Coach & Bus Week : Issue 1009

Wednesday October 26, 2011 Issue 1009 | £2.95 www.coachandbusweek.com

COACH:

Silver Star back on the road after Craig Porteous steps in p8

INDUSTRY:

25 years on, has bus deregulation been a success? p36

BUS:

20 Chinese doubledeckers for London’s Big Bus Tours p4

PRODUCTS:

New winter tyre from Michelin and new Delphi aircon p47

for recru i

JOB ADV tment EVERY WERTS EEK

Volvo’s 7900 Hybrid unveiled at Kortrijk p22

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THIS WEEK

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

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Forward to the future

I

n the midst of a recession we may be, but the message from Busworld Kortrijk last week seemed to be anything but gloomy. Put simply, research and development has not stood still – and hence the atmosphere was alive with excitement over the launching of new products and services.

Almost all vehicle manufacturers appeared to be only too keen to trumpet the environmental credentials of their products – perhaps a sign of the social pressures on our industry.

Meanwhile, Volvo unveiled a new development of its hybrid bus. Indeed, the vehicle itself also breaks new ground in terms of body composition and its effect on weight. To this end it is available with a selection of propulsion methods.

Another message which came across was that the UK is a powerful driving force in the European bus and coach industry. While it is only too easy to be under the impression we have a ‘second class transport

system’, our largely deregulated environment allows innovation to thrive.

Indeed, on that note, as ever, ADL’s CEO Colin Robertson makes some valid points in this week’s Big Question feature on p36. With a quarter of a century having passed, has bus deregulation been a success?

“As I travel around the world and see the quality standards elsewhere – and the continuous level of federal funding derived from the public purse – it makes me realise how fortunate we were to go down the route of deregulation,” says Colin. “It is a step which also led to challenges for the manufacturing sector, enabling us to raise the bar in terms of developing and building quality products which, given time, WILL get more and more people out of their cars.

“This has to be our collective goal if we are to avoid suffocating our towns and cities with ever-increasing traffic.”

Gareth Evans Editor

CONTENTS 4

30

44

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

18

An ex New Zealand Bristol RE now preserved in the UK by Mike Walker

36

Backhouse Jones answer questions on corporate manslaughter

...From tourist attractions and events. Plus ideas for group visits

20

Has deregulation had a positive effect on bus operations in the UK?

40

Michelin winter tyres and AlcoDigital’s Drivealyzer

Eurotunnel enjoys revenue growth while RPI inflation is on the rise

22

Jonathan Bray offers his views on the Competition Commission

42

A lighthearted look at the industry.

Plus Gareth’s Diary!

News from the European bus and coach industry’s biennial show

DSA calls for drivers to exchange paper licences for photocards

All the latest people moves from across the industry

News

Tour News

Business News

Busworld Kortrijk

The Big Picture

The Big Question pteg Column Drivers

Legal Update

47

Products

61

Last Stop

62

People

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

www.coachandbusweek.com

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4 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS

BriEfly A new bus information service which can be accessed online, on a smart phone and via text message has been released in London, along with new countdown signs at bus stops. The service provides live bus information for all 19,500 bus stops in the capital. TfL’s travel tools webpage contains live bus information on entering of a postcode, street name or bus stop code. The site will then display live bus arrival times over the next 30 minutes. A map will display all the bus stops in the local area from which passengers can select the stop they need. Passengers without a Smartphone or access to the web can text the bus stop code to 87287 to get detailed bus information at a small charge. The new signs on key stops have improved visibility for visually impaired passengers and will display more information than the old signs. The data will soon be made freely available for the development of Smartphone apps.

According to Redgy Deschacht, the president of Busworld, the Busworld-IRU campaign which was founded eight years ago called ‘A coach is not a truck’ has failed. Despite a lot of lobbying and numerous initiatives, progress has hardly been made. “The lack of flexibility towards the touring car sector is ruining our operation. We will keep on stressing the difference with trucks and the specific problems that we are facing until the issue is solved. In that respect we are hoping to publish a black book soon, detailing the experiences of individuals in our industry.”

The Greater Anglia rail franchise has been awarded to Albellio, the international arm of Dutch Railways, ahead of GoAhead and Stagecoach. The new franchise will begin in February next year and operate for 29 months, playing a significant role in transport for the 2012 Olympic Games. Current operator National Express was not shortlisted for the franchise. In a statement Go-Ahead Group said: “Whilst we are naturally disappointed, we will continue to explore future rail franchise opportunities.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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20 Chinese doubledeckers for London’s Big Bus Tours Half of the 81-seater buses will be fully open-top and the rest will be of a half-top design.

Twenty sight-seeing open-top double decker buses, built by Chinese manufacturer Anhui Ankai Automobile, are to be delivered to Big Bus Tours in early 2012.

The operator and manufacturer have been in a working relationship since Ankai first delivered buses to Big Bus Tours for operation in Dubai in 2007.

Big Bus Tours operates a combined fleet of over 300 sightseeing buses worldwide, with Ankai vehicles incorporated into services in cities including Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

The 81-seater buses will be equipped with Cummins Euro 5 engines, Voith gearboxes, and ZF axles. Half of the delivery will be fully open-top and the remaining 10 will be of a half-top design. A prototype vehicle has already been manufactured by Ankai, and has been inspected by VOSA in relation to the intended IVA certification for UK operation.

Big Bus Tours’ group engineering director, Gerry Price, said: “Our relationship with Ankai has gone from strength to strength over the last four years, as have the products developed through that relationship.”

“Ankai has risen to the challenge of a demanding business that operates under many differing sets of legislation in respect of vehicle build, and this latest product for London is a step up in terms

One of the 81-seater buses seen during testing at an Ankai facility

Budget sleeper coach launches Stagecoach’s Megabus.com sleeper coach pilot covered in CBW998 has been launched following successful trials since August.

The service between Glasgow and London began on Friday evening (October 21) and is being operated with three speciallyrefurbished articulated Jonckheere Mistral and Modulo Volvo B10M coaches. Each passenger has their own berth and seat of the 24 fitted on each coach, with fares ranging from £1 to £40.

Sir Brian Souter tests a berth in one of the new coaches.

The berths include a reading light, curtain, duvet, pillow and blanket. Also on-board is a WC, on board refreshments and free Wi-Fi. The coaches run seven evenings a week, from Glasgow-London departing at 2310 and arriving 0700, while the reverse trip departs

of both quality levels attained and engineering performance delivered.”

The prototype vehicle will arrive in January 2012 with the other 19 buses arriving in time to be deployed for the start of the summer.

Big Bus Tours received six Optare Visionaire open top buses based on Volvo tri-axle chassis for use on its central London tour routes from Optare last March. This brought the total number of Optare Visionaires in the Big Bus Tours fleet to 26.

Ankai manufactures large and medium size coaches, buses and chassis, ranging from the standard offering and also serving the luxury end of the market. It was established in 1997 and listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. In 2003, the company was merged successfully with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group, which remains Ankai’s largest shareholder with 20.92% of its share.

For more information on Big Bus Tours visit www. bigbustours.com and for more in Ankai, visit http://english.ankai. com

at 2355, arriving at 0745hrs.

The sleeper coaches have been safety certified by VOSA and are fitted with CCTV. Each berth is equipped with a button to alert the driver in the event of an emergency.

Stagecoach CEO Sir Brian Souter said: “We’ve had huge interest in the sleeper coach. Feedback from the trials has been very positive about the extra comfort, facilities, and the great value fares.

“We’ve seen particularly strong growth in demand for budget travel over the past two years with the combined effect of the tough economy, stretched household budgets and rocketing fuel prices.

The sleeper coach is a great way to travel and make your money go further.”

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“I didn’t think there would be an industry left if we’d kept on losing passengers at the rates we did in the 1970s and early 1980s.”

Roger French

The Big Question p36

DfT bus statistics show little overall movement

Winners from the previous IRTE Skills Challenge for 2011

Operators: take up the IRTE challenge The Institute of Road Transport Engineers is calling operators to put their skills on the map by entering the IRTE Skills Challenge 2012.

