 Email: steve@connaughtpsv.co.uk www.connaughtpsv.co.uk

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60 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

RA RE O P P O RTUN ITY Single Deck, Double Deck & Hybrid

2005 28 st Pointer

2005 Scania E/Lancs

2007 Wrightbus Electrocity

For more details or to arrange a viewing call 07979 295668

Southdown PSV - 01342 711840 www.southdownpsv.co.uk

from £116,000 choice

New! Man SLF CitySmart 10.8m.

37 seats. Ex stock

from £27,500 choice

2003 SLF ALX 400 Volvo B7TL & Dennis Trident 2. 67-74 seats

Southdown PSV Silverwood Snow Hill Copthorne West Sussex RH10 3EN

from £39,500 choice

2003 Scania CN94 SLF Omnicity 12m - 42 seats

Prices quoted are subject to VAT @ 20%

696111-1076-Stafford

25/2/13

17:36

Page 1

Call for details on our vehicle conversions, upseating, refurbishment, and change of use conversion. Also vehicles available for hire short and long term.

www.staffordbuscentre.com email: martin@staffordbuscentre.com Telephone: 01782 791774 Mobile: 07803 222552 View our latest arrivals on www.staffordbuscentre.com

DENNIS TRIDENT EAST LANCS BODY EXLWB 1999 T/V REG 78 seats and wheelchair space, could be re-seated to 88/90 and belted. £17,950

VOLVO OLYMPIAN, NORTHERN COUNTIES “LOW HEIGHT” BODY 1998 R REG Volvo engine/ZF gearbox, 76 seats plus 8, can be belted if required. £11,950

DAF SB220 ALEXANDER 1998 R REG 42 seats + 26 standing, good quality replacements for those unreliable, expensive to run Darts.

PHONE FOR MORE DETAILS

VOLVO OLYMPIAN NORTHERN COUNTIES (Low Height) 1998 R REG Fitted with 76 high back seats with 3 point belts, fully repainted and new test. £13,950

DENNIS DART PLAXTON SUPER POINTER 1999 V REG Undergoing total internal re-fit to include 45 seats with belts.

FROM £12,950

DENNIS DART MARSHALL BODY 2000 W REG Fitted with up-dated body panels, new MoT and paint, 35 seats plus wheelchair. £6,950

ADL ENVIRO 200 ADL ENVIRO 200 B900 2007 56 REG 2008 08 REG 39 seats + standing and wheelchair 29 seats + 17 standing, space. fully panelled and painted.

PHONE FOR DETAILS POA £53,950

MERCEDES 815D MEDIO 2005 05 REG Mercedes built mini coach with 25 seats, large boot etc. £27,950

DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIERE 2002 (51) REG Fitted with 70 highback coach seats, new MOT, manual gearbox £39,950

BLUEBIRD AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS 2000 W REG 60 high back coach seats with 3 point belts, Cummins engine and (reconditioned) Alison gearbox, very simple and rugged construction PHONE FOR MORE DETAILS

FORD TRANSIT 15 SEAT FACTORY BUS 2011 11 REG C.O.I.F plus PSV MoT, very low miles, as new. £15,950

OPTARE SOLO M 10.20 2006 56 REG Largest of the Solo family at 37 seats, fully reconditioned Cummins 6 cylinder ISBT engine, panelled and painted.

POA

OPTARE SOLO M920 1999 V REG Currently being panelled/painted and belted to 31 seats plus wheelchair. £12,950

FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT FACTORY BUS 2007 57 REG 80k miles, tacho, PSV COIF etc. £10,950

FORD TRANSIT 15 SEAT BUS 2007 07 REG Very low mileage, suitable for school use if required as its 3500 cwt, can be driven on any full car licence. £9,950

OPTARE SOLO M850 2004 04 REG 27 seats, 25 with 3 point belts, CCTV, Hanover destination etc. £25,950

WE ALSO HAVE AVAILABLE

S OL D

OPTARE SOLO ALL MERCEDES ENGINE ALLISON BOX W Reg, 25 seater, very short with new belts plus new paint. £12,950 W Reg, 29 seater, 9.2mtr with new belts plus new paint (in build now). £12,950 52 Reg, 29 seater, 8.5 mtr with belts plus new paint. £16,950

1999 V with auto box, 33 bus seats with belts (cert for 31), new paint and test. £8,950 1999 T with auto box, 29 coach seats but LWB, so plenty of room, destination and power door. £8,950

MERCEDES 814D VARIO PLAXTON BEAVER R 2004 04 with manual box, 33 removable seats, power door and destination, tail lift etc. £16,950

FORD TRANSITS x 10 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 Mostly PSV All 17 seats, tacho etc, all below 60k miles.

