Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1091

Wednesday June 12, 2013 Issue 1091 | ÂŁ2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Bakers Coaches of Biddulph achieves sixstar BUSK rating p8

VEHICLE FOCUS: BUS: Lothian's hybrids and new Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipses p32

Travel de Courcey's record-breaking 31.5mile bus route p6

INSIGHT:

Edinburgh Bus Tours: one of Scotland's top tourist attractions p38

for recruitm

JOB ADVE ent EVERY WERTS EK

FOCUS ON

RECRUIT N

OW

Lothian: Britain's largest municipal p20

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this week

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

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www.coachandbusweek.com ISSN: 1351-3877 © 2013 Coach and Bus Week Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or system or in any means without the written permission of the directors. This is considered a breach of copyright and action will be taken where this occurs. This magazine must not be lent, sold, hired or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or in any authorised cover by way, or by trade, or annexed to any publication or advertising matter without first obtaining written permission from the directors.

Gratitude should be shown to coach drivers

I

t’s that time of year again – the season when coaches work flat out. Private hires, day trips and tours are at their peak time of demand.

As an enthusiastic contributor to the ‘Coach driver’s name and shame’ forum on Facebook, I was somewhat disturbed to read a posting about the lack of gratitude shown towards individuals who bring large parties (& hence cash) to attractions and events – never mind the positive ‘carbon footprint’ the so-called ‘greenies’ are always banging on about.

The driver, who works for a highly respected South Coast of England operator wrote: “Today I took 53 passengers to the South Of England Show at Ardingly, each of whom paid £20 per head entrance fee, which alone is over £1,000 – and thats not including what they spent once inside. I asked at the ticket office if there was a complimentary ticket for the driver and they said ‘no’ and refused to let me in. There were no toilet facilities in the coach park and they would not even let me in to use the loo or get any food. I asked where I was supposed to use a toilet and the girl said, ‘Haven’t you got one on your coach?’

“Personally I think this is disgusting, if they’re not going to allow entry the

least they should do is provide toilet facilities for the drivers surely? On a positive note, I would like to thank the Compass Travel driver, who told me I could catch his bus into the nearest town so I could have lunch.”

Now, being a man ‘in the media’ I contacted to organisers’ PR team, who replied: “Our position for many years has been to allow coach and bus drivers into the showground by simply showing their driving licence at the gate. Most of our stewards have worked at many of our shows and do know this. However, we do have many new, younger stewards this year and it is possible they haven’t been properly briefed on this issue. While we are unaware of a complaint, we would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention and apologise to anyone who may not have been allowed entry. We will ensure all stewards are briefed to be absolutely sure they know to let coach and bus drivers in free of charge when they show their licences.”

So there we have it. If you experience similar problems, please drop me a line – I’d be delighted to have a go at sorting them out...

Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

20

44

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

12

Introducing this issue’s superfeature. Plus history

22

A look at Lothian’s vehicle fleet and the depot allocation

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

16

With Lothian’s CEO Ian Craig and Engineering Director Bill Devlin

36

A lighthearted look at the industry.

Plus Office Diary column

DAF has revealed how it will deal with the much-feared Euro 6

A pair of Volvo 7900 Hybrid singledecker buses in service on route 1

All the latest people moves from across the industry

News

Regional News

DAF’s Euro 6 plan

Lothian Buses Face to Face

The Big Picture

Fleet 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.

Driver CPC Training Fully inclusive. No hidden costs

£60

wts.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com

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news

“We want to operate at a standard which makes us as hard as possible to compete with.

We don’t allow complacency to creep in.”

Ian Craig Lothian Buses

Management p22

briefly Hornby, the model manufacturer which owns the Corgi brand, has reported a large annual loss, blaming the economy and supply problems.

The company reported a pre-tax loss of £3.4m for the 12 months to March, compared with a £4m profit a year ago. It said sales had fallen in the UK, while problems in its Italian business forced it to write off £2.4m. Chairman Roger Canham said Hornby’s strong brands made him optimistic that the firm could be turned around. The UK represents nearly two-thirds of its Hornby’s revenue. It said sales in the UK last year were down 5% on a year earlier.

Total bus and coach registrations fell 23.9% to 486 units in October, but climbed 44.9% over the year-to-date – according to the latest data released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders).

The purpose-built bus and coach market declined 35.3% in the month, but rose 16.1% during January-September. Converted bus registrations dipped 8.5% in October, but rose 84.6% during the first 10 months of 2012. “Despite overall bus and coach registrations falling 23.9% in October, the solid market performance seen so far this year provides a clearer picture of the health of the sector,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive.

“Maintaining this upward trend will be tough next year as wider economic challenges impact on industry, and therefore it is crucial for the government to maintain its commitment to targeted incentive schemes that will boost market demand and the uptake of innovative technologies.”

Ryanair, in conjunction with Italian coach operator Autostradale, is to offer low cost coach transfers for passengers travelling to and from Italy at six airports. Ryanair passengers travelling through Bari, Bolgna, Milan, Pisa, Rome and Venice can get direct coach connections to and from the airport door by booking online on the Ryanair.com website or purchasing tickets on-board Ryanair flights in Italy, ensuring low fares and cheaper transfers. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Arriva highlighted its investment in Hybrids across the UK

Arriva: strong 2012 results Group’s future also looks secure, with order book standing at €18.5bn over the next 15 years Arriva has published a financial review of 2012 and an update on its operating position and environment.

Group revenue increased by 11.6% on 2011 to €3,757m. EBITDA went up by 30.8% to €425m and gross capital expenditure saw an increase of 56% to €468m.

Substantial growth in operations The company was successful in winning 11 new contracts, extensions and acquisitions across five countries, bringing in approximately 5,300 new employees and adding 1,200 buses, 127 trains and 375 cars and ambulances. The group was awarded four substantial new contracts in the Netherlands adding €2.5bn to the group order book and strengthening Arriva’s leading position in the market.

Arriva started its 12-year E20 contract in Sweden; the largest integrated multi-modal contract in the country to date, which has doubled it’s presence in the market.

As part of its joint-venture in

Hungary, Arriva was awarded two new eight-year bus contracts in Budapest worth €29m a year, which started in May. The group’s recent acquisition of Veolia Transport Central Europe (VTCE) added a further 6,300 staff across six countries, operating some 3,400 vehicles from 60 depots.

Continued investment Arriva made a total investment of €468m in 2012 in railway rolling stock and buses; including Europe’s largest ever order of 153 dieselelectric hybrid buses, which will be used both as part of Arriva’s TfL fleet and across its UK regional bus businesses.

The firm now employs almost 56,000 people. Since 2012 Arriva has welcomed 11,600 new employees to the group through a combination of new contract wins, retentions, acquisitions and organic growth.

Customer Satisfaction Overall customer satisfaction at Arriva UK Bus reached an all-time high of 93% in 2012, maintaining a consistent 90% plus rating throughout the past 10 years.

Arriva played a major part in the delivery of transport for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

More than 600 vehicles and 1,600 drivers were deployed, spread across four major LOCOG contracts.

Its joint venture rail operation London Overground carried more than 11 million passengers during the Games and achieved public performance measures of more than 98% for both events.

After 2012 On December 31, 2012, the group’s order book stood at €18.5bn, which spans 15 years and reflects continued growth in mainland Europe due to new contract wins, retentions and extensions.

Arriva subsequently won a new NHS contract to provide non-emergency patient transport across Greater Manchester, which commenced in April 2013, after its acquisition of Ambuline.

The group’s was recently recognised by the Danish National Audit Office which has stated that the Danish government has saved DKK 303 million (€40 million) over the course of Denmark’s first private rail contract which Arriva has operated since 2003, notwithstanding a 20% increase in train kilometres.

CEO’s Statement David Martin, CEO, commented: “2012 has been another year of continued growth and development across our organisation. We’ve strengthened our leadership positions in key established markets, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK, at the same time as building

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Join the discussion on Twitter by following us at @cbwtweets and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coachandbusweek up our presence in exciting newer markets including Hungary, and more recently across Central and Eastern Europe where we are now the largest international passenger transport operator.

“We have invested significantly in our fleet, spending €468m on new buses and trains. This includes leading edge green vehicles such as the new bio-methane fleet introduced into our UK bus operations.

“This development and continual first-class delivery for our customers is achievable only because of the quality of our people.

We now employ almost 56,000 people and in order to ensure that Arriva attracts the strongest candidates, have launched a number of new training and development initiatives aimed at helping them to achieve their full potential as the foundation of our business.

“Looking forward, the opportunities present in passenger transport markets in Europe and beyond are tremendous, and our experience and capability provide Arriva with a unique opportunity.

We have a strong track record of delivering positive returns to shareholders and bringing real value to tendering authorities, helping to transform the way in which passenger transport is delivered. In addition to our existing markets, we continue to explore and selectively enter adjacent markets, such as patient transport and open access rail.

“To achieve this we continue to actively pursue a blend of further acquisitions and contract wins, while retaining and growing our existing businesses through organic expansion.”

£5 million scheme to reduce bus emissions Transport Minister Norman Baker has announced the Department for Transport will provide £5m to support efforts to reduce pollution from local buses.

Local authorities can bid for grants of up to £1m from the DfT’s Clean Bus Technology Fund.

This will allow them to upgrade local buses with pollution-reducing technologies such as cleaner engines or exhaust after-treatment equipment.

Norman Baker said: “Improving air quality is important for the coalition government. This £5 million scheme will help clean up

CPT responds to BSOG criticism The CPT has responded to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) criticism of BSOG following the Campaign for Better Transport’s call to the Chancellor to protect bus funding in the forthcoming Spending Round.

Cllr Peter Box, Chairman of the LGA’s Economy & Transport board, said: “BSOG has long been an inefficient way to support bus services – it spends public money subsidising already profitable routes while doing little to maintain

emissions from older buses in some of our most polluted urban areas.

“It will lead to real improvements in air quality on some of our more polluted streets, as well as helping stimulate jobs and growth in the bus and retrofit industries. In addition it will give British companies the opportunity to market new technologies

Norman Baker’s announcement follows the latest round of the Green Bus Fund, revealed last month services which are equally important but less financially viable.

“With less money available, we need to be more strategic and flexible in how we use it. Instead of the current inefficient top-down approach, it should be local areas which decide on which services this money is spent.

“Local authorities are already showing they can get far more ‘bang for their buck’ with transport spending. It is councils which are best placed to manage and invest in roads and integrate buses, trains, trams and cycling schemes to suit the diverse needs of businesses and communities.”

Responding, CPT’s CEO Simon Posner said: “The UK enjoys

to overseas bus operators and governments.

“The scheme is in addition to the £12 million funding announced last month for 213 new low carbon buses in the latest round of the Green Bus Fund. Whilst last month’s announcement was for new buses, this is for retrofitting current buses with green technology.

“This announcement also follows upgrades which are already being made to 900 older London buses that operate on routes with some of the worst air quality.”

Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive, Campaign for Better Transport, said: “There is increasing evidence that traffic in cities is affecting health. We need more support like the Clean Bus Technology Fund to reduce emissions and make our streets healthier and more attractive for everyone who uses them.” one of the most comprehensive bus networks in Europe, and passengers already meet a high proportion of the costs through fares. Buses are the most critical and most used mode of public transport in the UK, yet receive proportionately less public funding support than other transport modes.

“Studies show BSOG is a simple and effective tool making an impact on transport. It results in 8% lower bus fares, 8% more services, 7.5% more passengers taking the bus and fewer people travelling by car.

“The bus delivers benefits to everyone on the road by reducing congestion, so the case for a grant which keeps fares down and service levels up is a strong one.”

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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99.6%

news › BUSeS

The MOT pass rate achieved by Lothian Buses in 2012

briefly Worcester County Council is set to introduce technology to support blind and partially sighted passengers as part of a pilot scheme. “One area we are exploring is the use of mobile and GPS technology, linked to a smartphone,” said Andy Baker, the LA’s Sustainable Transport Manager. “While no date has been set, the expectation would be for it to begin in the next 12 to 18 months.”

Jersey’s bus operator LibertyBus claims its services need to be classed as an “essential service” to protect the passengers.

If the change went ahead industrial action would have to be announced 20 days in advance, rather than the current seven. A spokesman said this gives people more time to make alternative plans and the company felt it needed the protection afforded by classification as an essential service following comments allegedly made during recent negotiations with Unite. Nick Corbel, from Unite, acknowledged there were “heated discussions around the table” and the idea of the bus service being an essential service was discussed.

Nottingham City Transport has unveiled its special Armed Forces Day bus in support of the national event being held in the city on June 29. The bus features the Union Jack logo of Armed Forces Day and has “Honouring Britain’s Armed Forces Past, Present and Future” written across the side. Bunting and the BBC Radio Nottingham ‘Twibbon’ also feature as part of the design.

The bus is running on routes across Nottingham throughout June.

Anthony Carver Smith, Marketing Manager at NCT said: “The bus is a very visual way of doing this and reminds people on a daily basis the event is happening in the city and encourages them to support it by coming along.”

Boris Johnson has confirmed £40m will be invested into transport projects across London.

The London Enterprise Panel (LEP) has backed a number of schemes in parts of the capital currently undergoing regeneration work. www.coachandbusweek.com

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New record-breaking Coventry bus route Coventry’s Travel de Courcey has deposed neighbouring Birmingham for the title of Europe’s longest continuous urban bus route With the introduction of the new 360 service, Coventry is now home to Europe’s longest continuous urban bus route. The service, launched by Centro and operated

by Coventry-based Travel de Courcey, is a total of 31.5 miles long, nearly six miles longer than the famous 11A/C Outer Circle route in Birmingham which held the title

since 1926.

The 360 is operated by dedicated Optare Versas and runs via the hospital at Walsgrave, Willenhall, Jaguar Land Rover in Whitley, the University of Warwick in Cannon Park, Tile Hill railway station, Whoberley, Whitmore Park, the Ricoh Arena in Rowleys Green and Arena Shopping Park. The new service began Sunday June 9 and runs up to two buses an hour seven days a week, including evenings and bank holidays.

It incorporates the current services 701 and 801, which have

Adrian de Courcey with Cllr John McNicholas, left, Guy Craddock, Centro Area Manager for Coventry, and Andy Hardy

Cardiff Bus launches biggest network review in a decade Following the first major review of its services in 10 years, Cardiff Bus is making significant changes to its network.

The changes will come into effect on July 21 and include 51 bus services in Cardiff and the eastern part of the Vale of Glamorgan.

This includes eight routes being replaced by six new services. Other services will see stops removed or added, the frequency increased or decreased and changes to evening and Sunday services.

Also included will be new services to Ocean Way and Cardiff Gate Business Park. Cardiff Bus

has also created another two new services for over the summer period – the 91 to Mermaid Quay and Penarth Pier and the X99 to Barry Island.

As part of the network overhaul, the X91 Sunday service to Cardiff Airport is being stopped, although the two-hourly service from Monday to Saturday remains unchanged. Overall, the changes effect 40% of the Cardiff Bus network Cardiff Bus’ Operations and Commercial Director Peter Heath said: “We tend to review all of our services on an annual basis.

been withdrawn, and part of the current 703 and 704 routes. The 703 route remains in operation.

Cllr John McNicholas, the Chairman of Centro, said the record-breaking route was a result of customer feedback during a review of bus services last year.

He said: “The review showed there was a need for a bus service linking key areas of Coventry together yet without the need to travel into the city centre.

“Important destinations such as the hospital, the university and Jaguar Land Rover now have a direct link which will enable people to reach them with the minimum of inconvenience.”

Adrian de Courcey, Director of Travel de Courcey, said: “As a Coventry business we take considerable pride in knowing that not only are we operating such an important service but one which also puts the city on the map.”

Andy Hardy, CEO of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, added: “This service is good news for the people of Coventry who rely on the bus to get here. It removes the inconvenience of having to travel into the city centre, change services and catch a connection, and we welcome its introduction.”

However, recently it has been more about addressing congestion in the city centre. It’s the first time we’ve really appraised the services and looked at what the demand is.”

The review was undertaken by transport consultants TAS and the municipally-owned operator said many of the changes are in line with its recommendations. The revised network will also reflect the reduction in funding from the Welsh Government which it believes will “adversely affect” the company from next April.

Gareth Stevens, Business Development Manager at Cardiff Bus, said the majority of public feedback was good and that 60 to 70 people turned up to a consultation held in Radyr and 15 to another in Ely.

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£1.50 1922 The price of a single fare on Lothian Buses

SHARE WATCH

The year the first open-topper doubledecks entered service in Edinburgh

McGill’s to save ex Riverside routes

McGill’s Buses has announced it will operate four new routes, following the decision by Barrheadbased Riverside Transport to cease operating on Friday June 1.

McGill’s has added the four additional routes to its Renfrewshire network. These include services 1, 7, 10 and 19.

Services 1 and 10 operate as they did under Riverside Transport.

The former Riverside 7 route – the Johnstone-Linwood Circular – has been re-numbered to service 8; to prevent any confusion for customers of McGill’s existing 7 service. The re-numbered Circular continues to operate to the same route and timetable as the Riverside 7. A new service 19 also operates Paisley to Johnstone Station via Inchinnan Business Park, Houston and Bridge of Weir. The new 19 route combines key points of Riverside’s 8, 18 and 19 services.

Ralph Roberts, McGill’s Managing Director, said: “We are pleased to assist in saving these routes for Renfrewshire bus users. Riverside has provided public transport service for its passengers for many years, and, while we are sorry to hear of their demise, we are glad we have been in a position to step in and provide some continuity of service.”

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John Taylor, Engineering Director; Jim Carpenter Mayor, Kath Cullen, Jim’s partner; Richard Kay, Operations Director and Mark Mageean, Operations Manager, Skegness, with the uniquely liveried vehicle

Stagecoach supports Skeggy charity Stagecoach East Midlands has decorated a bus in support of the charity campaign of 2013 Skegness Mayor Jim Carpenter, who happens to be a long-serving Stagecoach employee.

Representatives from St Barnabas Hospice and Boston Women’s Aid were both on hand to see their logos unveiled on East Lancs Sprytebodied Dennis Dart ‘S512BTL’.

Members of Skegness Town Council and Stagecoach East Midlands staff also witnessed the special event.

Jim said: “It was my ambition

Stagecoach con�irms UK Bus management appointments Stagecoach has confirmed the appointment of two Managing Directors at its UK Bus division.

Philip Norwell, currently Commercial Director at Stagecoach East, will take on the role of Managing Director, Stagecoach South East from September 1 following the announcement that current South East Managing Director Paul Southgate is to retire on October 1 2013. Philip has been working alongside Paul in the role of Managing Director (Designate) since June 1.