The challenge is a nationwide skills test for bus and coach engineers, which demonstrates the importance and competence of the people who keep the industry moving. With individual and operator categories, the event recognises the vital contribution of bus and coach technicians.

“Following the high-profile launch at Coach & Bus Live earlier this month, the whole industry is getting excited about the IRTE Skills Challenge 2012,” said the IRTE.

“But it’s not just a competition celebrating a few highly-skilled engineers. The IRTE Skills Challenge is about recognising the unsung heroes which keep the country moving; the electrical, mechanical and bodywork engineers responsible for ensuring our buses and coaches run safely.

To enter the challenge, an operator must submit its chosen engineers into the individual and/ or team categories of the challenge.

Based on the IRTE’s technicianlicensing scheme, irtec, the challenge covers both online and practical tests, to be carried out at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol on 26-29 June 2012.

Operators must register interest

by January 31, 2012.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) latest annual bus statistics for England in the financial year 2010/11 indicate a slight net increase in passenger journeys, though the 0.1% rise hides a decrease in metropolitan areas, offset by an increase in London.

While passenger journeys were on an upwards trend nationwide from 2004/05 to 2008/09, with a 15% increase, the number has remained largely stable since then, with an increase in London being offset by a decrease across the rest of England.

Latest estimates for 2011 Q2 suggest a 6.6% decrease in journeys in English metropolitan areas of 6.6%, with an increase of 1.4% in London. Non-metropolitan areas show no change. The result is a very slight net increase of 0.1% passenger journeys to 4.6bn.

In an analysis of bus vehicle miles, the DfT says the statistics show little change in mileage on a nationwide scale for six years, with the figure remaining between 1.30 and 1.34bn miles. There has been a 1% increase in vehicle miles on services run by local authorities, rising to 23% of all journeys in England outside of London.

Provisional figures on operating revenue for local bus services suggest an increase of 0.6% (in inflation-adjusted real terms) equating to a 19% increase from 2004/05. Revenue per passenger journey remained broadly flat as a whole over this period and was 120 pence per journey in 2010/11.

To see the entire dataset, visit http://www.dft.gov.uk/ statistics/releases/annual-busstatistics-201011

Contact Emma Thompson on emma.thompson@soe. org.uk . Further details of the IRTE Skills Challenge are online at www.soe.org.uk/irteskills

Dahlberg appointed head of Scania Buses and Coaches

Klas Dahlberg, 47, currently Scania’s vice president, non-captive market areas, has been appointed senior vice president buses & coaches.

During the period 2007 to 2011 Dahlberg was vice president of Scania franchise and factory sales, and responsible for sales and marketing of trucks, buses and coaches to distributors of Scania products in the region.

He started at Scania as a trainee in 1986 and continued with various positions in the group until 1998 when he left the firm.

In 2000 he returned to Scania

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as manager of fleet management, Scania Deutschland in Germany and continued with different managerial positions at distributors in Austria and Germany. In 2003-2007 he held the position as regional director at Scania Frankfurt/Offenbach.

In his role as senior vice president, he will report to Martin Lundstedt, executive vice president franchise and factory sales, and becomes member of Scania Group Management. He succeeds Melker Jernberg, who has taken up a position outside the company.

www.coachandbusweek.com

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6 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS › BUSeS

2004 1,028 The year bakerbus’ X1 route to Staffs University began operation

BriEfly The Jetblack bus service to Newbury is to offer a special ticket for groups of four shoppers travelling to the new Parkway Shopping Centre in Newbury.

The ticket, called the ‘Jetblack group shopper ticket’, will allow four shoppers on the route from Reading, through Theale and Thatcham to Newbury, to travel for £10. The ticket becomes available when the shopping centre opens its doors on Thursday (October 27). The Jetblack bus runs half hourly on Saturdays and hourly on Sundays and public holidays. The ticket will also work for Newbury shoppers travelling to Reading.

A 24-year-old National Express West Midlands (NXWM) male employee is in a critical condition in hospital after getting stuck between two buses at the firm’s Walsall depot. Emergency services were called during the early hours of Saturday to the man, who suffered head injuries and who is in life-threatening condition, police said. Police and the Health and Safety Executive are now investigating the incident. Simon Mathieson, NXWM area operations director, said: “An employee has been taken to hospital and the emergency services attended the scene. We are currently supporting the employee’s family and a thorough investigation into the cause will take place.”

Lincolnshire County Council has confirmed it is to make a £5m bid for a major transport project, including a park and ride scheme, in early 2012. Details of a location and a full budget for the project are to be discussed in the coming weeks. Plans for a new park and ride have been discussed by the county council for years, including a potential site near the Carholme roundabout on the A46 which was selected in 2009.

However, proposals were delayed in 2010 by government spending cuts. The current proposal, which would also include improved public transport, cycle routes and footpaths in the region, is to be discussed by the highways, transport and technology and scrutiny committee on Monday before going to the full council. www.coachandbusweek.com

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The number of buses – as opposed to coaches – produced by Van Hool last year

Cardiff Bus’ March court hearing could determine survival Swansea-based 2Travel brings High Court action, claiming damages for lost profits and the failure of its business Cardiff Bus (CB) will face a court hearing in March which could determine whether the municipally-owned operator survives.

The bus company is facing a £50m compensation claim from 2Travel, a rival firm which went into liquidation. It is bringing a High Court action against CB claiming damages for lost profits and the failure of the business.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled in 2008 that the city’s bus operator abused its dominant market position to put the smaller independent firm out of business.

Swansea-based 2Travel started a rival half-hourly Monday to Friday service on Cardiff’s busiest routes in April 2004, but it folded in May 2005 after struggling to compete, for reasons which included CB launching cut-price fares on the same routes. After 2Travel folded, CB ended the loss-making services.

The OFT ruled CB had engaged in predatory conduct by operating with revenues far below costs.

Cardiff Bus could be severely impacted if a £50m compensation claim from the directors of 2Travel succeeds. Sporting the firm’s smart revised livery, a Dart is about to depart Cardiff Central bus station on September 3, 2011

bakerbus Volvo hybrids join X1 route Three Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied Volvo B5RLH hybrids have entered service at bakerbus on its premier X1 route between Hanley, Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire Beaconside.

Purchased with the help of the Department for Transport’s Green Bus Fund, each of the vehicles is equipped with WiFi, allowing customers to use mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets to

connect to the Internet during their journey.

The X1 is a popular route for students as well as well as the public as it provides local connections between the universities and mainline railway stations serving Stoke and Stone.

The decision to use double deckers was taken after a detailed appraisal of the route, its current demand profile and potential growth. The X1 was started in 2004 at the request of Staffordshire University and has since developed into a partnership.

Initially, the service operated with midi buses. However

In the 2009 OFT judgment, CB escaped a fine because the regulator judged its conduct to be ‘of minor significance’, since the firm’s annual turnover from the undertaking infringing on competition rules did not exceed £50m.

Three separate claims have also been brought by 2Travel’s former company secretary, David Francis, former CEO David Fowles and nonexecutive director Nigel Short, who were shareholders.

Overall, £7m is being sought in lost profits, £15m for the loss of the business and £15m for being unable to grow the business.

A further £10m is being pursued for the lost commercial opportunity to develop its Swansea depot and another £3m in punitive damages.

The case is due to start at the High Court in Cardiff on March 23.

The OFT judgment said: “The OFT concludes the evidence is sufficient to demonstrate CB was reacting to 2Travel’s entry by attempting to force the entrant to retreat from the market.

“In the OFT’s view, CB’s conduct contributed to maintaining and strengthening its dominance and did not constitute ‘normal competition on the merits’, but was predatory and an abuse of Cardiff Bus’ dominant position.” since 2009 increasing demand necessitated the use of larger single deckers and these were running at maximum capacity at peak times.

Phil Baker, bakerbus MD said: “We’ve seen significant growth on the X1. By providing additional seating capacity, these new buses allow more flexibility without increasing congestion.” bakerbus runs buses throughout Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire, Cheshire and Stockport. For more information about the company, which is part of The Bakers Group, visit www.bakerbus.com

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45,000

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 7

SHARE WATCH

Number of money-saving vouchers sent to houses served by Stagecoach West’s 32 and 33 routes

Stagecoach West introduces new hourly County Link On Sunday (October 23) Stagecoach West unveiled a new hourly bus service which operates from Gloucester to Hereford.