Vehicles available for short or long term lease

p62_CBW_1077

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Page 62

Available Now!

62 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE COACHES FOR SALE

n st ni La mai re

e on

g

1998 PLAXTON PREMIERE VOLVO B10M 47 seater with rear servery, rear floor mounted toilet, PLS 300 wheelchair lift, can carry up to 18 wheelchairs, to be sold with 1 year’s MOT – any inspection. £25,000 reduced for quick sale

Choice of 2 58 plated Setra 53 reclining seats with three point seat belts £110,000 + VAT

1985 VOLVO PLAXTON B10M 12 months MOT, new clutch, 54 seats wheelchair accessible – can carry up to 4 fixed wheelchairs by removing 10 seats, so 4 wheelchairs and 44 able bodied passengers, any inspection welcome, 6 speed manual gearbox, clean and tidy interior, non-LEZ compliant. £4,000

Choice of 2 59 plated Mercedes Benz Tourismo 49 reclining seats, executive finish £130,000 + VAT

1999 VOLVO B10M ENIGMA 49 seater exec with recent retrim, Scanlift wheelchair lift, can carry up to 3 fixed wheelchairs, MOT till march 2013 – any inspection. £25,000 reduced for quick sale

Ian Bragg 0161 947 9477 ianb@bellevue-mcr.com

Choice of 4 59 plated Mercedes Benz Tourismo 49 reclining seats, super executive finish £135,000 + VAT

Choice of 3 58 plated Setra 49 reclining seats, executive finish £115,000 + VAT

BMC Midilux Cummins ISB Euro 4 engine, PA system, rear air suspension, air conditioning, TV, 26 seat configuration, white.

£67,950 Available ex-stock

Contact Paul Hockley on 0207 733 1124 phockley@redwing-coaches to view or for further information

For more details contact Ken Grindrod : 07976 355334 or Phil Hodgson : 07773 258379 BMC UK – Sole importer for the UK : 01924 227777 (A Trading Division of Pelican Engineering Co Ltd)

www.bmc-uk.net

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64 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

bus & coach rentals

BUILDINGS

The ABC of Rental Solutions

HEAVY DUTY STEEL BUILDINGS

Bus Workshops - Secure Storage Supplied any width, any length Building to BS5590 - Doors high enough for Double Deckers - Finance available For further information phone

Bus and Coach

01274 681144

busandcoachsales@arriva.co.uk www.arrivabusandcoach.co.uk

BLUELINE BUILDINGS 01709 578333 anytime

HEATING

checkpoints &KHFNSRLQW

Under your control.

For the time you need it.

®

'XVWLWH/5

+44(0)1524 271200 www.checkpoint-safety.com

Sign Writing Services • School bus sign sets with suction cups – £15 + VAT • Vehicle livery design & supply – fitting by arrangement if required • Legal lettering & graphics supplied by post

Tel: 01884 290818 Mobile: 07583 334455 www.kjsupport.co.uk

TACHOGRAPH ANALYSIS

®

Wheel Nut Indicators and Retainers

SIGNWRITING

Heaters • A/C Equipment Blowers • Motors Radiators • Silicone Hose Ducting • Wiper Equipment Gas Struts

Tel: 01993 849522 Fax: 01993 706920 Email: sales@thhs.co.uk

www.thhs.co.uk

UNIT 9 NIMROD BUSINESS PARK DE HAVILLAND WAY, WITNEY OX29 0YG

ENGINES

THE CUMMINS ENGINE SPECIALISTS PARTS & SERVICE DIVISION

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

GARAGE EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS

If you would like further information please call 01543 897505 or visit www.lloydmorgangroup.co.uk

Take the photos, write the ad and change it later if you want to, all from your online dashboard.

Selling a vehicle is simple on . . .