Michael Watson, currently Operations Director, Stagecoach

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Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, June 10. Optare saw the greatest proportional rise, while Go-Ahead saw the greatest proportional drop.

Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

The new MD for Stagecoach’s UK Bus Division Phillip Norwell North East, has been appointed Managing Director, Stagecoach South West with effect from July 1.

As previously announced, current

to raise the profile of Boston Women’s Aid and the St Barnabas Hospice at Home project during my year as mayor. I would like to thank Stagecoach for making this possible. They have fully supported me and even made a donation of £500.”

Mark Mageean Operations Manager for Stagecoach in Skegness said: “Jim has worked for the company for many years and we wanted to do something practical to support his year as Mayor. We hope that the bus which will be a common sight on the streets of Skegness will encourage people to give to both worthwhile causes.”

The bus will spend the next year on services in Skegness. It displays the charities’ websites to allow people to give money easily.

South West Managing Director Michelle Hargreaves will take up the post of Managing Director, Stagecoach East Midlands on July 1.

Stagecoach UK Bus MD Robert Montgomery said: “I am delighted to welcome Philip and Michael into our team of managing directors and would like to congratulate them on their appointments.

“Both have been part of the bus industry for a number of years and their experience will play an important part in their new roles.

I look forward to working with them both to continue delivering high-quality, affordable and reliable bus services in the South East and South West areas and our clear aim will be to attract even more people out of their cars and on to our greener, smarter bus services.”

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news › coaches

briefly Coach drivers heading along the A55 in North Wales are being warned to allow extra time for their journeys in the evening due to maintenance work. The westbound bore of the Conwy Tunnel is to be shut daily between 1900 and 0700hrs until Sunday, July 13. As a result, the eastbound bore will be running in a contraflow, albeit with a 3.2m width limit.

Work to resurface both carriageways of the A1/M between J10 at Baldock and Biggleswade South roundabout takes place weeknights between 2000 and 0600hrs. Northbound traffic is being diverted off at J10 to join the A507 westbound to Clophill, before joining the A6 and A421 and rejoining the A1 at the Black Cat roundabout. Southbound traffic will follow the same diversion route but in reverse.

As part of the on-going Managed Motorways Scheme in the Bristol area, the southbound carriageway of the M5 between Js 14 & 15 is to be closed overnight on Saturday June 15, 2200 – 0600hrs.

Coach journeys from the Midlands to the West Country are set to be eased slightly after next Friday (June 21). Narrow lanes and a 50mph limit, which have been in force for the duration of bridge repairs on the M5 at Coaley Cambridge, nr Gloucester, are due to be removed following the completion of the project.

Grand UK Holidays says it has boosted the range of Christmas and New Year holidays in its new 2013-14 brochure to cater for festive demand. There’s also a new theme of ‘Festive Treats’ encompassing special Yuletide events, such as the ‘Christmas Spectacular’ shows at Thursford and Tatton Park. Next year also sees the centenary of the outbreak of WW1, so the firm has included a new tour to see sites associated with the conflict, called ‘In Flanders Fields, We Will Remember Them’. It visits the Flanders Field Museum, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Ypres and the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. www.coachandbusweek.com

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CC blocks Eurotunnel ferry services Eurotunnel labels the decision, made over fears the firm would raise prices with a market share over 50%, as ‘solely based on random association of virtual hypothesis’ Eurotunnel has said it will immediately appeal a decision made by the Competition Commission (CC) on June 6 to prohibit it from operating a ferry service from the port of Dover, a decision which it branded ‘incomprehensible and seriously disproportionate.’

Eurotunnel acquired three vessels from SeaFrance after it went into liquidation in November 2011.

It began leasing them out to the MyFerryLink service, run primarily by former SeaFrance employees, in August 2012.

The CC claimed the ferry service gave Eurotunnel a market share above 50% for cross- channel services, which it said was bad for competition and would lead to

Six star safety at Bakers Coaches Bakers Coaches of Biddulph has been awarded the maximum six stars in BUSK’s safety endorsement benchmark scheme.

As a member of BUSK, all the Bakers Coaches fleet will carry the safety benchmark so parents, schools and member of the public will be able to see at a glance the company is part of a star rated scheme, in the same way the hotel industry uses the AA star rating approval.

As previously reported, the benchmark scheme aims to target parents to encourage them to raise questions about transport provision. It is intended to back up the BUSK ‘Simply Safe’ campaign which advises schools and youth groups about their legal obligations when making transport arrangements.

higher prices. It also claimed the ferries were bought to prevent a rival firm, DFDS/LD, from buying them cheaply and driving down cross-channel prices.

The CC also stated that DFDS could be driven away from the channel, leaving only P&O to compete.

Chairman of the Eurotunnel/ SeaFrance Inquiry Group and CC Deputy Chairman, Alasdair Smith, said: “It cannot be good for competition when Eurotunnel, which already holds a market share of over 40%, moves into the ferry business – particularly when it did so to stop a competitor from buying the ferries. Customers would lose out from Eurotunnel increasing its share even further and being able to raise prices on the tunnel services.”

In a statement, Eurotunnel claimed the CC’s decision: Is not based on any concrete facts, but solely upon a random association of virtual

hypothesis; Restructures the maritime activity across the Straits of Dover into a duopoly, thereby disadvantaging consumers; Prohibits access to a port, in total contradiction with the freedom of movement incarnate in Europe; Deprives the Ports of Dover and Calais of significant revenues; and Ignores the ruling of the Paris Commercial Court linking the sale of the assets of SeaFrance with a requirement not to re-sell them for a period of five years and is in contradiction with the decision of the French Competition Authority.

Jacques Gounon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Eurotunnel SA, commented: “This decision by the CC will reduce the choice of services across the Straits of Dover to the detriment of the consumer. It will inevitably lead to an increase in the price of a crossing”.

Bakers’ Private Hire Manager, Kayleigh Dawson “An important benefit of the scheme enables us to engage with our clients by providing Information & Safety cards which are handed to the teacher or person responsible as they board the coach for a school trip,” explains Bakers’ Private Hire Manager, Kayleigh Dawson.

“This card provides important

information concerning legal responsibilities and we make it clear the driver shares the duty of care towards the safety all the passengers,” said Kayleigh.

For more information on the scheme visit http://busk-uk.com/ and www. bakerscoaches.com

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“I am a fan of hybrids but I’m not personally convinced it’s the final solution. Gas is coming back and hydrogen doesn’t look like it’s far away....”

Dr Steve Jones Lothian Buses

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ICT offers free coach brochure design

Chalkwell parks up its commuter coaches at Abellio’s Battersea depot once they arrive in London

New Chalkwell commuter service in the works Long-established commuter operator Chalkwell of Sittingbourne is introducing a new service between Kings Hill and London.

For some time the firm has been actively involved in researching a commuter service from Kings Hill. This development has now been brought forward following an announcement regarding expected parking restrictions affecting a council-owned car park on the A20 - opposite the Town Hill coach

stop – which is used by some of its regular passengers.

Due to the potential inconvenience caused to commuters who use this car park to catch one of Chalkwell’s six daily commuter coaches, the operator has sent a questionnaire by email to all commuters likely to be affected by the expected restrictions.

Passengers have been asked a short series of questions regarding pick up points, journey times,

destination in London and evening departure from the capital.

Chalkwell said answers to its questionnaire will benefit the majority of customers who would like future travel from Kings Hill and West Malling Station to London.

In addition, it is asking whether existing customers who board the Chalkwell commuter services in Maidstone would be interested in joining one of the Maidstone commuter coaches on either Tonbridge Road or Queens Road.

Chalkwell added it will announce full details on its new Kings Hill service and timetable shortly.

A committee set up by community leaders to boost trade in Stamford, Lincolnshire, has called on a council to let coach drivers park in the town’s bus station for free.

Members of Stamford Town Team expressed concern that many coach drivers who visit the popular destination on day trips are being forced to pay £10 to park for just a couple of hours. The town is

frequented by day-trippers, many of whom arrive by coach.

Drivers often drop off their passengers at the bus station in St Peter’s Hill then park and wait the one or two hours for their return, but South Kesteven District Council, which runs the bus station, says coach drivers should not be parking there and should instead drive across town to the Cattle Market car park and pay a £10 fee.

Town Team member and Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce President Tim Lee said forcing drivers to pay to park could put tour companies off coming to Stamford.

He said: “Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. A lot of these

coaches come to Stamford for a drop-off point. It’s not a full day visit. Most of them aren’t there for more than two hours.

“We offer any motorist the opportunity to stay free for one or two hours so the very least we can do is offer the same opportunity to coach drivers who are bringing business to the town.

“At the moment they have to pay to park out of their own pocket.”

In the meantime the Town Team has been working to provide something for coach drivers.

Tim Lee added: “We have got all our independent cafes to agree to offer a free cup of tea or coffee to any coach driver. They are very welcome in our town.”

Debate on coach parking in Stamford

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With increasing amounts of business for coach firms coming from private groups, wholesaler Independent Coach Travel (ICT) is offering a free brochure template design service for those looking to boost sales to this sector.

A full colour four-page brochure can be designed to include the company logo, contact details and rates for a selection of ICT packages, which can be printed and distributed to private group clients.

“The response from clients has been very positive and having their own brochure has seen a significant increase in sales,” said Claire Preest, ICT’s Sales Manager.

The firm has also just launched its new format 2013-14 brochure, which it says features a bigger variety for coach operators than ever before. These include special & all inclusive packages, seasonal offers, events & festivals, singles promotions, city & short breaks including London Theatre & deluxe packages, theme parks and ocean & river cruising.

Over the past six years, ICT has published product brochures on a quarterly basis to provide operators with regular updates on new packages and offers throughout the year, rather than just one annual brochure repeating products for the same destinations. After listening to operator feedback, ICT said it will now produce two brochures annually, while continuing to offer regular updates of products to focus on what’s new and different in the groups market.

ICT General Manager, Ben Pinsent, said: “With an increasing variety of products, packages and destinations to choose from, we believe distributing our brochures at two key periods a year helps our clients fill the gaps in their current tour programmes and also enables them to plan ahead for the following year too.”

The new ICT brochure offers 56 pages of tour packages and short breaks, up to December 2014.

Call ICT on 020 7538 4627. Visit www. coachandgrouptravel.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

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news › international

1,500th VDL Citea and first Citea SLE Cargo for Björks The vehicles have been specifically designed to tough out the Swedish winters SWEDEN Nine VDL Citea SLE Cargo buses were recently delivered to Björks Buss AB, a member of Sambus in Sweden. This marked both the handover of the 1,500th Citea and of the first Citea SLE Cargo.

The Citea Low Entry is available in four different lengths with Cargo variants SLE-120 (12m) and XLE145 (14.5m) which provide around 2m3 of luggage space beneath the extended high-floor portion of the bus.

The Citea SLE-120 Cargo models for Björks Buss are all 12m long and further equipped with extra-wide single-leaf exit doors, generous access to the luggage compartment, comfortable seats, double glazing, extra insulation and additional heating capacity. The SLE will operate for 10 years for the UL (Swedish Public Transport authority) in Enköping and Bålsta.

Remi Henkemans, MD VDL Bus & Coach bv, said: “With the Citea range we have been able to increase sales in Europe and the Middle East. VDL Bus & Coach

City Group invests in new technology

KUWAIT City Group, operator of Citybus, is introducing smartcard and vehicle tracking system (VTS) technology to its 400 buses in Kuwait. The smartcard system was developed in conjunction with Parkeon Transit, UK and the GPS system developed with Coaxial and Sicuro group.

The VTS system allows Citybus to monitor its fleet and give real-time data to manage performance, while having environmental benefit by managing idling times and driving standards.

Richard Woods, CEO, City Group, said: “We have achieved another milestone in the relative short www.coachandbusweek.com

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is committed to the continuous development of the entire Citea platform with new models, new powertrains and new powertrain technologies. The Citea SLE and SLE Cargo have been designed to cater to the requirements of Swedish customers. Björks Buss was the first company to purchase this model and did so even before development had begun. We realise and greatly appreciate this reflects customer confidence in our ability and flexibility to build products our customers actually need.”

VDL Citea SLE Cargo offers underfloor luggage storage for greater flexibility history of Citybus. Our investment in these technologies demonstrates our commitment to improving public transport in Kuwait and enables us to offer better convenience and added value to our customers. We are committed to making bus use as easy as possible and our smartcard does just that.

We will now be in a position to increase our product offering to customers in addition to rewarding them for their loyalty to Citybus.”

Woods continued: “VTS technology is a welcome addition to our system portfolio. The system is fitted with a communication device, which enables us to communicate directly with our frontline staff ensuring we are able to maintain even headways along our corridors which will improve reliability.”

Citybus, City Group’s wholly owned bus operator in Kuwait, presently operates 400 buses across 19 routes in Kuwait and Kuwait City.

Scania wins Malaysian order MALAYSIA Scania is to supply 360 city buses to the state-owned company Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana). The buses will operate in the city of Kuantan and in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The order is for Scania K 250 UB4x2 low-floor chassis, equipped with a ramp for full wheelchair access and two docking slots with seatbelts for safe wheelchair anchorage. The body is made of aluminium to reduce weight and fuel consumption, as well as to extend vehicle life.

James Armstrong, Managing Director of ScaniaMalaysia, said: “Scania buses and coaches are renowned for their fuel economy, reliability, safety and comfort.

Each component is engineered to heighten the performance of the vehicle. With our new engine platform, Scania buses are now capable of higher torques at lower revs and even deliver lower fuel consumption.

“Each model can also be fully customised in terms of passenger capacity, seating plans, comfort levels and other key criteria as required by customers.”

Volvo: 28 B340M artics for Guatemala’s Transmetro GUATEMALA Volvo Buses Latin America is to supply 28 articulated buses to Transmetro as part of its fleet renewal project for the southern axis of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Guatemala City.

“This sale is reinforcement of Volvo’s leadership on the BRT market. Our buses are recognised for their high level of on-board technology, quality and fuel efficiency, characteristics ensuring safety for passengers and profitability for fleet operators,” said Euclides Castro, Manager of the urban bus line at Volvo Bus Latin America.

Transmetro, a Volvo customer since 1997, is renewing its fleet with Euro 5 technology, which delivers a three-fold reduction in

particulate matter emissions and seven-fold NOx (Nitrous Oxide) emissions as compared to the current fleet.

They are B340M models 20m long with capacity for 180 passengers and are claimed to be up to 6% more economical than existing buses and feature modern Volvo chassis technology, such as disc brakes with ABS/EBS systems, electronic traction and suspension control, retarder and automated gearbox. They are scheduled for delivery in July.

BRT systems offer benefits such as faster and safer trips for passengers, improved vehicle flow by freeing up space on the street grid driven by the reduction in number of buses in circulation as well as fare integration.

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news › REGIONAL

SCOTLAND

McGill’s Buses 204X service from Balloch to Glasgow is being withdrawn less than a year after it was first introduced.

The Greenock-based firm launched the route on December 10, but confirmed the service would no longer run from August 3, 2013 due to insufficient passenger numbers as well as competition from other bus companies running on that route. All relevant drivers and staff have been notified.

The 204X currently runs from Balloch Bus Stance to Glasgow taking only one hour, and serves the Bonhill, Bellsmyre, Clydebank and Scotstoun areas enroute.

Passengers from across Dumbarton and the Vale have reportedly launched a Facebook campaign in a bid to save the route.

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.

KEY

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

NORTHERN IRELAND

A new bus lane has come into operation in Belfast as part of changes to traffic in the city centre under the Belfast on the Move initiative.

The new bus lane operates on Wellington Place, Donegall Square North and Chichester Street. One lane is also available for general traffic travelling eastbound between Fisherwick Place/College Square East and Victoria Street. The lane is available for use by buses, permitted taxis, motorcycles and cycles between 0700 and 1900hrs Monday to Saturday.

Drivers have been advised to allow extra time for their journey if using Wellington Place, Donegall Square North and Chichester Street until they get used to the new road layout.

NORTH

Bus stops in Wigan town centre are being upgraded in a bid to encourage more bus travel, speed up travel times and cut congestion. The scheme follows a successful bid by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) for funding from the government’s Better Bus Area Fund. Wigan Council is making a local £22,000 contribution to the project.

Nine stops are being upgraded with two being combined into one stop.

The three stops at Wigan North Western railway station will be replaced by a single large sheltered stop.

Improvements include new shelters, poles and paving, with www.coachandbusweek.com

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seating and information displays.

The work is due for completion in the coming weeks.

Councillor Mark Aldred, Chairman of the Bus Network and TfGM Services Committee, said: “Our research and experience shows improved stops and shelters like these encourage more people to travel by bus, which is good news for the environment and for town centre growth.”

Stagecoach in Cumbria & North Lancashire has donated £10,000 to Carlisle Youth Zone. The latest support brings to total amount given over the past three years to £30,000.

The agreement will help to ensure young people in the city will continue to have a recreational facility and each youth zone member will also receive discounted tickets for travel across the city.

Clair Fidler, Commercial Manager of Carlisle Youth Zone, said: “We are thrilled we are able to offer this superb facility. Stagecoach has been a patron now for three years and plays a crucial role in providing support to the youth zone and promoting our motto to the young people of Carlisle with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

“The provision of the service means that they have easier access to make it happen and that is good for all involved.”

Nigel Winter, MD of Stagecoach

in Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “With over 200 employees based in our Carlisle operations, we have a strong commitment to support our local communities and the youth zone is vital to giving young people somewhere to develop into young adults.”

MIDLANDS

Rutland County Council has introduced the Rutland Water Shorelink service which links Oakham and Uppingham with the Rutland Water villages. The hail and ride service is being run by Centrebus on behalf of the local authority and was funded by the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport fund (LSTF).

The contract was won as part of a competitive tendering process run

by Rutland at the start of the year.

The service operates seven days a week (including Sunday & Bank Holidays) between 0900 and 1900hrs with travel starting at just £2.50 for adult tickets with family tickets and extended discounts available.

In addition, Centrebus has purchased two Enviro200 buses for the contract, which have been modified to carry 4 bicycles, with funding from the LSTF scheme.

According to Commercial Director Dave Shelley, the intention is to carry out an examination of the business case for alternative fuel buses for the longer term, and the operator is working with ADL

and Rutland County Council on the study.

Dave Shelly told CBW. “This is a very innovative service meeting a need which has been locally identified but has a nature of which we have no previous experience.

I think this is exactly the sort of scheme programmes such as LSTF are designed to deliver and we are committed to working very closely with Rutland to deliver high quality services and maximise the opportunity for passenger growth and success. As we learn lessons from the development of the service we expect the need for flexibility to adapt - which is why the partnership with the County is so important. We certainly want to make a success of it; many of our staff are keen cyclists, cycling for work and leisure is something we are ourselves promoting internally for our staff, and collectively we have a passion for trying new ideas.”