The route 33 is a revision of an old route which terminated at Ross-on-Wye, meaning passengers for Hereford had to change buses.

The new route, branded the County Link, connects Gloucester and Hereford via Churcham, Huntley, Lea, Weston under Penyard, Rosson-Wye, Much Birch and King’s Thorn. It runs hourly during the day, Monday to Saturday.

Stagecoach’s route 32 has been extended to Hereford on Sundays and weekday evenings to cover the route 33 downtime.

The service enhancements were supported by a wide-scale marketing campaign which saw money-saving vouchers for routes 32 and 33 despatched to over 45,000 households along the routes. Stagecoach has also made changes to its routes 35 and 36 in Ross-on-Wye this month.

Speaking at the an official launch event for the service at the Pilgrim Hotel in Much Birch on

Peter Huntley goes ahead Peter Huntley is to leave his position as MD of Go North East (GNE) at the end of the year, after nearly six years in the post.

Peter, who will be leaving the North East and going to the North Pole on an expedition for charity, says he leaves the group in “great shape”, explaining: “GNE has never been more successful and we continue to grow commercial passengers and revenue, despite the difficult economic conditions in the region.

“Our Gateshead ‘Super Depot’ scheme has been approved, investment is flowing and innovation and development are now embedded in the firm’s DNA. It is particularly satisfying to see our best profit ever coinciding with a remarkable 92% satisfaction rate in the latest Passenger Focus research.

Being part of Go Ahead Group is tantamount to playing in the ‘Premier League’ for quality and so

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Friday, Ian Manning, Stagecoach West MD, said: “We are pleased to have worked with Herefordshire Council and Gloucestershire County Council as part of their re-tendering exercise of some services recently to produce a new timetable structure which provides more

regular buses for our customers between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.”

Cllr Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council cabinet member for highways & transport, said: “We’re delighted Stagecoach West has committed to this new enhanced service.

“We particularly welcome the voucher scheme they have introduced which is timely given the current economic climate.”

Industry share prices at the close of the Stock Exchange on Monday, October 24. FirstGroup saw the greatest proportional rise and Go-Ahead the biggest proportional drop.

Most figures obtained from www.iii.co.uk

284.70p

Price: Year High: 574.37p Year Low: 257.70p

331.55p

Price: Year High: 416.90p Year Low: 305.36p

1403.0p

Price: Year High: 1540p Year Low: 1034.p

231.20p

At the launch event, Ian Manning, MD of Stagecoach West, was joined by cllr Julie Woodward, the Mayor of Hereford, cllr Caroline Utting, the deputy mayor of Ross-on-Wye, cllr Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council cabinet member for Highways & Transportation and cllr Mark Hawthorne, the leader of Gloucestershire County Council beating renowned operators such as Brighton & Hove and Oxford Bus on quality scores is a wonderful achievement for everyone.

“GNE is in great shape for the challenges ahead. I know I leave it in the safe hands of a dedicated first class team.”

A process to recruit a successor will commence immediately.

Commenting on Peter’s departure, David Brown, Go-Ahead group CEO, said: “I would also like to wish Peter well on his next adventure which is a self funded charity walk to the North Pole – pulling an equipment laden sled for 16 days over ice and snow. It will take huge determination and willpower, which I know Peter has in abundance.”

Peter’s 16-day expedition in aid of Transaid, will take place in April 2012 and is being funded by Peter himself. He is searching for 10 firms to sponsor him for £1,000 each.

To sponsor Peter, email him at peter.huntley@ gonortheast.co.uk. Transaid’s website is www.transaid.org

First Aberdeen and Unite avert strike First Aberdeen has agreed a new deal with union officials to settle an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. The result is the ending of the possibility of strike action by drivers in the run up to Christmas.

The potential action was centred around First’s plans to remove some of the drivers’ overtime entitlements. However, a joint statement has been issued saying there was a satisfactory conclusion to talks between the two parties.

First Aberdeen operations director, Duncan Cameron, said: “I’m pleased we have reached a satisfactory conclusion for both parties.”

Unite branch secretary Mike Flinn, added: “We look forward to maintaining a working partnership. going forward.”

Price: Year High: 272.10p Year Low: 212.70p

248.75p

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FTSE 100

5548

Price: Year High: 6,105 Year Low: 4,790

+111 on last week

www.coachandbusweek.com

24/10/2011 22:19

8 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS › coaches

BriEfly Resurfacing works will begin on the M50 later this month between junction 1 and junction 8 of the M5. Work begins on Thursday October 27 and is set to finish on Monday November 7. It will take place overnight from 2200 to 0600 hrs. During this time the road will be closed, with diversion routes clearly signposted.

A major change in the layout of the A46 started on Wednesday (October 26) as part of the ongoing Newark to Widmerpool improvement. Northbound traffic will be switched onto a 3.5 mile section of new carriageway between Stragglethorpe and Saxondale. Vehicles will then use new sliproads to rejoin the A46.

The northbound entry and exit slips at Stragglethorpe junction will also close for four weeks. Southbound traffic will be switched onto the new carriageway at 0200 on Monday 31 October.

Work began on Wednesday October 19 to resurface a section of the A27 dual carriageway between Arundel and Chichester in West Sussex. The work takes place both day and night, suspended at 0730 – 0915 hrs and 1600 – 1845 hrs. Two lanes will remain open at all peak times during the work day, with a 40mph speed limit enforced. At other times, traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction using temporary lane closures and contraflow running.

Work is expected to finish in time for the Christmas holiday period.

Work to resurface a three-mile stretch of the southbound A1 (M) carriageway near Doncaster began on October 24. The upgrade is being carried out overnight. It will require the overnight closure of the southbound carriageway between junctions 37 and 38. There will also be night time closures of the southbound entry slip road at junction 38 and southbound exit slip road at junction 37. The carriageway will close at 2100hrs, Monday to Saturday and reopen before the morning peak. A diversion route via the A638 will be clearly signposted. The upgrade is due to finish by November 5. www.coachandbusweek.com

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Silver Star on the road to recovery Craig Porteous based in Hull, stepped in last week to re-open the Caernarfon-based operator Silver Star Holidays of Caernarfon has been brought back from the brink of administration after a backer – Craig Porteous – stepped in last week to save them.

Administrators were called in two weeks ago after 93 years of operation and devastated directors blamed high fuel costs and the current economic climate for the failure (CBW 1007).

Known locally as Seren Arian (Silver Star), the family firm started bus services between Caernarfon and outlying villages. It became a coach and holiday company and annually took 12,000 people on holiday in the UK and Europe.

Documents filed at Companies House show the new director of

Silver Star Holidays is Hull-based Porteous. The 51-year-old also owns Yorkshire Bus & Coach Sales and runs a property development business in East Yorkshire, and ran a bus company in Hull until he sold it a few years ago.

Silver Star had said last week: “The previous management of Silver Star, with the backing of an established investor who recognised the future potential and importance of Silver Star to Caernarfon and the wider Welsh community, have restructured and re-opened a new company that will trade under the name of Silver Star Holidays Ltd/ Gwyliau Seren Arian Cyf. “The legacy left by the old company coupled with the restructure, experience of previous staff and considerable financial backing will ensure the new Silver Star Holidays company faces a very bright future.”

New vehicles will be hired via the new owner Craig’s sales company

Van Hool and Scania strengthen ties Van Hool and Scania have signed a partnership agreement over the construction of double-deck and high-deck coaches.

Van Hool says the move allows it to manifest itself more strongly in

Scania, while Scania can broaden its market offering to customers for double or high-deckers worldwide.

Van Hool and Scania have worked together for many years and frequently build buses and coaches at the Koningshooikt facility. Last year this led to the delivery of about seventy double and over-decker touring coaches.

The new agreement will see a stronger working partnership develop between the two companies. Scania will promote Van Hool as its privileged bodywork

At least nine out of the previous 12 jobs have been saved with familiar faces being re-employed as the coach drivers as well as in the holiday shop, which opened for business from the time of the announcement (October 19).

