Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1168

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Touring in Touring ● White’s of St

Albans profiled ● Mountain Goat charity ride ● 24 Sprinters for Nottingham City Council

STAGECOACH IN TOP 20 FOR CORPORATE REPUTATION NEWS

Fiona Kerr on Caledonia depot p18

Tuesday December 16, 2014 | Issue 1168 £2.95 | www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 17:52

704389-1162-Guide Dogs 31/10/2014 10:36 Page 1

Audio visual announcements are essential to make buses truly accessible for all. Are you on board with Guide Dogs' campaign for Talking Buses?

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ADVERTISING, MARKETING & EVENTS

Whittle’s coach business has been sold to Johnsons of Henley-in-Arden

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www.coachandbusweek.com ISSN: 1351-3877 © 2014 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.

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.

Good news for Whittle’s and Western Greyhound staff

A

s this issue went to press on Monday, I was delighted to hear Whittle’s coaching business has been secured with its sale to Johnsons of Henley-in-Arden. Hopefully the gloom of the uncertainty which has hung over Foley Park depot in Kidderminster will now give way to the optimism that comes from being part of a well-known and highly respected family-run firm.

For the staff, their Christmas has come early.

As is almost inevitable in such situations, the bush telegraph had been going into overdrive, with some folks preaching potential new owners as fact when it was not set in stone.

Similarly, it’s pleasing to hear the rest of Western Greyhound has been sold, saving jobs and maintaining services – and Cornwall Council’s prayers have been answered, it would seem. For the wider industry, it would have been a seriously blow had Western Greyhound reached the end of the road, as had been widely feared. Why? The loss of an operator is always bad news, but particularly a bus operator which covers such a large geographical

area and the demise of which would leave a hole in service provision. In the current climate, Western Greyhound’s demise would have given those with ‘trendy’ political agendas further fuel about the alleged failure of the deregulated bus market. It would also have undermined confidence in the bus industry. I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing the teams in both the West Midlands and Cornwall the best for the future.

On a separate note, I would like to publicly congratulate Nottingham City Transport (NCT) for winning the Breaking Down Barriers Award at Guide Dogs’ Annual Awards 2014. As you’ll read on p9, NCT has paid for each of its 800 drivers to have tailored My Guide sighted guide training, which was developed specifically to help them support passengers with sight loss to use their buses confidently. If you are interested in giving your staff the same training, contact Kerry Tweed on 0118 983 0169 or visit, www. guidedogs.org.uk/ services/my-guide Gareth Evans Editor

KING LONG WISHES YOU

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR www.coachandbusweek.com

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02476 363 004 December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 3 15/12/2014 18:16

CONTENTS

18 22 24

INSIDE TRACK

32

INDUSTRY SERVICE

NEWS FOCUS

First Glasgow MD Fiona Kerr on the new £20m Caledonia depot

Merlin has no Christmas cheer for the bus industry

VEHICLE LAUNCHES

Test driving Scania’s new Touring coach and K250UB Irizar i3 bus

34

Talking to Gemma Ireland, Co-ordinator of Coach and Bus Market

LEGAL UPDATE

Smart ticketing – a summary of the legal issues

MINIBUS

37 38 44

COMMENT

Minibus converters to benefit from Department for Transport £25m fund

NEWS

Latest deliveries and news from the minibus sector

OPERATOR PROFILE

White’s of St Albans at the cutting edge of corporate travel

Bus with coach styling p24 Top Stories

Regulars

6 l Alex Hornby is to be the new MD of Transdev Blazefield 7 l Michael Bishop buys the remainder of Western Greyhound. Mark Howarth stays on as a consultant 9 l NCT wins Breaking Down Barriers at Guide Dogs annual awards held at the London Hilton

06 l News 08 l Bus News 10 l Coach News 12 l Regional News 16 l International News 40 l Big Picture 77 l Last Stop 78 l People

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April 9, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 5

17/11/2014 12:31 15/12/2014 16:23

NEWS

Martin Griffiths criticises Labour plans as Stagecoach Group profits slow Stagecoach CEO heavily critical of concessionary fares scheme and regulation plans Stagecoach’s shares saw a reported 9% drop after it announced a slowdown in profit. It attributed slower growth in the UK Bus business to increasing competition in Newcastle and Manchester as well as decreased fuel prices for private cars, leading to more people driving themselves instead of using the bus.

Revenue was reported as £1,545m (2013: £1,473.9m) with operating profit at £123.5m (2013: £120.1m). Profit before taxation was marginally down on 2013 by £200,000, at £98.3m.

Adjusted earnings per share increased by 3.4% to 15.1p (2013: 14.6p) with interim dividend per share up 10.3% to 3.2p (2013: 2.9p).

In the group’s statement, Stagecoach CEO Martin Griffiths said: “Overall the group is in excellent financial shape and we are well placed to drive value through new opportunities in our core bus and rail markets. While we have changed our view of the likely divisional mix of profit for the year ending April 30, 2015, with lower expected operating profit from our regional UK Bus and North America businesses broadly offset by other areas, we remain on course to achieve our expected adjusted earnings per share for the year.”

However, the group’s CEO attacked Labour’s transport plans in the media, criticising the concessionary fares scheme

Alex Hornby to move to Transdev Transdev has announced the appointment of Alex Hornby to the role of Managing Director at Blazefield Group with effect from February 2, 2015.

Alex will join the company from trent barton, where he is

Increased competition in Manchester, one of Stagecoach’s biggest and most important bus businesses, means a £5m fall in revenue from the company’s business in the city has been projected and the impending Tyne & Wear Quality Contract Scheme.

According to The Guardian, Martin Griffiths said: “I won’t provide a service and not get properly paid for it. You would not go to Tesco and say ‘we’re going to let OAPs have free food.’ They cannot stand up there and be dishonest with people and say we’re going to have a scheme but not fund it properly.

That punishes people who do pay, whether it’s full-fare paying adults or the children or young adults who I want to be the passengers of the future.

“Are there some passengers who board our buses who could probably afford to pay? Of course they could. As a voter, I want to currently Commercial Director.

Prior to that, he has accumulated operational experience with other leading UK bus operators, including Go-Ahead Group-owned Bluestar and Stagecoach UK Bus. In tandem with this appointment, with effect from February 2, Martin Gilbert will assume the position of Executive Chairman of Blazefield Group, overseeing the wider development of the Blazefield business, while spending more time on other key development

6 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 006_007_CBW1168_News.indd 6

know bus services are going to be protected. They have to decide what the priority is. They can’t be dishonest just because these people vote – eight million of them – so ooh, don’t tamper with the concession scheme. Politicians are being disingenuous with all of us.” “[The Tyne & Wear Quality Contract Scheme] is more about control rather than what’s good for passengers. Talk of superprofits is nonsense.

“The myth is fares go up, firms make profit. It’s rubbish. I’ll tell you, for the risk [Stagecoach] runs, and the management effort my team put in, we get underpaid.”

Cllr James Lewis, who chairs a group of six transport committees,

responded to Martin Griffiths’ comments.

He said: “The comments are shocking and deplorable. That anyone who operates in an industry that is dependent on public subsidy, and is relied upon by the poorest in country, could think that six-monthly profits that have risen to nearly £125m are not enough, shows that this is a company that is out of touch.

“The fact is that there are millions of older people on low incomes for whom the concessionary pass is a lifeline. Research by KPMG for the bus industry-funded Greener Journeys, also showed that there are substantial economic benefits from the concessionary pass.”

Alex Hornby is currently the Commercial Director at Heanorbased trent barton projects for Transdev, in both the United Kingdom and internationally.

Nigel Stevens, CEO of Transdev UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Alex will be joining Transdev, bringing with him his fantastic track record of success.

I wish both Alex and Martin the very best for their future appointments.” www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 18:11

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Johnsons to buy Whittle’s coach business Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel of Henley-in-Arden has reached an agreement with EYMS Group to acquire Whittle Coach & Bus’ coaching division.

The deal secures the employment of relevant office, maintenance and driving employees and Johnsons will continue to operate the company from the Kidderminster site at Foley Park.

Peter Shipp, owner of Hullbased EYMS Group told CBW he is “delighted to have completed this sale speedily to protect the current loyal and committed workforce.”

John Johnson, Commercial

Director of Johnsons Coach Travel said: “We are pleased to see the joining of two well-known, long-established coach travel families and look to welcoming the Whittles team and their customers to the Johnsons brand. We also look forward to continuing the Whittles brand for coach hire, holidays and day excursions.”

Meanwhile, Whittles’ four National Express (NX) coach contracts are to transfer to NX West Midlands.

An NX spokesman told CBW: “Beginning next year, NX West Midlands will start running the 409, 410, 444 and 545

services, carrying passengers from locations in North and Mid Wales, the West Midlands and Worcestershire to London, while we will continue to work closely with EYMS to ensure a smooth transition. This is the first time since 2007 that NX West Midlands has run coach operations and its staff are looking forward to making it a success.

“The coaches will be based at our Walsall Garage. We are in negotiations with a number of outstations based at the service departure locations, but we will be in a position to confirm where these are in the New Year.”

Eddie Brown Tours stops running NYCC contracts

North Yorkshire County Council had to find alternative operators for contracted services previously run

by Wetherby-based Eddie Brown Tours Ltd last week.

The local authority said: “Late afternoon on December 9, Eddie Brown Tours advised us that they would not be able to operate some contracted services with immediate effect, including four school services and local bus services 56, 56A, 57, 57A, 58, 142 and 143.”

Other operators in the area helped the council and public. They included Transdev, Connexions (Harrogate Coach Travel), York Pullman, Procter’s and the council’s own fleet.

A statement on Eddie Brown Tours’ website read: “Please contact 0845 872 7374 (North Yorkshire County Council) for ALL enquiries relating to bus services 56, 57, 58, 142 and 143 between York, Ripon

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006_007_CBW1168_News.indd 7

and Harrogate. These services are no longer under contract to us and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Asked whether the firm had been the subject of any compliance action, the Office of Traffic Commissioner replied: “Eddie Brown Tours Ltd holds a standard international operator’s licence and is authorised to operate 50 vehicles from Unit 370, Avenue E East, Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby, LS23 7EG. The licence has not been the subject of any regulatory action in the last five years.”

Eddie Brown Tours Ltd is not to be confused with Northallertonbased Eddie Brown Coaches Ltd, incorporated on February 18, 2014, which has Kevin Procter as its Director and Claire Alenius as its Company Secretary.

Notices and Proceedings (N&P) for the north east of England

dated November 14 includes a new O-licence application with a 50-vehicle authorisation for Eddie Brown Travel Limited.

N&P lists Gary Priest and Andrew Knowles as the Transport Managers for the new operator, which has its operating centre listed as Unit 370, Avenue E East, Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby, LS23 7EG. Gary Priest is also listed as a Director. Eddie Brown Travel Limited was incorporated on October 14, 2014. As this issue went to press on Monday, VOSA’s www.tan.gov.uk website listed the firm’s O-licence as “Application in Progress.”

According to www. companycheck.co.uk, Eddie Brown Tours Ltd has Gary Priest and Deirdre Brown as directors.

Incorporated as long ago as 1978, it’s now 100% owned by Island Fortitude.

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Western Greyhound – remainder sold

Michael Bishop, an entrepreneur from within the coach and bus industry, has purchased the entire share capital of Western Greyhound.

As reported in last week’s issue, Western Greyhound had already sold its outstation in Liskeard to Plymouth CityBus. The company will continue running 65 buses from its depots in Summercourt and Wadebridge.

Former Managing Director Mark Howarth is staying on as a consultant. He said services need to get ‘leaner and fitter,’ including a review of routes.

He said: “Obviously they will be reviewed to see how they will be taken forward, but there will be new investment coming in. Already we’ve been talking about replacing vehicles so a lot of things are going to happen very, very quickly.”

Mark added that he is pleased to have been able to safeguard jobs for staff and services for the public.

“We are all now in our sixties and it is time for new management and ideas to be introduced into the business.

“As a board, we were all keen to ensure that we sold Western Greyhound as a going concern and that the jobs of our hard-working and loyal staff could be protected.

The decision to split the sale was because many staff wanted to see Western Greyhound return to a smaller, leaner and fitter operation.”

Michael Bishop said: “We have identified areas of the business that would benefit from further development and investment to strengthen the commercial future of the company.”

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7 15/12/2014 18:11

90%

NEWS › BUSES SHARE WATCH

442.00p

450

The potential vehicle capacity at First Glasgow’s Caledonia depot

Ministerial visit to Optare factory

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, December 15. 21st Century saw the greatest proportional rise, while Stagecoach saw the greatest proportional drop.

Most figures obtained from www.lse.co.uk

Price: Year High: 486.60p Year Low: 374.10p

The percentage private hire makes up of the White’s of St Albans business

-37.10 on last week

106.50p

Price: Year High: 146.10p Year Low: : 100.00p

-6.40 on last week

2476.00p

Price: Year High: 2655.00p Year Low: 1653.00p

-164.00

242.60p

Price: Year High: 307.70p Year Low: 213.40p

366.40p

Price: Year High: 416.90p Year Low: 339.50p

on last week

Dr Vince Cable was shown several buses in production and met some of the 400 staff employed at the Optare factory -13.90 on last week

-47.10 on last week

0.185p

Price: Year High: 0.33p Year Low: 0.13p

56.00p

Price: Year High: 58.75p Year Low: 50.00p

145.00p

Price: Year High: 577.50p Year Low: 145.00p

4.625p

Price: Year High: 7.75p Year Low: 4.25p

-0.025 on last week

+1.50 on last week

-10.00 on last week

+0.125 on last week

FTSE 100

6355

Index: Year High: 6,878 Year Low: 6,196

-332 on last week

Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, visited the Optare manufacturing facility at Sherburn in Elmet, near Leeds, shortly after Optare announced its Euro 6 Solo SR and MetroCity dieselpowered buses had gained low carbon accreditation for their low emissions.

The visit included a tour of the factory where Dr Cable met staff and saw several buses in production, including Optare’s fully electric models and the newly

developed MetroDecker.

The Business Secretary said: “Optare’s cutting-edge electric buses – fully designed and built in Leeds – are in demand across the globe and exported as far away as Australia, as well as being sold throughout the UK. I recently visited Optare’s parent company Ashok Leyland in India where I was impressed by the range of high-tech vehicles.

“The government’s industrial strategy, developed in partnership with the industry, is giving businesses such as these the con�idence to invest over the long term and create high skilled jobs.”

The Optare factory was of�icially commissioned on a visit by the then Transport Minister Norman

Baker in 2011, and now employs over 400 people, exports its vehicles as far a�ield as South Africa, The Middle East and Australia, and has won awards for its technology.

Enrico Vassallo, CEO, Optare PLC said: “We were very honoured to welcome Dr Vince Cable MP and to escort him on a tour of our facilities here at Sherburn in Elmet.

“We were particularly delighted to showcase the proven technology of our fully electric vehicles and our newly developed MetroDecker as well as explain to Dr Cable our achievements in both UK and international markets and our contribution to the local and UK economy. “

Go South Coast-owned morebus is celebrating a decade of its successful m1 and m2 services in Poole and Bournemouth.

“We have come a long way since the introduction of these routes in 2004,” said Go South Coast Managing Director, Andrew Wickham. “m1 and m2 were the �irst of our morebus services in Dorset – and we started it all with 30 brand new low �loor buses.

“Since that time, our passengers

have enjoyed a period of continuous improvement – including route extensions, Near Field Communications (NFC) encoded bus stop displays, the introduction of our smartcard – The Key – and a £5.5m investment in a further 36 buses.”

For morebus, innovation is key. In 2012, the operator was among the �irst in the region to offer free WiFi for passengers.

The �irm is also poised to

introduce special USB charging points to all of its m1 and m2 vehicles.

“Our aim, always, is to listen to what our passengers want from bus services in the area – and respond accordingly. I feel we’ve got it right so far,” added Andrew.

“We have worked in close partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole to increase the number of people using buses in the region.”

Business Secretary Dr Vince Cable follows up previous visit to Optare parent company Ashok Leyland

Morebus marks 10th anniversary of m1 and m2 routes

8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 008_009_CBW1168_News.indd 8

www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 16:34

£98.3m

Profit before taxation at Stagecoach for the six months ended October 31

NCT wins Guide Dogs Annual Award 2014

Nottingham City Transport has won the Breaking Down Barriers Award at the Guide Dogs Annual Awards 2014, in partnership with Microsoft.

Actress Arabella Weir presented the company with the award at the event, which was attended by more than 450 guests and held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on December 10.

The award celebrates the work being done to break down the barriers that prevent people who are blind or partially sighted from getting out and about on their own terms. Nottingham City Transport was selected for the award because of their commitment to making it easier for people with sight loss to use their buses.

The company has paid for every one of its 800 drivers to have tailored My Guide sighted guide training, which was developed specifically to help them support passengers with sight loss to use their buses confidently.

Nottingham City Transport bus

Nicola Tidy and Anthony CarverSmith from Nottingham City Transport, pictured with comedian and writer, Arabella Weir, who presented the award driver, Martin Collins, did his My Guide sighted training last year. He said: “The training’s made me more aware of blind or partially sighted passengers and their needs.

“It has given me confidence to know how to help a passenger with sight loss if they want to board my bus.”

The company has also made a commitment to fit 100% of their buses with audio-visual

announcements, which provide next stop and destination information, by 2017.

Richard Leaman, Guide Dogs’ Chief Executive, said: “The Guide Dogs Annual Awards are a highlight of the year for us and tonight we heard about organisations like Nottingham City Transport, who are doing such sterling work enabling people with sight loss to use their buses confidently.

“In my five years at Guide Dogs, I have witnessed the huge difference we have made and continue to make to the lives of people living with sight loss. Every moment of the day Guide Dogs is helping people get to where they want to be in life, and the awards evening is a truly inspiring occasion which reminds us of how life-changing our work is.”

The evening celebrated the life-changing work of Guide Dogs, while also raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the charity.

Stagecoach Group in top 20 for corporate reputation Stagecoach Group is one of the top 20 most admired businesses in the UK, according to an authoritative annual survey of corporate reputation.

The transport group was rated 20th out of nearly 240 businesses across 24 sectors in the Britain’s Most Admired Companies (BMAC) 2014 Awards.

Stagecoach was ranked above well-known businesses including Marks and Spencer, Alliance Boots, BT Group, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Rolls-Royce.

It was voted the top public transport operator in the survey and was second only to easyjet in the wider transport sector.

Go-Ahead Group finished in 58th position.

Skegness Seasiders bring passenger boost to Stagecoach The re-launch of the open-top Skegness Seafront service has seen Stagecoach East Midlands reap the rewards with a year on year increase of 14.6%, the company has revealed.

The boost in ridership had been down to an innovative marketing plan for the route, claimed Stagecoach.

For the start of the 2014 season, Stagecoach refurbished the six open top Dennis Tridents which have worked the service for a number of years. While there

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The rebranded Dennis Trident were heavily marketed by Stagecoach, bringing in a year-on-year passenger increase of 14.6%

were no changes to the route or the timetable in 2014, the buses received character-style liveries and all were named.

Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director Michelle Hargreaves told CBW: “The success of the service has been down to the buses becoming an attraction in their own right and we aggressively marketed the service with story books, incentives and merchandise.”

Several story books were produced during the year and most

recently a new title ‘Seasiders Save Christmas’ has been published.

The Skegness Seasiders initiative also secured Stagecoach the Gold Award for Marketing Initiative of the Year at the 2014 UK Bus Awards.

Michelle has now revealed that there are plans to expand the brand for 2015, which will enable the business to further build on the initiative.

There are also plans to introduce characters on its open top bus service in Cleethorpes.

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 9 15/12/2014 16:34

NEWS › COACHES RO A D WATC H n THE NORTHBOUND carriageway of the A282 at Dartford will be shut between junctions 2 and 1a overnight, between 2200 and 0600hrs, on Saturday (December 20). Traffic is to be diverted via the junction 2 roundabout and the dedicated link road to junction 1b. The closure is to allow the Dart Charge construction work to progress. n LANE ONE on the Westbound carriageway of the A14 will be closed between junction 7 (A43, Kettering) and 9 (A509, Kettering), this Friday (December 19) between 2000 and 0600hrs.

The work forms part of the ongoing widening project. n A FULL EASTBOUND carriageway closure of the M4 between junction 19 (Bristol, M32) and 18 (A46, Bath) will take place from 2000hrs this Friday until 0600hrs the following morning for resurfacing. n THE FINAL SINGLE carriageway section of the A11 between Barton Mills in Suffolk and Thetford in Norfolk has opened for traffic as a dual-carriageway. n THE SOUTHBOUND carriageway of the M6 is currently shut every night from 2100 until 0600hrs, between junction 10 (Walsall) and 8 (Wednesbury). The work is due to be complete by January 19. n THE WESTBOUND carriageway of the A5 in Shropshire is closed every night from 2000 until 0615hrs, between the M54 junction 7 (Wellington) and the Preston Boats island (A49).

B R I E F LY l IN OUR STORY about Johnsons of Henley-in-Arden ordering new Futura 2s for 2015, we incorrectly stated the firm had bought two 49-seater examples in 2014, when in fact they were acquired in 2013. A pair of 53-seat examples joined the fleet in 2014 – as opposed to 2013. We just wanted to set the record straight.

Shearings launches new Grand Tourer programme Grand Tourer fleet to be upgraded with Euro 6 MercedesBenz Tourismo coaches in 2015 Shearings Holidays has launched its 2015 Grand Tourer programme, announcing a range of new service initiatives.

Shearings also announced that it will be investing in a range of brand new Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M Euro 6 coaches with a new livery to complement its existing Grand Tourer fleet in 2015.

The 2015 programme will be showcased in a 99-page brochure, which is due to arrive with agents from December 29. The new initiatives, which are based

Record demand for National Express coaches this Christmas National Express announced record demand for its coaches this Christmas and has added tens of thousands of extra seats to services.

Bookings are up nearly 40% year-on-year on Christmas Day and 5% year-on-year on Boxing Day while the rail network shuts down – a new record high.

On Christmas Eve coach bookings are up by more than 19% year-onyear as engineering works on the West Coast Main Line commence.

In the week that Christmas falls (December 22-28), December 27 is the most popular day to travel by coach as people return home after visiting friends and family.

To cope with additional demand for its services, National Express has added 45,000 extra seats over the Christmas period, including 29,000 additional seats during the Christmas week, and 5,000 extra seats on routes where the West Coast Main Line is disrupted.

The operator said it will be ready to add more seats as required in the coming weeks depending on demand.

Overall, National Express said it has seen bookings increase by 7% year-on-year during the Christmas period.

The top 10 most popular coach destinations over the festive period are: l London;

10 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 010_011_CBW1168_News.indd 10

on customer feedback, include the addition of a private lounge area with access to a selection of complimentary refreshments and free WiFi, as well as new bespoke ticket booklets, offering tips and advice to customers about their holiday.

The operator has also updated its tour and excursion programme.

As part of the extended programme, Shearings is introducing five new UK Grand Tourer itineraries. 11 New European itineraries are also featured this year.

Caroline Brown, Commercial Director at Shearings, said: “Our Grand Tourer programme has gone from strength to strength,

with bookings up year on year.

Following continued success, we’ve introduced new UK and European itineraries to give customers a breadth of choice when it comes to our specialist escorted tours.

“We continually strive to improve the customer experience at every step of their Grand Tourer journey.

For 2015, we’ve launched a number of new service initiatives including a private lounge area at our Hythe Interchange and invested in a range of brand new coaches to complement our existing fleet. This is in-line with our commitment to listen to customer feedback and act upon-it.”

Incentives for agents include a free prize draw to win a chocolate hamper every day in January and February, while early bird customers can save up to £100 per couple when booking before February 28, 2015. In addition, the tour operator is offering up to four free places for groups of more than 40 people.

High demand has seen Nat Ex add 45,000 seats over the Christmas period l Heathrow Airport; l Stansted Airport; l Birmingham; l Bristol; l Gatwick Airport; l Luton Airport; l Portsmouth; l Cardiff; and l Manchester.

National Express will this year double the number of services running on Christmas Day – with coaches running to 30 key towns and cities. On Boxing Day meanwhile, National Express will run an only slightly reduced service while train services remain

suspended.

National Express UK Coach Managing Director, Tom Stables, said: “With rail engineering works bringing the threat of delays and replacement buses this Christmas, it’s no wonder we’ve seen record bookings on our coach network.

“This year we’ve doubled the number of services running on Christmas Day, have added tens of thousands of extra seats on our services, and stand ready to add more seats if required, to make sure there is affordable travel available for as many as possible this Christmas.”

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PIC CAP: The new Grand Tourer programme will be displayed in a 99-page brochure

The new Grand Tourer programme will be displayed in a 99-page brochure

OBITUARY

at Maynes of Buckie said: “David has been an integral part of our seasonal team for the past two years, working on our summer tour commitments which were based in the Edinburgh area, as well as our winter ski programme.

“David will be sorely missed by all who knew him at Maynes, the many passengers he toured with and other industry professionals who were fortunate to meet him while out on the road.”

Neil Edmonstone, who heads up the Coach Drivers North and South (CDNS) forum on Facebook and

Tributes paid to driver David Wright Tributes have been paid to a popular Scottish coach driver, who died last Tuesday (December 9) while in the French Alpine ski resort of Tignes.

While he was not working for Maynes of Buckie at the time, Kevin Mayne, Operations Director

National Express achieves four star British Quality Foundation standard

National Express UK Coach has announced it has been awarded four stars by the British Quality Foundation during its first assessment of the company against the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) framework.