SOUTH EAST

Drivers, engineers and administration staff from Stagecoach South cycled 24 miles between Winchester and Basingstoke on Sunday, June 2 to mark the start of the company’s fifth ‘Green Week’, which focuses on energy reduction, and to raise money for cancer charity Prostate UK, with £1,300 collected.

Operations Director Tom Bridge said: “Everyone who took part in the cycle challenge had a fantastic day to raise money for a great charity, while spreading the message of the importance of Green Week, which is a strong part of our ethos at Stagecoach.

“As a company we take pride in being proactive in energy efficiency and being environmentally friendly.

We will enjoy the challenge of doing as much as we can, not just this week but throughout the year, to reduce our energy and help our customers to enjoy improved journeys with us.”

SOUTH WEST

A former Bristol bus driver has admitted to stealing £1,300 from CT Plus. Stephen Waxman stole fares while working on the P&R services along Bath Road and the Portway when the company’s management began to notice discrepancies in his takings.

After being dismissed for gross misconduct he was arrested.

He admitted to police he had

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news › REGIONAL

a gambling problem, had blown his mortgage and stolen almost £1,300 so his wife didn’t find out.

At the city’s Magistrates’ Court, Waxman pleaded guilty to stealing £1,292.86 from the company between October 3, 2012 and January 3, 2013. The 49-year-old was fined £150 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. Now working as a kitchen assistant after 21 years on the buses, he was also told he must pay £1,292.86 compensation to his former employers.

According to The Post, Rebecca Weatherley, for Waxman, said her client was “extremely remorseful and ashamed” for what had happened and because of his actions had lost a job that he loved.

“At the time this was committed he had a gambling problem,” she said. He started going to the bookies and it simply got out of control and got to the point where he didn’t have the money to pay his mortgage. He simply panicked and started taking money. He was trying to win the money back and got himself into an awful mess. He feels absolutely gutted because he says he has lost the best job he ever had.”

A reunion for former staff of fondly remembered operator Silver Star in Salisbury was held on

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Saturday, June 1 to mark 50 years since the closure of the company.

Silver Star Motor Services, which was later taken over by Wilts & Dorset, ran the service from Allington and Idmiston to Salisbury from Porton Down as well as moving army personnel all over the country for weekend leave.

Former members of staff met at Salisbury coach park on Saturday together with the company’s last three remaining buses, two dating from the 1950s and a double decker from the 1960s, which were all restored by Jack Parsons.

Eddie Cannings, 81, who worked for the company for 11 years, told the Salisbury Journal: “It’s absolutely fantastic. Silver Star was like a family.”

And Brian Thorne, 80, added: “It’s unbelievable. I’ve driven all three of them and it’s a wonderful feeling when you see them back together again.”

The former bus workers took a trip past the Market Place before taking the journey to Rollestone Camp on Salisbury Plain and then Idmiston Memorial Hall for tea and cake.

“It was a really good day,” said organiser Steve Webster. “And it was really nice to have the three vehicles together again.”

The free to enter & attend Swansea Festival of Transport will be held in the city centre on Sunday (June 16)

2013 n June 11-13 ATCO Summer Conference. Merseytravel HQ, Liverpool. www.atco.org.uk n June 16 Father’s Day. Free entry for dads with their paying child at the Oxford Bus Museum. 01993 883 617. www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk n June 16 Peak Park Preserved Bus Gathering. Rowsley South Station, Peak Rail Heritage Railway, nr. Matlock, Derbyshire. www. chesterfield123.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 June 30 First Aberdeen Open Day. King Street Depot, Aberdeen.

11-1600hrs. More details at www.

Staff and management from First Scotland East’s Bannockburn depot are to take on the infamous four-mile Blairlogie Trek on June 23 to raise money for the Chloe McIntyre Memorial Fund on behalf of Yorkhill Children’s Hospital. The fund is named after Chloe McIntyre from Calendar who passed away aged just six weeks in 2008 due to a heart condition, Truncas Arteriosis. Ali Reade, Fundraiser from Yorkhill Children’s Charity said: “It is simply wonderful that staff from First Scotland East’s Bannockburn Depot have really got behind the Chloe McIntyre Memorial Fund. I could not be more impressed with their enthusiasm and dedication.”

Jason Hackett, Operations Manager at First Scotland East’s Bannockburn Depot, said: “This is a family event – we want as many people as possible to take part and raise money. First Scotland East is right behind us and will provide free transport to and from Blairlogie from the Bannockburn depot.”

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 9-10 CPT Scotland Annual Conference. Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire. Visit www.cpt-uk. org or call CPT Scotland on 0131 272 215 n September 10 Association of Trainers AGM. 1400hrs, Wembley.

For details call 01797 344251. n September 21-22 Metrobus 30th anniversary depot open days. Orpington, Croydon & Crawley. www.metrobus.co.uk/metrobus30 n September 22 Showbus 2013.

Long Marston Airfield, Warwickshire. www.showbus.com

firstgroup.com/ukbus/aberdeen/ or by email on joe.mackie@ firstgroup.com.

n October 2-3 Coach & Bus Live 2013. NEC, Birmingham. www. coachandbuslive.com

n June 30 Ringwood Bus Rally.

Scenic rides and memorabilia stall.

For details call the Wessex Transport Society on 01202 293245. www. wessextransportsociety.co.uk

n October 20 Oxford Bus Museum Bus & Coach Vehicle Rally. 01993 883 617. www.oxfordbusmuseum. org.uk

n July 5 Hampshire County Council Public Bus Supplier Engagement Morning. Elizabeth II Court, Sussex Street, Winchester. To book onto the event or for further information contact passenger transportprojects@hants.gov.uk

n October 23-24 Young Bus Managers Network Conference. Manchester. www. youngbusmanagers.org.uk

2014 n May 12-14 ALBUM Conference.

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. www.album-bus.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 March 18-19 Young Bus Managers Network Conference.

Reading. www.youngbusmanagers. org.uk

n July 21 Alton Bus Rally. Anstey Park, Anstey Lane, Alton, Hants. www.altonbusrally.org.uk

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

www.coachandbusweek.com

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YOUR ONE-STOP DRIVER TRAINING SHOP

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16 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 2013

news focus › DAF EURO 6

DAF’s Euro 6 powerpack Coach & Bus Week’s Martin Cole reports on the announcement by DAF on how it will meet Euro 6 with its PACCAR MX-11 coach & bus engines DAF Trucks has announced its new Coach and Bus PACCAR MX-11 engine generation, developed for the Euro 6 emissions legislation, which comes into force in the European Union on January 1, 2014. It comes hard on the heels of the MX13 truck engine which was launched just over a month ago at the Commercial Vehicle Show.

The new state-of-the-art PACCAR MX-11 engine is compact and claimed to offer optimum fuel efficiency, low weight and noise level combined with excellent performance and maximum durability. With a displacement volume of 10.8 litres it is available in outputs from 210 kW to 320 kW (290-440bhp). The engine was developed and built by DAF Trucks in Eindhoven and is scheduled to go into production in September 2013.

“The new PACCAR MX-11 engine fits completely in the trend towards achieving high efficiency at lower displacement volumes,” explained Ron Borsboom, Product Development Director.

“Our new 11 litre engine is the ideal displacement volume for achieving outputs of 290 hp to 440 hp within the requirements of the Euro 6 legislation and using reliable single-stage turbo technology. When developing the PACCAR MX-11 engine, we started with a clean sheet of paper. Our main development criteria were high performance, low weight and fuel consumption, as well as maximum reliability and durability and excellent vehicle availability.

With high torques at low speeds combined with service intervals of up to 125,000 km, outstanding fuel efficiency and market-leading reliability the new PACCAR MX-11 engine will be one of the leading engines for buses and coaches.”

Double overhead camshafts The engine block for Euro 6 has a www.coachandbusweek.com

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completely new design. It is made of strong compact graphite iron, with vertical ribs to maximize strength and achieve low noise levels. As many functions as possible have been integrated to maximize reliability and durability. Pipes, for example, have been cast into the cylinder block and the two pump units which generate pressure for the common rail system have been worked into the block. The timing gear case and the pre-separator of the crankcase ventilation system have also been nicely integrated into the engine block.

PACCAR MX-11: in summary

State-of-the-art 10.8-litre six-cylinder in-line engine for Euro 6 Available from 210 kW to 320 kW perfectly tuned for urban, express, national and long distance applications Split exhaust gas aftertreatment system for optimized component placement Fuel consumption at low Euro 5 level Low operating costs with high service intervals up to 125,000 km Newly designed engine block for optimum stiffness, low noise and maximum durability Cylinder head with double overhead camshafts High-pressure common rail fuel injection system for injection pressures of up to 2,500 bar Turbo charger with variable geometry Innovative technologies for maximum efficiency: integration of functions, encapsulated wiring harnesses and advanced management systems

The double overhead camshafts are a key feature of the new cylinder head, which has four valves per cylinder and an integrated inlet manifold offering significant advantages. “Firstly, the valve train is configured in a smart and more robust manner, which optimises durability,” explained Borsboom.

“The cylinder head is also extremely robust, which enables us to use higher top pressures combined with larger reserves; these factors are key to improving durability, reliability as well as efficiency.

Direct valve control combined with an optimised inlet /outlet and combustion chamber design also has a positive effect on fuel consumption, as it minimizes internal losses. The overhead camshafts also help to reduce weight. The camshafts can be hollow as the injection system is driven by a separate FIE (Fuel Injection Equipment) camshaft, saving 15 kilos in weight.”

Common rail injection and turbo with variable geometry The new MX-11 Coach and Bus engine uses an advanced common rail system allowing high injection pressures of up to 2,500 bar and provides the opportunity to use pre- and post-injection, or a combination of both. This results in finer fuel atomisation and many more opportunities to optimise combustion to ensure the lowest possible emission and noise levels alongside the best possible fuel efficiency. A key benefit is how effectively the temperature of the exhaust gases can be controlled, which means the engine can be optimally integrated with the exhaust gas after treatment system.

A turbo charger with variable geometry (VTG) is used, which ensures the engine can call on the best turbo settings at all times and across its entire speed range in order to deliver maximum performance.

The EGR system is highly compact and designed for a perfect mixture of exhaust gases and fresh air. All this technology is controlled

The new Euro 6 DAF Paccar MX11 is produced by DAF Trucks in the Eindhoven facility

optimally and accurately by three actuators: the Back Pressure Valve, the VTG turbo and the EGR valve.

The compact design of the PACCAR MX-11 is also a key feature of the engine, making it ideal for coach & bus applications.

Exhaust gas aftertreatment for Euro 6 In order to meet stringent Euro 6 emission requirements, DAF employed a combination of exhaust gas after-treatment technologies such as an SCR catalytic converter and an active soot filter. “The aim is not only to achieve the right exhaust gas composition, but also the right temperature in the soot

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Join the discussion on Twitter by following us at @cbwtweets and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coachandbusweek on opposite sides of the vehicle, which is important in relation to passenger capacity and vehicle weight distribution.

Many innovations The PACCAR MX-11 features numerous innovations, such as a single poly-V-belt and an energy saving air compressor— saving on maintenance costs, improving reliability and reducing weight and fuel consumption. Minimising parasitic losses was a primary focus during the development process. To maximise reliability and durability, the wiring harnesses are encapsulated. Two alternators are mounted on the engine as a single unit, and the fuel module with integrated heating and automatic moisture separator are located directly on the engine for maximum protection. The oil module has an integrated oil filter and a stainless steel oil cooler for greater robustness. A low weight aluminum oil sump with high capacity is used to stretch maintenance intervals. To further reduce vibrations and noise the new Coach and Bus engine is designed with dedicated mounting points for air-conditioning compressor supports.

filter,” said Borsboom. “The basic principle is to have as much passive regeneration of the soot filter as possible by getting the engine to create the ideal circumstances for this to happen. This is why the exhaust manifold, as well as the key parts of the exhaust system, have been encapsulated.

If despite this, the temperature of the exhaust gases drops too low due to a specific vehicle operation, the engine will switch to active regeneration. The SCR catalytic converter has also been designed to maintain optimum temperatures.

Thanks to its smart coating, the allnew DAF-designed and produced PACCAR engines are able to achieve

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maximum performance across a wider range of temperatures, which means the engine can function optimally and in the most efficient way.”

In addition to maximizing efficiency, excellent vehicle availability was an important criterion when developing the exhaust gas after treatment system.

Thanks to the low and stable oil consumption of the PACCAR MX-11 engine, soot filter cleaning intervals of up to 500,000kms are achievable, depending on vehicle operation. Another unique feature is the option of fitting the SCR catalytic converter and the soot filter separately from one another

“To achieve optimum fuel efficiency, minimising parasitic losses was a primary focus during the development process.

To maximise reliability and durability, the wiring harnesses are encapsulated.”

Coach & bus applications The new 10.8 litre Euro 6 PACCAR MX-11 Coach and Bus engine will enter series production in September, with five different ratings available for two main application areas. The 210 kW/290 hp, 240 kW/330 hp and 271 kW/370 hp versions with maximum torques of 1,200, 1,400 and 1,600 Nm respectively (at 1,000–1,650 rpm) are perfect for urban, express and national bus & coach applications. For long distance coach applications, 291 kW/400 hp and 320 kW/440 hp ratings are available with maximum torques of 1,900 and 2,100 Nm respectively (at 1,000–1,450 rpm).

European DAF support network The European DAF network is fully trained to support the new Euro 6 engine range anywhere in Europe, including 24/7 hours back up services provided by ITS. It is backed by a growing number of coach and bus specialists which has emerged from the 1,000 DAF ITS service dealers covering all major routes to form a Euro-wide support network providing assistance 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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LEGAL update › case law

In association with

Rolls Royce not required Issue of ‘need’ considered for hire of replacement vehicles after accident damage In the case Hardip Singh v Rashed Yaqubi [2013] EWCA Civ 23, the Claimant’s Rolls Royce sustained a dent to the rear door in a road traffic accident. The judge found for the Claimant on liability. The car, which was worth around £250,000, was sent to expert suppliers to be fixed. The Claimant hired a Bentley for five days and then a Rolls Royce at a daily rate of £2,000. The repairs took 54 days. The total amount claimed by the Claimant for hire charges was £92,953.

The Claimant gave evidence that the car was one of a fleet of seven vehicles owned by his business partnership and was needed to maintain the partnership’s image of success. The judge found that there was an absence of detailed evidence that the car was needed by the partnership, particularly when there were six other company

cars, and dismissed the hire claim in its entirety.

The judge made comments referring to the rich being filled with good things; the temptation to give a perverted judgment on liability against the Claimant to avoid the question of quantum; and the warped values of society that the Claimant’s car was needed to maintain an image.

Appeal The Claimant appealed, submitting that there was a serious irregularity by reason of the judge’s apparent bias as demonstrated by his comments; and the burden was on the Defendant to prove that the Claimant had no use for a replacement car.

It was found that the judge had expressed views on the values of society openly and frankly. He stated the sound legal proposition that the courts should carefully investigate situations where the party signing the hire form was

ordering riches for himself at another’s expense and that party was entitled to be presented with clear factual evidence of need on the claimant’s part.

The judge found in favour of the Claimant on liability and rejected a claim by the Defendant that the period of time for repairs was too long. A fair-minded and informed observer would not doubt the ability of the judge to consider the evidence fairly and objectively.

There was nothing to suggest that the judge neglected his duties.

It was also held that the burden was on the Claimant to show a reasonable need for a replacement Rolls Royce during the period of repair. The required need was that of the partnership, as the Claimant had put his case, and such need was not self-proving (Giles v Thompson). The first question was whether the claimant needed to hire a car at all (Pattni v First Leicester Buses Ltd).

Need was put in issue in the

pleaded defence and before the judge. It was for the Claimant to establish it. The judge was not required, on the evidence, to infer it. If the Claimant had established need, it would have been for the Defendant to show that the need had not been met in a reasonable manner. The judge was entitled to find that the need for a replacement Rolls Royce had not been established.

Very large car hire claims should be scrutinised carefully by the court particularly when the partnership, which was required to establish the need, had a fleet of seven prestigious cars on the same insurance. For such a business claim to succeed, the judge had been entitled to require specific evidence of need, such as evidence of the actual use of the vehicle for business purposes before the accident and the use to which the hired vehicle was put during the period of hire. Such evidence as was given by the Claimant was vague and non-specific.

In the case of Ayres –v- Odedra [2012] EWHC 40 (QB), a motorist who ran over a drunken pedestrian should have waited until he was safely out of his way before attempting to pass him. The pedestrian was 20% contributory negligent because of his drunken state and the fact he had dropped his trousers and hampered his ability to move freely and at normal speed out of the vehicle’s path.

The Claimant asserted that while his drunken and antisocial behaviour had set the scene, it was not causative of the accident.

The Court held that the fact the Claimant was drunk and potentially unsteady and liable to fall was, and should have been, evident to the motorist. The motorist’s priority should have been to observe the pedestrian’s movements and to wait until he was safely clear of his car before moving forward.

The motorist failed to do that and primary liability for the accident rested with him. Further, the fact that the accident had occurred in a pedestrian zone was relevant.

The pedestrian had undoubtedly behaved in a foolish manner but the motorist could have waited until the pedestrian was on the pavement before moving off safely.

The motorist therefore had to bear the greater share of responsibility but the pedestrian could not be absolved of all responsibility as his drunken state and dropped trousers hampered his ability to move.

Drunken observations

While the driver was found to have the greater share of responsibility, the drunken pedestrian was not absolved of responsibility Backhouse Jones acts for clients in the private and public sector, both national and international operators from one to several thousand vehicles. Backhouse is absolutely “industry specific”. Whilst the company can trace its heritage to 1819 it only represented its first Road Transport Operator in 1930. The explanation for this is that the

first transport act was only introduced in 1930 n The Independent Chambers Guide 2009 describes Backhouse Jones Limited as a specialist company with a national reputation for “first class strength, experience and understanding of the transport industry”. n Contact 01254 828300. Visit www.backhousejones.co.uk

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20 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 2013

GROUP PROFILE › LOTHIAN BUSES

Introducing Lothian Buses Coach & Bus Week goes north of the border for this issue’s super-feature on Edinburgh’s renowned municipal operator, Lothian Buses. Alex Tyler sets the scene

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elcome to the Lothian Buses super-feature.

Aside from being the only municipal operator in Scotland, Lothian Buses is also the largest publicowned bus operator in the United Kingdom boasting an fleet of nearly 700 vehicles which are driven, maintained and managed by a staff numbering over 2,000.

Lothian is something of an

Lothian Buses:

institution and its vehicles’ traditional madder and cream livery make for a distinctive sight on the streets of Edinburgh.