Spokesman for the firm, Gavin Owen said: “The coaches operated by the former company are no longer available, but the new vehicles will be of the same high standard and will offer the same facilities as before.”

Gavin told CBW vehicles would be hired via Craig’s hire company.

He also said Cibyn Industrial Estate would no longer be used as a depot and vehicles would instead be taken to Craig’s depot in Yorkshire for maintenance, cleaning and repair “every few week”. Coaches would temporarily be parked at Cibyn, however.

Gavin said the vintage vehicles which the former company used on the road are owned by the former MD, Elfyn Thomas’ brother-in-law.

“We will allow the dust to settle before starting them again.”

The company said the 890 bookings it had when it went into administration can be refunded via “the CPT process”. Gavin added passengers can then rebook if they wish. “We will endeavour to operate the original holiday packages which were available between November 2011 and April 2012,” he said.

A new 2012 brochure will be published next month featuring old favourites as well as some new and exciting holidays and events. constructor and Van Hool double and over-decker coaches on Scania chassis will be included in the Swedish manufacturer’s portfolio.

Scania says it wants to realise a stronger geographical spread and an optimisation of the vehicle range.

The focus lies on customised and personalised vehicles.

Both companies think the cooperation will lead to numerous opportunities in the future. For Van Hool it also means vehicles on Scania chassis can be maintained within the Scania dealer network.

24/10/2011 20:57

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 9

“Indeed this Competition Commission investigation seems to take on more incarnations than Dr Who – minus a fully operational sonic screwdriver.”

Jonathan Bray

pteg Column p40

New Setra website

Travel de Courcey converted one of their Mercedes Touro coaches from Euro 3 to Euro 4 to cope with the London LEZ which comes into force next year

Travel de Courcey’s LEZ conversion West Midland bus and coach operator Travel de Courcey has converted one of its Mercedes coaches to cope with the London Low Emission Zone stipulations next year, with the help of the Volvo Group.

Coming into force from early January next year, less than six months away, the LEZ will restrict access to the capital for noncomplying vehicles, when Euro 4 will be the minimum emission standard required.

Neville Collins, fleet engineer at Travel de Courcey explained: “Anyone operating in London after the deadline will need to be running vehicles that will pass Euro 4 emissions regulations. Accordingly, we will be upgrading a number of our vehicles over coming months and this Mercedes Touro coach has been the first.”

Commenting on the value of Euro Obituary

Dermot Hogan Tourism Ireland’s Dermot Hogan has sadly passed away last week, after a short illness.

The Coach Tourism Council said of Dermot: “A stalwart supporter of the CTC and a board member for many years, Dermot was the face of Ireland for everyone involved in the coach and group travel industry, running the Tourism Ireland stands at countless exhibitions and acting

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4 beyond LEZ, Neville added: “Our local community are also benefiting from these lower emissions, and it underscores our green sustainability policy too.”

The company turned to Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia, Coventry for assistance. Neville said the aftermarket team there got the conversion business because they were very competitive on price.

“As well as upgrading this vehicle from Euro 3 to Euro 4, the team at Coventry will be converting our Volvo B12s and hopefully our MAN coaches as well.”

“This project reinforces Volvo’s ability to not only provide an LEZ solution for all makes, but to be competitive as well,” continued Neville.

The task in hand at Travel de Courcey involves the removal of exhaust and silencer peripherals and the installation of a compatible particulate trap.”

Neville concluded: “We’ve had great service over the last few years from Volvo at Coventry and their parts team are experts at finding solutions both inside and outside the Volvo brand.” as organiser and host of many Irish family trips.

“Above all he will be remembered for his cheery, welcoming nature, friendship and quite simply, his Joie de Vivre. He will be missed by countless people and we are sure everyone will join the CTC in sending their thoughts and best wishes to Dermot’s widow Joan, his daughters, family and colleagues, at this difficult time.”

CBW understands Dermot’s funeral was due to take place on Tuesday October 25.

Setra’s bus and coach website has been redesigned with a completely new look.

According to Daimler, the new website means “a luminous, friendly, background and a wealth of meticulously-prepared information bring the openness and transparency of the Daimler brand to the foreground with even greater emphasis in this jubilee year of Setra’s 60th anniversary.”

The main focus of the site is on Setra’s three model series TopClass, ComfortClass and MultiClass. A single mouse click allows browsers to study all the relevant technical facts and figures attributed to each individual vehicle in a swift, convenient manner and with a clearly-structured layout.

Large-format images and videos are also used to underscore the exclusivity of Setra products.

Visitors will find current news, new highlights and important quick access links. A navigation bar can conduct visitors to the relevant contacts in customer advice, Setra sales, aftersales and the Omniplus service support section.

In addition to the tried-andtested route planner, visitors have an extensive download and service sector at their disposal where they can download current brochures and data sheets and view and order exclusive offers.

Visit the new website at www.setra.de

The focus of Setra’s new website is its three model series: TopClass, ComfortClass and MultiClass

www.coachandbusweek.com

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nEWS

OS NW & Yorkshire at 75 Omnibus Society North West & Yorkshire celebrate 75 glorious years The North West & Yorkshire branch of the Omnibus Society marked its 75th anniversary on Saturday (22 October) with a special event at Bramhope, north of Leeds. It featured what may be the largest gathering of former presidents of the Omnibus Society ever, with no fewer than six present. Five of the six were members of the branch and each gave a brief presentation.

Geoffrey Steel, who was particularly associated with Wallace Arnold but whose career also included Yelloway Motor Services, reminisced about his life in coaches and other things, including being brought up in a brewery and bringing driver scheduling skills to bear in a volunteer role at the RSPCA. Peter Shipp of EYMS, president in 1996, also recalled a long and varied career in the bus industry, starting with Devon General and culminating as chairman and sole shareholder of EYMS Group. He warned that the bus industry was now facing its greatest perils ever, with a combination of threats to tendered services, concessionary fares reimbursement, BSOG, EU regulations and general Government interference, not least the huge amount of work which has been involved in engaging in the

Lothian Buses scoops CILT award

Lothian Buses has scooped up the winning entry in the Information Management category of the 2011 Annual Awards for Excellence from The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT).

The awards were held at a gala dinner held at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square last week (October 20).

CILT acknowledged that Lothian Buses – which beat a shortlist including Palletforce and Shutl - has introduced ‘Bus Tracker’ giving accurate and reliable real-time www.coachandbusweek.com

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recent Competition Commission investigation.

Stephen Morris, president in 1999 and now OS Chairman and general manager of Bus Users UK, reminisced about buses in the north-west and Yorkshire in the 1960s and compared today’s bus industry in London with the rest of Britain, warning that political control of bus services could bring greater instability than a

commercial regime.

Peter Bell, former managing director of Preston Bus, president in 2002 recalled the benefits and pitfalls of running an employee buyout, revealing that the share ownership structure, in which employees were repaid their shareholding only on leaving the company and new employees were offered shares at the current rate, often many times what existing

employees had paid, was ultimately unsustainable.

Finally Giles Fearnley, md of First’s UK Bus operations, president in 2007, also reflected on a long career in the bus industry, starting at Sheffield Transport where concessionary fare reimbursement had consisted of the council paying over a cheque for an agreed sum once a year, in contrast to the highly complex and unsatisfactory arrangements applying today, and agreed with Peter Shipp over the threats to today’s industry and the enormous amount of time and paperwork invested in a Competition Commission enquiry which had not really found anything fundamentally wrong with the present regime.

The sixth ex-president there was well-known author and Bus Users UK’s senior officer for Scotland Gavin Booth, president in 2008, who is not a member of the North West & Yorkshire branch but was there as a guest. Transport from central Leeds to the event was a fine 1938 Bristol K5G from Keighley-West Yorkshire, which was rebodied with a new lowbridge body by Roe in 1950 and is now owned by Giles Fearnley and his former colleague from Blazefield days, Stuart Wilde.

Five former Omnibus Society presidents with the 1938 Bristol K5G, joined by another OS president, Gavin Booth of Bus Users UK, who was a guest at the event. Left to right: Geoffrey Steel, Giles Fearnley, Gavin Booth, Stephen Morris, Peter Bell, Peter Shipp

Visit the Omnibus Society’s website at www.omnibussoc.org

passenger information for services across the City of Edinburgh. Bus stops and all 600 buses have been equipped with visual displays. Route progress and stop alerts are translated automatically into announcements with the combination of visual and audio information reaching a very high proportion of customers.