The coach division of the company is aiming to follow in the footsteps of National Express’ train franchise c2c, which was first awarded four stars by the British Quality Foundation in its first assessment in 2012, before going on to gain the full five star rating in 2013.

Over several months this www.coachandbusweek.com

010_011_CBW1168_News.indd 11

year British Quality Foundation examiners conducted an in-depth assessment of all areas of National Express’ coach business across the country, by holding interviews and focus groups and sampling the service.

Thanking the operator’s staff for their support, National Express UK Coach Managing Director Tom Stables commented: “This is a very positive first result for us, but we are clear that there is more work to do.

“We are committed to Operational Excellence as part of our plan to continually improve as a business, by meeting the needs to

our customers.

“I’d like to thank all of the staff for their contributions, time and continued efforts without which we wouldn’t have achieved this excellent result today.”

Ian Stokes, Interim Chief Executive of the British Quality Foundation said: “Achieving four stars recognises that National Express UK Coach is operating to a very high standard.

“This achievment clearly demonstrates an ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality service both internally and to all of its customers.”

drives for Whytes of Aberdeen, said: “I had the pleasure of his company on a couple of occasions and a nicer bloke you could not have met. My thoughts go out to his family at such a sad time.”

Writing on CDNS, Gary ForbesBurns commented: “David was such a good guy who I had the pleasure of working with at Edinburgh Coach Lines. I cannot believe he’s gone but at least he died doing something he loved.”

As this issue went to press, funeral details had yet to be confirmed.

Chalkwell sell children’s calendar for air ambulance

Chalkwell is selling calendars illustrated by Sittingbourne primary school children, the proceeds of which will be donated to Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance.

The calendars, priced £2, are for sale at Chalkwell’s offices on Chalkwell Road, Sittingbourne, and are also available by post.

The 12 months of the year, as well as the cover, feature an Air Ambulance helicopter and a Chalkwell bus or coach.

More than 400 entries were submitted and the final choice for the calendar was made by the Mayor and Mayoress George and Brenda Bobbin.

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 11 15/12/2014 16:37

NEWS › REGIONAL EAST STAGECOACH is to offer a 5% discount on tickets for 10,300 members of the Smartgo Milton Keynes business travel programme.

The discount is available on Stagecoach Midlands’ 28-day, 13-week and 52-week Megarider Gold tickets.

The Smartgo Milton Keynes programme is co-ordinated by sustainable travel consultancy Go Travel Solutions and provides local employers and their staff with a range of travel benefits and services with the aim of helping to make commuting and business travel cheaper, easier and more sustainable.

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KEY

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

NORTH

TESCO has announced that it will provide a free bus service from Immingham to its Grimsby Extra store, the Grimsby Telegraph has reported.

The service will be provided so that shoppers in Immingham can visit Tesco, after the delay of opening a new store in Immingham.

The service is operating on a ‘hail and ride’ basis. It runs every Saturday and Sunday, departing from Immingham County Hotel at 1100hrs, arriving at the Victoria Street Tesco in Grimsby at 1130hrs. The bus returns from Grimsby at 1330hrs.

The service started on Saturday, December 13, and will run until summer 2015.

Tesco spokesman Mark Thomas said: “We have been listening to the community since our new Immingham store was delayed.

“Residents told us that they would like to be able to get to one of our stores to do their shop. We have worked hard to put in place a free bus service in response to these calls and hope that it will be helpful and well used.”

WALES

WORK on an £11m bus station in Cardiff is expected to start next year as part of a development plan to revamp the city centre.

As previously reported, Cardiff Council has chosen the Marland House and NCP car park site, which the authority owns.

The new station will be part of the Central Square project which will see BBC Wales move to its new headquarters from Llandaff in 2018. The current bus station

will close in 2015, with temporary stops set up elsewhere.

Final approval for the station was due to be granted on Monday, December 15. If the plans go ahead, the new station should be completed in 2017.

Ramesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability, said: “This strategic development will transform how public

LONDON

STAGECOACH LONDON’S Upton Park Garage has been sold to Telford

Homes for the development of social housing.

There has been a bus garage on the site since 1907 when The London Road Car Company began operations. The company was taken over by the London General Omnibus Company in 1908. The garage was then requisitioned for the war effort in 1915 and resumed bus operations in 1919.

When it was rebuilt in 1931, the building was reportedly unique in that the roof span was formed with no supporting pillars.

Also, because the engineers’ offices were at first floor level overlooking the yard, buses had their fleet numbers shown on their rear roof domes.

The garage ceased operations in September 2011 but has been used for storing surplus buses since then.

Managing Director, Mark Threapleton, commented: “While it is always sad when a long standing site is sold, I am pleased that the local community will get the benefit from its redevelopment.”

A CYCLIST who attacked a bus driver after the vehicle’s horn was sounded at him for blocking a bus lane has been jailed, the International Business Times has reported.

Lyon McClean was at a bus

SOUTH EAST ARRIVA SOUTHERN n COUNTIES (ASC) is giving its customers the chance to win a Christmas hamper by visiting Morrisons at Queenborough and dropping their bus ticket into the prize draw box inside the store.

Already served by ASC’s route 334, which links Sheerness, Minster and Iwade with Sittingbourne and Maidstone, the store recently gained an extra bus route when the new 368 started, doubling the number of buses to the shop and giving new links from Rushenden, Queenborough, Minster and Thistle Hill.

ASC’s Regional Publicity Manager, Richard Lewis, said: “To mark the introduction

12 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 012_014_CBW1168_Regional News.indd 12

transport is delivered in this city and I am pleased to announce that the development is on schedule and the contingency arrangements will be in place by the time that the bus station will close in June 2015.”

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of our improved service to Morrisons’ Sheppey store, we’re holding a Christmas Draw with a festive hamper worth £100 and full of Christmas goodies as the prize for one lucky winner.

“All people have to do to enter the draw is

to drop their bus ticket into the box inside the store by the Customer Service desk, and the winner will be drawn on Monday, December 22.

“If people need to use their ticket to get back home or are using day, weekly, four-weekly or mobile phone tickets

then they can just drop in a piece of paper with their name and contact details on it, either their phone number, email address or postal address.”

The new service 368, is operated by ASC under contract to Swale Borough Council.

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12/12/2014 15:16

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NEWS › REGIONAL stop on Peckham High Street when he assaulted the 43-year-old driver.

At Woolwich Crown Court, McClean was jailed for 12 months for the attack, which left the bus driver with head injuries requiring hospital treatment.

Steve Burton, Director of Enforcement and On Street Operations at Transport for London, said: “We take every assault on staff very seriously – our staff and passengers have the right to work and travel without fear of assault.

“We work closely with the police to eradicate unacceptable violence against our staff and this sentencing demonstrates our commitment to ensuring any perpetrator will be caught and punished.”

Chief Superintendent Matt Bell, Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “The Roads and Transport Policing Command are committed to keeping London’s transport network safe and this sentence sends a strong message that this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and will result in tough penalties.”

SOUTH WEST

FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND has said that more bus services will be running in Bristol over the festive period than ever before.

Buses will run up until midnight on Christmas Eve, with some services operating until 0200hrs.

First has also said that all of Bristol’s night buses will run through the night as normal on New Year’s Eve. More than 20,000 copies of a special lea�let have been handed out to passengers on buses throughout the city, and the full guide can be viewed and downloaded on First’s website.

Managing Director of First West of England, James Freeman, said: “Trying to plan Christmas services can be challenging as you need to understand how many people are likely to be travelling, compared with the amount wanting to put their feet up, taking time off from work and staying at home.

“This year we’ll be running more than we ever have before though. That includes a great many services on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day too. Some services will have special timetables – re�lecting the fact that we’re not expecting to see the normal volumes of people out and about – but nonetheless, we’ll be providing links to key destinations such as Cabot Circus

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and Cribbs Causeway for many people.

“There will also be connections between Bristol and the likes of Bath, Clevedon, Nailsea, Thornbury and Yate.

“We’ve got this information out as soon as possible to help people plan their travel arrangements over the festive period.”

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

SOUTH EAST

READING BUSES has promised revellers and shoppers more bus services than ever over the festive period.

The operator announced its Christmas and New Year timetables and said there should be more than enough buses to get people to the New Year parties and to the sales.

Saturday or Sunday times will continue on most days over the Christmas period but there will be extra morning journeys laid on for workers on some routes on December 24, 29, 30 and 31 and on January 2.

There will also be more services running on New Year’s Eve with the purple 17 running up to every 10 minutes until 0200hrs and then every hour over night.

The claret 21 will also be running through the night to take people home to Lower Earley and the standard late night buses will be operating as usual.

The main changes for the rest of the period will start with Christmas Eve buses running to Saturday times but with an early 2000hrs �inish. Routes with night buses will �inish at 2300hrs.

There will be no buses on Christmas Day and most services will run to Sunday times on Boxing Day, between 0900 and 1900hrs.

London Irish rugby fans will be able to make use of shuttle buses running between the new south west interchange on Station Hill and Madejski Stadium on Boxing Day. Football buses will also take Reading FC fans to the stadium from Station Hill on Sunday, December 28.

The rest of the period will see either Saturday or Sunday service levels.

Jake Osman, Reading Buses Marketing and Communications Manager, said: “We have listened to our customers and added some extra journeys on weekdays to help get people into town for early morning starts.

“There should be more than enough buses to get people to where they want to go.”

14 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 012_014_CBW1168_Regional News.indd 14

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Vintage bus rides will be on offer at the Oxford Bus Museum

2015 ■ January 1 Oxford Bus Museum New Year’s Day event Free vintage bus rides depart at 1215 and 1445hrs. 01993 883 617. www.

oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk

■ January 24 Northampton Transport staff reunion Monks Park Working Mens’ Club, Northampton.

Contact organiser Matt Cooper by email on ntfirstreunion@gmail.com or by phone 07816 116283.

■ January 24 Excursions 2015 Alexandra Palace, London.

www.excursions.org.uk

■ January 29 CPT Annual Dinner Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Terrace. Contact Ling Tang on 020 7257 2502 or email lingt@cpt-uk.org.

■ March 18-19 Young Bus Managers Network Conference Nottingham. www. youngbusmanagers.org.uk ■ March 25-27 Busworld Asia, Suzhou International Expo Centre, China. www.busworld-asia.com ■ March 28 South East Bus Festival Kent Showground

www.facebook.com/southeast busfestival

■ April 14-16 CV Show 2015 NEC Birmingham 020 7630 2102. Email enquiries@cvshow.com www.

cvshow.com

■ April 18-19 UK Coach Rally Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire 01753 631170. www.ukcoachrally.co.uk ■ April 19 Spring Bus and Coach Gathering (formerly Cobham Rally).

London Bus Museum. 01932 837994 ■ April 23 UK Coach Awards Mercure Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester. www.ukcoachawards.

■ May 11-13 ALBUM AGM & Conference Carden Park Hotel, near Chester www.albumconference2015. com ■ June 7 Southdown Centenary Rally Southsea Common www.southdown100.co.uk ■ June 21 Welsh Coach Rally National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. For details, call Ashley Lovering on 07814958379.

■ June 28 Wessex Transport Society Bus Rally Lorry park, Ringwood, Hants. Contact Mike Caldicott 01202 293245 or email mikepenny.wts@gmail.Com ■ July 12 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Classic Bus Rally & Running Day Toddington, Gloucestershire. www.gwsr.com ■ August 2 Thames Valley 100 Celebrating the centenary of the start of bus services between Reading and Maidenhead by the forerunners of the Thames Valley Traction Company. www.tvagwot.org.uk ■ August 23 Buses Festival Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon.

01780 755131 www.busesfestival. com ■ September 5-6 UK Bus Driver of the Year National Final Blackpool. www.bdoy.co.uk ■ September 9-10 Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle Event Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire www.

cenex-lcv.co.uk

■ September 30-October 1 Coach & Bus Live 2015 Halls 19 & 20, NEC, Birmingham www. coachandbuslive.com ■ October 16-21 Busworld Kortrijk Kortrijk, Belgium http:// kortrijk.busworld.org

co.uk

■ May 3-4 Friends of King Alfred Buses Running Day Winchester

www.fokab.org.uk

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

www.coachandbusweek.com

12/12/2014 15:16

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TC

12

...

Pelican Bus and Coach would like to wish all our customers – old and new – a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Bus and Coach

NEWS › INTERNATIONAL

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Berlin takes over 70 Scania artics Citywide LFAs specified with a number of extras to help drivers and passengers alike GERMANY Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) has started to take delivery of the first 70 of 156 low floor artics.

The 18m-long triple-axle Scania Citywide LFAs are highly specified.

They have a passenger capacity of almost 100 and boast two large multi-functional areas. The main saloon is wheelchair accessible, with 16 fixed seats and another half-dozen folding seats. There are 29 seats in the rear half.

Of particular note is the inclusion of underfloor heating in the front entry door, intended to keep the area mostly dry and free of ice during the winter months. Thus, the risk of slipping is minimised when entering the vehicle. Lighting around the doors also illuminates the kerb after dark.

Scania said that the destination display is now white letters on a black background. The high-resolution contrast helps passengers with sight problems.

In addition, the on-board next stop display has also been enlarged. Red lamps alongside the second and third doors provide an

Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe has 156 Scanias on order indication to hearing impaired or deaf passengers that the doors are closing.

For drivers, a camera has been installed on the nearside wing mirror to remove the ‘blind spot.’

Footage is displayed on a screen in the cab. Also, in the event of antisocial behaviour onboard, drivers can alert BVG’s control

RATP joint venture to shape new Riyadh bus network SAUDI ARABIA RATP Dev and SAPTCO (Saudi Public Transport Company) have won a 12-year concession for the establishment, operation and development of a new bus network in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.

The companies are also responsible for the mobilisation phase during which they will have to recruit and train 4,200 local staff. The contract amount is $1.675bn. SAPTCO will be the majority shareholder, holding 80% of the capital.

The network will be operated with a fleet of about 1,000 vehicles. 100 routes will be introduced following two years of preparation after starting the contract. It will comprise four routes, two circulars, 16 frequent services and 70 feeder routes, which will be both traditional

fixed and demand responsive.

Eventually, 90 million commercial kilometers will be carried out each year.

The creation of this entirely new network will enable it to meet the challenge of mobility in the Saudi capital, which has 5.7 million inhabitants, and has no system regulated public transport. The contract to operate the bus network is part of an ambitious plan to develop a transport system for the city of Riyadh, incorporating both trams and buses.

IXXI, another group subsidiary RATP, specialising in the development of mobility support services, will be responsible for the integration of transport systems and assume the role of operator ticketing on behalf of the future operating company.

16 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 016_CBW1168_International News.indd 16

room, which can monitor the situation via live CCTV. Mechanically, a Euro 6 Scania DC09 108 9.3-litre diesel engine delivers 320 hp (235 kW), with a torque of 1,600 Nm at 1050-1300 rev/min, coupled to a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox, transferring power to the rear axle.

“The contract was won as Scania RATP Group Pierre Mongin, CEO said: “This is an important step for the development of our group. It is one of our most major contracts to date – and it’s in a region where there are many projects for new transport infrastructure.”

Winning this tender is the first implementation of the strategic partnership established by the two companies in 2010 in order to pool their expertise and jointly address future tenders in Saudi Arabia. Several major projects are underway in this country, both from (Riyadh, Mecca, Jeddah) and on the bus mode (Jeddah Medina, Dammam).

Khalid Al Hogail, President and CEO of SAPTCO said: “Through this partnership, which combines SAPTCO’s experience and detailed knowledge of the field with the internationally recognised expertise of RATP Group, we will offer a high level of service quality.”

offered the best overall concept.

In addition to the comfortable, luxuriously appointed buses, other factors included a competitive purchase price, high fuel efficiency and predictable maintenance costs,” explained Alexander Vlaskamp, Managing Director of Scania Germany Austria.

Icomera on a mission

FRANCE Technology supplier Icomera joined a business delegation in conjunction with the Swedish State Visit to France last week by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden, at the invitation of President François Hollande.

The theme of the State Visit was research and innovation, primarily in the areas of energy and environmental care. The ambition is to strengthen bilateral relations between France and Sweden through deeper cooperation in the areas of innovative, competitive industry and sustainable economic growth.

Icomera presented its vision of a future society which is safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, demonstrating how internet connectivity solutions deliver a better public transport experience for passengers and how this is critical to improving the economic and social quality of life for the population. www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 18:19

702534-1166-Connaught_Layout 1 01/12/2014 16:44 Page 1

Brand New coach-built Mercedes 516 CDi Euro 6 Ferqui Soroco 19 high back reclining seats, 3 point belts, AC, DG, reading lights, power door, tow-bar and boot.

Brand New Coach-built Mercedes Atego Ferqui F5 34, 36 or 38 high back seats, 3 point belts, air conditioning, double glazing, reading lights, power door, curtains, large boot. Orders now being taken.

Brand New coach-built Mercedes 516 CDi Euro 6 Ferqui Soroco 16 high back reclining seats, 3 point belts, AC, DG, reading lights, power door, and large boot.

2013 Mercedes 516 CDi Soroco 16 high back leather seats, 3 point belts, AC, DG, DVD system, power door, large boot, metallic paint, balance of manufacturers warranty.

2011 Mercedes Benz 516 CDi Sprinter 16 high back leather trimmed seats, 3 point belts, air conditioning, forced air, reading lights, large boot, metallic paint, low mileage.

2010 Mercedes 516 CDi Soroco 16 high back seats, 3 point belts, AC, DG, forced air, reading lights, power door and large boot.

2010 Mercedes 515 CDi Soroco 19 high back seats, 3 point belts, AC, DG, forced air, reading lights, power door, metallic paint and boot.

2008 58 Reg Mercedes 816 Unvi Riada 29 high back seats, 3 point belts, AC, forced air, reading lights, power door and large boot.

2007 57 Reg Ford Transit 16 high back seats, 3 point belts.

2007 57 Reg Mercedes Soroco 16 high back leather trimmed seats, 3 point belts, AC,DG, forced air, reading lights, power door, large boot.

2006 56 Reg Mercedes 413CDi Soroco 16 high back seats, 3 point belts, AC, forced air, reading lights, curtains, power door & large boot.

1999 S Reg Mercedes 814 Plaxton Beaver 33 seats, 3 point belts, power door, manual gearbox, new test.

Steve Peach Tel: 01405 814064 Mob: 07836 551020 Email: info@connaughtpsv.co.uk Web: www.connaughtpsv.co.uk

NEWS FOCUS › FIRST GLASGOW CALEDONIA DEPOT

Britain’s biggest bus depot?

Gareth Evans talks to Fiona Kerr, Managing Director at First Glasgow about the firm’s new £20m Caledonia depot, which was officially opened

by Scotland’s First Minister on Friday What is believed to be the biggest bus depot in the UK was officially opened by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday (December 12) as she toured the new headquarters of First Glasgow.

While the £20m site played a pivotal role in the Commonwealth Games during the summer, when it served as a temporary home for up to 280 vehicles, day-to-day operations moved to the depot on October 14.

The new depot is called Caledonia. “We invited suggestions from our staff, which led to a shortlist and then a vote,” explained Fiona Kerr, Managing Director at First Glasgow.

“I quite like the name Caledonia.

Bus depot names are traditionally geographic, but this name befits what we believe is the UK’s largest bus depot.

“Its current allocation is 300 vehicles, but there is space for 450. There is plenty of room for expansion – and that’s our aim – to grow the business.”

Caledonia is a replacement for the historic Larkfield depot, that was sold to developers Park Lane some time ago, which it has now been handed to.

The new depot is located on the site of the former Gushetfaulds railfreight terminal on Cathcart Road, in the south side of the city.

Opening ceremony

It was a welcome return to the site by the First Minister, who put the first spade in the ground to start the new facility’s construction almost exactly a year ago.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, said: “First Glasgow is an excellent employer, setting an example for companies across the country.

First Glasgow has a strong number of apprentices on board and is committed to helping people get back to work, including the longterm unemployed and ex-service personnel.

“It is just over a year since I put the first spade into the ground on this site and I am delighted to officially open ‘Caledonia’, First Glasgow’s new depot.”

During the ceremony, Fiona said: “I’m delighted to welcome back the now First Minster to our new depot. She helped start the construction of this fantastic new facility and it’s great to be able to show her what has been delivered.

“This is the best and most advanced bus depot in the UK – as well as the biggest – and we see it as a launch pad for the growth and expansion of First Glasgow.

“We’re committed to delivering the best services for our customers, and providing the best operating environment for our staff. This new centre of operations will help us improve upon our strong punctuality and reliability performance as we strive to be the best bus company in the UK and encourage people in our communities to consider bus travel more often.”

The opening also enjoyed the all-important support from local politicians. Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, commented: “I am delighted that Glasgow is now home to the biggest and most eco-friendly bus depot in the UK. “This modern facility will help to deliver an even better service

Meet the Managing Director

Appointed MD in September 2013, Fiona Kerr was previously the Regional Finance Director for FirstGroup’s Scottish bus operations.

Born and raised in Paisley, the 36-year-old began her career with PwC in Glasgow, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, before joining its corporate finance team. She later moved to John Menzies plc as Group Financial Controller, before becoming Regional Finance Director for FirstGroup’s Scottish Bus Division in 2010. On a personal note, she lives with her husband and two young children.

18 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 018_020_CBW1168_First Glasgow.indd 18

for bus users in Glasgow, and I would like to thank First for their investment in the city and their continued support for our £50m Glasgow Guarantee employability programme.

“Glasgow City Council has a very special interest in the Caledonia depot as it will be home to the many armed forces veterans who have secured jobs as drivers through the Glasgow Veterans Employment Programme.”

Facilities

What was formerly vacant ground now consists of three separate state-of-the-art buildings laid out in a triangle.

The buildings on the main part of the site are situated in an L-shape. The largest section is the engineering maintenance workshop, above which is the

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Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon officially opens the new site with Fiona Kerr, Managing Director at First Glasgow www.coachandbusweek.com

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training suite. The short end is home to the drivers’ everyday facilities, including the traffic office and canteen – and even a gym. Fiona said the latter “has gone down particularly well.”

Above that is the head office.

Then there is the separate dedicated ‘deep clean’ building, known as the service tunnel. A flow system is in place, which comprises fuelling, engine oil top-up and washing. The service tunnel includes an automated chassis clean unit, two large vehicle washes, fuel installation and facilities for vehicle testing and body shop repairs.

Under the M74 is the part of the site which deals with long-term repairs.

On that note, Fiona said: “We’re looking at expanding this part of the business in due course. I see

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it as a commercial opportunity to cater for the needs of larger vehicle operators, including PCVs and HGVs. The service is already first class and now our team has the cutting-edge facilities in place.”

However, she added: “It’s not something which is imminent as we have to consolidate what we have here for now but in the future we are looking to expand the Authorised Testing Facility.”

The impressive facilities include 20 prefabricated, fully equipped pits by Everquip Garage Equipment; a spray booth and oven supplied by Junair Spraybooths; Kärcher bus washes; a System Chassijet chassis cleaning system; and MOT testing equipment supplied by MAHA. First said the new buildings incorporate some of the latest advances in design and the depot is one of the greenest in the UK. Key environmental features include: l ‘Photovoltaic solar cells’ on the roofs – the latest and most effective form of solar panelling estimated to generate the power for around 40 houses per annum; l Rainwater harvesting which collects roof water to be used in the bus wash, forecast to save up to 2.2million litres of water per year – enough to fill 22 doubledecker buses; l Low energy intelligent lighting that dims when natural daylight is available activated by infrared detectors; l A Building Management System which senses when a door is opened and automatically shuts down the heating within those areas to minimise heat loss; and l New fuel tanks fitted with intelligent monitoring to allow instantaneous readings of all fluids and which will automatically re-order supplies. The system orders only to a capacity of -10% to avoid overfilling and reduce environmental risks. It also detects any water contamination.

Reflecting how a project as large as this can develop over its long lead time, Fiona said: “The fitting of solar panels is amongst the technology which was not in the original design brief. It certainly makes the roof brighter, even on a gloomy Glasgow day.”

Recalling her experiences of the the contruction phase, Fiona said: “I was especially excited to see the pits go in. It was like a giant Lego set – it was amazing.

“I shall never forget seeing the

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NEWS FOCUS › FIRST GLASGOW CALEDONIA DEPOT

A visual of how the site is laid out, with the heavy repairs workshop on left and the L-shaped buildings to the right of the M74 freshly laid concrete either – it was like a baseball pitch.”

The inside of the head office has also embraced contemporary design thinking, as Fiona explained: “A lot of thought has gone into the internal environment. Designed by the local Glasgow team, it’s the first fully open plan depot in First UK Bus. I’m out on the floor like everyone else.

“We went out of our way to create an attractive environment.

We’re trying to get people to work differently – they’re closer together,

SNAPSHOT

with barriers having been taken down. We wanted people to walk in and feel ambitious and valued.

The feedback from our staff to date has been phenomenal.”

Reflecting on the past year, Fiona said 2014 has been a “fantastic year.”

She added: “Lots of things stand out. Undoubtedly the highlight was the Commonwealth Games. To be recognised by the industry at the recent UK Bus Awards was great.

There was a real buzz in Glasgow during the Games. To transport

25,000 people per day was truly something else. I missed that buzz afterwards.”

She was keen to stress: “The biggest thing for me this year is the huge commitment for Glasgow this new depot represents.”