Furthermore, due to stringent maintenance routines they are rightly sought after in the used vehicle market.

Heading up the organisation is Ian Craig, who has recently promoted MD to CEO. James and Andrew were fortunate to speak to the highly-respected and approachable Ian, alongside

Engineering Director Bill Devlin, about a number of topics ranging from fare structure to the looming reintroduction of the tram.

Andrew also enjoyed speaking to Environmental and CSR Manager Dr Steve Johnson about the company’s newest additions to its hybrid contingent but also the most recent influx of Wrightbus Eclipses to the fleet.

As is almost customary with CBW’s superfeatures, a fleet list has been compiled outlining the

a brief history

In 1919 the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways department (ECT) was formed to operate the city’s tramways and also took delivery of the first Leyland charabanc buses.

These were followed in 1922 by ECT’s first open-top, double-decker buses and a year later in 1923 the electrification of the tram network was completed, updating the outdated cable mechanisms of the previous century.

In 1926 buses were moved into Central Depot on Annandale Street, a former Industrial Exhibition hall.

Three years later, the depot is famously emptied of buses to allow for the first assembly of the newly united Church of Scotland and United Free Church of Scotland.

Throughout the war, Edinburgh’s buses and trams were kept running by dedicated staff, including many female conductors. In 1952 ECT took delivery of the first of more than 450 post-war Leyland Titan double-deckers. The buses replaced the No.1 tram service which ran down Princes Street, abandonment of the tram network

Above: A 1920’s Leyland Charabanc. Below: A 1940’s Guy Arab

having begun two years prior.

The road beneath Slateford Road railway bridge was lowered to allow a new double-decker bus service from Eastfield to

Juniper Green in 1954. A year later, Longstone depot was opened. This new facility to the west of the city centre was built to accommodate a larger fleet, as services on this side of the city increased.

1956 marked the end for ECT’s trams. Following the abandonment of the rail-based network, the firm changed its name to something more befitting – Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department.

Marine depot at Portobello opened in 1962 with a large number of retired employees from the Portobello Tram Depot in

attendance.

In 1965 the first Leyland Atlantean rear engine, double-decker was delivered to ECT. Almost 600 were acquired over a period of 17 years.

In 1975, under the local government reorganisation which followed the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, ownership of Edinburgh Corporation Transport passed to Lothian Regional Council’s Department of Public Transport.

The operation was duly renamed Lothian Regional Transport.

At the start of the 1980s the initial pair of Leyland Olympian double-deckers were delivered.

They would become the first of almost 300 such buses to be purchased over the next 11 years.

Lothian remained loyal to the Olympian chassis, and would later take 134 with Alexander RH and Royale-type bodies between 1994 and 1997. These were the last stepentrance buses purchased.

On October 26, 1986 following the Transport Act in 1985 which required municipal bus operations be run as commercial companies rather than as public service departments, the operation became Lothian Region Transport plc, better known by its initials ‘LRT’, a

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particulars and depot allocation of Lothian’s vehicles.

James has talked to Bus Tours General Manager Tim Armour, a new face in the industry, about the composition and day to day running of the Edinburgh Bus Tours Business.

On that note, James has reccaped the tour around the firm’s depots.

He has provided an overview of their current facilities and history therein, which as James has noted, are highly impressive.

Alex has spoken to Head of Marketing and Communications, Shaun Burnett, who has given an insight into how Lothian Buses keeps up with the ever-changing, diverse nature of Edinburgh’s bus going population.

On a final note, we would like to thank all at Lothian Buses for their invaluable help and support in compiling this superfeature. At the risk of excluding individuals, we are particularly indebted to Marketing Communications Coordinator Eilidh Tait for her enthusiastic involvement in this feature.

Wright-bodied Volvos make up the mainstay of Lothian Buses fleet company wholly-owned by Lothian Regional Council.

Lothian Regional Council was abolished on April 1, 1996.

Although the then Conservative Government in Westminster had sought to have the company privatised, this was resisted by local politicians. Ownership of the company passed to the new City of Edinburgh Council and the three neighbouring local authorities. The LRT identity remained until January 2000, when the company was renamed Lothian Buses plc, the LRT logo changing to ‘Lothian’.

In 2001, Lothian alleged anticompetitive practises by First, the other major bus operator in Edinburgh. Though this claim was later rejected, one lasting effect of competition was the extension of Lothian services beyond the City of Edinburgh boundaries, in response to incursion into Edinburgh city services. However, Lothian subsequently withdrew from West Lothian, leaving this area to First.

While the locality no longer forms part of Lothian Buses’ operating territory, West Lothian Council remains a shareholder.

In 2002 Mac Tours was acquired

by Lothian Buses, bringing a

Above: Leyland Atlantean. Below: Wright Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo Vintage City Tour into its offering.

That year also saw the end of an era in terms of Lothian’s policy on vehicle layout. Dual-doors, which had been in very much in vogue since 1969, were no longer specified, reportedly to stop fraudulent claims from passengers alleging drivers had shut the doors on them while disembarking.

Over the next 10 years Ian Craig, former Managing Director now CEO, joined the company from Arriva Scotland West and nearly 95 years of continuous Leyland operation with Lothian and its predecessors

ended on March 14, 2009 with the withdrawal of the last Olympians.

With the dawn of the low floor double-decker era, Dennis Tridents were initially favoured. Indeed, 197 such vehicles were purchased between 1999 and 2004, the majority of which carried Plaxton President bodywork. Half a dozen Plaxton President-bodied Volvo B7TLs were acquired for comparison in the year 2000, which marked the firm’s return to Volvo as its preferred double-decker chassis.

Thus, between 2005 and 2007 a further 125 B7TLs were delivered with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.

While a small batch of 15 Scanias were acquired in 2006/7, the Volvo/Wright combination has without doubt become the ‘standard’ diesel-powered doubledecker in the fleet.

Not to be forgotten is Lothian’s involvement in hybrid technology, supported by the Scottish Government’s Green Bus Fund.

History was made in 2011 when the firm took delivery of Scotland’s first hybrid bus – a batch of ADL Enviro 400 Hybrids for route 10. A further milestone was reached in April 2013, with the launch of the UK’s first Volvo 7900 Hybrids. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Edinburgh: A city of bus users

Ian Craig was recently promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Lothian Buses

Andrew Cream meets Ian Craig, CEO, and Bill Devlin, Engineering Director, to gain insight into how Edinburgh’s largest bus operation is run

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hen James and I took the train to Edinburgh at the end of May, it was to be my first time in Scotland’s capital, and James’ first time north of Leeds. I’ve done a fair bit of travelling outside of work due to personal interests, so it was good to finally check off this glaring omission.

Edinburgh is of course a beautiful city, but it also has a top-notch bus operator to boot. Lothian Buses’ driver facilities are impressive, the control room is state-of-the-art and the fleet has a low average age, to name a few positives.

After being driven round the company’s depots by Engineering Director Bill Devlin, James and I sat down with Bill and CEO Ian Craig to find out about all aspects of the operation.

Working with shareholders

Lothian Buses (LB) is the only municipal operator in Scotland.

Its shareholding is split as follows: City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) – 91.01%, Midlothian Council – 5.47%, East Lothian Council – 3.13% and West Lothian Council 0.39%.

“The split isn’t anything we expect to change any time soon,” Ian said. “We engage with shareholders on a regular basis.

“Many municipal operators have a very good track record. Here in www.coachandbusweek.com

Lothian_Management top.indd 22

Edinburgh we have worked out how to have good relationships with our shareholders and they have allowed our management team to get on and run the business, which has helped generate longterm commercial success.”

I wondered whether the fact that the CEC owns the vast majority of LB’s shares meant the operator was restricted when it comes to potential expansion.

Bill said: “It makes you very focused on your territory, but we are not looking to find failing firms. We are not driven by the shareholders to expand.

“We are a truly commercial organisation and the lack of geographical acquisitions is very much a positive aspect of the company.

“However, we will always look at suitable commercial opportunities as they arise.”

“Our geographical restriction allows us to reinvest without the distraction of trying to become a mini ‘Group’,” Ian added.

An open market

There’s no denying that LB is the main operator in the Edinburgh area by a long way – even more so since it acquired some of First’s East Lothian work. However, both Ian and Bill wanted to stress Edinburgh is an open market for bus operators.

“Just because we have a high market share, doesn’t mean we control the market,” Ian said. “But we do want to operate at a standard

which makes us as hard as possible to compete with. We don’t allow complacency to creep in.”

“You have seen it today. We are very tuned in to what’s going on,” Bill added.

“There are a lot of very good independents operating tendered services in the area,” Ian continued.

“We are surrounded by committed, professional operators and that’s a good thing. But when it comes to mass transit provision, that’s a different type of competition. We will continue to test ourselves in the commercial market.

“If someone wants to compete with us we have set the bar as high as we can push it and would be delighted to take on firms which can compete at that level.

“We don’t have these high standards because we are worried

people might compete – we do because that’s the standard demanded by our customers,” added Bill.

Traditional network

LB runs an expansive network of local services in the Edinburgh area, with garages strategically located around the city. As the name suggests, Marine Garage is situated on the Firth of Forth coast next to the non-operational Seafield Engineering depot. Central Garage, where the head office is based, is, unsurprisingly, located just outside the city centre, while Longstone Garage is south west of the city.

“Our network is not that different from the 1930s tram network,” Ian explained. “But we concentrate more on key routes. It’s always going to be a traditional network

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Ian Craig:

a brief history

Ian started his career in public transport in 1989, joining the family’s expanding business, West Coast Motors. In 1996 he joined Scottish Citylink Coaches in Glasgow, before moving to Paisley-based Arriva Scotland West as Commercial Manager in 1999. A move to Arriva Yorkshire as Commercial Director two years later was followed in 2003 by a return to Scotland to assume full managerial responsibility for Arriva Scotland West. From August 2006 till May this year, Ian held the position of Managing Director at Lothian Buses. He has since been appointed CEO. Ian is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, and in 2011 was recognised by the Institute of Directors (Scotland) “Regional Director of the Year” for Edinburgh, Lothian and the Borders followed up last year by an Outstanding Contribution Award at the Scottish Transport Awards.

“We are looking for long-term sustainable growth and that can only be achieved by high levels of retention and an ability to attract new customers.”

Ian Craig because it’s a very old city but we are always looking to change and adapt accordingly to our customer’s travel requirements. We’re not looking for radical change but we will continue to refine the operation.

We’ll be looking to build frequencies after the tram works are completed – we are a business which is always looking to grow and develop.”

Fare structure

Ian said: “We are not dependent on high levels of route support – we rely on passenger transactions for the vast majority of our total income. We run a very small number of tendered routes which reflects the overall commerciality of our network. We do try and look at the network in terms of service provision very holistically.

“The percentage of our passengers

Lothian_Management top.indd 23

which are concessionary pass holders is quite low for an urban area. We have a customer demographic which is not typical. It’s about enticing people out of their cars. We found our customers have on average access to 1.75 cars in their driveways which shows most of the time our customers are choosing to use the bus.”

One of the main ways in which LB attracts customers is through its low fares.

“We do pride ourselves on being a low fares operator,” Ian said.

“We are wedded to the principle that low fares drive volume.

We are looking for long-term sustainable growth and that can only be achieved by high levels of retention and an ability to attract new customers which a compelling value-for-money proposition helps

to deliver.”

The company’s fares are also simple and transparent. A single ticket for one journey, any distance, is £1.50 adults and 70p children, while a day ticket is £3.50 adults and £2 children.

When comparing the price of LB’s day tickets to a selection of other bus firms in the UK, Edinburgh’s principal operator fares very well. Of the companies presented to us, only Nottingham City Transport came in lower, at £3.40. “That’s no accident,” Ian said.

“We share a lot of similarities with NCT in terms of our commercial philosophy.”

The Ridacard is LB’s “unsung hero”, according to Ian. The smartcard was introduced in 2002, before the ITSO standard was brought in. There are currently

around 60,000 active cards in circulation.

“The Ridacard in its current technical format is reaching the end of its lifespan,” Ian commented.

“We’ll be looking to upgrade our smartcard system in about 18 months to two years time. At present however, our Ridacard system is robust, which is really important, but it’s not very technologically sophisticated.”

LB does a lot to promote the Ridacard as it generates loyalty.

“We want people to commit to us,” Ian said.

There are four LB Travelshops situated in the network – three in the city centre and one in Dalkeith, Midlothian. “Our Travelshops underpin the Ridacard offer;” Ian explained. “The cards almost predate web-based

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transactions so online top up isn’t available, but that will come when we upgrade.

“The shops are also an invaluable source of getting information. We’re looking to invest heavily in the Travelshops, starting this autumn with the Waverley Bridge shop. We want to be a retailer of travel; we have an exciting programme of upgrading and development planned.”

Park & Ride

There are five Park & Ride sites located around Edinburgh: Ingliston (1080 spaces), Hermiston (470), Straiton (600), Sheriffhall (560) and Wallyford (320).

Ian said: “Edinburgh was a slow adopter of Park & Ride but I think it’s fair to say it is effective and popular and suits Edinburgh well. Around 3,000 car journeys are taken off the city’s roads each weekday.

“Hermiston is at capacity with the City Council looking at ways to extend this facility. Ingliston will also expand to include tram, but there will be no more significant development until more public money becomes available.”

Above: Engineering Director Bill Devlin. Below: A Wright Eclipse, one of a relitively small number of single-deckers

Bill Devlin:

a brief history

Fleet investment

While LB’s hybrid buses have made a positive impression on customers and environmentalists, Bill admitted there is a drawback. “The problem with introducing hybrids is, from now on, people will expect every new vehicle to be one,” he explained. “It’s the same with WiFi and other technology.”

It’s clear LB is a very forwardthinking operator; Bill often approaches manufacturers with ideas for new vehicles. “The Volvo 7900H was a result of discussions I’d had with Håkan Karlsson, President of Volvo Buses,” Bill said. “And it’s certainly a success – drivers love it and passengers have really taken to it.”

Moving to the company’s 13-plate Eclipses, Bill said: “The B7RLEs are so right for us, but who knows what Euro 6 is going to bring.

“We procure our buses out of need for the business. We don’t have an allegiance – Volvos currently fit in with the fleet but we buy what’s right for the business. We do look for strong partnerships however.”

Ian added: “We have had nine years with Volvo but the move to Euro 6 could lead us to change again. Of course, Volvo and Wrights have been very strong and loyal and they build a very good product.”

“We have committed to take www.coachandbusweek.com

Lothian_Management top.indd 24

delivery in 2014 of another 20 7900Hs,” he added. “And we are also looking at the Euro 6 plug-in model.

We have a demanding customer base in Edinburgh – people often ask ‘when is the next model coming out?’ but we are able to respond to that. Matching the aspirations of our passengers leads to commercial success in the future.

“Soon we will have tram running through the city centre. The overhead lines are a source of power and we should utilise that. We need to look at the positives for bus in Edinburgh as a result of trams. We will have a DC power network in the city centre – the prospect of fast charge plug-in hybrids is entirely doable. We are working closely with the manufacturers on their next generation vehicles. We need them to look modern, stylish and progressive.”

Keeping passengers informed

Ian was one of the contributors to our recent Big Question on RTI (CBW1088). Adding to his thoughts there, he said: “Information provision is crucial. We have one of the best developed passenger information systems outside London. There are about 250 atstop displays, but more importantly, we have every single bus set up with tracking for the mobile app.

“Bus companies need to be prepared to commit to maintenance and the associated cost. The impact it’s had to our customers is immeasurable. We have had customers tell us they decide how many bowls of cornflakes they have in the morning based on how far away the bus is. We will continue to push and develop this.

As smartphones have really

Bill was appointed Engineering Director of Scotland’s only publiclyowned bus company in 1999. With a transport career spanning 34 years, including periods managing PCV engineering projects in Kenya and Malawi, Bill is now responsible for a 700-strong bus fleet and 328 engineering personnel. In his current role, Bill has overseen the comprehensive, £25m modernisation of three of Lothian Buses main depots. Over the past 12 months he has also overseen the introduction of Scotland’s first VOSA designated ATF, the launch of a £3m Airlink fleet of specially adapted vehicles and the conversion of 40 modern low floor buses to open-top tour buses.

During Bill’s tenure the fleet MOT first time pass rate is one of the highest of any large operator in the UK which, in 2012, was 99.6%.

“We procure our buses out of need for the business. We don’t have an allegiance – Volvos currently fit in with the fleet but we buy what’s right for the business.”

Bill Devlin

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taken off, everything you need to know and do is now in the palm of your hand.”

invest in and develop. The city is ambitious about its tram network and we’re proud to play our part.”

LB’s passenger demographic is more varied than your average operator. You’re likely to find a wide range of ages and professions on Edinburgh’s buses. Bill cites a number of reasons for this: “There is no social stigma to taking the bus in Edinburgh. Also, the average fleet age, our zero tolerance on graffiti and WiFi-enabled buses all help. It’s also the easiest way to get around.”

Ian added: “People feel safe on our buses. This is a result of early adoption of CCTV and security doors. Operators often can’t get people to sit upstairs but we don’t have that problem.”

LB uses the Synectics CCTV system onboard its vehicles.

“We run double deckers for capacity reasons,” Ian continued.

“We trialled bendy buses but found that people would rather sit down.

Plus, double deckers are generally 10m long, but ours are one metre longer which gives us significantly more lower deck seating capacity.”

WiFi-enabled buses, as previously mentioned, are a big draw for passengers. LB currently uses Icomera’s WiFi system on its Airlink and 10 routes and is starting to install it on other services.

Ultimately, the company is looking to equip the entire fleet.

“We are looking to see how we can move forward with WiFi,” Bill said. “As a progressive city, we are looking to improve on connectivity.”

Regarding other technology, Ian said: “I take an interest into what is happening with ticketing. There is a lot going on with EMV and ITSO and I look forward to the outcome.”

Transport for all

Technology

Above: A Wright Gemini-bodied Volvo in the old Lothian Buses livery.

Below: One of the firm’s new ADL Enviro400 Hybrids

Safe future

Working with Holyrood As Holyrood is responsible for Scotland’s transport, LB isn’t exposed to Westminster’s bus policies, although Scottish operators are going through a similar plight.

“Government policies have been a challenge recently,” Ian said. “The Scottish Government changed its BSOG methodology in 2012 which resulted in quite a financial hit to our business.

“However, in Scotland, I’d say we have generally been successful in tackling difficult issues. As a result of collaborative working, we now have a robust model for concessionary reimbursement which can be calibrated going forward. This should effectively mean future scheme funding requirements are accurately predicted and planned for.”

LB is an advocate of the Scottish Green Bus Fund and has done well out of it since round one. When round four is announced, LB will look to bid again.