The judges recognised the enormous value of the scheme in improving access, personal security and schedule reliability.

The award was one of fifteen presentations made at the event including the FirstGroup-sponsored award for Passenger Transport, which was won by Transport for London’s cycle hire scheme.

Rachel Beeken, general manager of logistics firm Gist Limited won

was particularly high this year – reflecting a growing commitment to excellence and customer care in logistics and passenger transport.

“Widely acclaimed by the press and business community, the Awards are a celebration of the pioneering spirit that forges growth and leadership in the industry,” said CILT. “Whether your organisation is an international giant or a small company, CILT(UK) believes exceptional performances should be highlighted and applauded.

“The importance of winning an award cannot be underestimated.

In these uncertain economic times, organisations need to maximise their appeal and boost their profile - what better way than being nominated as a finalist in the Institute’s awards.”

Peter Hendy (left), Bill Johnston, network manager of Lothian Buses and Stephen Ashton of award sponsors Unipart Logistics Young Manager of the Year The CILT Annual Awards for Excellence are designed to promote and encourage best practice within logistics and transport.

CILT said the quality of entries

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October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 11

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12 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS

Major coach investment for Souter Investments Substantial expansion increases size of PolskiBus.com fleet to 68 vehicles Souter Investments has announced a multi-million Euro investment in 50 new coaches for its successful Polish business PolskiBus.com.

The investment will expand PolskiBus.com’s coach fleet to 68 vehicles, all of which meet the latest Euro 5 emissions standards and offer passengers free Wi-Fi access, luxury leather seats and airconditioning.

Sir Brian Souter said: “We have been delighted with the success of PolskiBus.com since its launch four months ago. This major new investment reflects our commitment to expanding the PolskiBus.com business and driving up the quality of travel for our customers by investing in new, high-specification vehicles.”

PolskiBus.com operates fast, cheap and comfortable inter-city express coach services across Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Fares start at just 1 zloty plus a 1 zloty booking fee with no hidden luggage charges and free Wi-Fi access. Tickets can be booked online at www.polskibus.com.

Roger Bowker, CEO of Souter Holdings Poland, said: “PolskiBus. com has carried over 175,000 passengers in its first three months of trading and we know that our customers love our low fares, comfortable coaches, free Wi-Fi access and friendly drivers. This order is the first phase of a major new investment programme

UITP appoints its first African president

Ousmane Thiam (Senegal) has been confirmed as the new president of the UITP (International Association of Public Transport) executive board, making him the first African president of the association. www.coachandbusweek.com

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planned by Souter Holdings Poland as we look to develop the PolskiBus. com business.”

The 50 bus order will consist of 30 single deck Van Hool Altano and 20 double deck Astromega coaches.

Each vehicle will be equipped with free Wi-Fi access and in-seat charging points for laptops and mobile phones.

In addition, the coaches will offer reclining leather seats, airconditioning, toilet facilities and disabled access.

Filip Van Hool, Executive Director of Van Hool, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Souter Holdings Poland and PolskiBus.com. Our Van Hool TD921 Altano and TD927 Astromega coaches are ideal for high quality, extremely comfortable inter-city bus travel with their high capacity seating layouts, luxurious

red leather seats, 240V power socket, Wi-Fi connectivity and disabled access. We are always proud that we have the flexibility to develop and adapt vehicles in close collaboration with our customers.”

The new vehicles are expected to go into service between December 2011 and April 2012.

Piotr Bezulski, managing director of Souter Holdings Poland, added: “As well as offering the best value inter-city fares in Poland, we want to play our part in reducing the environmental impact of travel while making it easy for people to travel quickly and cheaply from city centre to city centre.

“We believe there is a big opportunity to attract car users to the benefits of fast, cheap and comfortable inter-city coach travel whilst at the same time cutting their carbon footprint.”

The order is for 30 single deck Van Hool Altanos and 20 double Astromegas Thiam takes over from Alain Flausch, who was selected last September to follow Hans Rat as new Secretary General of UITP early next year.

A civil engineer holding a PhD in Transport Economics, Thiam has been president of the Conseil Exécutif des Transports urbains de Dakar (CETUD), Senegal since 1997. In 2007, he became president of the African Association of Public Transport (UATP), acting as the African Division of UITP. “I look forward to contributing,

together with my colleagues of the Board and the UITP members, to PTx2, UITP’s worldwide strategy for doubling the market share of public transport around the globe,” said the new president. “Only when pulling in the same direction, as one team, will we be able to achieve this ambition.”

Commenting on Thiam’s appointment, Hans Rat said: “With Ousmane Thiam, CETUD successfully launched the initiative of formalising the informal public transport sector, which is a major

Pininfarina hybrid bus unveiled Pininfarina - the styling company famous for work on sports cars such as the Ferrari F40 - has unveiled its hybrid diesel-electric bus prototype at a transport exhibition in Milan.

Pininfarina was originally inspired to start the Hybus project to combat pollution in Turin, the city where the company is based.

The project has been undertaken with Turinese transport group GTT and battery maker FAAM. The firm has converted a 17-year-old Iveco bus design to take a 1.3-litre Multi-jet diesel power unit coupled to an electric generator, which provides energy to the main lithium-ion battery pack. The original rear axle and drive-line remains and is driven by two Magneti Marelli electric motors mated to a collector-reduction gearbox. The lithium-ion battery pack and the battery management system are supplied by FAAM and the new powerplant and ancillaries management is integrated with the basic original electrical/electronic design. Under braking Hybus recovers kinetic energy to recharge the batteries.

Hybus has been unveiled at the MobilityTech forum in Milan and it is the first demonstration prototype. Pininfarina estimates that adapting old buses to run with the new technology is about 60% cheaper than buying new hybrid vehicles. Hybus was developed at Pininfarina’s design and engineering Centre, and is the result of the company’s decision to focus some of its resources on hybrid and electric mobility. issue in most developing countries.

Alain Flausch said: “Ousmane Thiam placed UATP on the international scene at the highest level, gaining recognition from organisations and agencies such as the African Union Commission, the European Commission, the World Bank and the United Nations. All these organisations were present at the last African Public Transport Congress in Dakar.

“The unifying personality of Ousmane Thiam is a clear asset for our Association.”

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nEWS › international

Johannesburg BRT completed WSP Africa’s ‘toughest ever’ BRT project finished after three years SOUTH AFRICA Construction firm WSP Africa has completed a BRT scheme in Johannesburg, a project it has described as the toughest the company has undertaken.

WSP Africa had been overseeing the design and construction of the recently-completed BRT route which began in January 2008.

The firm has been working in conjunction with project manager KYD Consulting Engineers.

Kevin van Blerk, technical director for WSP explained how a range of difficulties compounded the cost and time taken to complete the project.

“We had to relocate everything outside of the bus lane to allow

German government rejects motorway tolls for tour coaches

GERMAnY The German Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament has voted in favour of draft Federal Government legislation which will stop the introduction of motorway tolls for tour coaches. While the issue is not totally disposed, the RDA International Coach Tourism Federation has welcomed the news, saying it is a “major success” for the coach tourism industry.

Opposition SPD and Green Party governed states and Bundesrat committees calling for the tolling measures suffered an overwhelming defeat. RDA President Richard Eberhardt stated he was now at ease and delighted intensive coach sector lobbying since early September 2011 had paid off. Eberhardt offered his thanks to those decision-makers and organisations who supported www.coachandbusweek.com

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space for the construction of the bus route,” he said.

“In many instances the exact position and size of the services were uncertain. When we excavated some areas, we found the pipes had corroded and were near collapse. We had to replace the pipes, which took time and added costs. Provision also had to be made for aging water and sewer mains.”

A further challenge came with land acquisitions. Access to properties had to be considered, and residents close to the construction area were unhappy.

A considerable length of time had to be spent holding negotiations with business and private property owners, convincing them to buy into the BRT concept and sell their properties as required.