Future

Asked about plans for the year ahead, Fiona replied: “We want to build on the success of the past year. In terms of our service out on the street, we will continue to introduce free WiFi on to our

First Glasgow facts and figures l Overall passenger satisfaction has risen in the last 12 months, with 91% saying they are ‘very satisfied’ or ‘fairly satisfied’, which is 3% higher than the UK average. l Current punctuality of services is 94%, with reliability 99.55% – according to First Glasgow. l During the Commonwealth Games, First Glasgow carried around a quarter of a million passengers in total (249,404) with over 100,000 transported to the east end alone (serving Celtic Park, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Emirates Arena, Tollcross

Swimming Centre) including 25,000 in one day (July 29). l Spending on new vehicles in 2015 will bring First Glasgow’s investment in less than three years, to above the £37m mark to a total of 226 new buses.

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l The firm’s other depots are located at Dumbarton (Birch Road); Glasgow (Tollcross Road, Parkhead); Glasgow (South Street, Scotstoun); Hamilton (Glasgow Road, Blantyre); and Overtown (Castlehill Road).

buses. Currently 57% of our fleet is so equipped. WiFi has become something our customers expect – it’s a USP too. They can work or play while travelling.

“Spending on new vehicles in 2015 will bring First Glasgow’s investment in new buses, in less than three years, to above the £37m mark. That, combined with this £20m new facility, demonstrates an unrivalled financial commitment to Glasgow.”

Notable new buses entering the fleet will include the four ADL virtual electric buses which will enter service in 2015, and which are to being supported by the Scottish Government’s Green Bus Fund.

Asked about the latest on FastLink (sic), the segregated busway along the Clyde between Glasgow city centre and several local and regional destinations, including Glasgow Harbour, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and Renfrew, Fiona replied: “Led by SPT and the city council, it’s a big project for Glasgow. We’ve responded to the consultation.

It’s an infrastructure investment.

We run two main commercial routes along part of that corridor.

It remains to be seen what SPT will ask in terms of the vehicle standards, but I expect they will be understandably high. We’re currently in a holding position, awaiting the outcome of the consultation.” n www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 14:02

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PROFILEINSIDE › AIRLINKS TRACK AIRPORT › MERLIN SERVICES

I

n my last musing, I suggested a token sop to the bus industry in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement might see a delayed announcement, hidden away in the text, of some further Green Bus funding. It would have not have been ‘new’ money as such, but had been anticipated and yet gone noticeably missing at Euro Bus Expo last month.

I need not have been that optimistic!

Yet another scarcely secret Statement was delivered with absolutely nothing in it for the bus industry and with the marker already laid down that the holy grail of localism is likely to start a process of slow strangulation by a toxic combination of backdoor reregulation and increasing municipalisation.

There is no doubt that there are a number of beneficial items in the Statement (such as business rates), but on transport, there is the return of the fundamental populist flaw that road building generates economic growth and prosperity, and to the tune of £15bn, with the Prime Minister having well and truly forgotten his visit to the melting ice caps of the Antarctic when he was in Opposition.

I do not know any good transport planners who support this road building myth, though I accept that some work on the network is necessary from time to time.

However, when you look into the detail, the roads lobby have just about got every significant dormant major scheme past the funding finishing post, including those with significant environmental impact like Stonehenge.

In one case I know well, the business case drawn up by its (re)promoter was so threadbare as to beggar belief, even after consultants were employed.

However, mobilisation of the Council Leader and his supporters, LEP, MPs (all with their own additional personal forthcoming agendas) and a few other hangers-on and visits to Westminster with petitions and Ministerial visits to the site, and as if by magic, hundreds of millions of pounds are released.

Let us look at what else has been distributed in pre-Christmas gifts that could have been spent on the transport mode which, let us never forget and shout from the rooftops about, two thirds of all public transport journeys are made.

Fuel Duty is frozen (quelle surprise!).

The Chancellor intends to subsidise air travel for children under 12 by the withdrawal of Air Passenger tax for them with an extension to all

No preChristmas giveaway Merlin goes in search of pre-Christmas cheer for the industry, but comes away disappointed

‘Baroness Kramer has announced that the Windermere branch line is to be electrified at a cost of £16m. How can that be justified?’ under 16s to follow! I never welcome the presence of young children on flights for the very reason that they frequently howl the plane down, especially on night flights and presumably this is designed to encourage them to travel more!

Steve Agg, Chief Executive of the CILT is on written record as I write this saying: ”Abolishing Air Passenger Duty for children over time and freezing Fuel Duty will benefit individuals and businesses.” Given the ‘Stronger Together’ motif at the top of the release makes me think he has forgotten the passenger sector (but I think those of us left in the CILT think that anyway).

So what about the lost Fuel Duty escalator? Many other European countries felt that was an inspired move when it was first introduced as in addition to being an appropriate fiscal measure, it laid down the soft marker that private motoring was not good for the environment etc. A few additional soft political messages to support it would not have gone amiss either but populism rules as well as localism!

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So why hasn’t the Chancellor taken the opportunity to increase Fuel Duty by 2p a litre (or whatever modest sum it would take) whilst fuel prices are at their lowest for ages and abolished Fuel Duty on local bus services for good to boost economic growth and help people to get to or stay in work? A drop in the ocean in the overall scheme of things. I’ll come back to that.

Next the Northern Rail and TransPennine Express Rail franchises are going to be allowed to replace “the ancient and unpopular Pacer carriages with new and modern trains” – I told you there would be some new nuggets for the rail industry and “developing HS3 to make east-west rail travel faster” (in the North of England) is another one. That is even before you read in other small print elsewhere in the last fortnight that Baroness Kramer has announced that the Windermere branch line is to be electrified at a cost of £16m. How can that be justified other than by the fact that in railwayman’s parlance it is a ‘diesel island’?

We must also not forget that the

Deputy Prime Minister has also announced a £214 million biggest ever single investment in cycling in late November and that Transport for London (TfL) need to spend £200 million to improve their bus network for which investment plans are to be considered by their Board on December 12 – Perhaps cycle use is slowing average bus speeds down; it certainly was on the last three buses I went on in London.

Meanwhile about £2 billion of EC funds look set to be allocated to Welsh transport of which a significant chunk is already being talked about for South Wales Metro and two roads schemes.

I inject two further facts into this equation. George Osborne went on the latest Manchester tram line just before the fatal announcement of an elected Mayor for Manchester and I see from a ‘big five’ group staff magazine that David Cameron and George Osborne visited a train depot in Leeds recently!

So why has the rest of the nation and the bus industry only got Eric Pickles style spending cuts to look forward to in terms of its project expectations?

To me, the answer lies in the fact that whilst the ‘softly, softly, catch the monkey’ approach espoused by CPT may work in some dealings with Government such as the Competition Enquiry and unpalatable individual policy proposals, it clearly is not going to work when the current structure of the industry, which is clearly working for the most part given passenger satisfaction ratings, is facing its biggest attack ever.

My research indicates that those few trying to mount a serious counter offensive to the franchising threats to our industry are treading a disappointing, lonely and difficult road even though Martin Griffiths has rightly said recently that it is time people stop peddling the myth that the transport model in London works best and Tim O’Toole has echoed him. I have said it for years.

If the PM or Chancellor or both do not see the inside of a bus company soon and stay long enough to really understand the issues and the countless shortcomings of local authorities, then not even a voluntary abandonment of BSOG payments to operators is going to render the industry safe.

The roads lobby always get Ministers to undertake site visits and bang on every week in any newspaper or other media organ which will carry their story until it happens. Why can’t a resilient industry like ours do the same and fast? n www.coachandbusweek.com

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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 6/7 The Apex Centre, Clywedog Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham LL13 9XS Telephone: 01691 898 665 Fax: 01691 770 798 Email: johnm@primeps.com

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December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 23

VEHICLE LAUNCH › EURO 6 SCANIA TOURING AND K250UB IRIZAR i3

Scania

thoroughbreds D

ecember 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Scania in the UK. Over the years a finely tuned and comprehensive product offering has been developed to meet customer expectations, extending far beyond the vehicles themselves and how they’re equipped and sold, to every aspect of their subsequent operation.

To plagiarise a saying of the season, a Scania is not just for Christmas, it’s for life, and the manufacture fully embraces that.

Scania has been able to successfully combine the economies of scale and benefits of being an international corporate entity with the ability to function, communicate and relate at a human level. By no means all corporates manage to achieve that although plenty think they do. Not wishing to become complacent, it consistently strives to refine what it does.

At Euro Bus Expo in November Scania showed two important new vehicles – the Touring coach and Irizar i3-bodied K250UB bus. Prior to going on extended demonstration tours, both have kindly been made available for test drives and first impressions are that in every respect they live up to the Scania proposition.

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Always looking to broaden and deepen its customer offering, Scania has two new models, the Touring coach and Irizar i3-bodied K250UB bus, and Andy Izatt has given them a test drive

100% Scania

To understand what Touring is about, read carefully what’s written on the side of the vehicle. What it says is ‘Scania Touring in cooperation with Higer.’ This is a 100% Scania designed coach that’s built on a dedicated production line by a Chinese builder to the same exacting standards as any of the Swedish manufacturer’s products in Europe.

The launch vehicle, a 13.7m, 57-seater that benefits from the extra luggage capacity that comes with being a tri-axle, has a full executive specification that includes Konvekta air-conditioning, centre sunken toilet with AD drinks system above, refrigerator, and two LCD fixed monitors.

Because body assembly takes place in a lower cost economy, Scania can offer a particularly

competitive price that’s around the same as a European-built two-axle and £20-25,000 less than similar length Irizar i6 and OmniExpress tri-axles. What’s more there’s a host of other refinements and features included as standard that would normally be optional extras.

Touring was first launched in Europe during 2009. There are now more than 500 in service so there has been plenty of opportunity to iron out any glitches prior to it being offered in the UK. Chassis modules are assembled in Sweden and shipped on transport frames to China.

The semi integrated steel body structure is corrosion protected using a combination of electrophoretic dipping and applying Dinitrol.

Cladding is in aluminium and GRP while a composite is used for the roof. Kiel 1020

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Two very different new Scanias, the Touring coach and Irizar i3-bodied K250UB bus reclining seats with real leather headrests, and Bosch Professional Line/Actia entertainment systems are installed by Scania’s Antwerp dealership when the finished vehicle returns to Europe. That’s also where PDIs (Pre Delivery Inspections) take place.

Allowing for shipping times, lead times are eight and half to nine months so Scania has a rolling programme of build slots that allow chassis to be allocated during the production process. With seats installed in Antwerp, customers have much longer to decide on their final choice of moquette or leather.

Working with a limited number of bodybuilders is all part of Scania’s strategy to maintain control over all aspects of the product and maintain quality whatever the market. A ‘factory backed’ product such as Touring or the Lahden-built OmniExpress before the Finish factory came under direct Scania control is treated in exactly the same way as a complete in-house built vehicle.

Martin West, General Manager Retail Sales, put the point across succinctly. “Touring is a Scania product with all the back up and knowhow that that entails,” he said. “Yes, it’s built in a factory www.coachandbusweek.com

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in China, but it’s a complete Scania vehicle.

Since the first came to Europe in 2009, it has gone through a lot of campaigns and changes following market feedback. Improvements have and will continue to be made. For example, our demonstrator doesn’t have a UK-style driver’s mirror, but future build will. All of the aftersales support is the same – parts (stocked at Milton Keynes or Scania’s worldwide distribution centre at Opgalbbeek in Belgium), training and FMS (Fleet Management System) like on our other models.”

As with its other coach products, two year repair and maintenance (R&M) is included in the price, but Scania also recognises that some customers prefer to maintain their vehicles in-house. A flexible approach means that support packages and training can be tailored to whatever is required. R&M, which has been included since 2006, can be extended for up to an additional five years.

FMS provides an invaluable source of data which is why the free reporting package that is also included has been extended from three to 10 years. Then there’s the comprehensive Europe wide breakdown support that comes from Scania Assistance.

Operators that buy Touring will also be able to take advantage of a day’s Euro 6 familiarisation training at Scania’s Loughborough training centre where one of two demonstrators has been onsite to ensure staff have complete familiarity with the product. Again, the training scheduled for March is included in the price.

Euro 6 chassis training modules on other coach product are going to be rolled out next year. Scania is always happy to offer additional training tailored to whatever operators want.

While the coach forward order programme is almost entirely Euro 6, Martin added that there’s still a very small amount of Euro 5 availability. He also pointed out that the Euro 6 13-litre 450hp SCR-only engine unveiled earlier this year is now available as a coach option.

Early reports on performance and fuel economy are so encouraging it may well become the default 13-litre engine.

Much greater emphasis is being placed on dealer engagement and that includes a meeting between the relevant sales representative, the local dealer general manager and customer prior to vehicle delivery. A fixed agenda covers aspects such as who the customer’s contacts are and when R&M inspections are scheduled.

Everyone knows what to expect and it helps nurture a better understanding of the needs and expectations of customers amongst dealers.

While there’s 86% commonality in parts with trucks, there can still be apprehensions on both sides when it comes to looking after a coach.

General Manager (Customer Support) Bob Nevitt is constantly making follow up customer visits to ensure the process of engagement and feedback continues. “We don’t want customers being caught between two parties when it comes to dealing with glitches,” he told CBW. “What we must not do is leave them unsupported. It’s also important that dealers feel involved and take ownership so it’s important that we in coach sales sell ourselves to that network. We have to make sure that the support is there. For our customers we’re here

SPECIFICATIONS

Scania K250UB IRIZAR i3 Chassis: Scania K250UB4x2 Body: Irizar i3 Price: £168,000 Engine: Scania DCO9 111 Power: 250hp @ 1900 r/min Torque: 1250Nm @ 1000-1350 rpm Euro system: Euro 6 SCR Gearbox: ZF6AP1000B EcoLife with TopoDyn Retarder: ZF Integral Fuel tank: 300litre AdBlue tank: 45litre Steering: ZF Progressive 8098 Brakes: Electronically controlled disc brakes with ABS Suspension: Full air with whole front kneeling and total raise & lowering Axles: Scania AMA780 low floor front axle and Scania ADA1300 rear axle Wheels: Michelin 275/70R22.5 tyres on steel 7.50x22.5 rims GVW: Legal: 17,800kg/Design: 19,100kg ULW: 12,048kg Warranty: Two years bumper to bumper DIMENSIONS Length: 12.05m Width: 2.55m Height: 3.3m Wheelbase: 5.904m for the thereafter. We’re trying everything we can to fully support the product.”

Marketing Irizar i3

Scania’s partnership with Alexander Dennis as a bodybuilder is long established and has been cemented by numerous repeat orders for both single and double-deck from Stagecoach in particular. But as Alan Martin, Manager Special Projects Fleet Sales explained, the Swedish manufacturer believes there’s a wider retail market for its heavy-weight single-decker and to tap into that, it’s important to offer customers bodybuilder choice. “Irizar has been building buses for years,” he explained. “Our relationship with Irizar is long established. It has developed the i3, which is a coachbuilt bus body so we want to take advantage of that.”

The i3, now available on the low-entry Euro 6 in-line-engined K-UB4x2 has a stainless steel body frame clad in aluminium and with a onepiece section aluminium roof. Glazing is bonded and like Touring, it’s ECE 66.01 compliant. Two and three-door configurations are available as is a choice between a flat floor in the front lowfloor area or one that’s ramped reducing the number of internal saloon steps to the rear of the vehicle by two.

The first i3 for the UK, mounted on a Euro 5 K-UB4x2, was built at Irizar’s factory in Morocco last year. A development vehicle, that’s now at Scania’s Loughborough training centre. The first Spanish-built i3 is the 44-seat demonstrator that appeared at Euro Bus Expo and that has ramped flooring.

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 25 15/12/2014 14:01

VEHICLE LAUNCH › EURO 6 SCANIA TOURING AND K250UB IRIZAR i3 Scania believes that coach-like styling enhances the retail appeal of the Irizar i3

Theatre-style seating is a feature of lowentry service buses, but it is pronounced in this vehicle. That’s a consequence of creating sufficient space for all the emission abatement equipment associated with Euro 6 and allowing for the additional heat that needs to be dissipated.

Whether to opt for ramping or additional steps is a difficult choice as inevitably whatever’s chosen will suit some passengers, but not others. What this inline configuration does deliver is 39 forward facing seats including a mother and child seat at the front – in the demonstrator mostly Isri (Esteban) Civic v2s – as well as five side facing tip-ups and an overall seating capacity greater than is achievable in an equivalent low-floor bus.

A full demonstration programme will see the i3 initially visit potential customers that want to operate it without an assault screen. It will then return to the Irizar factory to have a bespoke designed screen fitted. Following customer feedback from the Moroccan vehicle, a lot of work has already gone into remodelling the cab area to improve the access door, allow for better positioning of ticketing equipment and facilitate the instillation of a vault. A slide out cash tray is built into the door.

Some famous supplier names are in the Irizar fold - Masats which supplied the lockable

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entrance doors and manual wheelchair ramp, and Hispacold, the heating and ventilation system are just two of them, but Irizar also owns an electrics company that can install next stop announcement equipment that can work through Scania’s FMS. Wiring is in place for eight-camera CCTV. Full air-conditioning is an option, hence the roof pod, which is a standard feature.

All future i3 build will be in Spain where the six 10.8m buses for first customer, Menzies Aviation at Heathrow, were bodied. The i2 on a low-floor, transverse-engined N-UB4x2 will be available in the UK next year – a reverse of what happened when the OmniCity and OmniLink were introduced some years ago, the low-floor OmniCity coming first by some margin. The dynamics of today’s bus market are different.

Low-floor is more expensive than low-entry because of the drop centre axle at the rear and angle-drove, and operators want seating capacity.

Driving Irizar i3

Thanks to some expert planning by Scania (GB)’s resident driver trainer, Steve Dunk, appropriately varied test drive routes had been planned for both vehicles. Weather conditions on the day were decidedly mixed. Sunshine, stormy showers, occasional snow flurries and

high winds. And it was cold.

First up was the Irizar i3 bus. Setting up a comfortable driving position in preparation was quick and easy. That included the heating.

A hydraulically sprung Isri seat adjusts for the driver’s weight and was to prove very comfortable out on the road, absorbing the vagaries of indifferent road surfaces very well.

Scania switches, mostly grouped to the left of the central instrument cluster, include the master, engine high idle for building air up, fuel heater, footbrake retarder on and off, external light check for the driver’s walk round check, front and rear fogs, exhaust brake and traction control. There’s also ferry lift, a multifunction control that enables the dashboard display to be brightened or dimmed, head lights, side lights and hazards, and a 12v 5amp socket for a phone.

Irizar switches are grouped under the unheated, manually-opened driver’s signalling window. A single red button opens and closes the entrance door. Warning lights encompass the entrance door opening, whether the offside emergency door is locked, internal and external disability alarms, and cancelling the bus stopping sign. The i3 has eight emergency exits.

The entrance doors apparently count as two, offside emergency door, two roof hatches, the rear window and two windows each side. www.coachandbusweek.com

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The i3 cab area with a well laid out dashboard was spacious and comfortable

Inside the Irizar i3 with its theatre-style Isri Civic v2 seating Other switches are for out of hours cancelling of the reversing horn, interior saloon lights that can be brightened or dimmed, cab light, master switch for the overhead controlled Mobitec destination equipment, and a switch for alternating between air and electric horns.

Deep side mirrors are heated and electrically adjustable. Front (just in front of the driver) and side blinds are manual. Cab ventilation, temperature and windscreen demisting are fully adjustable although saloon temperature is pre-set and not under the driver’s control.

A double hook for clothing mounted on the rear cab partition is next to a driver’s stalk mic on the offside ‘B’ pillar. There’s a first aid box behind the seat while a fire extinguisher has its own compartment in the GRP mounding by the entrance.

My companion on this drive was Steve whose product knowledge is always impressively comprehensive. With just two of us on board, his advice was to leave the footbrake retarder switched on, but the exhaust brake off. The bus starts on the turn of a key that can’t be removed from the ignition.

Steve’s 81.5-mile test drive route was a real mix of road conditions. We headed from Scania, Worksop first towards Chesterfield along the A619, an undulating road, moderately busy with traffic and with its fair share of speed www.coachandbusweek.com

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cameras and occasional traffic light controlled roadworks. The i3 was entirely at home and was rattle free on reasonable road surfaces. A deep windscreen provided excellent vision and ‘A’ pillar intrusion was minimal.

Motoring north along the A61 towards Sheffield ZF EcoLife gear changes were only occasionally perceptible and, taking advantage of the footbrake enabled retarder, braking was always firm, progressive and smooth. TopoDyn wasn’t enabled on this occasion although Steve reported significant fuel economy improvements over relatively short distances when it is. There are some inclines to negotiate on the A61, but the gearbox will kick down a gear if necessary if there’s an additional push on the accelerator pedal past its natural stopping point.

Road surfaces as we approached Sheffield city centre were dire in places so that did produce plenty of rattles. We also encountered queuing traffic, but this was a manoeuvrable bus that positioned easily and there was no difficulty making way for a fire engine that needed to get past after it had passed us going the other way just two or three minutes earlier.

Once past the railway and main bus station we headed east along Sheffield Parkway, joining the M1 north at Junction 33. It’s an important part of the test because as single deck buses go, the

i3 isn’t cheap so it needs to be a versatile vehicle as much at home on dual-carriageways and motorways as on interurban work or running around city streets.

From the driver’s seat, engine noise was minimal and what you do hear is actually quite pleasantly melodic. The six-speed gearbox ensured revs rarely strayed from 1,200 to 1,300.

On the motorway it was a steady 1,500rpm up to the vehicle’s 57mph limiter. Despite sunny conditions, winds could be strong, frequently buffeting the bus on the motorway.

One gust in particular knocked us two to three feet sideways. From the M1 we joined the M62 heading east for our final destination, Ferrybridge Services.

There are cheaper alternatives out there, but as single-deck buses go this is a solidly-built, very well finished heavy-weight that delivers performance and ride quality to match. With appropriate seats, it’s the sort of vehicle that would be particularly well suited to a premium urban or inter-urban route where an operator wants to offer something a little more refined than the norm and passengers are normally staying on board longer than just a handful of minutes. Over Steve’s very varied test drive route, fuel consumption was an average 11.28mpg according to the on board diagnostics.

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VEHICLE LAUNCH › EURO 6 SCANIA TOURING AND K250UB IRIZAR i3 Touring with Touring

Ferrybridge Services was the starting point for a 69-mile test drive in the Touring, naturally a very different experience to the Irizar i3. The banks of dashboard switches in some coaches can make drivers feel like they’re taking charge of the Space Shuttle. Thankfully that’s not the case with the Touring. What’s immediately apparent is the Colour Plus ICL central instrument cluster, which as the name suggests is bright and colourful – a very attractive and, in my view, useful feature. It wasn’t blocked in any way when I positioning the steering wheel.

An extensive range of diagnostics functions can even include individual axle loading data so the driver knows how weight is distributed.

Above the Stoneridge digital tachograph are fuel heater, traction control, automatic hill hold and master switches. Then there are controls for shifting weight from the tag to the drag axle, full chassis lowering and front nearside reclining.

Lower down to the right of the ICL there are clock and trip resets and an on/off switch for cruise control and adaptive cruise control (ACC). ACC is one of three additional safety features that are part of the standard Touring specification. The others are advanced emergency braking and lane departure warning.

The automatic exhaust brake wasn’t switched on for the test drive – hardly necessary with only me, Martin West and Bob Nevitt on board.

Touring is a 57-seat, 13.7m tri-axle powered by a DC13 115 engine

SPECIFICATIONS

Scania Touring Chassis: Scania K400EB6x2*4 Chassis for Semi Integral construction Body: Scania Touring HD Price: £249,000 Engine: Scania DC13 115 Power: 410hp @ 1900 r/m Torque: 2150Nm @ 1000 – 1300 rpm Euro system: Euro 6 SCR Gearbox: Scania GR875R eight-speed Opticruise Retarder: Scania integral retarder Fuel tank: 485litre AdBlue tank: 80litre Steering: ZF Progressive 8098 Brakes: Electronically Controlled disc brakes with ABS, ESP, Lane Departure Warning and Emergency Brake Assist Suspension: Full air with whole front kneeling and total raise & lowering Axles: Scania AMI700D Independent front axle, Scania ADA1300 rear axle and Scania ARA860 trailing axle Wheels: Michelin 315/80R22.5 tyres on 9.00x22.5 aluminium rims Luggage capacity: 9.63m3 GVW: Legal: 26,000kg/Design: 26,500kg ULW: 15,520kg Warranty: Two years full repair and maintenance and 10 years FMS DIMENSIONS Length: 13.7m Width: 2.55m Height: 3.8m Wheelbase: 6.355m

28 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 024_030_CBW1168_Scania.indd 28

An attractively finished Touring interior features Kiel 1020 recliners Other switches include fog lights and driver’s external light check.

As expected, body controls were clustered under the driver’s signalling window which is electrically heated and operated. As well as light switches there are switches for front (thankfully split) and side blinds. Three combinations of saloon lights include blue night lights, rack lighting and full illumination. There’s also separate central locking for the manual parallellift luggage locker doors either side. Notably the péage window is double glazed.

If there’s a criticism, the black finish of the dashboard shows fingerprints and the area behind the switches under the signalising window could usefully accommodate some sort of storage. Currently it’s just panelled. Isri supplied the air sprung driver’s seat.

Emergency exits include the entrance door, continental exit, two roof hatches, the rear window and two side windows both sides.

Cameras cover reversing and the continental exit, the monitor being centrally positioned on the dashboard.

The Touring was three and half tonnes heavier than the Irizar i3, but what was evident as I negotiated the service roads was that with a wheelbase only half a metre longer and a steering rear axle, it was just as manoeuvrable – actually more so.

Initially we headed east towards Hull along the M62 before turning south onto the M18 back towards the A1(M). Dusk was falling and conditions were damp and unpleasant. There was plenty of heavy haulage on our roads so it was an ideal opportunity to put the ACC to the test and what a benefit it proved to be.