TRAINING

THE DRIVER CPC IS HERE

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

Experts in Commercial Garage Equipment

www.bwsequip.co.uk BWS (0117) 9530381

Digital and analogue tachograph analysis

SAME DAY J.A.U.P.T. REGISTRATION SAME DAY C.P.C. CERTIFICATES DELIVERED AT YOUR OWN DEPOTS

REMEMBER-REMEMBER 10th SEPTEMBER WE WILL HOLD OUR PRICES FOR 5 YEARS

PCV DRIVER HIRE 0800-731-5007 CORPORATE DEALS AVAILABLE

MERIDIAN PCV DRIVER LTD Rising above all others

www.meridianpcv.com

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March 6, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 65

PARTS

TRAINING

The ABC of Parts Support

TRIM

BLACKPOOL TRIM SHOPS LTD BRUN GROVE BLACKPOOL FY1 6PG

Over 17,000 parts lines directly from stock.

Next day delivery as standard.

Bus and Coach

01253 766762

01274 681144

busandcoachsales@arriva.co.uk www.arrivabusandcoach.co.uk

Stock set of Esteban seats to fit Iriza Century coach £2200+VAT

Stock set of Plaxton Premiere seats, newly trimmed £2200+VAT

Stock set of Plaxton Premiere seats, newly trimmed. £1800+VAT.

Full set of 70 Cogent school bus seat covers, cut and sewn. £1000+VAT

Vogal service seats, brand new.

9 doubles, 3 singles. £75+VAT per double £35+VAT per single

Vogal India service seats in red moquette.

9 doubles, 3 singles. £75+VAT per double £35+VAT per single

Don’t let your Dennis be a menace

Trident/Javelin front hub bearings

Why convert when you can replace?

The front hub bearings (part no 655387/6) are still available from Bus & Coach Parts Avoid the costly conversion kit Order now on: 0845 3038366

7L PH L V PRQH\ 8SO RDG \ RXU

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DW

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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

We have full sets of pads for Esteban Civic V2, plus spares and other service seats in stock

/blackpooltrimshops sales@blackpooltrimshops.co.uk

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66 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

WINDSCREEN WIPERS

Manufacturers, Designers and Suppliers of windscreen wiper equipment and bus/coach products

FOR ALL YOUR WIPER EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR NEW ON-LINE CATALOGUE

Unit 3, Seaview Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 4DU

T: +44 (0) 151 922 5933 T: +44 (0) 151 933 4272 F: +44 (0) 151 922 5468 E: sales@transervex.co.uk W: www.transervex.com

A Clear Vision

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Wednesday February 13, 2013 Issue 1074 | £2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

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February 2013

Top ways to groups happykeep younger p22

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68 | COACH & BUS WEEK | March 6, 2013

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

Monday: Martin here. Not as particularly fraught as press days often tend to be – but still there are unforeseen delays and putting the final touches to this week’s issue means we don’t finish until after 2000. A somewhat quieter day in the office as Vicky had decided to leave and the advertising department was short of her vibrant personality.

Three of the heritage buses on display last weekend including a 1968-built Massey-bodied Leyland PD3

Colourful combination in Caerphilly On Saturday (March 2), the centre of Caerphilly took on a colourful spectacle as the Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr Gaynor Oliver, officially re-launched 1968-built Massey-bodied Leyland PD3 ‘PAX466F’, which just returned to its original Oxford Blue and Royal Ivory livery as fleet no.6.

At the morning event, Stagecoach in South Wales brought along one of its latest buses, an ADL Enviro 200 to join four restored heritage vehicles all originally owned by long gone municipal fleets. These included a chocolate, cream and yellow bus representing Rhymney Valley and two mid brunswick green double deckers originally operated by Caerphilly Council.

Dilbert

All these councils no longer exist.

The Urban Districts of Caerphilly and Bedwas & Machen (along with Gelligaer UDC) were merged in 1974 to form Rhymney Valley D.C. and RVDC itself ceased in 1974 with the formation of Caerphilly CBC. On Saturday the star of the day was the blue Bedwas & Machen bus. The municipal transport undertaking was one of the smallest in the UK and this was its last double decker bus and was unique, being the last traditional lowbridge bus built in the UK to the old half cab design with a sunken gangway and bench seats on the top deck.

The Mayor of Caerphilly, Cllr Gaynor Oliver, thanked everyone for coming along and paid special thanks to Julian Peddle, an English visitor to Caerphilly, for allowing the bus to come back to Wales to be cared for by Cardiff Transport Preservation Group (CTPG) at their restoration centre in Barry. The 45 year old bus looked resplendent

in its newly re-painted Bedwas & Machen colours, not seen locally for 30 years.