Challenging weather conditions in the Johannesburg area delayed construction further.

The busway comprises of 11 bus stops running at 750m intervals for commuters. Each bus station features colour-coded street lighting and a waiting room.

Construction work included the design and construction of bus lanes, road widening, relocation of utlities networks, modifications to storm drains, road reconstruction and resurfacing, the construction of retaining walls and traffic management upgrades.

The new road cross-section for the BRT accommodates two dedicated bus lanes, one in each direction, running down the middle of the existing road with another two mixed-traffic lanes travelling in each direction. Re-engineering of the existing road surface was needed to accommodate heavier buses running on the route. The traffic signal system has also been upgraded at each major road intersection, allowing for normal traffic and complementary buses to merge into the BRT network.

An important artery for tour coaches is the A81 in South West Germany the RDA in its efforts to prevent motorway tolls for tour coaches, in particular RDA members who actively lobbied their MPs and political parties in advance of the vote.

In a statement, the RDA explained: “It does not bear thinking of what effects the introduction of motorway tolls would have had on coach operators’ costs and coach holiday prices. The RDA will, needless to say, remain vigilant on behalf of its members on

this important industry matter.

“The RDA considers tourguiding a high priority issue. The quality of coach holidays and client satisfaction are dependent upon many factors. A sure guarantee for well-run and well-received coach holidays are professional tour guides. Qualified tour guides are a key for successful and safe coach holidays; they are calling cards for companies and important image bearers for the coach tourism sector as a whole.”

GAZ Group receives order for 2000 low floor buses RUSSIA GAZ Group has received an order for 2,000 SLF buses from the Moscow transport authorities.

As the GAZ Autobus division has gone into a strategic partnership with ZF Group, the vehicles will be equipped with ZF’s Ecomat automatic transmission as well as its RL 85 front-axle system, AV 132 and AVN 132 portal axles and ZF dampers. The buses are also equipped with the ZF-Servocom steering pumps and the ball-andnut power steering system.

Moscow’s transport system carries approximately 12.5m passengers per day using around 6,700 buses and 950 trams. The vehicles cover 475,348 miles daily on 523 inner city routes.

Hess reaches new milestone

SWITZERLAnD Bus manufacturer Hess recently passed a new milestone, when it completed the 250th SwissTrolley bus. The bus was delivered to the city of Winterthur, and is currently in its third iteration. Hess claims it is the ideal solution to increasing demands in conurbations, combining the benefits of flexible public road transport with electric power and low emissions.

The new SwissTrolley model features 43 seats and ample standing room, and is a seat row longer than older models, measuring 18.7m in length.

Winterthur has ordered a total of 21 vehicles, and similarly-designed units are currently operating in Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich, Lausanne, Biel, St. Gallen, Neuchatel and Fribourg and further afield in Solingen and Arnhem.

New vehicles will be deployed in Schaffhausen this year and further vehicles of the type have been ordered for 2012 and 2013 by Limoges and Zurich.

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Here is your chance to experience a full cruise at a very special price.

Exclusively for you from Coach World and Coaches Etc. Prices starting at £399 for a balcony cabin for a full 7 days Mediterranean cruise on board MSC Flagship Splendida MSC Cruises continues to astound with its cutting-edge ʻFantasiaʼ class of cruise ships. After the success of MSC Fantasia we were immensely proud to introduce her sister, MSC Splendida, a cruise ship where technology and comfort are spectacularly combined. Futuristic, yet retaining its classic simplicity and elegance. A cruise ship that promises the ultimate cruise experience.

MSC Splendida also features 4 swimming pools, a squash court, a Formula 1 simulator and much, much more... there are 5 restaurants to chose from, and 13 bars, as well as a magnificent theatre where top class shows take place very night, a large casino and plenty of shops.

This trip gives you the chance to experience the luxury of a balcony cabin.

Balcony Cabin Outside with Balcony

All beds can be both single or double (on request). Spacious wardrobe. Bathroom with shower or tub.

Interactive TV. Telephone. Availability of internet connection by your own laptop (on payment). Mini bar and safe. Air conditioning. Size: approx 22 square metres.

Sailing Dates: 28th January 2012 sailing from Genoa Italy

25th February 2012 sailing from Genoa Italy

Ports en route: Genoa, Barcelona, at sea, Casablanca, Gibraltar, Valencia, Marseille, Genoa

Ports en route: Genoa, Barcelona, at sea, Casablanca, Gibraltar, Valencia, Marseille, Genoa

Prices including flight only £599 per person on the 28th January and £649 on the 25th February and this is unbelievable, but no single supplement !!!!!

Or travel by coach stopping en route in the magnificent Park Inn Macon Hotel, on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis for just £525 per person on 28th January and £569 on 25th February, or arrange your own flights and pay just £399 on 28th January and £439 on 25th February.

Theses prices are for a balcony cabin with either flights or coach travel included, and are amazing, so to book now before the cabins sell out please call Richard or Tasha on 0208 665 5561 or email Richard@coachesetc.com There is limited availability so please call us as soon as you can

There are also some free places for group organisers who meet the criteria so get a group together and get on board.

16 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS › REGIONAL

SCOTLAnD

Stagecoach in the Highlands launched five new buses in the Ross-shire area on October 19.

The new ADL Enviro 300-bodied Scania K230s will run on route 27, which operates between Inverness, Dingwall, Strathpeffer and Contin.

MD of Stagecoach in the Highlands, Steve Walker, said: “We are delighted to be upgrading the fleet in Ross-shire for yet another sign of confidence in the future of public transport in the region.”

“This recent fleet replacement represents around 25% of the vehicles in the Ross and Cromarty area, and shows we are committed to liaising with our passengers and stakeholders to not only provide effective bus routes but to improving the standard of service as a whole.

“The recent improvements we have made to the bus network in the region have delivered faster services, better connections, improved access and a more reliable travel option for local people.”

Stagecoach has reported improved customer numbers using route 27 since last year, in particular since the company held consultation events to listen to passenger comments prior to service changes, and the route now carries over 16,000 people monthly.

Arbroath’s refurbished bus station was formally opened on October 21, following a £538,000 upgrade.

Angus Council’s transport spokesperson cllr David May said: “The improvements made to the bus station make it a much more accessible and attractive facility. I am delighted with the work that has been done to upgrade it as it is an important transport hub for residents as well a gateway to the town for visitors.”

“These are much needed changes for all passengers and show the importance we place on the historic burgh of Arbroath as the key transport hub for Angus.”

The refurbishment works at the bus station have included the building of a new café and waiting room, with an accessible toilet for disabled customers. A new secure waiting area for taxi passengers is another addition, as a roof extension means users of the station have extra protection from difficult weather.

Cllr David Fairweather said after the opening: “I am delighted to see yet another large investment in www.coachandbusweek.com

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KEY

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

Arbroath from our administration, and I know this has been welcomed not only by local people but also visitors to the town.

“The vastly improved bus station has already been very positively received and gives our tourists a vastly improved introduction to our town, the facilities of which have been enhanced with the refurbished Signal Tower Museum.”

MIDLAnDS

Arriva Midlands (AM) has recently opened its new head office and depot at Thursmaston, Leicester.

The new head office building and depot is on a 3.3 acre site in Norman Road, and represents a £5m investment. The new bespoke building houses head office staff along with its operations and engineering teams – a total of 311 employees and 98 buses.

By the end of the year a new Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) centre will be ready for use, which will provide third party testing, steam cleaning and vehicle washing.

Bob Hind, Arriva Midlands MD, said: “The design of the new building satisfies operational needs, reduces carbon footprint and provides greater cost efficiency to accommodate the business.

“The new site gives us the opportunity to grow the business by developing our core commercial services, competitive tendering and acquisitions.”

SOUTH EAST

A new bus station in Guildford is looking more likely after a meeting of the borough council’s executive body on October 20. The new development would form part of a redevelopment of the town centre.

The council is to complete detailed plans for the new station on the Bedford Road surface car park and will submit a planning application in due course. The facility would be in close proximity to Guildford’s railway station, with additional bus stands in the upper High Street for routes coming into the town from the east. The plans are estimated to cost £7m.