One of the pleasures of driving a Scania coach is that can be done almost entirely by using the switches on the steering wheel. Variations in speed can be set by using the up and down arrows on the cruise control while the stalk with the retarder function can control braking almost to the point of bringing the vehicle to a stop.

What ACC does is provide a visual warning if you’re getting too close to the vehicle in front. The parameters for that on a scale of www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 14:01

p29_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 14:37 Page 29

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December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 29

VE

I DR ST TE

VEHICLE LAUNCH › EURO 6 SCANIA TOURING AND K250UB IRIZAR i3

Power for the Irizar i3-bodied K250UB bus comes from an inline DCO9 111 engine. Touring has a DC13 115 unit one to five can be pre-set. It also automatically slows the coach so that it doesn’t impinge on that pre-set distance. In effect it creates an invisible protective shield around the vehicle.

Pull out to overtake and speed rapidly increases to what had been previously set on the cruise control.

We left the A1 heading south along the A614 towards Ollerton. It’s a straight stretch of road, but traffic was queuing for quite some distance on the approach to the Ollerton roundabout.

There was an apprehensive moment for all on board when a car transporter entering from the A614 south direction looked as if it was going to cross directly in front of us, but it didn’t. Then we were on the A6075 Ollerton Road heading towards Mansfield Woodhouse.

I have become quite a fan of automated gearboxes because they dictate a certain driving style that I think is conducive to a smoother journey for passengers and better fuel economy. Joining the A6075 was the only time the Opticruise seemed unsure of what to do because I had been a little too heavy with the accelerator.

There is the facility to drop down a gear where necessary and there’s also manual override, but why would anyone need to use the latter? ‘Limp home’ mode is now only available if the on board diagnostics has recorded a fault.

At the traffic light controlled junction with the A60 we wanted to turn right. Adjacent traffic was queuing to turn left so the rear outswing of the coach was a considering as I made the manoeuvre. Then we were making our way through Warsop and past Cuckney as we drive north back to Worksop. Performance from the 410hp engine, dictated as it is by the Opticruise, was always measured and the ride smooth and relaxing.

Touring’s name is well chosen as this is a coach that felt every inch like a tourer. Our 30 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 024_030_CBW1168_Scania.indd 30

The Colour Plus ICL central instrument cluster is bright, clear and colourful demonstrator, already sold to Tranzcare Travel of Manchester, has yet to do any serious mileage so there’s a certain amount of engine bedding in still to take place. On the motorways and dual carriageway average mpg was comfortably above 12 and it was still a respectable 10.47mpg for the test drive as a whole according to the on board diagnostics.

Very different vehicles

Two very different vehicles, but both desirable and practical additions to the Scania product line up. The i3, with distinctive front and rear styling very much in the Irizar family coach mould, certainly isn’t just another box on wheels. Because of that it has retail appeal, but as a heavy-duty offering, it’s priced accordingly.

“What’s always impressive about Irizar has

been its ability to bring product to market in such a short space of time,” pointed out Bob Nevitt. “The i3 has kerb appeal.” He’s right. It has. Scania will build it to order.

An initial consignment of 20 Tourings is almost entirely sold with further availability expected later in 2015. Touring will account for around 15% of Scania retail coach sales next year – the same as OmniExpress with the lion’s share remaining with Irizar. Across coach sales generally, Touring is expected to help Scania secure 20% of the retail market.

Martin West explained that the next Touring model to be launched, probably in late 2015, is likely to be a 12.1m two axle coach with a 49seat, centre sunken toilet executive specification and powered by a nine-litre DC09 360hp engine. n www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 14:01

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Latest news, views, jobs, vehicles for sale visit www.coachandbusweek.com 12/12/2014 13:42

FACE TO FACE › GEMMA IRELAND

Coach and Bus Market’s Co-ordinator Jade Smith chats with Gemma Ireland about her time working at Coach & Bus Week, her life outside of work and overseeing the website www.coachandbusmarket. com achieving its ONE MILLIONTH ad view. She also reveals news of a signi�icant new development for the Operator members…

T

wo years ago in November 2012 a new online marketplace for coaches, buses and minibuses was launched by Coach & Bus Week.

Coachandbusmarket.com is a bright online service which offers operators unrivalled control over their advertising, never seen before in the industry at unmatched prices. Operators can advertise vehicles quickly and at a low cost.

By January 2014, the website had surpassed 50,000 ad views per month, rising steadily to over 70,000 per month throughout the year.

Today, the Coach and Bus Market website is the biggest in the industry and this month achieved its one millionth ad view.

Gemma Ireland is the Co-ordinator of Coach and Bus Market. Along with her team, she ensures that coachandbusmarket.com and the vehicles section in Coach & Bus Week is kept upto-date and looking good.

JS What has been the most amusing moment in the of�ice?

GI Well, we always have a laugh here. One

GI I have a terrible taste in music. When I recently went to Manchester and Wales I bought three albums for the drive – Boyzone’s greatest hits, Britney Spears’ greatest hits and One Direction’s newest album. I generally just like cheesy 90s pop.

JS What has been your favourite tweet you’ve seen while running @CBMtweets?

GI It was one that @CBWtweets retweeted actually – a picture of a lorry that had tried to go under a bridge that was too low for it. The irony was it said “we�it” on the back of it. That made me chuckle.

JS What do you most enjoy about your job?

GI I’m a really chatty person so I love speaking to my clients, which is good because this job is a really talky job. Some clients I phone every week just for a chat. I feel like I know my clients very well as people, especially Alan White from Moseley in the South and the guys at Kings Ferry, just to name a few.

JS What do you want for Christmas?

GI I tend to buy what I want when I want it. I’d quite like some One Direction tickets but I don’t know anyone tragic enough to go with me!

JS What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?

GI The food. My favourite Christmas foods are Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets and cake – there’s always a lot of cake at Christmas.

Jade Smith (JS) How have you improved Coach and Bus Market?

Gemma Ireland (GI) I started working for CBW on April 7, 2014. I improved the marketing side of coachandbusmarket.com by focussing on social media. It’s really worked – for example, with Edwards Coaches I posted on Facebook about their vehicles and they had an incredible response before it was even printed in the magazine. I also put a lot of time and effort into the weekly e-shots, making sure they always offer something different and ensure visitor numbers to the site are maintained.

I think I’ve brought my personality to the brand as well. This job isn’t just work for me – I genuinely care about my clients and look forward to speaking to them.

JS What are your top three driving songs and why?

JS Do you have a New Year’s resolution for Coach and Bus Market?

moment that stands out is when a colleague asked me to buy her a “bread stick” during a lunchtime trip to Tesco, so I literally bought her a pack of breadsticks when she meant a baguette! She’s still teasing me about that!

JS What has been your best moment with a client?

GI I really enjoy travelling and going to new places. I spent three days in Scotland in July visiting various clients which was good fun.

Recently, I went to see Autoservice Pontypool because I have a really good relationship with Glynis Watkins there – we speak on the phone regularly, but it’s always nice to put a face to a name.

GI Well, all will be revealed in our January 6, 2015 issue, but I’ve negotiated a fantastic bene�its package with a very well-known and respected supplier for my Operator members that’s going to save them all a tonne of money!

So my New Year’s resolution will be to make that work effectively, I’m very excited about this development and I know my operators are going to be very, very impressed!

Coachandbusmarket.com can be accessed via computer, tablet or smart phone so take a look and see how the website has made buying and selling used vehicles, products and services easier than ever. Visit the website at coachandbusmarket.com or call Gemma on 01733 293247 for information about advertising a vehicle with a one-off low price or an annual unlimited package.

COACHANDBUSMARKET.COM

32 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 032_CBW1168_CBM.indd 32

www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 13:14

1,000,000 AD VIEWS Since launch ADVERTISE your vehicle for sale in front of the industry’s largest group of buyers.

Get the best coverage at the best price.

Contact gemma.ireland@coachandbusmarket.com or call 01733 293247 to discuss how we can help you sell your vehicles.

ONE MILLION AD VIEWS.indd 1

15/12/2014 16:57:51

LEGAL UPDATE › SMART TICKETING

Smart ticketing – a summary of the legal issues

W

ith reports suggesting a strong uptake in the use of mobiles to make retail purchases in the UK (up 3,400% over the last four years according to the most recent IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking survey), confidence in mobile payment methods is undoubtedly increasing.

The smart ticketing systems being rolled out across the transport sector arguably provide the perfect environment for this type of technology to thrive.

However, the benefits of a smart ticketing system, particularly intermodal where there are multiple parties involved, increase the legal risks in the provision of the service including privacy and security, the delivery of a new IT fitment and also potential competition concerns.

Competition concerns?

Bus operators find themselves at the forefront of introducing faster, more efficient methods of purchasing bus tickets and in doing so improve passenger experience.

For example, Abellio has introduced a system of mobile ticketing allowing passengers to pay for tickets prior to travel, needing only to produce their phone on boarding.

However, in the absence of a local authority taking the initiative to introduce a wider smart ticketing scheme, due to the very nature of shared bus routes, ticketing solutions always have to be considered carefully to ensure a market is not foreclosed. Equally, inter-company arrangements have to pass the test that others are not prevented from entering a market, nor that there is a suggestion of collusion.

To date it seems that the mobile apps and ticketing solutions on offer all require either a debit

Emma Wright, Partner, Bond Dickinson LLP explains the benefits, challenges and recent developments surrounding smart ticketing card or that the user tops up with cash at an outlet in the same way you would top up mobile pay-asyou-go credit. Arguably, direct carrier billing where the cost of a ticket could be applied against a passenger’s mobile phone bill or deducted from pay-as-you go credit would lend itself well, although such arrangements are likely to be considered as a premium rate service falling under the jurisdiction of Ofcom and depending on the arrangements, may also raise competition concerns.

Privacy and security

The progression of smart ticketing schemes (and the role of mobile payments in particular) has not been smooth. Concerns remain around security in relation to the payment mechanism itself.

This issue is unlikely to go away particularly when the likes of TfL warned passengers to keep their Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled debit cards away from their Oyster cards as contactless payments were introduced throughout the TfL network.

Although TfL was warning passengers against mistaken payment, the question arises of whether a passenger draws a distinction when it comes down to the security of the payment method?

34 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014 034_CBW1168_Legal Update.indd 34

Alongside the security of the payment method itself are the privacy issues raised around the collection and sharing of both the payment details and the personal data in relation to the routes and time of use. This data can, for example, provide details of when passengers are going back and forth to their homes. Where this data needs to be shared across multiple private parties the concerns will surely be heightened.

This data is also valuable to third parties who would like, for example, to market to a particular passenger who passes a clothes store on pay day or to competing transport companies. In the case of marketing, the consent obtained from the passenger when collecting the data should be carefully drafted to cover all potential uses.

Risk of delivery

As with any major IT design, implementation and integration there is always a risk of unsuccessful delivery, particularly when there are multiple parties involved.

The investment in terminals and supporting back office infrastructure together with the security systems can be significant.

This only serves to increase the risks associated with late delivery or systems simply not working.

Even when a new system is delivered successfully, the problem of how a system is future-proofed remains. The co-ordination and collaboration needed for such inter-model e-ticketing solutions seems to be best placed with a public body, though many of these have faced criticism in the past for delivery performance.

ITSO, the smart ticketing standard for the UK, sets out the technical parameters for smart ticketing in the UK. Although the TfL Oyster card is not yet compliant, it has been adopted by all the major bus operators.

A common standard not only minimises the risk of integration but will hopefully in time increase take-up, particularly for those people who travel between cities.

Conclusion

Smart ticketing requires significant investment but the benefits to passengers, transport companies and the wider community as travel times are decreased are widely accepted.

With some areas of the country still lagging behind and the Oyster scheme having already undergone its first major update with the introduction of contactless payments and the removal of cash from buses, it will be interesting to see whether those areas outside of London where the local authority leadership and levels of investment aren’t on a par can keep abreast.

Successful implementation is likely to happen in areas where a bus company acts on its own initiative to introduce a scheme and navigate the legal risks.

Emma Wright is a Partner in Bond Dickinson’s London office specialising in communications and technology regulatory and commercial matters for both those companies within the sector, and those looking to procure or leverage advantage through the use of such services or products.

She has a particular interest in mobile payments. Contact her by email on: emma.wright@ bonddickinson.com.

Bond Dickinson is a well-known national law firm providing expertise to many of the UK’s pre-eminent organisations and high net worth individuals.

It advises many of the UK’s top firms in the transport and infrastructure sector.

www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 14:03

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The essential read for Minibus Operators

December 2014

MINIBUS Government funding –

a welcome boost for converters

M

inibus converters will be the undoubted bene�iciaries of the recently announced Department for Transport £25m fund (see news page 39) to aid minibus purchases in the voluntary sector. With the general upturn currently being experienced in the market, many are already running at, or close to, capacity and it is certain order books will swell as a result. Growth has also been con�irmed this month by the SMMT which has reported a 14.1% increase in registrations for November. This represents 396 vehicles and brings the year to date total to 3,590. Coachbuilt minibuses, particularly the larger 24-33 seat sector, are also looking at making a comeback as builders are bringing production of Mercedes-Benz

www.coachandbusweek.com

037_CBW1168_MINIBUS_Opener.indd 37

Atego-based products online alongside alternatives from MAN and Iveco.

The changeover, which follows the demise of the Mercedes-Benz Vario, had caused a hiatus in availability of larger vehicles but the sector now looks set for a revival in the near future. All of this is positive and is restoring con�idence among vehicle builders while providing prospects for growth and security of employment for their staff.

Last month’s issue saw an accidental error in a picture caption which attributed a rearview of a Sprinter to GM Coachwork. It was, in fact, a Stanford Coachworks converted Sprinter ‘Sensory Bus’ supplied to London Hire. Apologies to all concerned.

Martin Cole MINIBUS Editor

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK MINIBUS | 37 15/12/2014 16:36

MINIBUS › NEWS

X-Clusive Sprinter for Plants Executive Corporate specification EVM oozes class both inside and out Respected Cheadle-based Plants Luxury Travel has has taken delivery of a new Euro 6 EVM X-Clusive based on a MercedesBenz Sprinter 516 Cdi with a 163bhp engine and seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox.

It features a large front windscreen and large framed double-glazed side windows tinted in privacy grey, an electric plug-type entrance door and coach rear with large full depth drop boot.

The saloon accommodates 16 passengers on X-Clusive 110 reclining seats upholstered in two-colour real leather and integral handles incorporated in the seat backs.

Two full-length brushed aluminium luggage racks provide additional stowage space and feature strip lighting and blue LED night lights, individual service units, reading lights and adjustable air ducts.

Leather trimmed sill cappings were also installed along with the new X-Clusive two-glass panoramic roof.

Plants’ livery sits well on the EVM X-Clusive bodywork In-Dash air-conditioning is supplemented by Eberspacher saloon air-conditioning ducted through the luggage racks. A heater booster and Webasto Airtop 2000 D2 heater ducted through the raised floor were also installed.

Passenger entertainment is provided by a Parrot Asteroid Smart system with 6.2-inch

Community Transport Association hails successful policy conference The (CTA) has described its recent England Policy Conference as “a huge success.”

The event, which took place at the RBS in Bishopsgate, London on November 26, included keynote speeches from Transport Minister Baroness Kramer and Gordon Marsden MP, Shadow Minister for Transport.

The Baroness began the day with praise for the CTA and all who work in community transport.

She told the conference: “You have an amazing army of volunteers...

you are a lifeline to thousands of people.”

Mr Marsden also praised the sector, telling the conference: “Community transport uses the ingenuity of its organisers and the passions of its volunteers to solve transport problems.”

CTA Chief Executive Bill Freeman presented the findings from the new State of the Sector report for England. Both Baroness Kramer and Gordon Marsden MP promised to seriously consider its recommendations.

38 | COACH & BUS WEEK MINIBUS | December 16, 2014 038_039_CBW1168_Minibus_News.indd 38

display, satellite navigation, Apps, multi media capability, Bluetooth hands free and an integrated reversing camera.

A 17-inch monitor is recessed in the roof at the front with a DVD player incorporated in the dash.

It also has Free View TV and a PA system with hand microphone.

EVM’s X-Clusive front bumper spoiler with integrated day-time Senior Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell was a guest during the afternoon session and spoke about the need to ensure driver safety, commenting that every passenger carried is someone’s loved one.

Other sessions looked at demonstrating the value of the community transport sector, how community transport can help with social isolation and improving confidence in community transport.

Earlier in the day, the CTA’s AGM received reports on last year’s activities and performance. Two new trustees, Rachel Milne and Peter Hardy, were elected to the Board.

Presentations from the event can be found www.ctonline.org.uk/ events/previous-events/.

running lights was selected along with body moulded side skirts, wrap around rear bumper spoiler, colour coded bumpers, side mouldings and front grille with EuroLiner wheel trims plus EVM’s Chrome pack.

For more about Plants, call 01538 753561 or visit www. plantsluxurytravel.co.uk.

Jardine leaves Plastisol for new venture Ben Jardine, Operations Director, is resigning from Plastisol UK at the end of the year, after nearly six years with the company.

He joins Glenn Saint, previously Chief Technical Officer of Optare, to pursue a new venture in developing electric vehicle technologies for the automotive industry. Ben will take the position of Project Manager within the new organisation.

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12/12/2014 16:13

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DfT provides a £25m fund for minibuses Community transport organisations across the country are now being invited to apply to a new £25 million fund to provide them with new minibuses.

The Department for Transport published details on November 28 (https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/communitytransport-minibus-fund) allowing organisations across England to begin to prepare their online applications. Community groups have until January 15, 2015 to apply, with early bids being welcomed.

Secretary of State for Transport

22-Seat EVM for Spot Travel

Spot Travel of Bearsted, near Maidstone has acquired a 22-seater Sprinter Classic from EVM. It is based on a Euro 6 MercedesBenz Sprinter 516 Cdi with a 163bhp engine and seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox.

The new minibus features a standard front windscreen, factory fitted side glazing with heat insulated tinted glass and and hinged rear doors but was specified with a plug-type electric entrance door and EVM’s threestage entry steps with LED strip lighting. Two full-length brushed aluminium luggage racks provide space for passengers’ belongings and feature strip lighting, blue LED

High-spec EVM for Nova Bussing Rye-based Nova Bussing has taken delivery of a new Euro 6 MercedesBenz Sprinter 516 Cdi-based X-Clusive from EVM with a highlyspecified interior.

The spacious saloon features 13 Brusa Extend VIP Seats with threepoint seatbelts and arm rests to both sides with leather cushioned tops. Upholstered in real leather, they have adjustable headrests,

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Patrick McLoughlin said: “Local voluntary transport providers give so much to their local area and our community minibus fund will help support their work further.

“This large fund will secure hundreds of minibuses and we are offering a long application time to give everyone a chance to apply. I encourage community transport organisations across England to begin preparing their applications now so we can receive as many as possible.”

The online application process became available on the Department for Transport’s

website from Monday, December 1, 2014.

The community transport minibus fund is focused on existing voluntary and third sector organisations which already have a permit to run not-for-profit services of benefit to the local community.

Smaller operators and those who help out in rural areas will be favoured in the scheme. Each bidder will need to undertake that the vehicle will be used only for voluntary services and will not be used to compete for bus service contracts.

The 22 Comfort 80 seats were upholstered in real leather and fitted with three-point seatbelts and folding armrest to aisle sides. They carry the Mercedes-Benz Logo in their headrests night lights, integral speakers and individual service units.

Established in 1974, the firm started out as a local minibus and taxi operation and has grown to encompass full-size coaches

and chauffeur-driven limousines, delivering private hires, tours and excursions at home and abroad.

The company is celebrating its 40th anniversary and has recently opened a second office in Ashford.

vertical handles incorporated into the backrests and the seat cushion raises when the back is reclined. The Mercedes-Benz logo is embossed in each headrest. Four service tables and four leather magazine nets are also included.

A Parrot Asteroid Smart system with 6.2-inch display was specified.

It features satellite navigation, apps, multi media, Bluetooth hands free capability and an integrated reversing camera. Two 19-inch monitors, front and back, ensure good viewing for passengers facing

forwards or to the rear. Free View TV and a PA system were also included.

Nova Bussing’s operation provides luxury VIP transport in London and the southeast of England. Its success has seen a increase in its client base and the company has built a network of operators to help cover its increasing work load throughout the year. Several other EVM customers who purchased new minibuses in the last year have worked alongside Nova Bussing.

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Nissan’s e-NV200 wins LCV award Nissan’s e-NV200 all-electric van was named LCV of the year in the Next Green Car Awards 2014. These awards claim to be the most scientificallybased green automotive awards in the UK and were presented in recognition of the e-NV200’s innovative nature, low emissions and its low cost appeal. Judges were impressed by the model’s ability to challenge the domination of the combustion engine in the light commercials sector.

Nottingham City Council takes 24 Sprinters

Nottingham City Council (NCC) has taken delivery of 24 accessible Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Mobility 45s.

Operating in the city of Nottingham and surrounding residential areas, the vehicles will be used by the local authority to provide a community transport service for residents with disabilities. The Sprinter Mobility 45s will be highly versatile vehicles due to an extensive specification designed to suit individual transport needs. Seating is provided in a 17+1+1 configuration, with Phoenix upholstery on an Unwin aluminium flat floor system with NMI quick release fittings for custom seating arrangements.

Side wall-mounted tracking together with additional anchorage points along the vehicle saloon floor create adequate wheelchair space throughout. A communication facility for the rear wheelchair space allows direct contact to the front of the vehicle.

The new Sprinter Mobility 45s makes two specification firsts with the addition of a power sliding entry door – reportedly unique to the UK minibus market, and exterior CCTV with dashboard-integrated display screen, also serving as reverse parking cameras.

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THE BIG PICTURE

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To coincide with Minibus this week we don’t have a small vehicle, rather one that has been made smaller. This impressive 14-metre Plaxton Panther-bodied Volvo B12BT tri-axle with Andrew’s of Tideswell started life as a 15-metre coach with Parks of Hamilton where it operated on Scottish Citylink routes. Andrew’s wanted high capacity, but something with less of a rear outswing. The shortening didn’t affect the mechanics as that didn’t extend into the rear metre of the vehicle. With the toilet removed it still seats an impressive 82 in a three by two configuration.

Graham Ashworth photographed it in Manchester on a private hire.

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12/12/2014 14:43

MINIBUS › NEWS

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Mountain Goat to Mountain Rescue Staff at respected Cumbrian operator raise valuable funds for mountain rescue team Several members of staff at specialist Lake District minibus tour operator Mountain Goat and their family members recently took part in a charity bike ride in aid of Langdale & Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team, raising over £250 along the way.

The ride, which took place on November 23, was over �ive

and half hours long, and took in 23 miles of the local area – travelling through Levens, Sedgwick, Kendal, Burnside and Staveley.

Elliot Linnen, a Driver/Guide at the Windermere-based operator, who organised the event along with Derek Allison, presented the cheque to LAMRT leader Nick Owen.

“This will hopefully will be the beginning of ‘Team Goat,’ with the company, employees and their families coming together

raising money for local charities,” enthused Elliot.

The riders on the day included Jane and Jimmy Hardie, Derek Allison, Anne Strange, Chris Wright, Richard and Kay Sanders, Neil Ramsbottom and Elliott Linnen. A support vehicle was driven by Debbie Linnen. All the riders paid £10 entry (£15 per couple). With the help of Mountain Goat and friends the total raised was £282.50.

Robin Tyson, Mountain Goat’s Marketing Manager commented:

“It’s great to see our team members supporting local causes, especially Langdale & Ambleside Mountain Rescue, which relies totally on public donations. Supporting local causes and charities is very important to us at Mountain Goat, and we have a proud history of this.”

For more details about Mountain Goat, call 015394 45161 or visit www.mountain-goat. co.uk.

Elliot Linnen, Mountain Goat Driver/Guide, one of the organisers of the event presents a cheque to LAMRT leader Nick Owen

Co-op invests £50k in HCT

HCT Group has received a boost with The Phone Co-op investing £500,000 of loan capital in the

London-based social enterprise.

Dai Powell, HCT Group Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted that the Phone Co-op has chosen to invest in us – we want to work with investors who share our values. We also want a world where co-ops and social

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enterprises buy from each other, invest in one another, building a new business ecosystem based on values and ethics.

“We’ll be able to put the Phone Co-op investment to good use, growing our business and increasing our social impact.

When you borrow, you are, in effect, buying money. When we borrow, we want to buy social.”

From a small community transport organisation, HCT Group has grown into a social enterprise with a �leet of 500 vehicles and a turnover of £43.7m.

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MINIBUS PROFILE › WHITE’S OF ST ALBANS

This line up of frontline vehicles underlines the investment that has been made at White’s

Always refining and enhancing

W

hite’s of St Albans has gone through several distinct evolutions. It has been a mainstream family-owned coach and bus operator, a specialist accessible minibus provider and now, under the stewardship of current proprietor Greg White, has been almost entirely moulded into a market-leading corporate transport specialist.

In the 1950s Roger White, Greg’s father, was a partner in a grocery business with two friends, the Lee brothers. The Lees decided that they wanted to start an electrical business which went on to supply lighting for film sets and their name became a common sight on the credits of British-made movies of the period. Supported by his wife Maureen, Roger decided to go his own way and bought a coach in 1960, building the business up into a seven to eight vehicle operation by the end of the decade.