Mike Taylor, the heritage bus group’s Chairman, said: “Judging by comments from guests and the public, we have rekindled some memories for some of the older residents and a reminder of that civic pride that existed for former council employees, all those years ago.”

The CTPG will hold its next public event at the group’s 1930s former National Welsh bus depot in Barry on Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Free of charge public bus rides will be available along a local bus route using former municipal buses. Later in the year there is the bigger Festival of Transport on June 9 on Barry Island, followed by gatherings in Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil.

Visit the CTPG’s website at www.ctpg.co.uk

Tuesday: An afternoon appointment to do an evaluation of Plaxton’s revised Cheetah means there’s time to catch up on some emails. The grey day meant it wasn’t ideal for taking pictures – but you have to get what you can at the time.

Some sunshine would certainly have done Country Lion’s Cheetah more favours but overall, it’s a very nice vehicle and seems to have become more refined. Catch up on some industry gossip with Andy Warrender.

Wednesday: Visit Bee Bee Travel in Lemsford to do a Minibus feature and review the new generation Siroco from Spanish bodybuilder Ferqui.

Owner Bobby Bridgeman is very down to earth and seems well in control of his operation.

The model is his third Siroco and according to Steve Peach of Connaught, which inherited Ferqui importation from Optare, he has already delivered 11 this year and has more in build and on order.

We drive the Siroco to the local golf club where the sun comes out as we begin taking photos.

Thursday: Up before dawn in a bid to catch an early flight from Birmingham to Belfast. Meet with Paul Cordle from Michelin and we travel to Ballymena for a tour of the CV tyre manufacturing plant which supplies coach, bus and truck tyres mainly for the UK, European and North American markets.

Much warmer in Northern Ireland than it has been at home. Follow the tyre construction process from start to finish – a fascinating experience.

www.coachandbusweek.com

LastStop.indd 68

04/03/2013 19:08

WORKSHOP MANAGER Bournemouth Transport Ltd (Yellow Buses)

A Workshop Manager vacancy exists at our Bournemouth Depot which operates over 150 vehicles, both coach and bus.

Reporting to the Engineering Director you will be responsible for providing support to our operations by Â&#x2030;Č&#x161;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x161;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030; Â&#x201C;Â&#x160; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; ČŁÂ&#x2030;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2018;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x152;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201D;Ä˝ Applicants must have appropriate engineering Â&#x2022;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2026;Â?Â?Č?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Äş Â&#x2020;Â&#x2030; Â&#x160;Â&#x2122;Â?Â?Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2030; Â&#x201C;Â&#x160; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030; requirements and good personnel management skills. Â&#x2013;Â&#x2030;Â&#x161;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2122;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â&#x161;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â? Â&#x2030;Â&#x153;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030; Â?Â&#x2019; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030; Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2030;Â?Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x2014; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2020;Â?Â&#x2030;Ä˝ Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2026;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â?Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Äş Â&#x203A;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152; Â&#x2026; Â&#x2021;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201D;Â? Â&#x201C;Â&#x160; Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Äş Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014; Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2039; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Äş Â&#x2030;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2026;Â?Äş Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152;Äş Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2DC; Ć? Ć&#x2014; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2020;Â? Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â? Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C; cging@yellowbuses.co.uk Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2039; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Äź Ć&#x2030;Ć? Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x152; Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x2021;Ć&#x2C6;Ć&#x160;Ä˝

PCV/PSV TECHNICIAN/FITTER Bournemouth Transport Ltd (Yellow Buses)