“Part of our success is that we have not been greedy,” Ian said. “If we bid for £1m which would afford us 10 vehicles for example, we would buy 15.”

LB is also working closely with the CEC to help improve bus travel www.coachandbusweek.com

Lothian_Management top.indd 26

and sustainable travel in general in the city.

“The council is looking how best to move the city centre forward with regard to trams,” Ian said. “It is looking to improve Waverley Bridge, in particular.”

Bus lane cameras are also becoming more commonplace in the city, which is good news for LB, Ian said: “Camera enforcement is vital. If we are stuck traffic queues the attractiveness of bus travel goes down in customers’ eyes.”

“We do need the council to have policies which wrap around sustainable travel,” he added.

“Parking policy in the city centre is important, but it’s an area of conflict – businesses want cheaper parking but higher parking fees drive people to use the bus. But it is a quid pro quo; nothing is for nothing.”

Working alongside tram The tram network will obviously shake up Edinburgh’s public transport system and the council and LB are looking at how it can be integrated into the bus network.

“There is an opportunity to

prioritise and raise the profile of public transport generally,” Ian said. “We believe the tram will be a success. Once in operation, I think there will be strong support for it, with low noise levels and zero emissions at kerbside. It will raise the bar in terms of quality and journey experience.

“We have the opportunity here to do something unique; it’s an exciting prospect. Some tram successes might build into our bus work – there are a lot of upsides.

“No bus routes are stopping apart from a small scale back on Airlink and services to the Ingliston P&R. The tram alignment is very different to existing bus routes.

“Tram will give LB the platform to move forward and will raise the bar for bus. We know we need to keep improving; we will never think we can just coast on the back of our current strong performance.

“Tram will only carry a very small percentage of our overall passengers. Bus will still be our bread and butter or our pie, beans and chips! Bus is what we know and is what we will continue to heavily

Throughout the interview, both Ian and Bill gave the impression they know their company back to front.

Every answer given was detailed and precise; it was clear they were no strangers to public speaking.

As we neared the end of the interview however, I asked Ian a question which made him pause for thought for the first time. It was ‘what one thing would you like Scottish Government to change regarding transport?’

Ian replied: “I would like to see Government empower LAs to let them truly prioritise public transport provision from a policy and funding perspective. The Scottish Nationals did away with ring fenced funding when they first came to power in 2007 and as a result LAs largely stopped spending money on transport schemes.

“LAs in urban areas need to get serious about sustainable public transport. We need a real engagement from them which is something the industry has often struggled with.”

At the head of a well-run operation you need a good management team, and it’s clear after spending just a short time with Ian and Bill that they know exactly what needs to be done to keep the company in the shape it’s in. These are challenging times for every operator, and with the reintroduction of tram into the city, LB may have its work cut out.

However, with the firm’s customers always at the forefront of Ian and the team’s minds, I’m quietly confident public transport in Edinburgh is in safe hands.

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DEPOT TOUR

Lothian’s top drawer infrastructure James Day gives a summary of CBW’s tour around each of the four Lothian Buses depots, looking at their facilities, scale, past and future

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lthough Lothian Buses only operates in Edinburgh, looking around all of its facilities is still enough activity to fill a day, and there was certainly plenty which the company was quite happy to show us.

Engineering Director Bill Devlin kindly took a substantial amount of time out of his day to transport Andrew and I around Lothian Buses’ four depots – three of which are for operations – providing us with plenty of information and context.

We started on the southwest side of the city with the Longstone garage.

Longstone

Arriving at Longstone, we were greeted by a scene reminiscent of the Edinburgh tram works, as a new facility is very much under construction. When Lothian bought the premises in 1955, it was said to be one of the ugliest buildings in the city, but the new facilities under construction and internally are looking very impressive, showing it’s what on the inside that counts.

The depot is home to around 200 vehicles, including driver training vehicles in readiness for the training facilities being built on the premises. The training buses have a classroom on the lower deck complete with fold-down www.coachandbusweek.com

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whiteboard on the ceiling. This means the vehicle doesn’t need to return to the depot when lessons can be taught on board.

Once you’re away from the vehicle and maintenance facilities, every effort has been made to make you completely forget you are in a bus depot. There is a wide open and carpeted lobby area with glass doors leading into the manager’s offices, resembling what you would expect inside a London financial district office tower.

From there you can reach the staff canteen, which serves good quality food. It is a very large area, with plenty of walking space, leather seating for at least 50 people and separate areas depending on whether you’re someone who likes to sit quietly and read undisturbed or someone looking to catch up with colleagues over lunch. There are several televisions, magazines and even a couple of fruit machines.

The whole place is quite quiet and as Bill aptly put it: “There aren’t drivers hanging around with a lot to say about the business.” As is often the case, if you don’t hear any comments, it often means things are being done properly.

Branching off from the canteen is a separate games room which caught us completely by surprise, containing a pool table, table tennis set, dart board and even a full-size snooker table. A trophy cabinet placed at the back of the room,

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1: Reserve double-deckers in Longstone. 2: A brake tester being installed at the new Longstone garage. 3: Longstone’s game room. 4: A driver training vehicle, with livery advertising a career with Lothian Buses. 5: Inside the training vehicle – classroom is located behind the instructor seat.

6: Lothian Buses’ state of the art control room at Central

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along with several boards listing Longstone champions at several games and sports, gave assurance that the facilities were well used, both on breaks and out of work time.

The facilities for drivers really are top drawer, even down to the toilets, which are of the standard you would expect from a quality night club.

Once we had been taken around the existing facilities at Longstone, we adorned hi-vis jackets and hard hats and were taken around the new facilities which are still under construction.

An observation platform overlooks the new pits, allowing trainees to observe the general workings without having to interfere with the engineering staff.

A supervisor’s office to the rear of the garage also has windows facing the MOT lanes on the opposite site, giving managers a 360 degree view without needing to leave the room.

Leading off from the existing vehicle parking bay are three parallel bus washes before the fuel pumps. The Fuellink XT pumps use similar technology to those used to refuel aeroplanes to prevent fuel spillage, although there is plenty of drainage to allow any hazardous spills to be hosed away.

It also monitors how much fuel is delivered to prevent abuse or theft.

The fuel pumps are linked to a pair of gigantic 100,000 litre fuel tanks which are joined together.

Across Edinburgh, Lothian Buses has the capacity to store 700,000 litres of diesel, which Bill estimated would last the company five days.

Marine 4

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After leaving Longstone we were taken to the opposite side of Edinburgh to the Marine garage, where Lothian’s spare tour buses are parked up. A little pressed for time, we were not able to spend as much time here as at Longstone, but the premises are a similar size, with space for around 200 vehicles.

The driver’s facilities also appeared to mirror those at Longstone.

The depot is based on the Edinburgh coastline along with a number of car showrooms and the Seafield engineering depot. Its long term future is uncertain though, as there is speculation that the city council is wishing to redevelop the area. Bus depots and car showrooms don’t appear to belong on the coast as much as hotels and nice restaurants, Bill suggested.

For now, Marine, with its views of the Firth of Forth, makes an ideal home for the open-top buses of Edinburgh Bus Tours, although it could be difficult to relocate the facilities elsewhere.

Seafield

Just down the road from Marine is Seafield, the only Lothian Buses depot which is not operational.

Bill explained that Lothian Buses has a ‘zero tolerance policy’ for damage and as such any vehicles with scratched body panels, etched windows or damaged seats are immediately sent to Seafield. The depot has all the facilities necessary to make a vehicle look brand new.

Spare seats are constantly being made ready to place into a bus, whether covered with a tartan pattern, moquette in red, blue or green featuring Edinburgh landmarks or E-leather. There are also a number of spare driver seats kept in reserve.

Metal panels can be shaped and replaced on site and several vehicles were being repainted while we were present. An 08-plate Wright Gemini was going through the final stages and really did look like a brand new vehicle.

A tram mock-up unit is also based at the depot currently. With Lothian Buses set to operate the Edinburgh tram service when it comes in, the engineering staff have been familiarising themselves with the vehicles and seeing if they can make any improvements to them.

Seafield is also where Lothian currently trains its engineering apprentices. There are a couple of classrooms with PCs, projectors and large monitors. As well as the classrooms, there are some practical rooms with engines and gearboxes on display. These can be used both to show the inner workings of bus drive trains in detail, or as a practical exercise, where a fault is created in an engine and the apprentice has to discover and resolve it. Bill said the operator was considering an upgrade to these demonstration pieces, since Euro 5 & 6 and hybrid engines were starting to leave it behind.

Central

The final depot we visited was Central, the largest (although the disparity is not as large as it used to be) and oldest of the four. It is home to 220 vehicles and Lothian Buses headquarter functions.

Central depot may look

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DEPOT TOUR

like your average bus depot but it wasn’t built for that purpose, as Dr Steve Johnson, Environmental & CSR Manager, explained during our visit.

The structure was built in 1922 and originally used as an industry exhibition hall, opened very quickly in October the same year. It was quite a successful trade show venue, with Glasgow shows moving there also.

The venue was also used for sports events, such as tennis and boxing. There was one occasion where 20,000 people were seated inside for a boxing match, while police fought back another 10,000 outside. It also hosted a Christmas market in 1924.

However, money ran out in 1926 and the building was sold to the city council, which moved its transport fleet in later that year. This included a handful of buses and some city cars for council officials, although only single-deckers could use it.

Edinburgh was predominately tram at that time.

In 1929 the structure was transformed for a civic ceremony for the reunification of the church.

Seats for 15-20,000 people were set up and it was hosted by the future King George and Queen Mother.

In the 1940s the council abandoned the tram system and expanded its bus services. Leyland Titans were brought in as tram replacements. The late 50s saw further expansion, with Lothian Buses moving into Longstone in 1955, followed by Marine 1962 to help meet the hugely expanded bus role for the city.

As well as housing a significant proportion of the Lothian fleet, Central is also home to Lothian

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1: An Edinburgh Tour Plaxton President parked up by the sea wall at Marine. 2: A gearbox for training purposes. 3: An apprentice classroom at Seafield garage.

4: Zero tolerance for damage – working on vehicles at Seafield.

5: Relacement seats are constantly being made – some tartan moquette is visible here

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Buses million pound control room.

A number of monitors at the front of the room display CCTV images from the City’s street mounted cameras. Each technician has access to a computer with three monitors and is able to keep track of spacing between vehicles and any requests for assistance with ease.

Such is the importance of the facility it is kept in relative isolation with its own catering facilities and even has its own backup power supply, meaning the system will only shut off for a few seconds during a power cut.

“When I joined Lothian the control room was just two guys with a microphone,” Bill said. “It has moved on so much since then.

Systems get obsolete pretty quickly.”

Comment

It is abundantly clear Lothian Buses wants to ensure the quality of its facilities match that of its fleet. Its state of the art control room and excellent driver facilities, which go above and beyond what I would have ever expected based on previous experience, most definitely address this.

The investment in new training and maintenance facilities at Longstone and the attention to detail given to them is also very impressive. Everything is perfectly positioned and uses the best quality products and materials available, making Longstone set to become a real one-stop shop in the coming months.

The combination of everything we saw across our visit makes the Edinburgh operator one the most impressive I have had the fortune to visit and more than worthy of its reputation.

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INSIGHT › VEHICLE FOCUS

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The latest generation Andrew Cream talks to Lothian Buses’ Environmental & CSR Manager, Dr Steve Johnson, about the operators’ hybrid vehicles and also finds out about its new Wrightbus Eclipses www.coachandbusweek.com

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othian Buses (LB) clearly takes pride in its vehicles and uses them as a source of bait to draw new customers in, as well as appeasing existing passengers. As mentioned elsewhere in this issue, LB currently has an average fleet age of 4.9 years, so fleet investment is always high on the firm’s agenda.

There have been three noteworthy vehicle investments in recent years – 15 ADL Enviro 400Hs, acquired with the help of round one of the Scottish GBF; 10 Volvo 7900 integral hybrids, obtained through SGBF2; and 15 Volvo B7RLE Wrightbus Eclipses.

Top of the range

Dr Steve Johnson, Environmental & CSR Manager, talked me through the two hybrids.

“While the E400 and 7900 are both hybrids, they have two

3 very different hybrid drives,” he explained. “The E400 is a series hybrid while the Volvo is a parallel.

The 7900 also addresses engine noise due to the engine’s stop start technology. It pulls away without any engine noise at all. The E400 is quieter than a conventional diesel but the engine is running all the time.”

“We heavily up-specced these vehicles,” he added. “The standard of our conventional vehicles is very high but with these vehicles it’s even higher. The buses come with free WiFi, tinted windows, Alcoa alloys which give demonstrable fuel saving, 100% LED lighting and rear digital screens which says ‘thanks’ to drivers who let the bus pull out.

This last feature was developed with students from the University of Glasgow.”

Steve spoke of the dilemma of attracting new customers and believes green buses alone will not entice people out of their cars, hence the high spec of these

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4 1: The ADL Enviro 400H with its silver/gold livery sets it apart from standard vehicles in LB’s fleet.

2: ‘Down lighting’ on the seats of the Enviro 400H. 3: The visual display on the Enviro 400H can show route information as well as other annoucements and is linked to an audio system. 4: One of LB’s 15 new Volvo/Wright Eclipses.

5: Seating in the Eclipse.

6: Wheelchair space in the Eclipse

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Lothian Bus’ Dr Steve Johnson hybrids. For the same reason, LB resisted the temptation to go for a green livery like other operators have done. There is however green moquette adorning the passenger seats.

“We have liveried the vehicles so they look different but still look like Lothian,” Steve explained.

“Of course, the vehicles have completely different bodies to our other buses but it’s the livery that really sets them apart. It took a lot of work to get them right. The

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result is a gold come silver colour which replaces the white on our other buses.

“In our way of thinking, the green credentials alone wouldn’t attract people out of their cars and onto buses in the right volumes. We were looking for real modal shift.”

To help with this task, LB chose to go for complete route conversion.

Steve believes if you tell a potential customer that a number of new vehicles are entering the fleet and they have a small chance of encountering one, this won’t do much to attract them. However, completely converting one route to newer vehicles means people who might use that route know what to expect.

For those who know about Edinburgh’s bus network, the Enviro 400Hs work on route 10 and the 7900s work on route 1.

“Route 10 is quite affluent at its southern end,” Steve added.

“This means there is greater car

6 usage and therefore more potential for modal shift. We also went for ‘down lighting’ on the seats and ‘up lighting’ on the stairs. We wanted to make the E400H as reasonable alternative to the car as possible without turning it into a coach.”

LB’s decision not to adorn the exterior of its new hybrids in green doesn’t apply across the fleet, as a number of the company’s Darts and Eclipses which have been retrofitted with SCRT exhausts carry a green-based leafy livery. The retrofit programme was ongoing between 2010 and last year.

Pushing the bus out

According to Steve, LB doesn’t normally go all out in terms of publicity, but for the introduction of the ADLs in 2011, the operator decided to do a public launch.

The company did a pre-launch marketing campaign which saw it deliver leaflets to 20,000 homes along route 10. To help promote

the vehicles’ greener engines, the leaflets were delivered on bikes.

The E400H launch attracted 3,000 people to Princes Street – and a similar number came to the launch of the 7900s.

LB attracts a higher than average number of bus enthusiasts and the firm was concerned the vehicles would be snapped and revealed online before the launches.

However, as an enthusiast himself, Steve had a plan: “I made a deal with the enthusiasts. We did a special launch for them before the public unveiling and we also told them every movement of the new vehicles before the launch.

This meant they could take as many photos as they liked but the catch was, they weren’t allowed to publish any photos until after the official launch.

“The plan worked really well – on both occasions only one person published anything in advance.”

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INSIGHT › VEHICLE FOCUS

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The results

LB has seen significant passenger growth on service 10. Steve was keen to point out this growth has come from modal shift, not modal drift, i.e., passengers using the route instead of similar routes due to the new vehicles. “The results exceeded our expectations,” he added.

In terms of fuel saving, Steve said: “When we tested the ADLs we were getting an improvement of about 35% in fuel consumption and while it’s too early to take official results for the 7900s, they look very good too.

“There is even better fuel efficiency on night services due to faster running and no congestion.”

Keeping options open

Being head of the environmental side of LB’s operations, Steve needs to consider all kinds of ‘green’ engine technology.

“I am a fan of the hybrids but www.coachandbusweek.com

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5 I’m not personally convinced it’s the final solution,” he said. “Gas is coming back and hydrogen doesn’t look like it’s far away. As a responsible operator we need to evaluate all options.”

The company has recently trialled an MAN gas bus and is looking to trial a Scania gas bus demonstrator in the near future.

Wright for Lothian

LB received 15 13-plate Volvo B7RLE Wrightbus Eclipses at the end of April which went into service on May 1. They have replaced Dennis Super Pointer Darts which are being sold on. Bill Campbell, Operations Director, said: “The vehicles are running on service 21. The decision to put the new Eclipses on this route was due to the need to increase capacity; the new vehicles meet that requirement. They are modern and reliable.”

1: The driving cab in the Volvo 7900H. 2: Next-stop annoucements can be displayed onboard the bus, which is important for Edinburgh, with the amount of tourists which visit each year.

3 & 4: The new vehicles look stylish and modern and feature the same new colours as the Enviro 400H. 5: The moquette colour is a nod to the vehicle’s green credentials

“We can’t fault the aftersales support we receive from Volvo and Wrights. The support is proactive and they respond well to any queries we have.”

Jim Armstrong Asst Depot Manager

Bill Devlin, Engineering Director, was just as enthusiastic: “The B7RLE is very predictable; we can set any watch by it. We have just bought 15 but I wish we could have bought 100.”

The Eclipses, which also feature free WiFi and audio-visual next stop announcements, are also a hit with drivers and passengers. Pam Brown, Assistant Depot Manager at LB’s Marine depot, said: “The drivers love them and say they are ‘a dream to drive’ as they are comfortable and spacious and are good in hilly areas. We have had good feedback from passengers too and they love the WiFi.” In terms of aftersales, Jim Armstrong, Head of Engineering – Bus, said: “We can’t fault the aftersales support we receive from Volvo and Wrights. The support is proactive and they respond well to any queries we have.”

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THE BIG PICTURE

Lothian Buses made the bus industry history books in the second quarter of this year when it took delivery of the UK’s inaugural batch of Volvo 7900 Hybrid singledeckers. The 10 vehicles were purchased with the help of a £1.5m grant from the Scottish Green Bus Fund. Replacing Super Pointer Dennis Darts, the Volvos were launched in a blaze of publicity for route 1 on April 13. The service links Easter Road in the north-east, with Clermiston in the south-west, via the city centre. Fleet numbers 6 and 5, which are registered ‘SN13 BDO’ and ‘SN13 BDF’ respectively, are seen in the village of Corstorphine, which nowadays is a suburb of Edinburgh. The attractive scene was caught on camera by David Barrow not long after the new buses entered service. The livery really suits these vehicles.