Determination and scrupulous attention to detail has helped Greg White transform White’s of St Albans into a market-leading mini and midi coach provider. Andy Izatt talks to him Frustrated by difficulties finding reliable drivers, Roger wound his operation down in the late 1970s/early 1980s to just one coach that he drove himself. Greg recalled how his father felt it put him in control of service delivery and how he could make more money that way than with a larger fleet. In the mid-1980s Roger gave up coaching all together, focussing on property renovation instead, but in 1989 returned to the industry, buying a high-top wheelchairaccessible Ford Transit that he drove on a Hertfordshire County Council school contract.

Greg was a semi-professional footballer at

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the time. When his father bought a second wheelchair-accessible Transit for another contract, he used to drive that for him. The business started to grow again, focussed on special needs transport and by the mid-1990s around half a dozen Transits were operated.

There was also a Dodge that was christened the Brink’s-Mat because it looked like a bullion van. A 16-seater, it could be configured to accommodate up to four wheelchairs. Renault Masters were to be acquired as well.

No longer playing serious football, Greg was working in the business full-time and in the late

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1990s, his father bought a 1993 18-seat Toyota Optimo for him to drive. “I loved the shape of it, but it had a horrible gearbox,” recalled Greg. “It had loads of punctures. We were successful with our contracts. They paid well and we had a good name with the council, but it was a chance to try and develop private hire.”

The fleet grew to around a dozen minibuses.

White’s was an early user of eBay, which is indirectly how it came to own a rare CVE Omni.

It was required for a contract where up to five wheelchair-bound passengers needed to be accommodated using webbing tie-down restraints, not just floor clamps. “What I liked about the Omni was that it didn’t have a wheelchair lift, just a ramp at the back,” recalled Greg. “It was another vehicle that I liked the shape of. It was different and it was reliable. We earned a lot of money using it.”

When acquired, the Omni wasn’t a PSV, but RTM of Markyate, contracted to undertake White’s maintenance at that time, brought it up to the required standard. Taking on work for BUPA care homes required something larger and a Mellor-bodied Iveco 59.12 24-seater that could also be reconfigured for eight wheelchairs was also acquired.

Some hard lessons

Roger had remained in charge of the business, but in 2002 died after a battle with cancer that had lasted several years. Maureen continued, and continues to provide support, but not only did Greg lose his father, he also had to deal with the consequences of a visit from VOSA, bringing home some of the hard realities of running a PSV operation. “We needed to start passing MOTs first time, we had a poor MOT pass rate,” he simply explained.

As well as having an O-licence, some of White’s vehicles come under taxi private hire licensing. In the current fleet that’s two Chassis

Greg White has clearly focussed his business on the corporate market in recent years

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Developments Ford Transits, a LDV Maxus and a very low mileage beautifully-appointed Mercedes-Benz Viano. Greg has had his fair share of frustrations and problems with his local authority licensing department, so chose some time ago to have his vehicles registered with Three Rivers District Council based in Rickmansworth. It involves some administrative niceties, but he considers the advantages to far outweigh the minor inconvenience. He deplores the lack of common sense shown by some and the absence of a common private hire licensing standard.

A landmark acquisition for the business in 2005 was a new 16-seat Elite-converted Iveco Daily from Willenhall-based Holloway Commercials. The specification included forced air ventilation and blue night lights. It’s a vehicle that got White’s noticed and attracted additional private hire bookings.

The bedrock of the business continued to be special needs school transport for Hertfordshire County Council, so it was a real setback when a contract for two PSV minibuses was lost after 13 years continuous operation. “I was devastated at the time,” recalled Greg. “We were friends with everyone – with the school head and all our clients. We had readily taken on extra passengers without charging the local authority more. The school made a special presentation to me in assembly. One of the teachers had painted a beautiful picture of me with my parents, without doubt the nicest gesture I have ever received. I decided then that our future wasn’t going to depend on Hertfordshire County Council. There was no point spending a penny more than I had to on council vehicles.”

A fresh focus

Over the years Greg has got to know Danny McGee (now of EVM) and Alan White (now of Minis to Midis), two leading industry figures.

While he might not always agree with them, he has the utmost respect for both and always listens carefully to what they have to say. Both Danny and Alan’s willingness to supply the bespoke vehicles Greg wants, enabled him to find a new focus for White’s, taking it to the leading position it’s in today in the corporate travel market.

The mould-breaking vehicle that started that process was the Mercedes-Benz Vario-based coachbuilt Esker Riada GT – now the UNVI GTR. While working for Esker, Alan had talked about selling Greg a Mercedes-Benz Vario Esker Riada 815, but tipped him off that something special was on the way and when Greg first saw the Riada GT he felt there had never been a more beautifully-designed midi coach, an opinion he still holds. “I was blown away by it,” he recalled.

“I paid £103,600 for my first in 2008. I sold it four and half years later for £70,000. That says it all. It’s got the wow factor.”

The 29-seater was specially registered with

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MINIBUS PROFILE › WHITE’S OF ST ALBANS appropriate G1WSA and it is a re�lection of how Greg has developed his business that he now owns most of the registration numbers up to G11WSA as his frontline �leet has developed. In 2008 around 90% of White’s work was local authority contracts, 10% private hire. Now it’s the other way round with last of the local authority school contracts expiring next July. Greg won’t be retendering. “The red tape coupled with the low pro�it margins mean you need to run a hundred vehicles to make it pay,” he said.

Refocusing the business started with revising the website and developing relationships with respected established London operators such as Wings Luxury Travel of Uxbridge and specialist chauffeur hire companies. As Greg expected, his Riada GT didn’t do a lot of work in its �irst year, but that started to change as his reputation for delivering reliability and quality service became more widely recognised. The number of bookings started to build.

Securing a staff transport contract for a Hat�ield company justi�ied investment in an Esker 16-seat Sprinter 515 conversion. That work lasted several years and the vehicle was later sold to the same operator that was to later buy the Riada GT, AC Travel of Hampshire.

A four-year-old 22-seat Esker Riada-bodied

Inside the Euro 6 Sprinter EVM X-Clusive 11-seat showing the spacious nature of the interior Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 616 was acquired from MCH Coaches, Uxbridge. Painted white, Greg had it re-sprayed silver, the livery he was establishing for his frontline vehicles. To help reinforce the corporate feel, �leet livery is no longer carried. There’s just a discreet ‘W’ on the rear.

Duo�lex re-trimmed the Sprinter 616’s moquette-covered seats in leather. It’s still in the �leet, has a regular contract and is still smart enough to provide backup to more

modern vehicles. “It can’t do top end work now, but it’s still good for an all-day hire in London,” said Greg. “It has been excellent. It’s a shame that Mercedes-Benz stopped making the six-tonne Sprinter.”

A 58-plate Optare Soroco was acquired through Alan in 2009. A 19-seater with a smaller boot, Greg had it down seated to 16 with two tables for better legroom. Again the seats were re-trimmed in leather by Duo�lex.

It was replaced in early 2012 by a Mercedes-

The second of two EVM X-Clusive 11-seat conversions is on a Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

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Benz Sprinter UNVI Vega GT conversion bought outright without finance from Alan. That had 16 Politecnica Grand Rally seats and remains in the fleet.

A rare vehicle acquired in 2011 was a short wheelbase Riada GT Mercedes-Benz Vario, one of two stock vehicles built the previous year.

Again it came from Alan and had 16 big Fainsa America VIP seats. A pair of wooden tables have been replaced with Corian units, the colour of which co-ordinates particularly well with the rest of the interior. “It was an absolute bargain,” recalled Greg about the vehicle’s purchase. “It was painted silver, just as I would have wanted it. It had the wow factor and we’re lucky to have it.”

Later the same year Greg took delivery of a new example of the successor to the Riada GT, an UNVI GTR based on a Mercedes-Benz Vario 818. It was the last to be built as a 29-seater.

The Politecnica Relax GTV seats were fitted with ‘all heights’ free flow seat belt guiders, centre armrests and were attractively trimmed in black and grey virtual leather incorporating the UNVI

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Refining the proposition

coachandbusweek

Ever careful to listen to customers and passengers, Greg constantly strives to refine and enhance what he offers. A strong message was that people want more space. As a consequence, the 29-seat UNVI GTR can be down seated to 21 with four tables and when he turned to Alan for another GTR at the end of 2012, it was specified with just 22 Politecnica Trans Europa Express seats that are 500mm wide.

“If I wanted to do more top work I needed to make people more comfortable,” Greg explained. “I asked Alan if I could have a

Greg has replaced the tables in the short wheelbase Riada GT with Corian units

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logo. Grey suede covered the sidewalls and there were grey full draw curtains.

By early 2012 the frontline fleet had grown to six – the original Esker Riada GT and newly delivered UNIVI GTR, the short wheelbase Riada GT, the UNVI Vega GT, Esker 16-seat Sprinter 515 conversion and the Riada-bodied Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 616. The council contract fleet still accounted for around another dozen vehicles.

A rare vehicle is Greg’s short wheelbase Riada GT Mercedes-Benz Vario 16-seater

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two plus one seating configuration with an offset aisle and he went ahead and did it. I’m really happy with it.” A refinement Greg will incorporate in a similar layout in the future is that the double seats will have a consul between them, just to give passengers that little extra space and make it possible to see between the seats.

The 16 seat VIP GT and the 22-seat GTR have proved particularly popular for private jet transfers, whether its crew or passengers.

Greg was delighted when he overheard one air hostess saying: “Someone has finally bought a vehicle that reflects what we need.”

Sufficiently encouraged, he talked to Danny McGee in early 2013 about supplying a Sprinter 516 automatic conversion with 11 seats in a one by one configuration. The result was a stunning EVM X-Clusive conversion with a three-piece glass roof and colour co-ordinated beige interior with 500mm-wide Brusa Extend VIP recliners in leather. Chocolate coloured piping and wood effect flooring under the seats adds an extra touch of refinement to a vehicle that aims to replicate the ambiance of those private aircraft.

Yes, beige shows marks, but Greg pointed out that if necessary, a seat can always be recovered.

What he has learnt is that it’s worth offering those little extra refinements. Customers notice and appreciate them, and that’s what helps to distinguish his vehicles from the competition.

The 11-seater was an instant success. When he had another Euro 6 example built by EVM this year, it had an additional feature – an ‘ambulance’ air suspension fitted to the rear axle. It softens the ride in a vehicle that with just 11 seats is that little bit lighter loaded than the norm even with a full complement of passengers. “The air suspension cost £2,500 more, but it has been worth every penny,” said Greg. “It’s amazing the difference it has made.

That’s far more important than having a bigger engine, for example.”

Extended seat options

“As soon as I had one 11-seater, I needed another,” said Greg. “Now I’ve asked Danny to build me a 10-seater in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 316. It will have four Brusa seats across the back, then three, then two and one next to the driver. I should have it by April. It will cost £30,000 less than an 11-seater. We work for three or four agencies in London that organise tours for visiting extended families and it will be ideal for them. Groups of six and seven will be fine in it. The Viano can’t accommodate the luggage.”

The 10-seater is not the only new vehicle on order. Also expected in April is a 10.8m DAFpowered Irizar i6 integral that will have 38 leather seats, a rear floor mounted toilet, Corian servery, coffee machine, large fridge and WiFi. Greg was greatly impressed by the Ellisons Travel of St Helens vehicle displayed at Euro

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MINIBUS PROFILE › WHITE’S OF ST ALBANS Bus Expo and has found people at Irizar UK, particularly Steve O’Neill straightforward to deal with.

Always looking to offer new options, Greg took delivery of a 37-seat Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Atego-based UNVI Touring GT just before Euro Bus Expo where it was displayed by the Spanish bodybuilder. Licensed as a 41-seater, capacity has been reduced to accommodate a midfloor mounted servery finished in Corian and installed by AD Coach Systems.

“A couple of the Chauffeur companies I deal with kept asking whether I had anything bigger than 29 seats,” said Greg. “They were getting numerous enquiries for 30-35 seats so I had a look at the market to see what was available.

Both Alan and Danny said that the 15-tonne Atego was an established product and the UNVI Touring had been successful.

“I have a close working relationship with Ellisons so I took advice from them as well.

That’s why I had four Corian-finished tables made and the Touring GT can be down seated to 29 with them installed. When it’s configured that way, I think the interior looks a little like a mini Neoplan Starliner. The Corian finish looks a million dollars. I also wanted Brusa seats, so we have Create 120s with the side-shift mechanism so passengers can have a little extra room.

Durabrite alloys on the four visible wheels add that little extra to the exterior look. The Touring GT is as busy as any of my other vehicles.

“Although I use Wrightsure, I do shop around for insurance and finance,” he continued.

“It’s important to do that as people can take advantage. I don’t expect the best deal, but I do expect to be treated fairly just as I like to be fair with my customers. I’ve made best use of the investment allowances that the government has made available when buying vehicles. That gives me back 20% that I can set against our tax bill. Yes, I have to pay back 20% when I sell the vehicle, but paying back 20% of say £80,000 is less than saving 20% of £230,000.”

Aware that the allowance will be massively reduced next year, Greg has plans to acquire another vehicle although he’s not made a decision yet on what it will be. What he’s looking for is something with 15 to 18 VIP seats in a two by one configuration and with a servery and toilet at the rear. It’s to replace the highly regarded short wheelbase Riada GT. “I don’t want it looking like a full-size coach,” he said. “I want something that looks like a mini coach, but people still say wow when they see it.”

Tightly run operation

Greg runs the business pretty much on his own, although his mother Maureen takes calls at her home and he hopes that next year, wife Danielle will take on some of the administration, to allow Greg to be a frontline driver in peak season.

The frontline fleet now numbers nine in a 16-vehicle operation. While he has no interest

This Mercedes-Benz Atego-based UNVI Touring GT was delivered just before Euro Bus Expo

A mid-floor mounted servery in the Touring GT has reduced seating capacity to 37 in continuing to work for the local authority, he does have four private school contracts and would like to slightly develop that side of the business.

In recent years all White’s maintenance requirements have been fulfilled by GB Fleet Maintenance, the standalone business run

by Paul Murdoch and associated with Golden Boy of Hoddesdon. “For all the hassle and inconvenience of getting there (Hoddesdon is several junctions on the M25 away from St Albans), I wouldn’t swop it for anything,” said Greg. “They’re flawless. They answer the phone on Sundays and that’s priceless. The paperwork is impeccable. Unless it’s something like a bulb needing changing when we use a garage in London Colney, they do everything.”

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“I’m good at paperwork and figures, not mechanical things, but I’m really particular about paintwork. Any scuffs and they’re straight to the painters. The wheels have Dura-Brite or Euroliners trims so I don’t tolerate any kerbing.

“My staff are paid significantly more than drivers elsewhere,” he explained. “They have to be better. We turn away plenty of work because of the size of the fleet. It could be bigger, but it’s impossible getting the right people. Punctuality is everything so they’re paid by the hour. I guarantee them a certain amount of hours each week. I know my people are great because I ask clients and the Blue Badge guides that we use what they think. If I could have 20 more of them that would be amazing but they are very hard to find!”

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MINIBUS PROFILE › WHITE’S OF ST ALBANS

The UNVI Vega GT Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that replaced an Optare Soroco in 2012 While in exceptional circumstances they go further afield, Greg likes to keep his vehicles local and in London. “I don’t want to do long distance work,” he said. “That’s when things go wrong.” He related the story of a pick up at Gatwick Airport that was due to take place at 1630hrs on a Friday.

“His vehicle left St Albans at 1130hrs. By 1500hrs it had only got as far as the M3 junction on the M25 motorway. He knew the client well and a solution was found, but White’s is no longer prepared to do Gatwick runs during the daytime week because traffic conditions are so unpredictable.

“I had a driver that took seven hours getting to Manchester on a Friday,” he added. “In the end I had to leave him there for a full weekend so he could do the return on Sunday. Sometimes it’s just better not to do the job. There’s always someone else who can do it. Being able to provide late availability is a key aspect of this business. I have a pool of people I can draw on if I need to.”

Challenges and opportunities

Greg is the first to acknowledge the challenges of operating in London. “I’m a cyclist myself, but cyclists in London are a joke,” he said. “They try overtaking on the inside when I’m indicating that I’m turning left and then moan about it

when they almost get crushed. They ride in a ridiculous manner.

“Coach parking in London is a disgrace. Where are drivers supposed to take tacho breaks? With a warden you have half a chance to maybe get 10 minutes grace, but not with a camera. You don’t even get 30 seconds. I fight every one of the tickets we get and there’s only one that I’ve

‘We’ve made best use of the vehicle investment allowances that the government has made available’

not managed to have overturned. What annoys me is that the councils issuing them have nothing to lose. It costs them nothing. If they had to compensate us if they’re rescinded, they wouldn’t do it. I just want to say, let’s go straight to appeal.

“Our drivers must be punctual, but our passengers don’t always appear just when we want them to. Sometimes we have to wait for three or four minutes. There’s no grace or

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understanding out there.

“I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket,” he concluded. “I’ve got 20-30 really good clients – half a dozen fantastic ones. I’m careful where I spend my money. We have our own internal system for bookings and administration. We very rarely make mistakes. There isn’t GPS in the vehicles. Maybe it’s something that I should consider, but I can always phone a driver if I need to know where he or she is. That all means my overheads are kept low.

“When I drove that first Riada GT home from Esker at Worksop I had butterflies in my stomach. It was that much of a head turner. I’ve never had that sensation again.

“Our turnover has doubled since 2009 and profit is greatly increased. Our reputation means we can charge more, but I can only do that with the right vehicles and staff. It’s all about the overall package we offer. Buying the Irizar underlines that as a business we don’t want to stand still.

“Having a family focuses you. I want my children to have the better things in life and my wife and I have nice holidays, but there is a price. Vehicles have to be kept on the road and sometimes I need to go to GB Fleet Maintenance at midnight to collect one. On Christmas Day I’ll be driving an airport transfer, at double the normal cost of course!” n

www.coachandbusweek.com

15/12/2014 11:46

THE BEST WEBSITE FOR BUYING AND SELLING VEHICLES OVER 65,000 AD-VIEWS AND over 8,500 visitors in november STATITSICS FROM GOOGLE ANALYTICS november 2014

Operators - advertise your vehicles for sale on coachandbusmarket.com from just 35p per day with a Market Unlimited package for ÂŁ129 +VAT per year.

Unlimited online vehicle-for-sale advertisements on coachandbusmarket.com Up to 4 per week of 5x1 print advertisements in Coach&BusWeek magazine Half price recruitment ads in Coach&BusWeek magazine 3 annual digital subscriptions to coachandbusweek.com

Call: 01733 2932 47

Dealers - advertise your stock with a tailor-made package that suits your needs.

Contact gemma.ireland@coachandbusmarket.com or call 01733 293247 to discuss how we can help you sell your vehicles.

Buy and sell vehicles on

Numbers Weekly 3.indd 1

01/12/2014 17:04:39

p52_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 10:52 Page 52

2011 Bova Futura Classic FHD

2011 Volvo B9 Plaxton Panther

ZF auto, 12m, 49 seats + courier + driver, lap belts, sat-nav, centre toilet, power continental door, A/C, 2 monitors, radio/PA, CD, DVD, on board vacuum, LEZ compliant, Euro 4, MOT March, 195,387 km.

Automatic, 12.8m, 61 seats + courier + driver, power entrance door, 3 point seat belts, rear continental door, radio/P/A, CD player, air-con, LEZ compliant, MOT September 2015, 157,519 km.

2009 Bova Futura HD

1998 Bova Futura FHD

Automatic, 12.7m, 53/55 seats + courier + driver, power entrance door, lap belts, centre sunken WC, centre continental door, radio/PA, DVD, 2 monitors, boiler & fridge, air-con, LEZ compliant, MOT May 2015, 432,569 km.

Manual, 12.2m, 70 Cogent seats + driver + courier, curtains, air conditioning, 3 point belts, double glazing, MOT Aug 2015, mileage 742,541 km.

£POA

£POA

£POA

£POA

Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501

Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501

Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501

Moseley Distributors Ltd Tel: 01236 750501

2003/03 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI UVG Treka

2002/02 Mercedes 814 Vario Plaxton Beaver 2

2008/08 LDV Maxus 3.5T 95 LWB (euromotive) Welfare

17 seater, welfare/accessible, Sprintshift, front entry, power door, COIF, tacho, MOT, 160,000kms, very good all round order.

29 seater, automatic, tacho, big MOT, power door, 283k.

6 seater, internal AMF-Bruns chair lift, full tracking, Eberspacher, AVS, A/C, 103K.

£7,450 + VAT

£11,950 + VAT

£6,495 + VAT

B&L Coaches 0208 363 8572 or 07971 785390

B&L Coaches 0208 363 8572 or 07971 785390

B&L Coaches 0208 363 8572 or 07971 785390

2012 Mercedes Benz Sprinter

2009 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 515

New EVM Sprinter

Automatic, graphite grey, power door, panoramic roof & windows, privacy glass, coach rear end, large drop boot, 16 leather seats, 15 monitor + DVD player, Euroliners, 3 point seat belts, air con front & rear, 100,000 miles, coolbox, MOT Oct 15.

Manual gearbox, 252,000 miles, white, manual entry door, double rear doors, large drop boot, full draw curtains, 16 moquette seats, air con front & rear, luggage racks.

17 high back seats in Automotive trim, 3 point seat belts, Euro 6, manual gearbox, metallic silver, saloon sliding door, air-con, colour coded bumpers and trim, 3 year Mercedes Benz UK warranty.

2009 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Minicoach

16 moquette seats, automatic, manual entry as well as saloon sliding door, luggage racks, full drawn curtains, double rear doors, monitor/DVD.

£45,000 + VAT

£25,000 + VAT

£40,000

£28,500 + VAT

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

52 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

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p53_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 10:53 Page 53

www.coachandbusmarket.com

VEHICLES

2010 (59) Scania Omni

2003 (53) Volvo B12M

51 seats executive, full auto, air con, long or new MOT on sale, part exchange considered for 33 seat mini coach or 70 seat school coach.

51/53 seat executive, WC, AC, Berkoff, LEZ, MOT 12/11/14, excellent condition.

NOW £44,000 – MAY CONSIDER PX

£127,500 ono

Peakes Coaches – 07773 793239

Volvo Double Decker

77 seats, full MOT until June 2015. £3,500 + VAT

2000 Neoplan Starliner N513 Tourer

16 seats, PSV’d till March, 6 speed, Elite conversion, forced air, rear seats on quick release tracking, as new inside and out, 120K miles, COIF, digital tacho.

£16,500 + VAT – MAY PX

60 leather seats, comfort shift, resprayed, PSVD & seatbelt cert, toilet with hand dryer, sink, 3 x TVs, satnav, DVD, fridge, air con, electric sunroof, alloys.

01884 252646 / 07702 626542 Kingdoms Tours Ltd

01404 47502/07790 966667 parnell-coaches@supanet.com

Call Carl on 00353 86857 0885

1998 Dennis Javelin Caetano Cutless

2002 Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer 10.1m

2003 Dennis Trident Alexander

27 seats + 30 standees, Hanover LED. £8,500 + VAT Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

62 seats + 20 standees, Cummins euro 1V / ZF. £15,500 + VAT – CHOICE Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

2009 (59) ADL Enviro 200 8.9m

1996 Caetano Optimo

Recent 70 seat conversion (not Cogent), manual gearbox, 11 months MOT, ideal contract vehicle, excellent fuel economy, sale due to fleet upgrade.

Possible px for 33 seater or newer coach.

£15,000 + VAT

0115 940 4466

Wilkins Travel 01639 852600 wilkinstravel@hotmail.co.uk

2002 Bova Futura

2002 Iveco Beaulas

DAF engine, air conditioned, twin monitors, DVD, toilet, boiler, fridge, Eminox-LEZ, 49 seats, green cloth trim, manual gearbox, ready to go, MOT March 2015.

2008 Mercedes Sprinter 311 CDI

£24,000 NO OFFERS

Automatic gearbox, air conditioned,

• 18 seats

twin monitors, DVD, toilet, boiler, fridge,

• MOT January 2015

£40,000 + VAT

£25,000 + VAT

L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622

L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622

29 seats + 17 standees, Cummins euro 4, Mobitec destination, fully DDA compliant, CCTV cameras, 12 months MOT. £59,750 + VAT Southdown PSV 01342 711840 email: bussales@southdownpsv.co.uk www.southdownpsv.co.uk

2003 Volvo B12M Jonckheere Euro 3

59 plate Ford Transit

2009 Iveco Plaxton Panther

1998 DAF SB3000

48 x 3 point belted seats + crew, air con, saloon mounted WC, rear continental door, MOT November 2014. £POA – NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED

17 seats, full MOT until September 2015, great runner and clean inside. £7,950 + VAT

ZF auto, 61 seats, Euro 5, A/C, 3 point seat belts, crew seat, reverse camera, huge locker space, Webasto, good condition, MOT April 2015.

13 berths sleeper coach, static AC/heating, 240v, normal band bus stuff, towbar, MOT Feb 2015, good condition for age.

Nigel McCree - 07817 542113

2002 Volvo B12B Berkhof Axial

46/50 reclining blue/red patterned seats, white re-spray, air con, toilet, Webasto, fridge, TV/DVD, PA, new MOT. £25,000 + VAT

01245 401541 / 07792 627364 www.coachandbusweek.com

49 seats, Euro 3, MOT March 15.

• Good runner

£3,500 + VAT

L.J. Edwards Coach Hire 07974 369570 / 01323 440622

£00,000 + VAT

£9,500 + VAT

0115 940 4466

01487 843333 / 07834 97751 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk

01487 843333 / 07834 97751 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk

2007 Ford Transit LWB

Volvo B12B Sleeper

2002 MAN Ayats Bravo 1

ZF auto, 14 berth sleeper, Euro 4 LEZ, static AC/heating, 240v, alloy wheels, normal band bus stuff! MOT June 2015, good condition for age.