Ĺ&#x2014; Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021;Â&#x152;Â&#x2019;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Ĺ&#x2014; Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013; Â&#x161;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â? Â&#x2030;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Bournemouth Depot which operates 150 vehicles, both bus and coach. Â&#x152;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2014;Â&#x160;Â&#x2122;Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â?Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x203A;Â?Â?Â? Â&#x17D;Â&#x201C;Â?Â&#x2019; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2030;Â&#x153;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2013;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2C6; maintenance team and carry out vehicle inspections, Â&#x2C6;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2019;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2014;Äş Â&#x2013;Â&#x2030;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2026;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014; Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2122;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2039; Â&#x201C; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2030;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Ä˝ Â&#x152;Â&#x2030; Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â&#x161;Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2026;Â? Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2021;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2014; Â&#x203A;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2026;Â?Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2026; Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2030; Â?Â&#x2014; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019; Â&#x2026;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x161;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;Ä˝ Â?Â&#x2030;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2026;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201D;Â?Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Äş Â&#x203A;Â&#x152;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x152; Â&#x2014;Â&#x152;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â?Â&#x2C6; Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2122;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2030; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2026;Â?Â?Â&#x2014; Â&#x201C;Â&#x160; Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â?Â&#x201C;Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x152;Â?Â&#x2014;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â? Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2026;Â?Â?Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Äş Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014; Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2039;Äş Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â&#x201D;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2C6;Äş Â&#x2030;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2014; Â&#x2026;Â?Äş Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201C;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x152;Äş Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2DC; Ć? Ć&#x2014; Â&#x201C;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2020;Â? Â&#x2030;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2026;Â?Â? Â&#x2DC;Â&#x201C; cging@yellowbuses.co.uk Â?Â&#x201C;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2039; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2030;Äź Ć&#x2030;Ć? Â&#x2026;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x152; Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x2021;Ć&#x2C6;Ć&#x160;Ä˝

www.coachandbusweek.com

People1.indd 69

04/03/2013 19:03

Arriva buses. Here to take you there.

Drive your career...

Engineering Manager Arriva, part of the Deutsche Bahn group, is one of the largest transport services organisations in Europe, employing some 47,500 people and delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 12 European countries every year. We operate an extensive range of services including buses, trains, health and social transport services, airport related transport services, commuter coaches and water buses. We also engage in bus and coach distribution.

Committed to delivering a better service and challenged with growing the business we are seeking to recruit an Engineering Manager at our Durham depot. Having recently moved to a new location this presents a great opportunity to join the business at an exciting time.

Reporting to the Head of Engineering, the key duties of this position will be to: • Deliver and exceed high standards of customer service • Work in partnership with the Depot Manager to deliver key operational objectives • Manage and motivate a team of technical staff • Ensure that Company standards are adhered to and improvements identified in all aspects of the engineering facility including vehicle safety maintenance, inspection, plant and equipment, stores, health and safety, work quality, vehicle cleanliness and environmental responsibilities • Ensure the programming/preparation of vehicles to the Company’s high standard for annual MOT test

RECRUITMENT & people Deadlines Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm Contact Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

Mike Nicholson joins Irizar UK Irizar UK has appointed Mike Nicholson, 29, as its Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Ireland. Mike, who lives near the Shropshire-Welsh border, has had PCVs in his blood since serving his apprenticeship as an engineer with Arriva. He then worked at coach operator Owens of Oswestry before moving into coach sales in 2003.

“It was an easy decision to take this role when the opportunity arose,” said Mike. “Irizar UK is a young and exciting company, and I share its philosophy on aftersales.

Our responsibility to our customers goes way beyond the showroom.”

Mike’s experience is invaluable to Irizar UK, according to Sales Director Ian Hall: “We are sure Mike’s background in engineering and his experience selling coaches

will help, but it’s his passion and enthusiasm for the product and company which we believe is his biggest asset. Irizar UK is a great team of coach-experienced professionals and Mike fitted in within days.

“2012 was a great year for Irizar UK. Though we’re in only our first full year of trading, we sold 26 coaches. This year, we already have commitment for 20 coaches and are expecting to significantly increase last year’s sales.”

Contact Mike on: 07748 324122.

Mike Nicholson

• Ensure all engineering KPIs/financial budgets are delivered • Programme and oversee preventative maintenance • Ensure that all vehicle records are maintained to Department of Transport and Arriva Standards • Comply and adhere to Group and Company standards with regards to Health and Safety and quality engineering systems.

Working in a business of changing priorities and working to tight deadlines, you need to be able to work in a fast paced environment and possess great communication skills.

Experience of effective team management, self-motivation, determination and persistence would make you an ideal candidate for this demanding position. You must have a proven track record of fleet management and preferably be recognised by the Engineering Council and a member of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers.

In return we offer a competitive salary, contributory pension scheme and concessionary travel.