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EDINBURGH BUS TOURS

Examples of all five city centre bus tours seen lined up on Waverly Bridge, close to the railway station

A whole spectrum of sightseeing services James Day meets Tim Armour, Edinburgh Bus Tours General Manager, to discover the workings of the extensive open-top sightseeing bus network in Edinburgh, which is hailed as one of the top three biggest tourist attractions in Scotland www.coachandbusweek.com

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dinburgh Bus Tours is the third biggest tourist attraction in Scotland, following Edinburgh Castle and Edinburgh Zoo after it introduced the only giant pandas in the UK. Lothian Buses was one of the first operators to join the City Sightseeing franchise model, entering the market in July 2000.

The Tours businesses in Edinburgh have since been consolidated with the Mac Tour keeping its identity.

The Guide Friday operation was re born as the Edinburgh Bus Tour after it was acquired by Edinburgh Bus Tours in 2002.

The Majestic Tour evolved from the previous Britannia tours and the more recent World Heritage Official Tour was created in conjunction with The Edinburgh

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admission to Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Yacht Britannia and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, along with two for one admission into the Glasshouses Royal Botanical Garden. The ticket lasts for 48 hours and costs £45 per adult, £40 for senior/student and £25 per child.

“All of the city services are hop on hop off, meaning passengers can switch service easily and quite readily see the difference between them,” Tim explained.

“By having the five tours we have a tour to cover pretty much everywhere in the city that visitors want to go. Visitors from abroad often travel on routes with tour guides even when they don’t speak English, or ride the other services without wearing the headphones, just to enjoy the ride. Ultimately we want them to get the exact service they want.

“The Royal Ticket also allows visitors to avoid queuing for tickets, helping them to get more out of their time in the city.”

Tim is keen to keep the ticket choice concise.

“This is something we are replicating on our new website which is due for launch in July. We are keen to work with key partners in Edinburgh to give the best offering to visitors”.

Brand identities

World Heritage Trust. Both of these tours have significantly different routing to City Sightseeing, Edinburgh Tour and Mac Tour. The Forth Bridges Bus & Boat Tour is the only service to go outside the centre of the city.

A New Face

Tim Armour has entered the bus industry quite recently, having held his current post of Edinburgh Bus Tours General Manager for four months, although he does have a background in transport.

Tim spent 10 years in rail with the various guises of GNER. He was Operations Manager for Scotland before moving down south to take the role of station manager for East Coast Trains at Kings Cross.

After leaving the rail industry, Tim joined the transport department for the Olympics,

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where he took charge of the fleet of BMWs transporting VIPs around the Olympic park.

“It’s my first involvement with buses and since we deal with the leisure rather than service buses, I get the fun side of the industry,” he mused.

Edinburgh Bus Tours has a fleet of 47 vehicles. Usually, the number in use is somewhere in the mid-20s, although increases to the low 40s at times in the summer, leaving plenty of room for flexibility.

The vehicles have mostly been converted after seeing service with Lothian Buses, with a mixture of half tops and full open tops, allowing fleet optimisation depending on the weather.

Most vehicles used by Edinburgh Bus Tours have a capacity of about 80, with twin seats the length of the vehicle seating 40 on each deck.

Legally, the vehicles have capacity for standing passengers but Tim said the operator prefers to have all passengers seated.

“There’s always another bus 10-15 minutes behind, so we advise passengers to wait for the next one if there isn’t space,” he stated.

The AEC Routemasters used on Mac Tours have gone through lots of upgrades, particularly to the engines which have been completely renewed, to keep them up to modern standards while keeping their heritage feel.

“Our services run a minimum of every 20 minutes, which increases to every 15 minutes at weekends.

City Sightseeing goes up to every 10 minutes.”

While the audio commentaries will take care of themselves somewhat, having the right guides on services without headsets is crucial to their success.

“We have a pool of guides who come back every year,” Tim said.

“It’s very much a seasonal business.

We’ve taken on a dozen new guides this year and are building up their knowledge.

“The Edinburgh World Heritage Tour was changed in reaction to visitor feedback, where

Choice without overwhelming

Edinburgh Bus Tours offers upgraded tickets usable on multiple brands, as well as some local attractions.

The Grand 24 ticket allows travel on all five city tours for 24 hours, while the Grand 48 allows the same service for 48 hours. The Grand 48+ also includes the Forth Bridges Bus & Boat tour for an extra £6 (per adult) on the standard Grand 48 ticket.

Also available is the Royal Edinburgh Ticket, which includes all five city tours alongside

A Heritage Tour Plaxton President beside a Mac Tours AEC Routemaster www.coachandbusweek.com

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EDINBURGH BUS TOURS

Edinburgh Bus Tours: the catalogue

The tour fleet is primarily based at Lothian Buses’ Marine Depot we added a guide and slightly lengthened the route. It’s very successful now.

“It’s great to have the resource and backing to try these things.”

Providing for the market

“We’re looking at doing more detailed market research. We talk a lot about the history of buildings and the city, but do people actually want to know where a great place to eat is?

“Edinburgh can be overwhelming to the visitor. It’s hard to tell where is authentic and where serves food or stocks products which were actually produced in Scotland.

“We’re quite weather dependant, but would like to know if there is anything we could have done to get customers to board in the rain. Do they know we have half tops or do they think they have to get wet?

“We’re also using comment cards in the form of postcards with feedback questions on them.

They’re bifold cards, so hopefully passengers will keep one half and send their comments back to us on the other.”

The operator also makes use of trip advisor, where the City Sightseeing franchise in Edinburgh has just been awarded a Certificate of Excellence. This is only awarded to the top performing 10% of all businesses worldwide on TripAdvisor. But it’s not just about the city – Tim is keen promote Scotland as a whole and the operator is a member of a number of tourist groups in the area.

“I’m going on a highland tour just to gain more knowledge of the area and see if it is something I need the staff to do,” he said.

“They need to have the right info to pass on. We’re very much about promoting Scotland, not just www.coachandbusweek.com

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Edinburgh.

“We’ll have passengers ask about Loch Ness, which is a long way away, but it’s nice to suggest the closer Loch Lomond instead, for example.”

In addition to staff holding a wider knowledge, the buses themselves are soon to carry a piece of Scottish heritage on board.

“We’re in the process of developing our own tartan.” Tim added. “It makes us just a little bit more Scottish, which is great for visitors.

“We’re doing it in partnership with Kinloch Anderson, which is a great traditional tartan and kilt making company dating back to 1868. It’s another attraction in Scotland too, with its own museum.

“You don’t get to play with that sort of detail on regular services.”

Positives out of disruption

One of advantages of running an open top tour bus services over regular bus services is that disruption can be less of a problem. Tour guides can adjust for route diversions and changes to routes and journey times are less of an issue when the bus is used for sightseeing instead of travel around the city.

“We don’t get significant problems from tram works – events in the city have more impact, such as the Edinburgh Marathon,” Tim explained. “With these events the final road closures are confirmed relatively last minute.

“Sometimes this means we can’t go to all places we would ordinarily, but it can be a positive for the visitors, as journey times can be extended and they can benefit more from the local knowledge of the guides. It ends up giving them greater value for money and more information.”

Edinburgh Bus Tours has six different brands operating under the umbrella. Some were introduced by the company itself, while others are former competitors which have been brought together over the years. Most of the individual brands have the same price point (adult £13, senior/ student £12, child – aged five to 15 – £6, family of two adults & up to three children £30) and operate as hop on-hop off services.

Overlooking the coast at Marine EDINBURGH TOUR The Edinburgh Tour features on board tour guides who focus on the rich history of the city. It covers Edinburgh’s most famous sights attractions, including Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood and the old & new town. Vehicles are in a twotone green livery, a nod to The Guide Friday business which was absorbed by Edinburgh Bus Tours.

The familar City Sightseeing livery CITY SIGHTSEEING The tour under the famous City Sightseeing brand is unique in that it offers a ‘Horrible Histories’ commentary for youngsters, making it quite family focused.

This is alongside the standard nine language choice on Edinburgh Bus Tours – English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

The tour also offers a 10% discount for passengers showing a ticket from any other City Sightseeing bus service in the world.

MAJESTIC TOUR Another tour utilising headphones in multiple languages, the Majestic Tour is the only tour offering commentary in Gaelic. It travels from the centre through the new town out to the coast at Newhaven and Leith, returning through Edinburgh’s old town. It’s vehicles are liveried in yellow and blue.

EDINBURGH WORLD HERITAGE OFFICIAL TOUR This tour has a ‘city of contrasts’ theme, focusing on the contrast between the old town and new town, ‘good & evil’ and ‘fire & ice’. Tour guides are on board the service, which is run in conjunction with the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust. While the other city centre routes take around 55 minutes to complete, the World Heritage Tour was recently lengthened to 80 minutes. It uses an orange & brown livery.

FORTH BRIDGES BUS & BOAT TOUR The only tour to travel outside of Edinburgh, the ‘Bus & Boat’ is also the longest, with the full route taking about three hours. It travels from Edinburgh to South Queensferry and includes a cruise on the Firth of Forth. The tour runs during the warmer spring and summer months only, having started for 2013 on March 29. Due to longer journey time and distance covered, the Bus & Boat has more expensive fares (adult £20, senior/ student £18, child £8, family £48) and provides audio commentary.

MAC TOURS Mac Tours kept its name and cream & red livery after it was acquired

by Lothian Buses and makes use of vintage AEC Routemaster vehicles.

The tour focuses on Edinburgh’s old town, with tour guides focusing on ‘telling tales of royals, inventors, pioneers and villains.’

Mac Tours kept its vintage identity

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OPERATOR PROFILE › MARKETING

Methods of communication Coach & Bus Week’s Alex Tyler speaks to Lothian Buses’ Head of Marketing and Communications Shaun Burnett about the means with which the operator engages with Edinburgh’s diverse passenger base

A

s Shaun explained, Edinburgh poses a unique challenge from a public transport perspective in that for several weeks of the year, the population effectively doubles overnight with the arrival of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The increase comes in the form of tourists and visitors, who can be unfamiliar with the city and these visitors have movement patterns different from local residents.

“This poses its own challenges from an operational and communications point of view,” he said. “This is exacerbated further by a massive student population, which is replenished each year with new students, again potentially unfamiliar with the city.”

Shaun relishes the challenge to keep the masses informed. “The student population in and around Edinburgh can total nearly 100,000 throughout the year so they are a significant focus for us.”

“For new students, the city can be disorientating and so communication and making our services easy to understand is important, but we also appreciate student budgets and so our primary means of cost-effective ticketing, Ridacard, is discounted even further for the student market.”

For anyone wishing to make use of the Lothian network the first port of call is the new LB website which went live in September 2012. Shaun was keen to stress this launch was not just an update.

“We completely rebuilt the site.” he said. “We set our standards and objectives high, primarily in the areas of user-friendly functionality.

The website is underpinned by an engine of data covering 70 services,

weekday and weekend timetables spanning over 2,500 bus stops.

An average of 1,000 people a day generate bespoke and personalised timetables interacting with this data.”

In addition, the whole website is mobile-friendly and can be accessed via smartphone or tablet, a feature which Shaun says the company is seeing more and more frequently.

“The use of smart devices means our site has to be intuitive.” he said.

“The website understands which device it is being accessed with and responds accordingly in terms of layout.”

“We can see these improvements are working as we see greater visitor numbers to the site, customers visiting more pages and spending longer on the site using more and more functionality.”

Means of communication

Social Media is becoming a necessary tool for more and more operators and LB is no exception. The firm’s Twitter following recently burst through 20,000 which Shaun describes as an astronomical figure. “It’s become a communications tool

which customers can rely upon.

Followers receive general interest tweets about Lothian Buses but also service and operational ones.”

“Facebook for us is less about operational updates and more about building relationships. We’ve seen success and growth in that area.

We use it to post stories and keep people informed regarding area such as community and charity work.”

However, having such a public forum is not without its challenges.

“It’s not always just the nice stuff, you sometimes have to deal with the prickly issues and because of social media, these issues can be very public.” said Shaun. ”It’s not like a private one-to-one phone call. All businesses can get it wrong from time to time or come under criticism; the challenge is how to deal with these criticisms openly, honestly and quickly. I think our practice of meeting any such public criticisms head-on in a friendly, honest and helpful manner wins us favour and builds the credibility of our social media efforts.”

LB prides itself on being forward thinking in regards to social media.

“We recently sent a member of our team on an advanced Twitter course in order to ensure we

Shaun Burnett joined Lothian Buses in August 2011, his first role in the bus industry

are utilising this communication tool to the standards of the best companies, not just in public transport, but in other industries.”

The firm’s social media presence is supported by a number of mobile apps. The EdinBus app for iPhone, created in 2008 started the trend. It was given a makeover in mid-2012 and includes the ability to save stops, see bus route lines and maps.

Since then a host of apps have been designed specifically for bus tracking in Edinburgh. “The mobile

Above left: LB’s ‘Social Media Bus’. Above right: A bus promoting LB’s sponsorship of Moonwalk Edinburgh 2013

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Shaun Burnett: a brief history

apps are very intuitive and easy to navigate,” said Shaun. “Collectively, the website, mobile website, social media and smartphone apps are replacing what have been seen as traditional means of communication, such as printed timetables, more and more.”

In addition to web and app based means of communication, LB maintains the more tradition onboard and bus stop information.

“We do still acknowledge traditional formats and we ensure these printed means of communicating, whether at bus stops or on-bus are in as plain English as possible,” said Shaun. “Not least because a high number of people come into the city have English as a second language.”

LB also regularly holds focus groups to gauge the needs and feelings of the population.

“Diversity in these groups is very important,” said Shaun “They range from Mr and Mrs Edinburgh who have been born and bred in the city, through to newly arrived students and others who may have just moved into the city. It’s never

Lothian_Marketing top.indd 43

just us in isolation in our offices deciding what to do, we keep close to our customers.”

These groups are bolstered further by the firm’s Community Engagement Team and Volunteer Teams which visit local schools.

“These efforts are vitally important as part of both our wider public relations and community objectives. We are so much more than ‘just a bus company’ and the role we play supporting, educating and working with charities, disability groups and schools is vitally important to us as we acknowledge our role within the city as well as the unique needs of various customer groups.”

A public service

LB maintains a robust presence in the public domain. “The company and our staff are happy to be continually involved throughout the year in charitable work and supporting significant events.

This week for example we are supporting the The MoonWalk Edinburgh 2013 event as our

official transport partner and we are also supplying a team of 40 participants to take part in the walk, dressed head-to-toe in pink.”

Asked if being publicly-owned affected the way the firm markets itself, Shaun said: “If we weren’t municipally-owned, my approach to marketing wouldn’t change. The marketing priorities of customer research, communications, branding and so on would remain.”

“However, being municipal, the public’s expectation and understanding is heightened, it can be viewed as ‘their bus service’, and so expectations are always high.”

“We interact regularly with the council across the business, and rightly so, we are a part of the fabric of the city with over 300,000 journeys made on a Lothian Buses bus each day.” he added. “The history of Lothian Buses can be traced back over 100 years and so the relationship between us, the city and the public is strong. We are also one of the largest employers in Edinburgh with over 2,000 people employed by the company.”

Shaun Burnett has nearly 20 years experience in Marketing, Sales, Customer Loyalty and Strategy gained across multiple industries.

Shaun holds a BA Commerce (Hons) degree, a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Diploma, and is a Member of the Marketing Society in Scotland.

He started his career in financial services with Standard Life Investments, before moving into electronic security with Guardall Chubb (UK) and then moving into food and drink with Paterson Arran and Dawnfresh Seafoods. Shaun then moved back into financial services with Scottish Widows for six years before joining Lothian Buses in August 2011 as Head of Marketing and Communications.

Having come from outside the industry Shaun believes he is able to look at Lothian Buses with fresh eyes, while still being able to apply his experience and knowledge of marketing and the city. “I’m really enjoying the industry. As somebody born, raised and educated in Edinburgh I’ve always been familiar with Lothian Buses, using public transport throughout my life,” he said. “For such a large business, one thing I particularly enjoy is how fast-paced things are, which is great from a marketing point of view. Obviously there are processes we have in place like any business, but generally ideas and initiatives can be bought into and deployed so much quicker than in other industries I’ve worked in.”

“There’s also great staff-pride and passion in our brand, our values, what we stand for and what we do. Having such a strong brand internally as much as externally is really noticeable and impressive.”

“I think our practice of meeting any public criticisms head-on in a friendly, honest and helpful manner wins us favour and builds the credibility of our social media efforts.”

Shaun Burnett www.coachandbusweek.com

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FLEET PROFILE

An ADL Enviro400 hybird between two Wright Volvos on Prince’s Street, the busiest bus corridor in Edinburgh

An ADL Enviro400 Hybrid in unique livery

Lothian’s �leet in focus

Lothian_Fleet.indd 44

A

A Wright Eclipse-bodied Volvo seen on Prince’s Street

Coach & Bus Week’s Alex Tyler compiles a fleet profile for Lothian Buses, showing how the firms fleet is distributed across it’s depots www.coachandbusweek.com

Some of Lothian’s local branding

s one may expect from a municipal operator, Lothian Buses 677 strong fleet is largely uniform consisting predominantly of Wright Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo B9TLs for double-deckers and Wright Eclipse Urban-bodied Volvo B7RLEs for single-deckers.

However, in most large fleets there are always anomalies and these are present in the form of a number of Scania N94UD OmniCity’s and six Optare Solo SR’s.

Lothian also maintains a contingent of hybrid vehicles the first of which, ADL Enviro400Hs, joined the fleet in 2011 and were

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The current Lothian Buses livery on the number four route

Lothian’s Airlink services, using modified deckers with leather seating

A Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse

the first of their kind operated in Scotland. The firm’s green credentials were recently expanded with the addition of 10 Volvo 7900Hs based at Central depot.

Though the majority of the vehicles were acquired in the last eight years, a few older Dennis Tridents can still be seen plying Edinburgh’s roads from Marine depot.