Lead councillor for planning and development, cllr Jenny Wicks, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to bring forward a comprehensive regeneration of parts of the town centre together with the provision of a new bus station.

“The scheme will provide lasting enhancements and improvements which will increase Guildford’s competitiveness, improve transport and access, and benefit local people and businesses alike. It will also help to progress plans for the redevelopment of North Street and the Friary Centre area.”

Leader of the council, Tony Rooth, explained: “Residents have indicated it is dilapidated and needs some serious work done to it and quite a lot of money spent.”

“So what we’re looking for is a

new bus station. Therefore, we’ve commissioned experts to advise us.”

An 81-year-old man’s bag containing £70,000 in foreign currency, which was wrongly reported stolen from a National Express coach, has been found in lost property at Heathrow airport.

The man reported his holdall went missing from the back of a National Express coach, though police said CCTV footage revealed the man did not put the bag on the vehicle.

The money in the bag was in the form of Australian dollars and Thai baht, as the man had flown from his home in Thailand to buy a property in the UK. The police had put banks and foreign exchanges on alert for anyone changing substantial quantities of cash after the bag was reported missing on October 18.

PC Howard Day, based at Heathrow Airport, said: “It is not every day someone leaves behind a bag containing such a large quantity of cash at the airport. Thankfully we were able to trace it and will get it back to the victim who was relieved to hear it had been found.”

The police said the money would be returned to the man.

SOUTH WEST

Plymouth Citybus is pledging its support to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal by placing poppies on the front of its fleet of buses.

The firm’s engineers will apply 150 extra large poppies on the front grilles of suitable buses to show off the iconic red emblem, while Citybus’ travel shops in Debenhams and at its Milehouse depot will collect donations to assist the legion in their fundraising efforts.

Carole Arnold, county fundraiser for the Poppy Appeal, and Fiona Weekes, Poppy Appeal organiser, visited the Milehouse depot on October 19 to see the first poppy being applied to the bus fleet.

Mrs Arnold said: “We believe this is the first time a bus company in Plymouth has applied the Poppy to their bus fleet. We are grateful for the extensive promotion they can offer the appeal within the city.”

Plymouth Citybus managing director, Andrew Wickham, said many members of staff felt it important to display the poppy.

“Not only should we remember those employees of bus firms who were killed in action or by enemy action, but support the Royal British Legion which will provide future

24/10/2011 21:04

help to members and their families involved in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he explained.

Mr Wickham also said bus drivers on the network would be allowed to park and turn off their engines to join the two minutes silence on November 11 at 1100hrs, where it was safe to do so.

A report has revealed a series of shortcomings following recent high-profile changes to school bus services in Dorset.

Dorset Passenger Transport received over 100 complaints in September after most school bus routes were taken over by Go-Ahead Group-owned Damory Coaches following a mass retendering exercise. A preliminary council report has found problems including late or non-existent services and drivers who do not have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. Damory claims it did not receive adequate information from the council.

Dorset County Council admitted there were ‘teething problems’ as the new school services began operating. The council awarded a number of new contracts for the

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 17

Coach & Bus Week takes a look at the big issues where you live in our round-up of the regions. If you’ve got a local issue you would like us to cover, contact Gareth Evans at gareth.evans@rouncymedia.co.uk.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

home-to-school service in May 2011, with Damory being chosen to operate most of the routes.

The investigation established there were “significant safeguarding issues” including a four-year-old child being left under the care of two nine-year-olds and children being dropped off on a busy road away from their parents. It claimed insufficient numbers of staff from outgoing contractors transferred to Damory, which did not have enough time to recruit more staff.

The result was drivers, unfamiliar with the route, being deployed at short notice.

Damory stated it was not provided with maps marked with locations of the bus stops, as it contributed to the investigation.

The operator also asserted the council had not provided a passenger list, making it impossible for drivers to identify who should be boarding their bus, contributing to overcrowding.

Findings from the preliminary report were discussed by Dorset County Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee on October 20. The full report is expected in November.

2011 n October 30 Swansea Bus Museum Open Day. SA1 Business Park, Fabian Way, Port Tennant, Swansea SA1 8PQ. www. swanseabusmuseum.com/ n November 6 Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum Open Day. Running day with stalls and opportunity to see workhops. 01522 500566. www.lvvs.org.uk/ n November 7-10 World Travel Market. ExCeL, London. www.wtmlondon.com n November 22 SMMT Annual Dinner. Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London. 0808 1788818. annualdinner@smmt.co.uk n November 24 ATCO Winter Conference 2011 ‘Can a leopard change its spots?’ Local Government Association House, Smith Square, London SW1. www. atco.org.uk n November 29 UK Bus Awards.

Hilton Park Lane, London. www.ukbusawards.org.uk

n April 14 Paul S Winson Coaches Running Day. Loughborough and local area. www.busrunningday. co.uk/, contact info@ busrunningday.co.uk n April 19, 2012 UK Coach Awards. Ramada Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester, 0870 900 1450. www.ukcoachawards.co.uk

2012

n April 19-21 Busworld Turkey.

Istanbul Expo Center, Turkey. www.busworldturkey.com/en/ index.html

n January 1 King Alfred Bus Running Day. Broadway and bus station, Winchester. www.fokab. org.uk

n April 21-22 UK Coach Rally.

East of England Showground, Peterborough. 01753 631170. www.coachdisplays.co.uk

n January 14 CPT North Western Region Annual Dinner. Southport Theatre & Covention Centre. 1830 for 1900hrs – until late. Contact Phillipa Sudlow, CPT NW regional manager email phillipas@cpt-uk.org or call 01925 229497.

n April 24-26 CV Show. NEC, Birmingham. 01634 261262. www.cvshow.com

n January 26, 2011 CPT Annual Dinner. Hilton Park Lane, London. www.cpt-uk.org n March 14 – 15 Best of Britain and Ireland (BoBi). Travel Trade Forum. NEC, 01926 834796. www. bestofbritainandirelandevent.co.uk

A story telling competition organised by Centro to send a primary school class to Cadbury World has been won by a pupil at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham. Nine year old James Bell’s winning storyboard beat 500 rivals from around the West Midlands to land his class 28 ‘golden tickets’ for the dream trip. The year 4 pupils were given a guided tour of the famous chocolate factory before each receiving a free goody bag. James was presented with his winner’s certificate by Centro’s sustainable travel officer Rachel Hooper.

Rachel said: “The competition was very popular and we received hundreds of excellent entries from school children across the region. It has proved a great way for young people to use their creativity, engage with public transport and win a fun day out in the process.

“James’ story showed how you can plan your journey on the internet and clearly illustrated how easy it is to visit top attractions like Cadbury World by public transport while helping the environment in the process.”

Centro launched the comic strip competition to encourage Key Stage 2 pupils to use their creative and literacy skills to come up with a story that showed their fellow pupils the benefits of using green and healthy travel.

Among the speakers at the ATCO conference will be Norman Baker MP, parliamentary undersecretary of state for transport

n March 15 Volvo Bus social evening in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust’s Warwickshire Appeal.

Century Court House, Warwick. Pam Matthews 01926 414 553 or e-mail pam.matthews@volvo.com n March 18 Leyland National 40th Anniversary. Organised by the Leyland National Group, Nationals on static display and working in service.The British Commercial Vehicle Museum in Leyland. www.leylandnationalgroup. co.uk n March 31 ‘M&D and EK 60’.

Kent Showground on the A249 near Maidstone. www.mdekbusclub.org/, contact mdekbusclub@gmail.com

n May 22-23 ALBUM Conference.

– Forest Pines Hotel, near Brigg, North Lincolnshire. www.album-bus.co.uk n August 27 The National Association of Road Transport Museums gala day. The Transport Museum, Wythall, near Birmingham. www.wythall.org.uk n September 20-27 IAA Commercial Vehicles. Hannover. +(00)49 30897842. www.iaa.de n October 14 Midland Red Centenary of the Reintroduction of Motorbuses. The Transport Museum, Wythall, near Birmingham. www.wythall.org.uk n November 6 – 8 2012 Euro Bus Expo. NEC, Birmingham. 01926 834790. www.eurobusxpo.com

2013 n May 26-30 UITP Congress & Exhibition. Palexpo, Geneva. www.uitp.org. +(00)32 2673 6100.