16 Berth sleeper, static A/C heating, 240v, TV/DVD, toilet, normal band bus stuff, MOT July 2015.

Wheelchair accessible, 40,000 miles, FSH, blue with grey interior.

Choice of two vehicles.

£12,000 + VAT

£19,500 + VAT

£29,500 + VAT

Crystals Coaches Ltd Tel: 07971 000111

01487 843333 / 07834 97751 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk

01487 843333 / 07834 97751 david@sunfunholidays.co.uk

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 53

p54_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 13:57 Page 54

VEHICLES

Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com MAN 14.220 MCV EVOLUTION 2005/05 & 55 REG 40 SEATS + 21 STANDING 3 POINT BELTS, DDA CERT

7HO

CHOICE OF 2 FROM £24,950 INC SINGLE COLOUR REPAINT

www.staffordbuscentre.com Tel: 01782 791774 07803 222552 staffordbus@btconnect.com

2002 52 reg Volvo B12B Jonckheere Mistral 50

ZF auto, 53 seats, air-con, monitor, radio, fridge, alloy wheels, RPC/LEZ compliant, MOT February 2015, taxed Sept 2014, good condition.

2006 Transit Tourneo

2004 Dennis Tridents

2009 Iveco Beulas

£28,000 + VAT

55 seats on 2 axles, LEZ Compliant, 12.7m, 1 owner since new, full exec, MOT March 2015, in daily use, choice of 2. £78,500 +VAT ono

Diamond Coaches 01243 870010 / 07711 868976

Travelsure 01668 219291 / 07919 215905

1998 Mercedes Sprinter

2004 Iveco Beulas

15 seats, front entry, Mellor conversion, MOT 16/5/14, very good condition, with tail lift.

£ 3,700

1998 Iveco 40 / 10 15 seats, front entry, MOT 22/8/14, very good condition.

£ 2,500 9 seater, tax till Jan, will have new MOT, 190,000 miles, runs well, front and rear air-con, tow bar. £3,500 + VAT

Hailstone Travel Ltd 0845 388 3848

Optare Solo Slimline

Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, LEZ compliant, DDA compliant, Alexander ALX400 bodies, dual door 67 seats or single door 77 seats. £POA

1995 Iveco 49 / 10 19 seats, front entry, power door, MOT 13/1/15, very good condition.

£ 3,000 Kingdoms Tours Ltd

Auto, 51 seat executive coach, WC, DVD, A/C, drinks boiler, fridge, etc, in exceptional condition for age, MOT July 2014.

£34,500 ono + VAT

EnsignBus 01708 865656

01884 252646 / 07702 626542

Tel 01249 742000/07717 768315

3 x 2005 Mercedes Vario welfare buses

2007 Mercedes 515 Sprinter

2006 Renault Master PCV

Auto, CD/radio, electric windows & mirrors, remote locking, automatic glass door, Webasto a/c & heating system, custom boot area, service history, MOT May 2015, local charity run bus.

15 seats, 69,500 miles, automatic, one previous owner.

£8,995 + VAT

Crystals Coaches Ltd Tel: 07971 000111

• PLS wheelchair lifts • Long MOTs • PCV’d

Mercedes engine, 3 point seat belts, low floor, wheelchair access and tacho. Sale due to loss of contracts.

£20,000

These are above average condition with low mileage and any inspection is welcome at our Livingston Depot. £10,250 each o.n.o.

gillandersabbeycars@yahoo.co.uk

E&M Horsburgh Ltd Call Brian Martin - 01506 432251

2006 Volvo B12M Plaxton

2004 Mercedes Sitcar Beluga

2012 Ford Transit ELWB

29 seater plus courier, arm rests, seat belts and reclining seats, A/C, entertainment/PA system, excellent example of year.

6 speed manual gearbox, ABS with EBD brakes, PAS, radio/CD player with steering column controls, heated front windscreen, front air con.

53 reclining seats, 3 point belts, air con, WC, TV etc, PLS lift, tracking for 4 wheelchairs, MOT Oct, this coach can be painted in to your livery.

£87,500 + VAT o.n.o.

Tel Adrian – 07717 768315

Colin Hill – 01579 382826

£8,250 NO VAT

2006 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDi

Luxury minicoach, 17 seats incl. driver, Excel conversion, COIF/PSV.

£POA

£16,995

£18,995

Cannon Bus 07436 536259 wcannon@btconnect.com

Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111

Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111

54 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

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www.coachandbusmarket.com

VEHICLES Ford Transit 17 seat minibus

WANTED MERCEDES COACHES

Scania Irizar Century K114

1999 to present year,16 to 35 seats, finance settled, with or without MOT, accident damage etc.

CONTACT TIM FOR AN IMMEDIATE DECISION

Immaculate condition throughout, in-dash air conditioning, recent new clutch and flywheel.

Tel: 01404 47502 / 07790 966667 Email: parnell-coaches@supanet.com

2002 Scania Irizar K114

49 exec, W.C., A.C., 7 speed C-Shift, MOT 21/5/15, excellent condition.

£11,500

53 seats (no toilet) ZF auto. 480,000 km. Good tyres, good condition, ready for work. LEZ Eminox exhaust, recent service. Sale due to purchase of another coach.

£46,000

keith.cabincoaches@gmail.com

Cabin Coaches Tel: 07725 252402

1999 MAN Marcopolo 18.310

2006 Citroen Relay

2006 VW LT35 TDi

6 speed manual, ideal 70 seater conversion vehicle, recent new gear cables and recon gearbox, no MOT but 95% prepared, unfortunately it has four misted side windows.

Wheelchair accessible, 17,500 miles, one previous owner, MOT Apr, Eberspacher heater, Ricon walk-thru tail lift.

Wheelchair accessible, 64,000 miles, one owner, FSH, white with grey interior.

Choice of four vehicles.

NOW £37,000

£POA

£8,500 + VAT

£7,800 + VAT

Kingdoms Tours Ltd 01884 252646 / 07702 626542

Wilkins Travel 01639 852600 wilkinstravel@hotmail.co.uk

Crystals Coaches Ltd Tel: 07971 000111

Crystals Coaches Ltd Tel: 07971 000111

Volvo B10M

Volvo B10M

Volvo B10M

Volvo B7R

55 seats, two available. £POA

53 seats, several M reg coaches available. £POA

57 seats. £POA

55 seats. £POA

Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com

Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com

Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com

Howard Snaith - 01830 520609 howardsnaith@btconnect.com

2005 Volkswagen

New Mercedes 513

10 Reg VW Crafter CR50

2006 Volvo B12M

Low floor disabled access vehicle, suitable for wheelchair-bound and able bodied passengers.

16 + driver high back seats, rear leaf spring suspension, sliding door, 6 speed gearbox, luggage pen, courier seat, air con, roof vent, electric windows, central locking, steering wheel controls, electric side step, Ad Blue, radio, SD card slot/USB, digital tacho.

Auto, PAS, LWB, O & H conversion, side loading door & step, 16 high back seats plus driver, m2 tracked floor, Ratcliff underfloor tail lift, tacho, 40,827 miles.

51/53 seat executive, WC, AC, auto, Berkoff LEZ, MOT 12/11/14, excellent condition.

NOW £65,000

£6,000 – 2 AVAILABLE

£POA

P.O.A.

Lewis Coaches Ltd 02476 449944

Blythswood Motors 0141 889 9730

H.W. Pickrell – 01268 521033

01884 252646 / 07702 626542 Kingdoms Tours Ltd

2006 ADL East Lancs Esteem

2001 Scania L94UB Wright

2004 Dennis Enviro 300 Service Bus

2013 Volkswagen Transporter

25 seats, automatic, air con, manual front and back destination, electric middle ramp, CCTV cameras, assault screen, LEZ compliant.

44 seats, automatic ZF gearbox, LED front, side & rear destination, front manual ramp.

8 seats, manual gearbox, air conditioning, 3 point inertia seat belts, plain silver with no previous livery. £21,500

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

£POA

£12,995

44 seats, automatic gearbox, LED front, side & rear destinationm front manual ramp, DDA compliant, MOT until May 2015. £24,995

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

Ventura Sales 01342 835206

www.coachandbusweek.com

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 55

p56_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 15:01 Page 56

VEHICLES

Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com

1999 Dennis Dart SLF

MAN 14280 or Mercedes Benz 1524L Unvi Touring

MERCEDES 616 CDI SLF BUS

2006 06 REG UP TO 15 SEATS AND 3 X WHEELCHAIRS, COIF, EX LOCAL AUTHORITY SO VERY NICE, HIGH SPEC, CHOICE OF 2.

£17,950 33 seats + 19 standees, MOT July 2015, choice of 3.

www.staffordbuscentre.com

Tel: 01782 791774 07803 222552 staffordbus@btconnect.com

£6,995 + VAT

Andy.Bates@chalkwell.co.uk Tel: 01795 423982

Seating up to 43 passengers, air conditioning, double glazing, continental door, 7.7m2 luggage capacity, DVD & monitor, courier seat.

£POA

Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010

2008 LDV Maxus 3900 2.5CDI

2009 Ford Transit T430 2.4TDCI

2010 Ford Transit T430 2.4TDCI

2012 Ford Transit T430 2.2TDCI

105PS, 17 seat Minibus, twin side doors, CD Player, electric mirrors & windows, power steering, remote locking, Certificate of Conformity.

100PS rwd 17 seat minibus, digital tachograph, side door, CD Player, electric windows, power steering, remote locking.

115PS rwd LWB 17 seat minibus, side door, electric windows, CD Player, power steering, remote locking, six speed gearbox, digital tachograph.

135PS rwd LWB 17 seat minibus, side door, electric windows, CD Player, power steering, remote locking, six speed gearbox, digital tachograph.

£4,500 (Guide price)

£9,500 (Guide price)

£11,500 (Guide price)

£12,500 (Guide price)

www.auctioneers.co.uk Tel: 01685 377818

www.auctioneers.co.uk Tel: 01685 377818

www.auctioneers.co.uk Tel: 01685 377818

www.auctioneers.co.uk Tel: 01685 377818

1992 Setra 215 HD

2001 Setra 315 GTHD

Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CDI Unvi Vega EX

2009 Iveco Library Bus

53 seats, MAN engine, MOT Nov 2015.

49 seats, full executive, Merc V8, LEZ compliant, MOT Apr 2015 .

19 passenger seats, air conditioning, double glazed panoramic windows, large rear boot, radio/CD/PA system, manual or automatic gearbox option, electric power door.

Euro 5, superb example, as new, all keys and manuals, only 29,000 miles warranted, direct council, viewing on site in Manchester.

£5,000 ono

£28,000 ono

£POA

£25,000 o.n.o.

Call Ken – Belle Coaches 01728 830414/07887 898425

Call Ken – Belle Coaches 01728 830414/07887 898425

Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010

Tel: 0161 223 3882 juliej@stoodley.co.uk

2000 Dennis Dart

2004 Mercedes 814 Vario 24 seater

2005 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI

2009 Levante

16 seats, air con, mood lighting, LEZ compliant, PSV MOT, COIF, extended rear, huge boot, superb condition, one owner, alarm, reverse sensors etc.

D L O

S

Boot, COIF, PSV MOT, great runner, manual, the usual exellent reliability and great fuel economy, slam door.

£11,500 + VAT – MAY PX

£14,750 + VAT

National Express specification, disabled access lift, Alcolock, automatic, reclining seats with leather trim, air con, washroom, powered lockers, radio & PA, air-suspension driver’s seat.

Chepstow Classic Buses chepstowclassic@btconnect.com

01404 47502/07790 966667 parnell-coaches@supanet.com

01404 47502/07790 966667 parnell-coaches@supanet.com

Lewis Coaches Ltd 02476 449944

2005 Scania K114 Berkhof Axial

2001 Mercedes 814D

2005 (55 reg) Mercedes Vario 814 LWB

2004 Mercedes Sprinter 311D Traveliner LWB

19 reclining seats, quality conversion, air-con, large boot, LEZ compliant Euro 4, 281,000km, FSH, owned from new, MOT Nov 2015.

16 seats, LEZ compliant, 161,000km, PSV MOT Sept 2015, analogue tacho, good reliable coach in good condition.

Low floor, seating capacity 30 including driver. £3,500 + VAT

12.8 metre, 55 seat executive, automatic, air con, centre sunken WC, clean & tidy. £50,000 + VAT

Nigel McCree - 07817 542113

27 seats with 3-point belts, RPC, manual, MOT April 2015.

£89,000 – 2 AVAILABLE

£14,950 + VAT

£18,950 + VAT

£6,595 + VAT

Andy.Bates@chalkwell.co.uk 01795 423982

Rainham Coach Co Ltd, Kent 01634 852020/07850 657653

Rainham Coach Co Ltd, Kent 01634 852020/07850 657653

56 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

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p57_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 11:00 Page 57

www.coachandbusmarket.com

VEHICLES

2000 MAN VanHool EOS 90

Mercedes Benz UNVI Touring

48 reclining seats plus courier, WC/washroom, double glazed windows, forced-air ventilation, radio/CD and PA system, clean condition, MOT Jan, 640,000 kms.

Atego chassis, air suspension, 41 Esteban Ergos seats with 3 pt belts, in Holdsworth moquette, courier seat, air con, double glazed, radio/CD/PA, large luggage capacity, new test.

£21,500

£POA

Coachtraders - 01501 744000

2001 MAN Neoplan

Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CD Unvi Vega GT

Mercedes Benz Sprinter 516 CDI Unvi Vega LUX

18 passenger seats, air conditioning, double glazing, manual or automatic gearbox option, radio/CD/PA system with microphone, large rear luggage boot plus side locker, reversing camera.

16 passenger seats, air con, double glazed large panoramic windows, large rear luggage boot, radio/CD/PA system with microphone, manual or automatic gearbox, electric powered entrance door.

£POA

£POA

Coachtraders - 01501 744000

Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010

Taylors Coach Sales Tel: 01638 780010

2006 Scania Irizar Century

1995 Scania K113 VanHool Alizee

New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516cdi

Auto, one year’s MOT, 49 seats: new 70 Cogent seats on order and the conversion will be carried out shortly, so pick your own trim.

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

£90,000 + VAT Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

£17,000 Milligans Coach Travel 01290 550365

19 seats, power door, panoramic d/g windows, in-dash A/C, saloon forced air, large luggage space, bulkhead and deep drop boot, UK chassis, 3 yr unlimited mileage warranty. £POA

2003 Mercedes 614D

2002 Scania Irizar Century

2002 Volvo B7R Plaxton

2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 515cdi

15 seats or 6 wheelchairs, wheelchair lift, MOT May 2015.

49 re-trimmed seats, toilet, air-con, auto, MOT May 2015.

UNVI Vega conversion, 16 seats, large d/g windows, A/C, saloon forced air, large boot space, deep drop boot, 190k miles, good condition, new test, can re-paint at extra cost. £24,950 ono + VAT

12 months MOT & tax, full tank of fuel, one owner driver for the last 5 years, 49 seater, toilet, aircon, drivers bunk, alloy wheels, just refurbished, 2 new 22in Samsung LED monitors, black-out windows, TV tuner, DVD system all fitted 8 months ago, good mpg, 3 new air bags, new belts, hoses and interior LED lights just fitted, 600,000km, based in Glasgow.

£25,000 + VAT

Contact Gary – 07930 377051

Coachtraders - 01501 744000

£4,750 + VAT

£37,500 + VAT

53 seats plus courier, automatic, A/C, used only on tour work, removable vinyls, seat belts, available with new test. £39,000 Call Anthony Kelly

Andy.Bates@chalkwell.co.uk Tel: 01795 423982

Andy.Bates@chalkwell.co.uk Tel: 01795 423982

PAB Tours – 0113 320 0780 ant@pabtours.com

2011 VW Crafter CR50 TDI L MAXI H-R

2006 Ford Transit 430E

2007 LDV Maxus LWB EHR 15STR

2011 Vauxhall Vivaro Combi LWB Tecshift

16 seats, front entry, luggage racks with blown air and reading lights, show curtains and large boot area. £28,495 + VAT

16 seats, side loading door, 3 point seat belts, rear emergency exit, radio/cassette, tachograph, MOT till Oct 2015. £5,495 + VAT

14 seats + driver, digital tacho, 3 point seatbelts, headrests, side loading door, COIF at cost. £4,995 + VAT

Very well maintained, massive boot via lift up tailgate rear, bodywork in very good condition for mileage. £11,995 + VAT

UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk

UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk

UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk

UK Minicoaches – 01902 631507 sales@ukminicoaches.co.uk

1993 Volvo B10M Plaxton Premier

2002 Scania VanHool K124

2003 Mercedes Benz Setra

1988 DAF MB230 Plaxton

49 seat with belts, 2 monitors, DVD, centre toilet, centre power door, cool box + boiler, leather headrests inserts, seat back tables, foot rests, good tyres, 6 speed ZF, LEZ box, tax and test ready to work.

Coachtraders - 01501 744000

49 seats, automatic, good condition for year, removable vinyls, choice of 3, only one remaining. £8,950

49 exec, W.C., A.C., 7 speed C-Shift, MOT 30/9/14, excellent condition.

NOW £39,000

£40,000 + VAT o.n.o.

53 seats, automatic, very good condition for year, currently in dry storage, additional vehicle also available. £2,750

0113 320 0780/0035 386 8138165 Anthony ant@pabtours.com

Kingdoms Tours Ltd 01884 252646 / 07702 626542

01833 660471 / 07730 486708 paul.watson9@btconnect.com

PAB Tours – 0113 320 0780 ant@pabtours.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 57

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VEHICLES

Call Gemma Ireland Tel: 01733 293247 E: gemma.ireland@coachandbusweek.com

1996 Scania Irizar Century

1994 Volvo B10M Plaxton Premier 350

1999 Volvo B7R Plaxton Prima

2010 Scania K360 Omni Express

67/70 seats, luggage racks, curtains, 3 point belts, reading lights, power door, double glazing, ZF automatic gearbox, DVD monitor, tinted windows, Telma Retarda, air conditioning, underfloor lockers.

49 reclining coach seats, lap retractable belts, N/S/R floor mounted toilet, ZF auto, tachograph, power door, aisle carpet, radio/CD, air con, newly retrimmed seats, curtains, new repaint in white, double glazed.

70 re-trimmed coach seats, 3 point seat belts, luggage racks, forced air ventilation, reading lights, 6 speed manual, Telma retarda, 174,969 kms, radio/ cassette, excellent condition.

51seats + courier, 3 point seat belts, plug door, double glazed side windows, air con, rear floor mounted toilet, powered continental door, radio/PA/CD audio system, DVD, monitor, water boiler, fridge, reverse camera, integral retarder, automatic, alloy wheels, digital tacho.

£17,500 + VAT

CHOICE OF 2 – £9,000 + VAT

£25,000 + VAT

£POA

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South

1998 Dennis Dart ALX200

2000/2001 X/Y Reg Volvo B7TL’S

2006 BMC Falcon

2001 Y Reg Tridents

37 seats or 33 plus 1 wheelchair, manual ramp, Cummins engine, Allison auto gearbox, power door, new MOT, very tidy.

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

Why pay more for less.

FROM £20,000 + VAT

40 seats, low floor bus, Cummins engine, MOT January 2015, ideal vehicle for school bus conversion, in daily use. £11,950 +VAT ono

£4,500 + VAT

Drew Wilson Coach Sales 0141 248 5524

Cummins C series engines, Voith gearboxes, Plaxton President bodies, 78 seats.

Why pay more for less.

FROM £18,000 + VAT

EnsignBus 01708 865656

Travelsure 01668 219291 / 07919 215905

Low Floor Euro 6 Sprinter 516 or 519

New EVM Sprinter 516 Classic

2011 Volkswagen Crafter

New EVM Sprinter 516 Classic

Maximum seating capacity of 22 mixed between seating/standing and wheelchair, multiple drop box combinations for luggage storage.

Euro 6, GTronic gearbox, silver, new EVM plug type door, saloon privacy glazing, decorative curtains, 22 seats, Euroliners, EVM chrome pack, Mercedes Benz saloon air con.

16 seats finished in moquette, manual, white, large boot, double rear doors, panoramic windows, curtains, emergency exit in saloon, 63,500 miles.

Euro 6, GTronic gearbox, white, new EVM plug type door, saloon privacy glazing, decorative curtains, 22 seats, Euroliners, EVM chrome pack, Mercedes Benz saloon air con.

EnsignBus 01708 865656

£POA

£55,500 + VAT

£28,500 + VAT

£54,750 + VAT

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

EVM Direct – 0845 5205160

1998 Volvo Caetano Salvador

2013 Ford Transit ELWB

New Mercedes Sprinter 519 CDI

2008 Iveco Eurorider Beulas Cygnus

49 reclining seat with seat belts, mid toilet, centre door, monitor + DVD, radio + cassette, courier seat, tax and tested, fitted with air con but needs belts and re-gas.

6 speed manual, radio/CD, digital tacho, electric front windows, heated front windscreen, steering column radio controls, heated rear windows with wash/wipe system, tinted saloon windows.

17 seats, Atlas conversion, Euro 5, 6 speed manual, ABS brakes, ASR, ESP, PAS, digital tachograph. Can be seen at Eurobus 2014.

53 seats + courier, 3 point seat belts OR 49 reclining seats with ONE wheelchair position, plug door, air con, wheelchair lift & access, radio/PA/CD, DVD & monitor, fridge, continental door, driver’s safe, cruise control, digital tachograph, integral retarder, automatic.

£14,500 + VAT o.n.o.

£17,995

£POA

£POA

01833 660471 / 07730 486708 paul.watson9@btconnect.com

Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111

Autoservice Pontypool Ltd 01495 757111

Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South

2006 Volvo B12M

2011 Iveco Eurorider Plaxton Panther

2011 VDL Bova Futura FHD 127.365PR

2005 Sunsundegai

61 seats + courier, 3 point belts, Plug entrance door, double glazing, air con, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD system coupled to drop down monitor, panelled rear, Webasto heater, wired for CCTV, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.

53 seats + courier, lap seat belts, Plug entrance door, double glazing, air conditioning, radio/PA/CD audio equipment, DVD & twin monitors, Webasto heater, curtains, carpets, reverse camera, retarder.

I-shift, 12.8m long, Hanover LEDs, centre wheelchair lift, rear toilet and server, LEZ and DDA compliant. £POA

EnsignBus 01708 865656 58 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

£POA – CHOICE

£POA – CHOICE

Full executive specification, ZF automatic, based on Volvo B12M, 49 reclining seats, moquette trim, crew seat, air con, sunken mid WC, DVD, radio & PA, air-suspension driver’s seat.

Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South

Tel: 01823 653000 Moseley in the South

Lewis Coaches Ltd 02476 449944

£60,000 – 4 AVAILABLE

www.coachandbusweek.com

703666-1166-Moseley Glory 01/12/2014 16:43 Page 1

Beulas Glory 13.2m / 13.9m / 14.6m Super high, Overdeck MAN RR4 chassis 440bhp / 480 bhp

MOSELEY (PCV) LTD Elmsall Way, Dale Lane South Elmsall Pontefract West Yorkshire WF9 2XS

Tel: 01977 609000 Fax: 01977 609900 enquiries@moseleycoachsales.co.uk www.moseleycoachsales.co.uk

698896-1168-Ensign_Layout 1 15/12/2014 13:54 Page 1

Ensig

DOUBLE DECK E 2008 57 PLATE OPTARE VERSA’S

Cummins Euro 4 6 cylinder engines, Allison gearboxes, Mobitech destinations, DDA and LEZ compliant, 11 metres long, 37 seats.

These buses can be seat-belted

LEZ COMPLIANT

Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, LEZ compliant, DDA compliant, Alexander ALX400 bodies, dual door 67 seats or single door 77 seats.

2004 DENNIS TRIDENTS

1998 R REG OPTARE SOLO

2005 55 PLATE OPTARE SOLO M880

2002 02 PLATE DENNIS TRIDENTS

2001/2002 51/02 PLATE DENNIS DARTS

Voith gearbox, Euro 2, 80 seats, painted white, new MOT.

2000 VOLVO B7TL

Cummins C series, Voith gearbox, 84 seats, low height 13 feet 8”, new MOT.

2003 53 PLATE DENNIS DART SLF’s

Cummins Euro 3 / Allison, Plaxton Pointer bodies, dual door, 30 seats, DDA and LEZ compliant, can be converted to single door.

Mercedes engine, M880, 30 seats, long MOT.

Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, Plaxton bodies, DDA and LEZ compliant, 78 seats.

10.1m, Cummins ISC Euro 3 engines, 36 seats, LEZ and DDA compliant.

2000 V REG OPTARE 43 seats, Mercedes engine.

Cummins engine, 28 seats, new MOT.

Cummins ISB Euro 3 engines, Allison gearboxes, 10.7m, 37 seats.

1999 DENNIS TRIDENT

2002/3 DENNIS DARTS

I-shift, Plaxton Panther, 51 seats, toilet, air-con, LEZ compliant. £40,000

2005 VOLVO B12B

OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY - B

Juliette Close, Purfleet Industrial Pa Telephone 01708 865656 Fax: 01708 86 Visit our website for current sto

698896-1168-Ensign_Layout 1 15/12/2014 13:54 Page 2

nbus

K ER SPECIALIST Volvo Euro 2 engine, Voith gearbox, Alexander RH part open top, 74 seats.