How to apply: If you are interested, please send a covering letter and CV, to: Carly Watkins, HR Manager, Arriva North East, Admiral Way, Doxford International Business Park, Sunderland, SR3 3XP or email watkinsc@arriva.co.uk. arrivabus.co.uk

Closing date for applications: Friday 29 March 2013

Arriva is committed to diversity, if you’re good you’re welcome

EXPERIENCED PCV MECHANICS REQUIRED

Paul Clark Services are the leading provider of skilled engineering support to the UKʼS major Bus Operators, Manufacturers and NHS Ambulance Trusts.

Due to continued expansion we are looking to increase our team of experienced skilled Bus, Coach & Emergency Service Vehicle Mechanics supporting the industry across the United Kingdom.

Benefits include: • Service van • Excellent rates of pay • Contributory pension scheme

PAYE or self employed considered.

For more information and to request an application form, contact Paul on 01793 613 122 or send a CV to info@paulclarkservices.co.uk

www.coachandbusweek.com

People.indd 70

04/03/2013 19:32

March 6, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 71

In association with

FirstGroup attracts 1,000 applicants to grad scheme FirstGroup’s UK graduate scheme has attracted 1,000 applications this year – a new record for the company.

The firm will begin its selection process in the coming weeks and from September, 15 graduates will begin working for the company across its bus and rail operations.

“Year on year, the number of candidates applying for the FirstGroup scheme continues to increase,” said John Evans, FirstGroup’s HR Director. “That overwhelming level of interest reflects the quality of the Programme.

“Of course I’m pleased with the volume of the candidates we attract, but I’m delighted with the pedigree and potential of candidates we employ. Our Graduate Programme has consistently provided us with exceptionally enthusiastic, talented people who continue to make a huge contribution to our business.

I have no doubt the calibre of our 2013 graduate intake will also be first-rate.

“FirstGroup continues to attract and retain the best people that transport industry has to offer.”

Phil Dodds (23 from Poole, Dorset) is nearing completion of First’s two-year Bus Operations Graduate Programme and has been based at First Aberdeen since December. “The scheme has been fantastic,” he said. “I’ve experienced First’s operations, including ScotRail, across the UK and have worked with almost every function within the bus division including operations, driving, HR, scheduling

Arriva buses. Here to take you there.

Drive your career...

General Manager / Yorkshire Arriva, part of the Deutsche Bahn group, is one of the largest transport services organisations in Europe, employing some 47,500 people and delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 12 European countries every year. We operate an extensive range of services including buses, trains, health and social transport services, airport related transport services, commuter coaches and water buses. We also engage in bus and coach distribution.

Arriva Yorkshire has 5 depots with a fleet size of around 300 buses and around 850 employees. We are looking to appoint a new General Manager to lead a depot and help deliver the wider business strategy.

Graduate Phil Dodds is nearing the end of the FirstGroup graduate scheme and is based at First Aberdeen and network planning.

“My highlight was spending two months at the Olympic and Paralympic Games last Summer where I was part of the Logistics and Services teams at the Transport Co-ordination Centre – helping ensure our buses got spectators to their events on time.

“I’m not surprised the scheme is so popular among students. I’m fortunate, given the competition, to have secured a place and I hope as I approach the end of my two year Programme, I can continue my career with First.”

FirstGroup graduates undertake a comprehensive workplace training schedule over two years at various locations across First’s UK operations and within various functions in the company’s Bus and Rail divisions.

You will need to have a strong financial background with the ability to analyse data, manage a budget and maximise efficiencies. You will have a great track record of delivering against KPI targets.

Your commercial flare which will enable you to identify new business opportunities and your passion for quality service delivery will be essential to achieving our strategy of growing passenger numbers.

Essential to the role is the ability to build effective working relationships with key stakeholders and to engage your team in driving the business forward.

You will ideally be educated to degree level, although this is not essential; what is more important is your successful track record of delivering results within the bus industry.

In return we offer a competitive remuneration package commensurate with your skills and experience and an opportunity to lead a depot which is truly committed to delivering a better service to its customers.

How to apply: If you are interested in this position, please apply in writing to: Julie Reynolds, HR Manager, Arriva Yorkshire Ltd, 24 Barnsley Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5JX or e-mail to joinyorkshire@arriva.co.uk. arrivabus.co.uk

Closing date for applications: Friday 22 March 2013

Arriva is committed to diversity, if you’re good you’re welcome

www.coachandbusweek.com

People.indd 71

04/03/2013 19:33

681819-1077-BackhouseJones

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