7 Wright Eclipse Gemini Volvo B7TL (2005) 1 Wright Eclipse Gemini Volvo B7TL (2006) 5 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2005) 10 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2007) 6 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2008) 4 Wright Eclipse Urban 2 Volvo B7RLE (2009) 5 Wright Eclipse Urban 2 Volvo B7RLE (2011) 15 Wright Eclipse Urban 2 Volvo B7RLE (2013) 6 Dennis Dart SPD (2003)

CENTRAL

256 vehicles 10 Volvo 7900H (2013) 15 ADL Enviro400H (2011) 42 Wright Eclipse Gemini Volvo B7TL (2005) 72 Wright Eclipse Gemini Volvo B7TL (2006) 3 Wright Eclipse Gemini Volvo B7TL (2007) 50 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2007)

15 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2008) 3 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2009) 14 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2010) 15 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2011) 2 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2005) 15 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2007)

MARINE

190 vehicles 6 Optare Solo SR (2008) 6 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2001) 8 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2002) 44 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2004) 10 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2008) 25 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2009) 30 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2011)

LONGSTONE GARAGE 154 vehicles

5 Scania N94UD OmniCity (2006) 9 Scania N94UD OmniCity (2007) 7 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2001) 11 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2002) 5 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2003) 1 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2004) 30 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE (2004)

25 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2008) 33 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2009) 15 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 Volvo B9TL (2011) 13 Dennis Dart SPD (2003)

MISC/ RESERVE 61 vehicles

1 Scania N94UD OmniCity (2007) 6 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (1999) 15 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2000) 16 Dennis Trident II Plaxton President (2001) 12 Dennis Dart SPD (2001) 10 Dennis Dart SPD (2002) 1 Dennis Dart SPD (2003)

All figures supplied by Lothian Buses and are accurate as of May 2013.

The Edinburgh Bus Tours vehicles are not all included in the above list. www.coachandbusweek.com

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FLEET PROFILE

East Lothian-branded Wright Eclipses, which are used on routes formerly operated by FirstGroup

A Volvo 7900 single-deck hybrid near Edinburgh castle

The previous Lothian Buses livery on a Wright Gemini

Eclipse Geminis make up the majority of Lothian’s double-decker fleet

A 22 Connect-branded Wright Eclipse Gemini

www.coachandbusweek.com

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Network Warrington have the following vehicles for sale

2009 Renault

2004 Bova Futura

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.

51 seat executive, LEZ compliant, ZF auto, excellent condition, centre sunken toilet, 2 monitors, DVD, MOT until May 2014.

£18,500 + VAT

Florida Taxi Coaches 01787 477701

1998 Volvo B10M Caetano Enigma

Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m 2000/2001 V & Y Plate, Cummins 6BT, Allison AT545 4 speed auto, Marshall body, 40 seats.

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

49 seats with retractable belts, monitor, DVD, radio, cassette, taxed and tested, has air-con but needs re-gas + belts, needs t.l.c. but good motor.

£59,000 + VAT

Travelstar European 01922 647100 / 07779 801862

2003 ADL Enviro 300

COIF and accessibility certificate, 40 seats and 27 standing, taxed until August and with a new MOT, this is a very clean and tidy bus which is ready to go straight to work.

£15,500 + VAT ono

POA

Paul Watson Travel paul.watson9@btconnect.com

Phone Nick on 01626 833664 or 07872 839530

Mercedes Optare Solera

2007 Unvi Riada

7HO

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

Access Lifts

& Ramps

39 seats + courier, 3 point belts, 6 speed manual, double glazed tinted glass and curtains, air-con, driver’s electric windows, reversing camera, 247,117 miles.

Brand new engine with Mercedes warranty, 22 seats + certified courier seat, leather headrests, Euroliners, DVD, 3 point belts, P/A, air-con, 227,000km, MOT 15/04/14.

£49,000

£42,000

Blythswood Motors 0141 889 9730

Burns Coach Tours 01651 851279

2002 ADL ALX200 Dennis Dart

2005 MAN Noge

COIF and DDA compliant, Euro 3 engine, 28 seats and 16 standing, taxed until end of June and MOT until July, well maintained and ready to work.

POA – choice of 3

57 reclining seats, air conditioning, one owner from new, 320,000kms, dark moquette leather inset headrests, curtains.

Phone Nick on 01626 833664 or 07872 839530

Tel: Adrian on 07717 768315

£65,000+VAT - P/X considered

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

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June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 49

2006 Bova Majiq

49 seat executive, ZF auto, LEZ compliant, leather headrests, twin monitor DVD, centre sunken toilet, tasteful moquette, excellent condition, MOT & taxed.

2003 Dennis Trident 2 Alexander ALX 400

Travelstar European 01922 647100 / 07779 801862

67 seats, Cummins Euro 3 engine, DPF to meet Euro IV, ZF gearbox, DDA compliant, MOT. £25,000 + VAT – ONLY 4 LEFT! Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

1999 Volvo B10M Jonckheere

2007 (07) Mercedes 515 Coach Built Soroco

ÂŁ99,000 + VAT

48 reclining seats with retractable belts, monitor, DVD, radio + cassette, rear toilet with rear door, fully sprayed and new stretch panels fitted, good coach, just been to Spain, lovely driver.

ÂŁ20,000 + VAT ono

Paul Watson Travel paul.watson9@btconnect.com

16 high back reclining seats, 3 point belts, A/C, forced air, reading lights, curtains, power door, very large boot, TV/DVD, LEZ compliant, test 20/4/2014, 225,000 kms.

ÂŁ37,995 + VAT Call Karl at Whitegate Travel Tel: 01606 786833 Mobile: 07841 110426

1999 Mercedes 814D Mellor

2006 (56) Ford Transit 17 seat minibus

33 coach seats, 3 point belts, MOT 21/11/12, luggage racks, forced air, power door, boot/side locker, manual gearbox, tacho, repainted cream.

2.4 diesel, one owner, 40,000 miles.

ÂŁ10,000

ÂŁ9,995 + VAT

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Pembridge Vehicle Management 01633 485858

2003 Volvo Jonckheere B12M Mistral 50

2005 MERCEDES VARIO 814 WHEELCHAIR ACCESS MINIBUS

53 passenger seats, 12 months MOT, 527,071kms, interior & exterior in excellent condition, vigorously maintained (records available).

ÂŁ49,950 + VAT ono Star Coaches Limited Martin 07831 265804 Adam 0121 350 5555

Iveco 17 seat wheelchair accessible minibus

4300cc turbo diesel engine, automatic gearbox, analogue tachograph, certificate of initial fitness states 32 passenger seats or 10 wheelchairs and 2 seated, Plaxton Beaver 2, there are 17 seats at present but can be made up to 33, Access underfloor rear tail lift, tracking for 10 wheelchairs, ex-council, 118,000kms/73,000 miles, finished in silver, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty. ÂŁ22495 + VAT

Ben Weaver Commercials 0114 275 7076

MAN Fast Carrier

<RXÂś UH L Q FRQW URO

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

ÂŁ15,495

57 dual purpose seats + 12 standees, 3 point belts, power front and side doors, auto gearbox, double glazed tinted glass and curtains, 238,157 miles.

ÂŁ92,000

Pembridge Vehicle Management 01633 485858

Blythswood Motors 0141 889 9730

2006 Mercedes Benz 814 Vario

2008 Mercedes 515 CDI Soroco

24 seats + courier, 3 point belts, luggage racks, reading lights, blown air, private plate, full skirts, wheel trims, very low mileage, test 27/10/2013, stunning condition.

19 high back seats, forced air, A/C, D/G, reading lights, power door and boot, in metallic silver.

ÂŁ32,495 + VAT Call Karl at Whitegate Travel Tel: 01606 786833 Mobile: 07841 110426

Connaught PSV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 01405 814064

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POA

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

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50 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 2013

2004 Ford Transit T300

49/53 seats, LEZ compliant, toilet, DVD/CD, fridge, hot drinks, Webasto.

Only used on our own holidays and excursions.

Excellent condition.

1993 Dennis Dart Limo Bus

MWB hi-roof, wheelchair accessible, MOT July, SLD, 93,000 miles, FSH, Ricon step through lift, full soft trim, tracking, air-con, very tidy throughout.

£90,000 + VAT

£5,450 + VAT – PX considered

12 months MOT, 20 seats incl. driver, blue leather seats, LED lights in roof, colour changing lights in seats, illuminated glass holders, 2 x champagne buckets, ideal for proms and weddings.

2007 MAN Plaxton Panther

Please call Jamie 01730 267543 or 07956 029344

£8,000 + VAT ono

Crystals Coaches Ltd 020 8960 8800/07971 000111

For more information please call Dave or Lou on 01291 625449

2007 Setra 415GTHD Comfort Class

VDL Bova Futura FH

Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer

2009 MAN NL273F Wrightbus Meridian 12m

39 seats in blue patterned moquette, front, side & rear LED destination, luggage racks, Euro 2, front manual ramp.

44 seats + 26 standees, fully DDA compliant, Mobitec LED, CCTV, digital tachograph, ex-lease. £67,500 + VAT Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

£109,500

POA

Burns Coach Tours 01651 851279

Arriva Bus & Coach 01274 681144

VOLVO B12B

2008 MAN Auto Ayat

2007 Scania K340/ Caetano Levante

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

51 seat full executive, owned from new, choice of 2, real head turner, used on tour programme, low mileage @ 240,000kms, a lot of coach for the money, looks great and great value at just...

Choice of 2, 49 leather reclining seats, ZF automatic gearbox and retarder, Hanover front, side and rear destinations, WC, air conditioning, PLS magic lift, low mileage, recently refurbished and can be used on National Express network until June 2016.

SPECIAL OFFER – £8,500

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

1998 Volvo B10M Jonckheere Mistral

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.

49 seats, AS Tronic gearbox, Mercedes engine, Euroliners, Ambiente seats, serviced by Mercedes since new, one owner, 302,000kms, MOT Apr 2014. Must sell due to retirement.

Blue interior, satellite navigation, air conditioning and centre toilet.

£35,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

£120,000

£89,000+VAT - P/X considered

£85,000 each

Contact William on 07733 914050

Tel: Adrian on 07717 768315

yourbus – 01773 714013

2000 SCANIA T9

2005 Daf VanHool

2003 Futura

Luxury VW Crafter

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.

Auto, 49/51 seat executive, purple, immaculate, Webasto, air conditioning, retarder, WC, DVD, reversing camera, hot water, fridge, leather headrests/piping, MOT May 2014, one driver from new, 486,000km. Must sell due to retirement.

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

2007, 16 seats, A/C, DVD, microphone, 125,000 miles, 8 months MOT, excellent condition.

£24,750

£85,000

£25,00

Belfast Bus – 07921 389720

Burns Coach Tours 01651 851279

£65,000 + VAT L.J. Edwards: 01323 440622 option 2 or John 07974 369570

Slick Rides – 07823 770978

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

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June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 51

2006 Mercedes Benz 616 CDI Soroco Plus

Mercedes 814D Euro Coach

16 Fainsa seats, 3 point belts, seat back tables, A/C, D/G, forced air, reading lights, power door, large boot, fridge, DVD, new re-spray, 280,000 kms.

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

POA

£58,000

Connaught PSV – 01405 814064

2009 Enviro 200 8.9m

Cummins E5 engine.

Dennis Dart Mini Plaxton Pointer 8.8m

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

£73,000

£5,750

Contact William on 07733 914050

Mistral – 01565 621881

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

2001 Mercedes 814 Vario Optare Nouvelle

2010 Mercedes Benz Travel 45

1998 R REG OPTARE SOLO

2002 Futura

31/33 high back seats, forced air, reading lights, PA system, power door and boot.

16 reclining seats, 3 point belts, A/C, forced air, reading lights, power door, power step, curtains, coach rear, bi-xenon lights, auto gearbox, 189,000 miles.

Mercedes engine, Allison, 30 seats, new MOT.

POA

POA

POA

Connaught PSV – 01405 814064

Connaught PSV – 01405 814064

EnsignBus 01708 865656

£55,000 + VAT L.J. Edwards: 01323 440622 option 2 or John 07974 369570

Volvo Olympian open top bus

1994 Toyota Caetano Optimo

2003 Setra 315 GTHD

2003 Mercedes Citaros

Alexander Dennis body, P reg (1997), seats 75.

Fitted with a PA system, new MOT on purchase.

Choice of 5 vehicles.

22 seats with belts, power door, manual gearbox, high speed diff fitted, tidy condition for its year.

49 seat with retractable belts, low mileage, seat back tables, footrests, centre toilet, power door, air con, webasto, cool box and boiler 2 x monitors and DVD, radio cassette, LEZ exhaust, great drive.

Bath Bus Company 01225 330444

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Paul Watson Travel paul.watson9@btconnect.com

38 + 34 standees, LEZ complaint, full DDA, dual door, Hanover LEDs, CCTV, in good condition, very low mileage (240,000 – 260,000 km), 1 year’s MOT. Choice of 6 (5 x 53 plate and 1 x 03 plate). £45,000 each + VAT

2005 13m Bova Futura

New Turas 500

Volvo VanHool

1995 Scania K113 VanHool Alizee

Full executive, 53 reclining seats, good leg room, used on holiday programme, one owner from new, 430,000kms, 12 months MOT.

LEZ compliant, manual or auto, Politecnica or Fainsa seats, courier seat option, 3 point belts, air con, power door, dark tinted double glazing, radio/CD/PA, DVD, reverse camera, full draw curtains, extra large luggage boot, Euroliners, 3 year chassis warranty.

Very clean and tidy coach for year, converted 2 months ago to 70 seater with 3 point belts.

Converted this year to 70 seater using Cogent seats with 3 point belts, tea machine, TV/DVD.

£26,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

£27,500 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

£5,000

£84,500+VAT - P/X considered

POA

Tel: Adrian on 07717 768315

Minis To Midis – 01302 833203

£53,500 + VAT ono

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

yourbus – 01773 714013

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

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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 or 70 when converted to single door.

Last few remaining from £8,500.

2000 VOLVO B7TL’S

2001 Y REG VOLVO B7TL’S Euro 3 with traps, DDA, LWB, Plaxton bodies, 67 seats as 2 doors or 78 once converted to single door.

80 seats, Voith gearboxes, Euro 2 engines with traps, or full Euro 3 with traps, Plaxton President bodies, can be DDA with 78 seats.

1999 VOLVO B7TL’S

2002 DENNIS DARTS

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

Euro 3 engines with traps, 8.8M long, Marshall bodies, 25 seats, DDA.

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 1998 R REG VOLVO B10BLE’S

2000 W REG DAF SB220’S

ZF auto, East Lancs Myllenium bodies, SLF, 46 seats.

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

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.

2000 X REG DENNIS SUPER POINTER DART

1998 R REG VOLVO OLYMPIANS

Voith gearboxes, 11m, 41 seats, Cummins 160 engines, new MOT.

Volvo Euro 2 engines, ZF gearboxes, Alexander RL bodies, 83 / 87 seats.

2007 VOLVO B12BT’s

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.

Euro 4, Plaxton Panther bodies, 15m, 65 seats, toilet, DDA, front wheelchair lift, Hanover LED's all round.

2001/2002 DENNIS TRIDENTS

51 and 02 plate, Cummins Euro 3 ISC engines, LEZ, Plaxton President bodies, can be DDA, single door and 78 seats, or dual door 67 seats.

1998 R REG VOLVO B10M’S

Voith automatics, Alexander PS bodies.

1998 R REG VOLVO OLYMPIANS

2005 55 PLATE VOLVO B7R’S

Euro 2 engines, ZF gearboxes, Northern Counties bodies, 80 seats.

- BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BUS DEALERS ZF automatics, Plaxton Profile bodies, 70 seats, side wheelchair lift, Mobitech LED’s, air-conditioning, radio / PA.

Park, Purfleet, Essex, RM15 4YF 8 864340 e-mail: sales@ensignbus.com t stock at www.ensignbus.com

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NEW PRE-REGISTERED FORDS

New Ford Transit 17 seat 4.3ton 135ps minibus. From £19,495 + VAT

OTHER MAKES

(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

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

LDV MINIBUSES

D L O S D L O S

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

(08) 2008 Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 2.2 diesel, wheelchair accessible minibus, 11 seats, tracking to take three wheelchairs, in board lift £13,995 + VAT

(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

(09) 2009 Ford Transit 17 seat minibus 2.4 diesel, six speed gearbox, tachograph, 65,000 km £12,995

(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

(07) 2007 Ford Transit 17 seat minibus 2.4 diesel, six speed, one owner, 64,000 miles, FSH, COIF/PSV £9,950 + VAT

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

(56) 2006 Ford Transit 17 seat minibus, 2.4 diesel, one owner, 40,000 miles £9,995 +VAT

OTHER MAKES

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

(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

D SOL

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

(10) 2010 Ford Transit 17 seat 140ps minibus, tachograph, 33000 km,FSH, COIF/PSV £15,250

D L O S

D L O S

(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

(

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

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 £5,995

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%

682251-1088-Ventura

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697131-1088-Stafford

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696864-1091-Connaught

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

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

2011 MERCEDES 519 CDI SPRINTER X-CLUSIVE AUTO 16 high back full leather trimmed seats, 3 point belts, A/C, D/G, power door, glass roof, large boot and DVD system.

2011 61 REG MERCEDES 513 CDI TRANSFER 16 high back seats, 3 point belts, A/C, parking sensors, side entry with automatic step, luggage space.

2010 59 REG MERCEDES 515 CDI TRAVEL 45 16 high back reclining seats, 3 point belts, A/C, forced air, reading lights, DVD, power door & power step, coach rear, auto.

2008 08 REG MERCEDES 515 CDI SOROCO 19 high back seats, forced air, A/C, D/G, reading lights, power door and boot, in silver metallic.

2008 58REG MERCEDES 515CDI SOROCO 16 or 19 high back seats, 3 points belts, AC, forced air, reading lights, curtains, power door and boot.

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.

2003 03 REG MERCEDES 413 CDI SOROCO 16 high back seats, 3 point belts, AC, forced air, reading lights, power door and boot.

2001 51 REG MERCEDES BENZ 413 CDI SOROCO 16 high back seats, forced air, A/C, reading lights, power door and large boot.

2001 Y REG MERCEDES 814 VARIO OPTARE NOUVELLE 31/33 high back seats, forced air, reading lights, PA system, power door and boot.

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

p00_CBW_1090 1000 Vehicles DPS

3/6/13

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697311-1091-Rotala

10/6/13

14:08

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p61_CBW_1091

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June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 61

697066-1091-Pickrell

H. W. PICKRELL

10/6/13

18:30

Page 1

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

08 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

For latest stock arrivals follow @h_w_pickrell 57 REG CITROEN RELAY 2.5TD

05 REG VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER T30 TDI

2008 57 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 311 2.2CDI

Manual, high roof, PAS, LWB, Atlas conversion, twin side loading door, AVS side step, 6 high back seats, Unwin Inotrac tested floor, Ricon tail lift, ex local authority, 30,383 miles.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, O&H conversion, SLD, AVS side step, 9 seats plus driver plus 1 x wheelchair space, Unwin tracking, Eberspacher heater, Ricon tail lift, ex local authority, 21,647 miles.