1997 VOLVO OLYMPIAN

2001 Y REG TRIDENTS Cummins C series engines, Voith gearboxes, Plaxton President bodies, 78 seats.

1999 T REG DENNIS TRIDENTS

Cummins C series engines, ZF gearbox, East Lancs bodies, 74 seats, long MOT’s

2010 OPTARE SOLO SLIMLINE

Cummins Euro 5 engine, 28 seats, Mobitec LED’s. 8.8m long slimline, long MOT.

Cummins Euro 4 , Voith gearbox, East Lancs body, 9.4m, 26 seats, DDA and LEZ compliant.

2007 ENVIRO 200

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.

£18,000 + VAT

2001 & 2002 DENNIS TRIDENTS

ISC Euro 3 engines, DDA and LEZ compliant, Alexander ALX 400 bodies, 62 seats dual door or can be upseated and converted to single door.

2000 X REG VOLVO B7TL’s

Euro 2, LEZ compliant, Plaxton President , CCTV, dual door 62 seats or single door 74 seats. £9,000 + VAT

1993 K REG LEYLAND OLYMPIAN

Cummins L10 / ZF, Northern Counties body, 76 seats.

2005 NEOPLAN SKYLINER

89 seats, air-con, toilet, MAN engine, ZF gearbox.

1996 VOLVO B10MA ARTICULATED COACHES ZF automatics, 71 seats.

2006 VOLVO B12M

I-shift, 12.8m long, Hanover LED’s, rear toilet and server, LEZ and DDA compliant.

£45,000

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

p62_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 13:14 Page 62

The

Stafford Bus Centre Specialist Bus & Coach Sales FORD TRANSIT FACTORY 16/17 SEAT BUS 59 reg with 38K miles, tacho, new COIF and PSV MOT £12,950 Also 10 reg £13,950 Others also available

VEHICLES AVAILABLE FOR SHORT AND LONGER TERM HIRE

www.staffordbuscentre.com

Tel: 01782 791774 07803 222552 staffordbus@btconnect.com MCV EVOLUTION MAN 14.220 2005 05 reg 40 seats/35 with 3 point belts, full DDA with accessibility cert, Nov 15 MOT £24,950 inc single colour repaint Also 55 reg available

MERCEDES 616 CDI SLF BUS 2006 06 reg Up to 15 seats and 3 x wheelchairs, COIF, ex local authority so very nice, high spec, choice of 2. £17,950

OPTARE SOLO M950 SLIMLINE 2007 07 reg High spec, low mileage (95k), certified for 15 seats and 4 w/chairs but could be up to 33 and DDA, choice of 2. £29,950

ADL ENVIRO 300 2006 56 REG. SLF BUS - dual use options, with 60 x 3 point belted seats, SOLuseDon bus services or school contracts.

PHONE FOR SPEC AND PRICE

MERCEDES 814 VARIO PLAXTON BEAVER 2 2004 54 REG. Fitted with 20 seats on tracking, and up to 10 wheelchairs, SOLDgearbox, power door, PSV, COIF and MoT, manual destination etc. long wheel base so could go to 32 seats. £14,950 IVECO DAILY 45 15 LWB HIGH ROOF 2005 55 REG. 16 seats wheelchair accessible with power door, new MoT £5,950 DENNIS DART PLAXTON SUPER POINTER. 47 fully belted D L seats, ideal for schools SO £9,450 DAF PLAXTON PREMIER 1996 PP. Fitted with 55 seats, automatic gearbox, new MOT upon sale £9,950

DENNIS DART CAETANO CUTLASS. Step entrance with 38 seats and 3 point belts. Ideal school contracts etc. £3,450 FORD TRANSITS 15-17 seats, available for short term rental. Rent for one week, month or year. Up to you.

Always available.

Phone for details MERCEDES 413D SPRINTER 2004 04 REG. Extra long body with 16 seats and huge full height boot, COIF and long MoT. £11,950

62 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

ADL ENVIRO 300 2002 reg Currenty fitted out as exibition / classroom, very low miles, very good condition, see website for details £17,950 VOLVO OLYMPIAN ALEXANDER 1999 V reg 78 seats, far above average condition new test, Volvo engine £9,950 Also 1998 at £7,950 VW CR50 WITH STANFORD CONVERSION 2007 07 REG. Very expensive and high spec conversion by Stamford who are recognised as the best in the industry, fitted with 14 high back seats with 3 point belts, Palfinger hideaway tail lift and capacity to carry up to 9 passengers and 2 wheelchairs, it has only covered just over 60k miles from new and is in outstanding condition, all paperwork and spare keys, ready to go £17,950 OPTARE SOLO M850 2000 W REG. One remaining with 23/25 coach seats with ramp, DDA etc £4,950 VDL SB180 2010 59 REG Cummins 6 ISB engine with MCV evolution body, only 20k miles £POA

www.coachandbusweek.com

702678-1168-Moseley Dist 15/12/2014 12:06 Page 1

705514-1168-Moseley 15/12/2014 14:43 Page 1

BUS & COACH

IN THE SOUTH LTD.

57 Vogel Conturo reclining seats, individual footrests & seatback tables, centre sunken toilet, continental exit, double glazing, air conditioning, water boiler, dash-mounted fridge, audio & DVD systems, DAF MX11 370 BHP Euro 6 engine, ZF Ecolife transmission with Intarder, alloy wheels, 830 ltr fuel capacity.

Available from stock early 2015 or YOUR choice of specification built to order for April/May delivery

A Christmas Cracker!

2011 Iveco Eurorider Plaxon Panther 13 mtr Automatic & Euro 5 emission level

61 reclining seats with 3 point seat belts, leather headrests inserts, individual footrests, aisle & centre armrests, courier seat, powered plug entrance door, double glazed side windows, AIR CONDITIONING, curtains, radio p/a CD audio, DVD player with front motorised monitor, reverse camera, Webasto, CCTV system, powered drivers window, panelled rear, integral retarder, automatic transmission, digital tachograph.

CHOICE OF ONLY 2 VEHICLES REMAINING Summerfield Avenue, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9JF

www.moseleysouth.co.uk @MoseleySouth

/moseley south

Telephone (01823) 653000 Fax: (01823) 663502 Email: sales@moseleysouth.co.uk

701915-1168-DrewWilson 15/12/2014 13:53 Page 1

DREW WILSON coach sales

2003 MERCEDES VARIO 614D 24 coach seats, 3 point belts, luggage racks, forced air ventilation, reading lights, large drop well boot, curtains, aisle carpets, manual, slam door, new paint, 418,273 kms. £13,000 + VAT

1998 VOLVO OLYMPIAN Alexander Body, Volvo engine, Voith automatic gearbox, 81 seater, power door, front destination, tacho, seatbelts.

2001 DENNIS DART MINI POINTER 28 seats, 1 wheelchair, automatic, luggage racks, front destination.

1999 DENNIS PLAXTON MINI POINTER 29 seats 17 standees 1 wheelchair, ramp, Cummins engine, Allison auto box, power door, current test.

£7,000 + VAT

£10,000 + VAT

£4,000 + VAT

1994 TOYOTA CAETANO OPTIMO 3 GL 22 coach seats with belts, power door, manual box, new paint in white, current MOT.

2004 OPTARE SOLO 18/20 seats plus 2 wheelchairs, wheelchair ramp, 3 point seatbelts, automatic, tacho, Mercedes engine, choice of 4.

£4,000 + VAT

2002 IVECO MAXIM 29 coach seats, lap retractable belts, crew seat, power door, manual gearbox, forced air, reading lights, curtains, radio cassette. £20,000 + VAT

2003 VOLVO B12M JONCKHEERE MISTRAL 50 leather coach seats, manual, 3 point belts, curtains, rear toilet, CD/radio, monitor, forced air heating, reading lights, power door. £42,000 + VAT

1997 SCANIA IRIZAR CENTURY 51 reclining seats, toilet, lap retractable belts, crew seat, comfort shift, double glazing, tinted windows, power door, air con, repainted in white, tidy condition, 199,039kms. £10,000 + VAT

1998 MERCEDES VARIO 614D Frank Guy conversion, 15 coach seats with 3 point belts, full tracking, rear wheelchair lift, power doors, manual, tacho, radio/CD, twin rear doors. 116,458kms, tidy condition. £5,000 + VAT

2009 MERCEDES 816 PLAXTON CHEETAH 29 coach seats with 3 point belts, double glazed, large boot, power door, 6 speed manual, DVD/CD/radio/ PA, new/paint, LEZ compliant, new MOT, 293,718 kms. £73,000 + VAT

1998 IVECO MARSHALL STEALTH SERVICE BUS 51 seats, 24 standees, fully seat-belted, front and rear destination, Iveco engine, ZF automatic, power door.

2006 MERCEDES VARIO 814D OPTARE NOUVELLE SR 29 coach seats, 3 point seatbelts, large boot, air con, luggage racks, forced air, power door, new MOT, genuine 22,6000 km, absolutely mint condition inside and out. £35,000 + VAT

1998 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIERE 320 70 coach seats, Cummins engine. MOT March 2015, 417,119kms, radio cassette, 6 speed ZF manual gearbox, power door, double glazed, tinted windows, tidy retrimmed interior. £23,500 + VAT – PX CONSIDERED

1999 MERCEDES 612D VAN CONVERSION 16 seats with belts, Unwin tracking, electric wheelchair lift, manual gearbox, new test.

1999 VOLVO B10M PLAXTON PREMIERE 350 49/55 recliners with belts, ZF manual, air con, Eminox LEZ fitted, reduced pollution certificate, power door, recent paint into white, tested till March 2015. £17,500 + VAT

1999 DENNIS JAVELIN PLAXTON PREMIER 350 70 reclining seats, lap belts, centre toilet, boiler and servery, 6 speed ZF gearbox, luggage racks, forced air, reading lights, power door, very tidy, 843,751kms, new MOT. £12,000 + VAT

1998 DENNIS DART ALX300.

37 seats or 33 plus 1 wheelchair, 292,643 miles, manual ramp, seat-belted, Cummins engine, Allison auto gearbox, power door, new MOT, very tidy £4,500 + VAT

2005 MERCEDES VARIO 814D 24 seats + crew seat, KVC conversion, manua, 241285 kms, 3 points belts, rear boot, fully trimmed interior, full body skirt kit, immaculate condition. £18,000 + VAT

1998 DAF SB3000 PLAXTON PREMIERE 320 51 recliners, ZF automatic gearbox, curtains, double glazing.

2006 MERCEDES BEAVER 2 814D 33 coach seats, automatic, luggage racks, WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE, 3 point seatbelts, power door, SIDE LIFT, Purmo heating, destination front, side and rear. £25,000 + VAT

1989 VOLVO B10M VAN HOOL 57 seats with lap retractable belts, luggage racks, reading lights, forced air heating, manual, crew seat, power door.

121,446kms, new test, new retrim, repainted in white. £5,000 + VAT

2003 IVECO INDCAR MAXIM 11 29 seats with belts, courier seat, CD/PA system, curtains, large boot, tinted windows.

1999 MERCEDES 814D 32 coach seats with 3 point belts, curtains, aisle carpet, luggage racks, reading lights, forced air heating, power door, manual gearbox. £19,950 + VAT

£17,500 + VAT

£3,500 + VAT

£18,000 + VAT

£2,000 + VAT

£12,000 + VAT

CHOICE OF OVER 350 VEHICLES • OPEN 7 DAYS 08.00-18.00

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.DREWWILSON.CO.UK Tel/Fax: 0141 248 5524 • Mob: 07764 200444 • Email: drew@drewwilson.co.uk Mob: 07827 325474 • Email: graham@drewwilson.co.uk

704567-1168-David Fishwick 15/12/2014 14:35 Page 1

THIS THI IS A SNAPSHOT OF OUR LATEST STOCK PRE-REG FORD TRANSIT TREND 17 SEAT MINIBUSES

FORD TRANSIT TREND 17 SEAT MINIBUS Standing apart from the usual sea of white and silver vehicles on our forecourt is this ice blue Ford Transit Trend Minibus. With just 1 owner from new and only 81,200km on the clock, it’s in excellent mechanical and cosmetic shape throughout. The high specification includes; cruise control, 6 speed gearbox, VDO Digital Tachograph, twin front airbags and a 62mph speed limiter - Whilst Ford’s Electronic Stability Programme, automatic headlights and excellent quick clear heated windscreen make all the difference in adverse weather both in terms convenience and passenger safety.

£14,495 + VAT

The big brother of the Transit range offers increased flexibility with seating for upto 16 passengers in total comfort.

These high-roof, LWB minibuses are proving to be hugely popular for those looking for a factory fresh vehicle with full manufacturer warranty and the latest Euro VI engines. The Trend specification is the smart choice, with significant amounts of added kit over the base specification (including cruise control, front & rear air-con, parking sensors, Ford SYNC Bluetooth stereo and VDO tachograph) which when combined with our fantastic PreReg deals, represents exceptional value for money.

£26,995 + VAT

LDV MAXUS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS

FORD TRANSIT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUSES

An excellent vehicle for a school, charity or private operator needing the flexibility afforded by a wheelchair accessibility; this LDV is just out of our workshop with a clean bill of health and in great condition. Equipped with a Tachograph, 12 passenger seats (or able to carry 2 passengers + 2 wheelchairs) mounted to an aluminium floor with quick adjust channels and an internal Ricon lift, it’s easily adapted to differing requirements whilst the durability of the Maxus provides a solid backbone to ensure reliable service for many years to come.

Two vehicles available in stock – built upon an excellent Transit Hi-Roof base vehicle and converted by ourselves with; a brand new aluminium floor, 16 quick adjust passenger seats, a PLS accessLITE external wheelchair lift and a manually extending side step. Both in pristine condition throughout and having covered just 78,000 / 86,000 miles since new, they are the perfect choice for those needing a modern and dependable vehicle. Supplied a freshly serviced, with a full MOT and our 3 month comprehensive warranty as standard, COIF tested upon request.

£13,995 + VAT

£24,495 + VAT

‘2x NEW MERCEDES SPRINTER 516 BLUETEC MINICOACHES

MERCEDES SPRINTER 17 SEAT LUXURY MINICOACH A rare opportunity to own a year old coach-built Mercedes with significant saving against the price of a new vehicle, this 516 Sprinter was one of a number originally built by ourselves for the NHS and remains in exceptional condition throughout having covered 48,000 easy miles. Equipped in the usual fashion with; 16 comfortable passenger seats, full length luggage racks (with forced air and reading lights), large panoramic windows, Webasto Diesel rear heater, a large carpeted boot, cruise control and Bluetooth ready stereo with steering wheel controls.

*PRICE REDUCED* These Sprinter’s utilise BlueEFFICIENCY technologies to offer class leading economy which coupled with Mercedes’s famed build quality significantly reduces operating costs over the life of the vehicle. With 16 immaculately trimmed passenger seats, panoramic windows, carpeted rear boot, diesel rear heater, Bluetooth connectivity and all the other features you would expect on a top quality coach – this pair of vehicles, or indeed just one would make an ideal addition to your fleet. On offer for a limited time only, call us now to ensure you don’t miss out!

£38,995 + VAT

£44,995 + VAT

Also a massive stock of used vehicles please visit the website or call

WWW.DAVIDFISHWICK.COM

704567-1168-David Fishwick 15/12/2014 14:35 Page 2

PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS

BRAND NEW MERCEDES CHASSIS – READY TO CONVERT Fresh off the production line, we have 2 Sprinter 516 BlueEFFICIENCY chassis’ ready for conversion to your exact specifications; be that a simple and durable 20+ seat format for heavy-duty fleet use or equipped with opulent reclining leather seats, the latest in passenger entertainment, and a large cargo area – or anything in between, the choice is yours.

Select from either a traditional Manual or Mercedes latest 7GTRONIC Automatic gearbox to suit your requirements (the latter offering an increase in cruising fuel economy thanks to the well matched gear ratio’s and seamless shifting performance) – Call us now to discuss build, pricing and financing options.

£CALL FOR INFO

SPRINTER New & Used Coachbuilt Vehicles

Other Vehicles – Please call us for details on these & the rest of our stock Model

Seats

Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Ford Transit Fiat Ducato Vauxhall Movano Renault Master LDV Maxus LDV Maxus Vauxhall Movano wheelchair accessible

15 15 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 15 17 17

Year

2003/53 2006/06 2008/08 2008/08 2008/58 2008/58 2009/09 2009/09 2009/59 2010/60 2011/61 2012/12 2009/58 2012/12 2013/13 2006/56 2008/58 2002/55

Mileage

Colour

Price (ex VAT)

89,500 116,000 86,000 52,000 76,000 87,000 43,000 36,000 68,000 62,000 43,000 4,000 78,000 19,000 9,000 68,000 63,000 79,000

White White White White White White White White White White White White Silver Silver White White White White

£4,495 £6,995 £10,395 £11,495 £11,995 £11,495 £13,995 £13,495 £12,995 £13,995 £14,995 £19,495 £12,995 £17,495 £18,495 £7,995 £7,245 £7,995

TELEPHONE: 01282 615138/867772

We also supply parts overnight, visit www.davidfishwickparts.com or call 01282863563 all makes of Van/minibus

p68_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 14:40 Page 68

Nigel McCree The North West’s Premier Minibus Sales, supplying nationwide for over 40 years WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

59 PLATE PEUGEOT BOXER MWB Only covered 48,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, 8 highback passenger seats, Ricon internal fully automatic Clearway tailift, SLD with cassette step, full electric pack, stunning silver metallic, excellent value.

£14,995

TWO LEFT

LEZ

09 IVECO 50C15 17 SEAT

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Only covered 48,316 miles, one charity owner, complete flat floor, lots of Unwin tracking, full length cant rail, power door, front low step entry, external fully automatic cassette tailift, plant on panoramic tinted windows, totally showroom condition inside and out.

LEZ £19,995

2003 Volvo B12M Jonckheere Euro 3 48 x 3 point belted seats, 1 crew, air conditioned, saloon mounted w/c, rear continental door, MOT November 2014.

Direct from SHEARINGS HOLIDAYS fleet with full service history.

£POA – NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED Low Value Part exchanges will be considered

57 MERCEDES SPRINTER 309 MWB

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Unmarked stunning silver metallic, features 8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, M1 tested Innotrax flooring, full carpetlined, SLD with electric side step, external Ratcliffe fully automatic tailift, good quality conversion, choice of 2, totally showroom condition inside and out.

LEZ PRICES FROM £11,995

09 MERCEDES SPRINTER 313 CDI MWB Covered 59,331 miles, stunning silver metallic, 8 highback passenger seats, plus plenty of luggage space, SLD with cassette step, full electric pack, air conditioning, a pleasure to drive and showroom condition inside and out.

LEZ £13,995

2012 IVECO 50C17 IRISBUS

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

Only covered 3,036 miles, yes only, totally like new, 12 highback seats on NMI quick release, lots of Unwin tracking, complete flat floor, power door side entry, automatic, external PLS fully automatic cassette tailift, panoramic tinted windows, stunning silver metallic, tacho.

LEZ £31,995

57 PLATE CITROEN RELAY LWB Ultra low miles – yes only 13,483, features 8 highback passenger seats with 3 point belts, Unwin tracking, Ricon internal fully automatic Clearway tailift, SLD with cassette step, can only describe as new inside and out, totally immaculate.

LEZ £15,995

Tel: 01805 938036 Mob: 07817 542113 Email: nigel@nigelmccree.com Insurance Insurance Stock updated weekly on the website:

www.nigelmccree.com SHORT OF CASH? RE-FINANCE YOUR VEHICLES WITH US – CALL 07808 856390

MERCEDES BENDY BUSES FOR SALE Quantity: 11 Guide Price: £5,950 each or best offer for job lot Reg. date: 2003 Capacity: 49 seated & 100 standing Engine: Mercedes 906 Euro 3 Transmission: Automatic (Voith or ZF Ecomat)

Dry stored and unused for the last three years, excellent condition body and mechanics

59 PLATE VAUXHALL MOVANO CDTI Only covered 15,446 miles, features 8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, full carpet lined, Ricon internal Clearway tailift, SLD with AVS cassette step, looks and drives like new in every way, excellent value for money. £16,995 LEZ

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

09 MERCEDES SPRINTER 311 MWB Covered 57,828 miles, 8 highback passenger seats, lots of Unwin tracking, SLD with cassette step, external Ratcliffe fully automatic cassette tailift, totally showroom condition inside and out, excellent value.

LEZ £17,495

Tel: 01942 864222 Contact us 24/7: 07818 031725 - Wayne 07715 231694 - Phillip

www.heatonsmotorco.co.uk ALL PRICES PLUS VAT

We guarantee quality vehicles, right prices, no pressure sales. Come and have a coffee while you browse at your leisure. Junction 23, M6 or 20 miles from Manchester/Liverpool airport.

68 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

Body length (overall): 17,940mm, Body width: 2,550mm, Height (external) incl. roof ventilator: 3,009mm, Axles: 3, Tyre size: 275/70 R22.5, Turning circle: 22,822mm, Approach angle: 7 degrees, Departure angle: 7 degrees, Front overhang 2,705mm, Front Height (above road): 370mm, Rear overhang: 3,400mm, Gross vehicle weight: 28,000kg, Kerbside weight: 16,000kg, Front axle (max load): 7,245kg, Centre Axle: 10,000kg, Drive axle (max load): 13,000kg, Tank capacity: 290 litres.

Winchester Marine & Industrial RAF Manby, Manby Middlegate, Manby, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 8UT Tel: 01507327100 Fax: 01507327103 Email: info@winchestermarine.net or Email winchestermarine@btconnect.com

www.coachandbusweek.com

705385-1167-Chalkwell 08/12/2014 12:29 Page 1

2003 Mercedes 614D

2002 Scania Irizar Century

1997 Dennis Javelin UVG

15 seats or 6 wheelchairs, wheelchair lift, MOT May 2015.

49 retrimmed seats, toilet, aircon, auto, MOT May 2015.

70 seats, LED destination display, manual, MOT April 2015.

£4,750 + VAT

£37,500 + VAT

£15,950 + VAT

2003 Scania Irizar Inter Century

1999 Dennis Dart SLF

2002 Mercedes 814D Vario

53 seats, auto, MOT Nov/Dec 2015, choice of 2.

33 seats + 19 standees, MOT July 2015, choice of 3.

33 coach seats with 3-point belts, luggage racks, rear boot, LED display, manual, MOT Dec 2015.

£43,000 + VAT

£6,995 + VAT

£15,950 + VAT

Chalkwell Garage & Coach Hire

2001 Mercedes 814D

1997 Volvo Olympian

27 seats with 3-point belts, MOT April 2015, RPC, manual.

78 seats + 16 standees, MOT June 2015.

£14,950 + VAT

£8,495 + VAT

Tel: 01795 423982 Email andy.bates@chalkwell.co.uk

703478-1167-Ben Weaver 08/12/2014 15:17 Page 1

BEN WEAVER PSV

PSV

PSV

PSV

CHOICE OF THREE 2007 07 MERCEDES 816 33 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, silver, cerificate of initial fitness, analogue tachograph, PSV, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 10 wheelchairs, electric b-fold front door, 172,000 kilometers/107,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT or PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 24,995 + VAT

2010 10 PLATE FIAT DUCATO MAXI 40 3.0 JTD 160PS KSF FREEDOM STEP ENTRY LOW FLOOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 3.0 turbo diesel 160ps euro 5 engine, 6 speed semi automatic gearbox, light blue, 1 local authority owner from new, COIF for 16 passengers, PSV, digital tacho, fold-out rear access ramp, low entry side step, fully tracked flat floor, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, electric side entry door, panoramic glass, 54,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 22,495 + VAT

2006 06 PLATE MERCEDES BENZ 616CDI SPRINTER LOW FLOOR ACCESSIBLE SERVICE BUS 2.7CDi turbo diesel 160ps engine, 6 speed automatic, double electric front access plug entry doors, rear emergency exit door, fold out wheelchair access ramp, low floor with tracking for upto 3 wheelchairs, COIF for 15 seated plus 1 wheelchair or 13 seated plus 3 wheelchairs, analogue tachograph, PSV tested, ex local authority owned, 147,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £19,995 + VAT CHOICE OF 2

2006 06 PLATE MERCEDES BENZ 616CDI SPRINTER LOW FLOOR ACCESSIBLE SERVICE BUS 2.7CDi turbo diesel 160ps engine, 6 speed automatic, double electric front access plug entry doors, rear emergency exit door, fold out wheelchair access ramp, low floor with tracking for upto 3 wheelchairs, COIF for 15 seated plus 1 wheelchair or 13 seated plus 3 wheelchairs, analogue tachograph, PSV tested, ex local authority owned, 166,000 miles, very good condition supplied with 12 months PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £19,995 + VAT CHOICE OF 2

2008 08 PLATE NEW SHAPE MERCEDES SPRINTER 311CDI LWB 11 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2200 CDi turbo diesel 110ps, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, Frank Guy conversion, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 3 wheelchairs plus 8 passengers, uplift skylight, CD player, electric mirrors, currently fitted with 10 passenger seats but 4 more can be added to make 14 passengers, 172,000 miles but looks and drives like 72,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,995 + VAT

2008 58 PLATE FORD TRANSIT XLWB JUMBO HIGH ROOF 11 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.4 turbo diesel 115ps, 6 speed manual gearbox, frozen white, tracking for up to 5 wheelchairs, currenlty fitted with 8 passenger seats but can be made up to 16 passnger seats, 65,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,995 + VAT

PSV

2008 57 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER FRONT ENTRY WELFARE BUS 2461cc TDI turbo diesel 161ps, 6 speed automatic gearbox, white, rear air conditioning, underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, digital tachograph, electric front entry plug door, AVS electric side entry step, CD player, electric mirrors, rear blinds, currently fitted with 13 seats but 8 more can be to make 21 seats inc driver, 92,000 kilometers/57,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 16,995 + VAT

PSV

2003 03 MERCEDES VARIO 814 33 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, currently yellow, waiting for white respray, Certificate of Initial Fitness for 30 seats, currently fitted with 28 seats, analogue tachograph, PSV, Ricon underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 10 wheelchairs, electric bi-fold front door, Leicester Carriage Builders conversion, 230,000 kilometers/144,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT or PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 13,995 + VAT

2004 54 MERCEDES 814 PLAXTON BEAVER 2 33 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, yellow/green, COIF, analogue tachograph, PSV, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 10 wheelchairs, electric bi-fold front door, destination boards, 492,000 kilometers/307,000 miles, VGC, supplied with 12 months MOT or PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 14,995 + VAT

PSV

2005 05 MERCEDES 814 25 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, Frank Guy conversion, blue, certificate of initial fitness for 16 passengers, analogue tachograph, PSV, PLS Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 8 wheelchairs, electric bi fold front door, fold out side access step, 150,000 kilometers/93,000 miles, ex local authority owned, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months parts and labour warranty £ 13,495 + VAT

PSV

2005 55 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed sprintshift auto gearbox, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, analogue tacho, LEZ compliant, CD player, 84,000 miles, currently fitted with 5 passenger seats but more will be added to make into 16 seats, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,995 + VAT

PSV

2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 121,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 11,795 + VAT

BEN WEAVER commercIals

2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tachograph, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, currently fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added to make into 16 passenger seats, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 97,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,495 + VAT

PSV

PSV

2005 05 MERCEDES VARIO 814 16-24 SEAT WELFARE BUS 4.25 turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, Frank Guy conversion, green, Certificate Of Initial Fitness for 16 passengers, analogue tachograph, PSV, PLC Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 8 wheelchairs, electric bi-fold front door, fold-out side access step, 169,000 kilometers/105,000 miles, ex local authority owned, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months parts and labour warranty £ 12,995 + VAT

2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tacho, PSV, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, flat floor, fitted with 10 seats but additional seating can be added, remote central locking, electric windows, CD player, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 76,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,995 + VAT

PSV

2007 07 PLATE IVECO DAILY 50C15 AUTOMATIC FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel, automatic, COIF, digital tacho, electric front entry plug door with fold out step, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for 6 wheelchairs, fitted with 9 seats but additional seating can be added, remote central locking, electric windows, CD player, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 100,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 12,495 + VAT

PSV

2005 55 PLATE MERCEDES BENZ 614 VARIO 20 SEAT MINICOACH Onyx conversion, analogue tachograph, certificate of initial for 19 passengers, PSV’D, electric plug front entry door, coach style velour seats, overhead luggage racks, large boot, uplift skylight, waiting for full respray, can be painted into any colour of your choice, supplied with 12 months PSV, fully serviced to RTA standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 11,995 + VAT

PSV

2000 W REG MERCEDES VARIO 814 AUTOBUS NOUVELLE 2 29 SEAT MINICOACH 4.25 turbo diesel, white, Certificate of Initial Fitness, PSV'd until 12th November 2015, analogue tachograph, large rear boot, 588,000 kilometers/367,000 miles, very clean tidy bus that can go straight to work, supplied fully serviced to FTA standards £ 11,495 + VAT

PSV

2005 55 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 416CDI 16 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 160ps, 6 speed Sprintshift automatic gearbox, red, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, 107,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 10,995 + VAT

2006 06 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 13 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, silver, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 3 wheelchairs, electric plug side entry door with electric access step, digital tachograph, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, LEZ compliant, 104,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 8,795 + VAT

Gower Street, Sheffield, S4 7JW Tel: 0114 275 7076

www.minibuses.co

703478-1167-Ben Weaver 08/12/2014 15:17 Page 2

commercials PSV

2005 05 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 16 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, COIF, PSV, electric plug side entry door, analogue tacho, LEZ compliant, 106,000 kilometers/116,000 miles, one local authority owner from new, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 8,495 + VAT

PSV

2003 53 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed sprintshift automatic, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, currently fitted with 8 seats but 9 more can be added, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, COIF, PSV, LEZ compliant, CD player, 2129,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 8,295 + VAT

2003 53 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER 413CDI 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WELFARE MINIBUS 2200 CDi turbo diesel 130ps, 6 speed Sprintshift automatic gearbox, white, UV Modular conversion, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, LEZ compliant, CD player, 155,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,995 + VAT

PSV

LEZ

2006 06 REG IVECO DAILY 40C14 13 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 3000cc turbo diesel 140ps, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, COIF for 12 passengers, analogue tacho, current PSV expires 3rd April 2015, tracking for 4 wheelchairs, Ricon underfloor rear wheelchair lift, LEZ compliant, fold out side door, access step, 4200kgs gross vehicle weight so can be driven without a d1 licence, 151,000 kilometers/94,000 miles, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,495 + VAT

PSV

2003 53 PLATE MERCEDES SPRINTER LWB 313CDI WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.2 CDI turbo diesel 130ps, silver, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 5 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, 132,000 miles, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty. £ 7,495 NO VAT

PSV

PSV

2005 54 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, COIF, PSV, analogue tachograph, LEZ compliant, 187,000 kilometers/116,000 miles, 1 local authority owner from new, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,495 + VAT

PSV

2005 55 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 45C13 13 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Analogue tachograph, electric front entry plug door with low access step, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 4 wheelchairs, 189,000 kilometers/118,000 miles excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 7,495 + VAT

PSV

2002 02 PLATE (ON PRIVATE REG) MERCEDES SPRINTER 411CDI 17 SEAT MINIBUS/MINICOACH 2.2CDi turbo diesel, 5 speed manual gearbox, silver, certificate of initial fitness, analogue tachograph, PSV, overhead storage with reading lights and forced air, curtains, sunroof, CD player, 313,000 miles, good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT

PSV

CHOICE OF FOUR 2003 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY 65C15 16 TO 23 SEAT WELFARE BUS WITH TACHOGRAPH COIF AND PSV 2800cc turbo diesel, metallic light green, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 8 wheelchairs, currently fitted with 16 passenger seats, 6 more can be added to take 22 passengers, analogue tachograph, COIF, PSV, overhead luggage storage, 132,000 kilometers/82,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,995 + VAT

2003 (03) 2004 (54) IVECO DAILY 65C15 23-25 SEAT WELFARE BUSES Analogue tacho, PSV, COIF for 22 passengers, PSV, 2800cc turbo diesel, white, Access underfloor rear chairlift, tracking up to 8 wheelchairs, 1 local authority from new, excellent condition, 12 months PSV and MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,495 +VAT

PSV

2003 53 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT35 11 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, blue, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 3 wheelchairs, ex local authority owned, 51,000 mile,s very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,295 + VAT

2003 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 40C13 15 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS Analogue tachograph, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, 2.8 turbo diesel 6 speed manual gearbox, white, panoramic glass, front entry door, Ratcliffe underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, 166,000 kilometers 103,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,495

PSV

2004 53 PLATE IVECO DAILY 65C15 16 TO 23 SEAT WELFARE BUS WITH TACHOGRAPH COIF AND PSV 2800cc turbo diesel, metallic light blue, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 8 wheelchairs, currently fitted with 10 passenger seats, 6 more can be added to take 22 passengers, analogue tachograph, COIF, PSV, 214,000 kilometers/134,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 6,495 + VAT

PSV

2002 52 PLATE VOLKSWAGEN LT46 16 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.5 TDI, white, Ricon underfloor rear wheelchair lift, fully tracked throughout, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, certificate of initial fitness, PSV, analogue tachograph, panoramic glass, LEZ compliant, 226,000 kilometers/141,000 miles,1 local authority owner from new, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,795 + VAT

2004 04 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, COIF, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 8 seat seats but more can be added to make up to 16 passenger seats, 144,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,695 + VAT

2004 04 PLATE FORD TRANSIT 17 SEAT WELFARE MINIBUS White, 2.4 turbo diesel 125 ps, 5 speed manual gearbox, Chassis Developments conversion, COIF, PSV, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, 1 ex local authority owner from new, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 11 seat seats but more can be added to make up to 16 passenger seats, 151,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 5,395 + VAT

2004 04 IVECO DAILY 45C11 16 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS White 2800cc turbo diese,l 6 speed manual gearbox, Ricon internal rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 4 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, ex local authority owned, 147000 kilometers 92000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 4,995 + VAT

2003 03 REG IVECO DAILY 45C13 11 SEAT FRONT ENTRY LONG WHEEL BASE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2800cc turbo diesel white, white, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for up to 6 wheelchairs, tachograph, LEZ compliant, currently fitted with 11 seats but can be made upto 17, 200000 kilometers, 124000 miles, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warrantry £ 4,795 + VAT

02 51 IVECO 50C13 17 SEAT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WELFARE BUS 2.8 turbo diesel, white, Frank Guy conversion, Access rear wheelchait lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, analogue tachograph, sunroofs, ex local authority owned, 150,000 kilometers/94,000 miles, excellent condition, supplied with 12 months MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 month nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 4,495 + VAT

PSV

2002 02 PLATE IVECO DAILY IRIS 40C13 17 SEAT FRONT ENTRY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE MINIBUS 2.8 turbo diesel, 6 speed manual gearbox, white, certificate of initial fitness, analogue tachograph, PSV, panoramic glass, electric front entry plug door, Access underfloor rear wheelchair lift, tracking for upto 6 wheelchairs, LEZ compliant, 150,000 kilometers 95,000 miles, very good condition, supplied with 12 months PSV or MOT, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards, 1 months nationwide parts and labour warranty £ 4,995 + VAT

All vehicles supplied with 12 months MOT/PSV, fully serviced to Good Garage Scheme standards and 1–3 months nationwide parts and labour warranty

p72_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 13:15 Page 72

16 seater, luxury minicoach, air con, mood lighting, London compliant, PSV MOT, COIF, extended rear, in superb condition, one owner from new, drives excellent, loads of history, alarm, reverse sensors etc, top spec vehicle, panoramic windows, ready to go staight to work. £14750

Call Tim 01404 47502 or 07790 966667 Email: parnell-coaches@supanet.com

2002 Mercedes Sitcar 1999 Mercedes 814 Beluga 815 Vario Vario Plaxton Cheetah

29 seater + crew, air con, manual, reclining seats, electric windows, wheel trims etc, in good condition, COIF, PSV MOT, the usual Mercedes reliability with excellent fuel economy, may PX, London LEZ Exhaust fitted. £22,999 + VAT

29 seater + driver, plain white, PSV MOT, COIF, 3 point belts etc, original paintwork and interior, drives well, as they all do, usual excellent reliability and great fuel economy, may PX. £9,999 + VAT

2005 Mercedes Sprinter 413 CDI

2008 Mercedes Sprinter 311 CDI

16 seater luxury minicoach, air con, mood lighting, London compliant, PSV MOT, COIF, extended rear, in superb condition, one owner, drives well, alarm, reverse sensors etc, top spec, panoramic windows, ready to go staight to work. £12,999 + VAT

16 seater, front entry luxury coach, PSV until March, 6 speed, Elite Conversion, forced air, rack lights etc, rear seats on quick release tracking, like new inside and out and drives well, 120K miles, COIF, digital tacho, may PX. £14,999 + VAT

WANTED: MERCEDES COACHES

1999 to present year, 16 to 35 seats, finance settled, with or without MOT, accident damage, etc.

The

Stafford Bus Centre Specialist Bus & Coach Sales

VEHICLES AVAILABLE FOR SHORT AND LONGER TERM HIRE

www.staffordbuscentre.com

Tel: 01782 791774 07803 222552 staffordbus@btconnect.com

RENAULT MASTER TRI AXLE BUS WITH CRAZY LOW MILES OF ONLY 20,000, BUILT TO CARRY 16 SEATED PASSENGERS OR UP TO 7 WHEELCHAIRS, POWER ENTRANCE DOOR, TACHOGRAPH, MANUAL FOLD OUT REAR RAMP, REVERSING CAMERA, NO EXPENSE SPARED WHEN BUILT, FULLY REPAINTED INTO WHITE AND MOT TO MARCH 2015, CAN BE PSV WITH COIF IF REQUIRED

£14,950 72 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

www.coachandbusweek.com

p73_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 13:17 Page 73

Marchant’s Coaches of Cheltenham Spa have the following Buses & Coaches for sale: 2004 Mercedes Citaro 43 seats MOT 20/11/15 2002 Mercedes Citaro 41 seats MOT 1/6/15 2001 Optare Solo Mercedes 29 belted seats + 2 tip ups MOT 2/2/15 (will MOT) 2001 Plaxton Cheetah manual 25 seats MOT 14/9/15 2000 Volvo B10M manual Van Hool 57 seats MOT 24/8/15 2000 Volvo B10M manual Plaxton Paragon 57 seats MOT 21/3/15 (will MOT) 1999 Volvo B10M manual Plaxton Premiere 57 seats MOT 4/6/15 1998 Volvo B10M manual Plaxton Excalibur 48 seats MOT 12/2/15(will MOT) 1996 Neoplan Skyliner Mercedes 77 seats MOT 8/12/15

£28,000 ono £21,000 ono £15,000 ono £14,000 ono £28,000 ono £28,000 ono £25,000 ono £16,000 ono £18,000 ono

All coaches currently LEZ compliant For more information or photographs please contact Roger/Richard Marchant

tel 01242 257714 mobile 07887 791757 www.coachandbusweek.com

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 73

p74_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 10:43 Page 74

Call The Sales Team Tel: 01733 293488 E: ian.gillis@coachandbusweek.com

CLASSIFIEDS AUDIO & VIDEO

BUILDINGS

CMS BRADFORD - WEST YORKSHIRE

Coach Multimedia Systems

AUDIO/VISUAL/SECURITY SYSTEMS, LCD/LED MONITORS, DVD/HDD PLAYERS, REAR VIEW CAMERA SYSTEMS, MICROPHONES, CCTV, DIGITAL/SATELLITE SYSTEMS, USB CONNECTIVITY ALL SYSTEMS PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF THE UK WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Phone: 07933 47 48 48 Email: Andy.Baxter@coachmultimediasystems.co.uk www.coachmultimediasystems.co.uk

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

ENGINES

• Audio / PA systems • Video-on-demand systems • Monitor & DVD systems • Hands-free mobile phone kits • Reversing cameras and sensors • Multi or single language systems • CCTV • Alarms, tracking and cruise control • SkyTV systems • GPS commentary systems UK and Ireland Distributor

MAN VOLVO CUMMINS SCANIA DAF ETC

www.autosound.co.uk Tel: 0044 (0)1274 688990

EQUIPMENT

GARAGE EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Specialists in Brake Testers & Column Lifts www.bwsequip.co.uk BWS (0117) 9530381

Unit 4, Lister Street, Dudley Hill, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9PQ

CLEANING PRODUCTS & SERVICES

CHECKPOINTS

ENGINES

E & E Potts Ltd

The complete transport washing solution

FULLY AUTOMATIC UNDER CHASSIS WASHING TO MOT STANDARDS

• No operator • No Health & Safety issues • No damage to vehicles • No MOT returns WNV-systems specialise in manufacturing, installation, chemical supply and after sales servicing of commercial vehicle cleaning systems, automatic under chassis washing, pressure wash systems, automatic top washes, water reclaims & rain water harvesting throughout the UK using our nationwide engineers.

A WNV-systems fully patented under chassis wash will result in your chassis cleaned for less than £2.20 and completed in 25-35 minutes.

Our systems are fully programmable to wash a full range of commercial vehicles.

Contact us for a free site survey, quotations or more information.

Tel: 0208 641 5601 Email: geoff@wnv-systems.com www.wnv-systems.com 74 | COACH & BUS WEEK | December 16, 2014

DIESEL ENGINE RECONDITIONER

Specialists in Cummins, Perkins, Caterpillar, Mercedes Commercial, Volvo, MAN, DAF, Scania.

All Engines are Dynamometer and Smoke Emissions Tested.

Full Engines, Long Engines and Short Motors Available.

Cylinder Heads, Blocks, Crankshafts, Camshafts, Pistons, Turbochangers, Gaskets and Bearings always in stock.

Call us today on 0161-737-4666 Email: eepottsltd@aol.com Engine House, New Thomas Street, Salford, M6 6WF www.coachandbusweek.com

p75_CBW_1168 15/12/2014 10:44 Page 75

www.coachandbusmarket.com

ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

REPAIRS

COMMERCIAL GARAGE EQUIPMENT

VOSA AUTHORISED TESTING FACILITY Commercial Garage Equipment Midlands Ltd (CGE) are one of the main providers of ATF Lanes to the CV Market ATF lane includes: - CAD drawing - Civil work - Brake tester approved for all classes - Prefabricated steel pit - Headlight tester - Play detectors - Radius plates - Pit jacks / jacking beams - Optional class 4 / 7 testing - Gas & smoke analyser

Express Coach

Above: Various stages of completion of an ATF Lane at Aldridge Transport, Launceston

Other equipment supplied: - Commercial scissor lifts - Galvanised commercial scissor lifts - HGV 4 post lifts - Brake testers - MOT bays (all classes) - Prefabricated steel pits - Inspection pits - Gas & smoke - Jacking beams - Car lifting equipment - Column lifts - Civil work with drawings - Leasing & finance available

Repairs

ESTABLISHED 1982

• Re-spray & refurbishment specialists • 70 seat conversions • All insurance work undertaken • Accident damage specialsts • 33 seat mini coach conversions • All aspects of exterior and interior work undertaken

T: 01386 244758 M: 07538 218194 E: sales@commercialgarageequipment.co.uk W: www.commercialgarageequipment.co.uk

TEL: 01751 475215 expresscoachrepairs@hotmail.co.uk

REGISTRATIONS SEATBELTS

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In association with

Seen something funny? Send it to gareth.evans@coachandbusweek. com or write to: Last Stop, Coach & Bus Week, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX

Monday: Jade here again. Receive a lovely email from a reader about my interview with Josh McCracken (Issue 1166) – it’s always nice to receive feedback like that.

Tuesday: Unplanned, I wear a Christmas jumper the same day my colleague Amy does. Our desks are opposite one another, so the editorial area is especially festive.

Gareth’s father emails me. The abundance of puns in the text explains Gareth’s sense of humour.

Wednesday: Gareth goes to Rotherham to see First South Yorkshire’s vehicle refurbishment business, while Andy is out visiting a local operator. Later in the day I interview a driver from Robinson Kimbolton while he is on his rest break in Peterborough. It’s rare that I can simply catch a bus to do an interview.

Thursday: Andy is out again, this time at a Scania test drive. He tells me it was well-organised and enjoyable – especially as he managed to not damage any of the vehicles he drove.

Friday: Today is Christmas Jumper Day (December 12) so I dress accordingly. Go to the office Christmas party in the evening at the Bull Hotel in Peterborough. Our table was put under the name of our sister magazine, Group Travel World, but according to the sign on the table we were ‘Travel World Group.’ The food was really good though, so I can forgive them.

Saturday: With all of my Christmas presents bought, I spend the majority of the day wrapping them. I’m amazed I’ve got it all done so early.

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Santa Claus’ Stagecoach Stagecoach North East bus drivers are swapping their uniforms for festive costumes in a bid to raise funds for local charities chosen by the firm’s employees.

Throughout this month, staff from the operator’s depots in Newcastle (Walkergate), Sunderland, South Shields, Stockton and Hartlepool are dressing as Santa Claus, snowmen, elves and even Christmas puddings to bring festive cheer to passengers.

Employees have also been handing out gifts such as rock sweets, miniature reindeer and snowmen bugs with a Christmas message – and in the process, they are raising funds for local charities such as Tiny Lives in Newcastle and Teesside Hospice.

Drivers and the other members of staff are hoping to raise over £25,250 and beat the total they raised over the last Christmas period.

Carol Meredith, Head of Tiny Lives: “Stagecoach is a wonderful, longstanding supporter of Tiny Lives.

Staff have been fundraising and bringing fun to their customers by collecting donations on the buses whilst dressed in Santa costumes for many years.

“We love their festive spirit and appreciate everyone’s generosity helping families on the Special Care Baby Unit at Christmas.”

Stagecoach North East drivers are sporting a number of different festive costumes in the name of charity Bus driver Dave Kenney, 59, from Walkergate depot, said: “We all really enjoy getting dressed up, as it’s for such a good cause and brings a bit of festive cheer to our day. Christmas can be a hectic time, so we just want to give people a smile or a laugh and raise some money for charity. It also adds a lovely festive atmosphere for people to enjoy on their journey to or from town.”

Phil Medlicott, Managing Director at Stagecoach North East, said: “The

drivers always get into the festive spirit to support the charities chosen and the public’s generosity never fails to surprise us. I think our passengers enjoy seeing Santa Claus driving the buses – it puts a smile on everyone’s face.

“We are always happy to support our drivers, particularly when they’re actively helping the community and raising funds for such a good cause and the rest of the team wish them good luck.”

Christmas Jumper Day ...And to quite literally top off this week’s ‘Last Stop,’ we thought we would share this little story with you. Christmas Jumper Day was marked in the CBW office on Friday (December 12) when Staff Writer Jade Smith and Amy Moore, Features Writer on sister monthly tourism title Group Travel World got into the festive spirit with suitable jumpers. In the best tradition of our friendly office banter, the girls joked about who had the biggest snowman and which one had the largest carrot – not to mention the scarf.

All good fun...

December 16, 2014 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 77 15/12/2014 13:07

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The 11 EYMS employees receiving awards had a combined service with the operator of 361 years The 11 employees present at EYMS Group’s Long Service Awards Dinner this year, held at Tickton Grange Hotel near Beverley, represented a total of 361 years’ service with the operator. This included one Hull driver who achieved 45 years and another with 40 years’ service with the company.

A fitter from Scarborough also notched up 45 years’ service, though he wasn’t at the function.

The odd number is because one of the 35-year recipients, Hull driver and Union Branch Secretary Stan Mumby, who was due to receive his award last year, asked for his presentation to be delayed so that he could receive his award at the same time as his wife Paula, who reached her 25 years in 2014.

Six other award winners were unable to attend the Dinner, but represent a

further 200 years’ service, bringing the grand total to 561 years of service.

Speaking at the function, EYMS Chairman, Peter Shipp, said: “I never cease to be greatly encouraged by the number of people who have worked for East Yorkshire for such long periods.

“I have no doubt that the loyalty shown by so many of our employees reflects well on the Company but also it is a huge bonus for our passengers.

They benefit just as much as we do from the experience and knowledge of such long serving employees and, of course, people recognised at these annual functions are only the tip of the iceberg because awards are presented only when certain annual milestones are reached.”

Each year EYMS staff who qualify for a milestone receive gifts to a value based on their length of service.

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15/12/2014 13:13

More jobs available online – see our brand new website

Graduate appointed Assistant Operations Manager at Stagecoach North East A graduate from Windermere in the Lake District has taken on the role of Assistant Operations Manager with Stagecoach North East.

28-year-old Viv Stephenson has been welcomed on board at Walkergate depot and joins the team as part of the company’s Graduate Training Programme, where she has just started her second year in training.

As Assistant Operations Manager, Viv will oversee the daily running of the depot as she progresses with her training and development, while receiving support from a dedicated mentor. Duties include assessing the operations on a daily basis, dealing with incidents and queries, recruitment and staff management, as well as liaison with engineering.

Viv spent the first year of her training in East Scotland, where she worked within different departments at depots around the country, experiencing

marketing, commercial, engineering and operations roles. This included learning to drive a bus, and Viv gained her PCV licence.

“I hadn’t really thought about working in the transport industry but I knew that I wanted to be part of a successful company and one that is interesting, and Stagecoach certainly fitted the bill,” said Viv. “Of all the areas covered by the two year course, for me operations is the most exciting, which is why I am very much looking forward to my role here in Newcastle and to further develop my skills and experiences of running a bus depot.

“The people I have worked with at Stagecoach are some of the best I have ever met and they are a very welcoming company. I certainly hope to be able to progress within the organisation and to become an Operations Manager in the future.”

Viv was previously employed at the Department of Work and Pensions Matt Cranwell, Operations Director at Stagecoach North East and Viv’s mentor on the programme, said: “Although Viv has only recently joined us, she has already become an invaluable member of the team and has taken to the role of assisting with the operations management very well.

“Our Graduate Training Programme helps to develop the next generation of managers and directors for Stagecoach and we embrace the fresh thinking,

creative ideas and energy that they bring. Viv will be an asset to the Newcastle depot and will help maintain the crucial public transport network across Newcastle. We wish her all the best in the next stage of her career.”

Prior to undertaking the Graduate Training Programme, Viv, worked for the Department for Work and Pensions, where she spent time as an Assistant Manager and Team Leader based in Huddersfield and Manchester.

Stagecoach North East drivers raise money for Movember charity A group of Movember supporters from Stagecoach North East have grown impressive moustaches and beards over the month of November in the name of charity.

On November 1, employees from bus depots in Newcastle, Sunderland, South Shields, Teesside and Hartlepool started growing their moustaches for the duration of the month. The men were raising money for the Institute of Cancer Research and Prostate Cancer Research.

To help boost the cumulative total and give the men an extra incentive,

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The drivers efforts raised almost £2,000 for charity

Stagecoach pledged £500 to the campaign.

Since then, an additional £1,491 has been raised by North East depots.

Family and friends of the employees were also very generous in supporting the so called ‘Mo bros’.

Mark Athey, a bus driver at the Walkergate depot, said: “The Movember campaign is for a great cause and it’s always fun to do. My beard wasn’t looking too bad by the end, and there were a good range of styles around the depot from everyone!”

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