LWB, MAN gearbox, CD, electric windows & mirrors, full AC climate front and rear, twin side loading doors, 9 high back seats in rear, Unwin tracking, Braun tail lift, rear tail gate & blinds, Cotrim conversion, 29,209 miles.

6 speed manual gearbox, semi high roof, PAS, MWB, SLD, 14 high back seats including driver, Bluetooth & sat nav, air con, elec windows & mirrors, electric side step, Unwin tracking, Ricon tail lift, 39,834 miles.

58 REG IVECO DAILY 50C13 IRIS BUS 3.0

57 REG RENAULT MASTER MM33 2.5TD

06 REG M ERCEDES SPRINTER 411 CDI

57 REG FORD TRANSIT 100, 350 2.4TDCI

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, power door, 16 rear high back seats (17 seats in total), Unwin tracked floor, Eberspacher heater, Ratcliff tail lift, COIF, 63,371 miles, PSV tested till March 2014.

Manual gearbox, high roof, Gleneagles conversion, PAS, SLD, electric side step, 8 removable rear high back seats (10 seats in total) plus driver, air con, Unwin tracking & Solo system fitted, Ricon tail lift, 22,487 miles.

Manual gearbox, LWB, PAS, O & H conversion, n/s full height manual door, 16 high back removable seats, Eberspacher heater, PLS underfloor t/lift, ex local authority, COIF'd,103,080 kms, PSV tested till March 2014.

Manual, MWB, high mroof, PAS, SCW conversion, side loading door, side step, 8 high back seats, fully Unwin tracked floor, Dash ac, Eberspacher heater, Ratcliff underfloor tail lift, 11,092 miles only.

06 REG MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVK T REKA

58 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5TD

57 REG VAUXHALL MOVANO M M33 2.5TD

07 REG RENAULT MASTER LM 35 2.5TD

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.

Manual 6 speed, high roof, PAS, LWB, O & H conversion, side loading door, side step, 8-14 high back seats, fully tracked Unwin floor, Ricon tail lift, Eberspacher heater, ex NHS, only 31,199 miles.

6 speed manualgear box, MWB, high roof, PAS, twin side loading door, side step, 9 seats plus driver plus 1 x wheelchair, heater, Unwin tracked floor, Ricon tail lift, 39,191 miles only.

Manual, PAS, LWB, O & H conversion PTS ambulance, SLD, fold out side step, 6-8 rear high back seats, wipe clean interior, lowering suspension, Unwin tracking, Eberspacher heater, choice of two, 72,000-79,000 miles.

2009 58 REG RENAULT TRAFFIC LH29 2.0TD

07 REG VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER CR50 UVG TREKA

2009 59 REG VAUXHALL VIVARO SL28 2.0 TD

09 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5 TD

Automatic gearbox, high roof, SCW conversion, twin side loading doors, side step, 6 rear high back seats plus double passenger & driver, AC, Eberspacher heater, Unwin tracking, Ricon tail lift, 38,309 miles only.

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

Manual, 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.

08 REG FORD TRANSIT 430 JUMBO 2.4 TDCI

58 REG IVECO DAILY 50C13 IRIS BUS 3.0

NEW UN REG IVECO DAILY 50c17 IRIS BUS 3.0

59 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.45TD

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.

Auto gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, power door, 16 rear high back seats (17 seats in total), AMF tracked flat floor, Eberspacher heater, full air con, PLS tail lift, COIF, 49,381 miles only.

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.

Manual 6 speed, high roof, PAS, LWB, O & H conversion, side loading door, side step, 8-14 high back seats, fully tracked Unwin floor, Ricon tail lift, Eberspacher heater, ex NHS, only 12,695 miles.

58 REG FORD TRANSIT TOURNEO CONNECT 1.8 HDI

08 REG FORD TRANSIT 430 JUMBO 2.4TDCI

08 REG RENAULT MASTER LM35 2.5TD

57 REG PEUGEOT BOXER 2.5TD

Manual gearbox, CD, electric windows & mirrors, a/c, twin side loading doors, high back seat in rear, single passenger seat, cut out floor, lowering air suspension, fold down ramp, Gowerings conversion, only 8,600 miles.

Manual gearbox, high roof, PAS, LWB, tacho, side loading door, side step, 14 rear seats, Unwin Innotrax fully tested tracked floor, Eeberspacher heater, underfloor PLS tail lift, tacho, 41,598 kms only

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, 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.

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June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 63

BUILDINGS

CHECKPOINTS

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

BLUELINE BUILDINGS 01709 578333 anytime

BUS & COACH RENTALS

The ABC of Rental Solutions

Under your control.

For the time you need it.

Bus and Coach

01274 681144

busandcoachsales@arriva.co.uk www.arrivabusandcoach.co.uk

&KHFNSRLQW

®

'XVWLWH/5

Wheel Nut Indicators and Retainers

+44(0)1524 271200 www.checkpoint-safety.com EXHAUSTS

LEZ BOXES FOR SALE 2 x used Eminox LEZ exhaust boxes, used for 6 months 2012.

Cleaned/reconditioned.

To fit a Bova Futura.

With full fitting kit or can be fitted while you wait! £3,000 each + VAT

PARNHAMS COACHES LTD Contact Ray 07747 071071

FINANCE

Innovative funding solutions to fit every business. We specialise in raising funds for all types of companies from sole traders to PLCs. As a specialist business funder, Huxley Corporate Finance can provide your company with a wide range of finance facilities including the following:

• Equipment Finance • Vehicle Finance • Cash Flow • Mortgages • Company Acquisition • Capital Release Scheme • Vehicle Sourcing

Call the team to discuss your current financial requirements on 01829 730062

®

65A High Street, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 0DP T 01829 730062 F 01829 730063 E info@huxleycf.co.uk www.huxleycf.co.uk

p64_CBW_1091

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64 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 2013

PARTS

FINANCE

SEATING

The ABC of Parts Support Over 17,000 parts lines directly from stock.

Next day delivery as standard.

Bus and Coach

01274 681144

busandcoachsales@arriva.co.uk www.arrivabusandcoach.co.uk

BUCKINGHAM 3 & 2 • Ideal for 3 & 2 configurations • Ergonomic design for maximum support, comfort and legroom • Tried & tested: fitted into many new coaches as OEM • Full range of legs and fitting options make the Buckingham ideal for upseating to 70+ seats • Lighter weight makes easier for installation Prime Passenger Seating Limited 7 Canalwood Industrial Estate, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5RL Telephone: 0870 757 1320 Fax: 01691 770 798 Email: johnm@primeps.com

www.primeps.com

PARTS

• Full UK coverage • Same day local delivery • Next day national delivery FLEET SALES

HEATING

RETIRING or

CHANGING YOUR FLEET?

Contact Malcolm Harrison Auctions

01630 674326

auctions@malcolmharrison.co.uk MALCOLM HARRISON AUCTIONS

LIFTS & RAMPS

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

• Official Irizar part distributor • All manufacturer parts supplier • Fast, efficient & 24/7

Tel: 01909 511349 www.master-part.co.uk

p65_CBW_1091

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June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 65

TRAINING

SIGNWRITING

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

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

Digital and analogue tachograph analysis VEHICLE SPARES

Trevor Wigley & Son Bus Ltd

TRAINING

TW FULLY LICENSED END OF LIFE VEHICLE CENTRE TW REDUNDANT AND SCRAP VEHICLES TAKEN

1 ) 0 5 0 4

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TW PROFESSIONAL, EFFICIENT SERVICE TW ALL REQUIREMENTS CATERED FOR TW VARIOUS SPARES AVAILABLE TW CONTACT US FOR FULL AVAILABILITY

THE DRIVER CPC IS HERE 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 DRIVER LTD Rising above all others

www.meridiandriver.com

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

www.twigley.com

p66_CBW_1091

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66 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 2013

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68 | COACH & BUS WEEK | June 12, 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

‘A (jaunty) tribute to Gareth’ As you will doubtless have gathered, our Gareth is never afraid of laughing at himself. His attendance at the Young Bus Managers Network (YBMN) conference last week was certainly no exception.

After enjoying the evening meal in the Marriott hotel on Tuesday, the chit-chat turned towards CBW. YBMN Patron Roger French quipped: “I like the ‘Big Picture’ but I often find myself having to turn the magazine on its side...”

Chris Cheek agreed. “They regularly seem to be jaunty – great pictures mind.”

While the post-dinner quiz was in full flow, some of the ever-friendly folks, including Roger, decided to have a spot of fun. Roger was aided and abetted by Trevor Whelan, who among other things, is currently the PR man for the Bus & Coach Awards and Rally – and an enthusiastic CBW reader. Trevor, whose excellent pics have graced our centre spread on several occasions, snapped this quirky photo of Roger. With much laughter, the pair presented it as a tribute to Gareth. All good fun.

Brolly good fun

VKU, the transport operator for Unna County in Germany, has equipped the buses on route S30 between Bergkamen and Dortmund with vending machines which sell umbrellas.

The small devices were installed in the standing area of the bus. If

Dilbert

Monday: Press day. I’m on tenterhooks. In addition to the usual pressure to get the job done on time, I’m itching to view a 1950s-built house we’ve spotted. Having already decided what we felt it was worth, we put an offer in there & then.

Our bid is accepted and by the early evening we’re elated. No more dippy estate agents and traipsing round houses every weekend. Phew.

Tuesday: Start in the office bright & early.

After having a quick meeting with our solicitor about the house, drive down to Bristol for the Young Bus Managers Network (YBMN).

Upon arrival in the hotel, deal with a couple of work matters on my mobile. At the evening do, catch up with many friends and meet others for the first time who enjoy reading CBW. I’m teased me about my jaunty pics too – see separate story opposite.

Roger French poses, complete with his glass of St David’s wine (water) it starts to rain during their ride, passengers can buy a brolly for €4.

The umbrellas in question are telescopic, meaning they’re handy and easy to store. To keep the investment and maintenance costs low and the size of the machines compact, only one and two Euro coins are accepted and the vending machines give no change. It is the first time an umbrella vending machine has been installed inside a bus in Germany – and we dare say,

Europe as a whole.

The machines were purchased from Dry2Go, a young startup who produces umbrella vending machines of all shapes and sizes.

In January AKN Railways, which operates a network of regional train lines north of Hamburg, installed umbrella vending machines on the platforms of its major stations.

With the weather we’ve had this year they’d certainly make a splash on British buses…

Wednesday: Rise early to tour the Greater Bristol Bus Network. Catch up with First Bristol’s Matthew Parker, who helped get my foot in the door at Travel West Midlands’ Perry Barr garage all those years ago. The excellent YBMN conference kicks off, with an interesting line-up of speakers. Full report in next week’s issue. Arrive home mid evening tired but very much on a high.

Thursday: A busy day in the office, with meetings and writing. Not being heavily involved in the Lothian superfeature, I focus my efforts on news and subbing. I always get a kick out of chasing stories.

Friday: Having worked through my lunch (as is the norm), leave the office a little earlier for a mortgage meeting. Head ‘back home’ to the Welsh borderland alone – my Sarah has a pile of SAT exams to mark over the weekend, on top of her usual mountain of paperwork.

Ah, the joys of being a primary school teacher...

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RECRUITMENT & people

June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 69

In association with

Deadlines Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm Contact Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

SMMT announces new Chief Executive Michael Hawes is to join SMMT in early autumn as its new CEO. Mike will lead the executive team in promoting the interests and successes of the UK motor industry and help address the challenges of the current climate. He will also ensure the SMMT delivers stronger representation and engagement with all its stakeholders and help accelerate growth of the two key subsidiary companies: SMMT Industry Forum Limited and Motor Codes Limited.

“I am very proud to be joining the SMMT as its new CEO”, said Mike Hawes. “The SMMT is a highly respected and influential trade association, valued by all stakeholders. My role will be to

build on this reputation and grow the value and range of services provided to our members. There is a strong organisation in place and I look forward to working with SMMT employees, as well as our partners and European colleagues, as the industry develops.”

Tim Abbott, SMMT President, said, “Mike brings a tremendous amount of expertise, both in terms of automotive industry experience and the skills necessary for the job. He has built a strong personal reputation and is credited with

Mike Hawes

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establishing a number of strategic relationships which have benefited the automotive companies for which he has worked. He is also very familiar with SMMT and will maintain the momentum which has been established.

“I would also like to thank Mike Baunton for his support as Interim CEO of SMMT since the end of January He has provided the leadership the organisation needed during this time and will continue his engagement with SMMT as Chairman and Non-Executive Director of SMMT Industry Forum.”

Mike Hawes has more than 20 years’ experience in policy and public affairs, the majority of which has been spent in the motor industry. He joins SMMT from Bentley Motors where he held a number of PR, corporate and public affairs roles. Having also worked for both Toyota and, more recently, Bentley’s parent company, Volkswagen AG, he has the European and global knowledge needed for this challenging role.

Stagecoach Yorks’ new Marketing Assistant Julie Taylor has joined Stagecoach Yorkshire as a new Marketing Assistant.

After previously working at Sheffield advertising agency MB, Julie, 24, is now part of the three-strong team at the firm.

She is responsible for developing and implementing marketing campaigns across Stagecoach’s Yorkshire’s network, which carries 48 million passengers every year throughout South and West Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Rupert Cox, Commercial Director at Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “Julie’s experience and knowledge in the marketing sector, makes her a great asset to the team.”

FLEET ENGINEER Norfolk Green is a wholly independent business, providing a network of local bus services with some 70 buses and ancillary vehicles from its base in King’s Lynn, across West and North Norfolk, North Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.

An opportunity has arisen for a Fleet Engineer. Repor�ng to the General Manager, you will be responsible for the department comprising skilled and unskilled staff maintaining the fleet across 7 days a week to support the business opera�on.

With a proven track record, demonstra�ng strong technical and fleet management competence, you will be passionate about high standards. You will be accountable for the Engineering Policy and ensuring that you and your team have the knowledge and skills to comply and adhere with company standards, in par�cular vehicle roadworthiness and maintenance, plant and equipment, stores management, health and safety, work quality and performance management, vehicle cleanliness and environmental responsibili�es. You will be responsible for the engineering budget, vehicle procurement and ensure effec�ve departmental cost control.

The successful candidate will have motor vehicle technical qualifica�ons and must have obtained a relevant professional qualifica�on in vehicle/fleet management, i.e., IRTE or equivalent and be a member of The Ins�tute of Road Transport Engineers (CPC standard).

We are seeking a leader with the ability to inspire and mo�vate the team to achieve excep�onal levels of performance and who has the ability to work closely with the Opera�ons department in delivering a high service level standard.

Interested candidates should apply in wri ng with CV to: Ben Colson, Managing Director, Norfolk Green, Hamlin Way, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 4NG. Closing date 1st July 2013

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ENGAGEMENT EVENT Hampshire County Council (HCC) Public Bus Supplier Engagement Morning HCC invite you to an engagement event on the benefits of operating Public Bus contracts for them.The event will take place on the 5th July 2013 10:00 – 13:00 in Elizabeth II Court, Sussex Street,Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8UT. The format of the morning will be : Various stands offering information on topics such as: • • • • •

Public Bus legislation and Registration Confederation of Passenger Transport, how they can help you Concessionary Fares Publicity The role of the Passenger Transport Team

In addition two breakout sessions will take place: 10.30 – 11.30 “Barriers to entry - Myths and Facts” How can HCC help you to reduce barriers and help you move into the Public Bus Market.

11.45 – 12.45 “How we tender for Public Bus routes in Hampshire” How to gain entry to our tendering process, bid for routes and how we can support you.

If you would like to book a place on the event, and / or book a place on the breakout sessions, or further information please contact: passengertransportprojects@hants.gov.uk

www.coachandbusweek.com

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RECRUITMENT & people Deadlines Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.00pm Contact Ian Gillis T: 01733 293484 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

June 12, 2013 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 71

In association with

Engineering Manager

Due to the promo�on of the present Engineering Manager, The Big Bus Company, operator of sightseeing tours across the globe, is looking for an enthusias�c and ar�culate individual to head up our UK Engineering Team in London. Repor�ng to the Managing Director UK, you will be responsible for a fleet of 75 open top vehicles, based at Wimbledon, SW17.

Able to recognise and meet the demands of a highly seasonal business, you will ensure that daily vehicle availability con�nually meets opera�onal needs as well as mo�va�ng the engineering team to con�nually improve on vehicle presenta�on and standards ensuring controlled budgetary parameters are maintained. The posi�on also carries the responsibility for general site maintenance and Health and Safety rela�ve to the depot.

Candidates must have a thorough knowledge of PCV/HGV engineering, hold the appropriate engineering qualifica�ons relevant to the industry and be prepared to travel and work flexible hours (including weekends where necessary) to provide the level of service required.

Applicants will be highly mo�vated team players, and be willing to work to con�nue to expand and improve the Big Bus product, a name that has become synonymous with sightseeing.

In return we offer an excellent remunera�on package, commensurate with your skills and experience, including reloca�on if relevant.

The Engineering Manager will report to the Managing Director, and responsibili�es also include: • To ensure vehicles and their records are maintained in accordance with all Company and VOSA statutory requirements.

• Monitor material, u�lisa�on, holding and requirements of the department stores/materials stock.

• Ensure that all staff within the garage fully understand and comply with Company and statutory regula�ons with regards to hours of work, health & safety and good working prac�ces.

• To manage, support and mo�vate supervisory staff and allocate them according to ensure quality and coverage is maintained.

• Manage engineering staff in the performance of their du�es providing advice, guidance, mo�va�on, leadership and effec�ve management as necessary, • To provide a high level of technical exper�se and support to engineering staff, to ensure their skills and competence levels con�nually improve and to iden�fy training needs.

• Maintenance of all workshop and site plant, equipment and premises ensuring all HSE legisla�on is followed.

• To act as the competent person in all Health and Safety ma�ers within the engineering sites located in the UK and to produce risk assessments, safe working prac�ces, toolbox talks, PPE provision along with any other Health and Safety related procedures.

• To fully understand and comply with all Company and statutory regula�ons rela�ng to hours of work; staff rules, regula�ons and good working prac�ces.

To be considered for this posi�on, you must: • Hold the rela�ve City & Guilds / NVQ qualifica�ons • Be experienced in engineering systems, processes and audit procedures – PCV preferred • Have a good working knowledge of VOSA standards • Be of professional appearance and manner • Have a background in a managerial posi�on, preferably within the workshop environment • Be proficient in IT skills (including Microso� programmes; Word, Excel and Outlook) • Being IOSH/NEBOSH accredited would also be an advantage This posi�on will also be adver�sed externally.

If you would like to apply for this role, please send a CV/résumé and covering le er to the following email address no later than close of business on Monday 17th June 2013: LondonEM@bigbustours.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

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