Do you have an event to promote? Send details to gareth.evans@rouncymedia.co.uk www.coachandbusweek.com

RegionalNews.indd 17

24/10/2011 21:05

18 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS › TOURISM

£5

Cost of public skating sessions at the Eden Project’s ice rink

BriEfly Salts Mill is set in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saltaire.

The Grade II-listed historic mill building was constructed in 1853 by Sir Titus Salt, along with the village to house his workers. The whole area is of great architectural and historical interest. The ground floor of Salts Mill is home to the 1853 Gallery, which houses a permanent exhibition one of the largest collections of work by painter, photographer and printmaker David Hockney. The second floor houses Gallery 2, featuring further artwork including Simon Palmer’s paintings and drawings of Saltaire, and the Saltaire Exhibition, a fascinating exhibition which explores Saltaire’s history from 1853 to the present day. Opening hours are from 1000 to 1730hrs Monday to Friday, and 1000 to 1800hrs at weekends.

For more information, visit www. visitbradford.com/thedms. asp?dms=13&venue=1580799 Birmingham’s Cadbury World has over 19 years of experience welcoming groups of all ages. The attraction can be enjoyed at a group’s preferred pace, and there is clear signposting to help visitors on their way. Group rates are available for parties of 15 or more, and special off-peak rates during school term time are available, allowing groups to make extra savings. Off-peak ticket prices for adults are £9.50 and £7.20 for children. Groups larger than 60 people will be divided into smaller groups in order to accommodate them in the exhibition at timed intervals. To book, call group sales co-ordinator Linda Baldwin on 0121 486 4678.

Church Farm is a 60-acre organic farm in Thurstaston, Wirral. The farm is open to visitors, and is ideal for families and school groups. Friendly animals, a play area, and an animal trial with beautiful views over the River Dee and North Wales are some examples of the activities waiting to be enjoyed. The farm shop sells home-grown, locally-produced foods, and the Munch coffee shop is a great refreshment spot. To to arrange a visit to the awardwinning farm attraction, call 0151 648 7838. www.coachandbusweek.com

TourNews.indd 18

The Eden Project’s stunning ice rink returns this winter A number of special offers for a range of activities on the ice The Eden Project’s magical ice rink is back from October half-term with a new glacial look, with skating sessions for all ages and abilities, through to Christmas and the New Year.

Skaters will be greeted by a glittering winter wonderland of icy tunnels, stunning light displays and icicles surrounding the newly designed rink.

Special rink activities for the whole family on offer throughout

the winter, include: The Parent and Toddler sessions, for accompanied under-sixes to play on the rink with lots of toys. These take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday morning and cost £3 per child with one free adult.

Chilly Penguins, a skating session for six to 12-yearolds involving rink races, team games and prizes. These one-hour sessions take place every Sunday at 1045hrs and are £5.

For those wanting to brush up on their pirouettes or just

The return of the ice rink coincides with Eden’s sparkling winter season

Silver jubilee crown jewels at the Tower of London Visitors will be able to admire a new, distinctly royal attraction at the Tower of London in 2012. In Easter, the Crown Jewels, which have been held for safekeeping at the Tower for over 600 years, will be unveiled in a refreshed Jewel House to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee. The collection will be redisplayed, relit, and the stories of the significance of these unique items of royal regalia will be told.

The Tower has also started hosting military ceremonies for visitors to enjoy. Early risers can watch the Opening Ceremony at 0845hrs and see the military escort march, accompanied by the Yeoman Sergeant, to open the Tower for the day’s business. At 1445hrs a Military Guard assembles for

inspection and marches to the Byward Tower to collect ‘the Word’, the secret password for after-hours entry to the Tower.

If a group visit is pre-booked, the group will be able to view

Groups can watch the Tower’s opening ceremony from within the grounds

starting out, there are six-week skating courses suitable for a range of abilities. Start dates are November 5 and 9 and January 4 and 7 at £49 per adult and £39 per child.

Skaters can bring a friend for free on two-for-one nights.

For a full list of these evenings, go to www.edenproject.com/come-andvisit/whats-on/ice-skating.php Experienced skaters only have a chance to ‘tear up’ the ice in the Superskate sessions every Saturday at 2000hrs for £5.

The return of the ice rink coincides with Eden’s sparkling winter season. Among other festive activities, visitors can prepare for the festive period in the Hive of Activity by making delicious edible Christmas decorations and gifts in the Eden Bakery every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from November 11 until December 18.

Each public skate session begins on the hour, and is 40 minutes long at £5 per person. For a complete list of times and dates visit www. edenproject.com/come-and-visit/ whats-on/ice-skating.php

the Opening Ceremony from within the Tower. This event will ensure visitors will have a unique experience well worth the early start to the day.

The Tower hosts a special group ticket office to avoid queuing, and all coach drivers and Blue Badge holders bringing groups are admitted free of charge. A private guide for a group tour can be arranged, however only authorised Blue Badge guides are permitted to guide at the Tower. To book a guide, contact the Association of Professional Tour Guides or Guild of Registered Tourist Guides.

A groups and travel trade manual can be downloaded from the website at www.hrp.org.uk/Resources/ GroupsAndTTManual2011-12. pdf, or call the group booking line on 0844 482 7770 to prebook a visit

24/10/2011 23:46

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 19

1938 4% Year the Duchess of Hamilton streamliner was built

Increase in visitor spending in Britain so far in 2011

Encouraging figures for UK tourism industry

As the UK moves up to the ‘third most admired country’ in the world in Anholt-GfK Roper NBI’s latest figures, the Office for National Statistics’ data for August suggests Britain’s strong inbound trend is set to remain stable.

VisitBritain CEO Sandie Dawe, said: “These August 2011 figures show real signs of stability in what has been a strong year to date. 3.1m visitors enjoyed Britain this August, with 2011 figures 3% higher than during the first eight months of 2010.

“Visitor spending was at a record high for August, 3% higher than 2010. Following record levels in June and July, this has resulted in a 4% increase (£0.4bn) in earnings so far in 2011, a total of £11.65bn.

“We’ve started our biggest tourism marketing campaign for 10 years. The UK is recovering its international appeal with double digit holiday growth in the first quarter and promising figures during our peak Summer months.”

“Coupled with the UK’s recent improvement in overseas sentiment, these August figures provide us with a good platform.”

dEAlS OF THE WEEK The Black Country Living Museum allows visitors to sample life in what was once one of many major industrial centres in Britain. The ‘Black Country’ is the industrial region to the west of Birmingham. It gained its name in the mid-19th century due to the smoke from thousands of ironworking foundries and forges and the nature of the countryside which had been covered by dark spoil from the working of shallow and thick coal seams.

A fun day out for groups of all ages is assured at the museum.

Characters in the original shops all have many stories to tell of life during the industrial revolution.

Houses maintained in period style can be explored. Visitors can also

diESEl priCES

The striking Duchess of Hamilton locomotive on display at the NRM

Duchess of Hamilton and family fun at the NRM The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York displays a collection of over 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other items of rolling stock.

A plethora of items and records of social, technical, artistic and historical interest are also on site.

The Duchess of Hamilton has been restored to her original streamlined Art Deco form and now takes pride of place in a new exhibition which explores the links between 1930s fashion,

ride on a tramcar or fairground swing boat, take a lesson in the old-fashioned school or explore the underground coal mine. There is a constantly changing programme of demonstrations with something to suit all tastes, from sweet-making and glass-cutting to metal-working.

Parties of 10 or more must book in advance, while all booked parties of 20 people or more are offered the services of a costumed guide at no extra charge. The guide can simply introduce visitors to the Museum site, or can tailor a tour to suit the interests of the group.

Group prices for Adults are £11.00, £8.80 for seniors, and £6.75 for young people (age 5+ and students bearing an NUS card), with free entry for under 5s and the group organizer. Free benefits when organizing a group visit include preliminary two-person visits for the group organiser or coach driver, coach parking,

engineering and design.

The NRM hosts family-friendly activities which can be enjoyed by children of any age at weekends and school holidays. ‘Clickety Clack’ explores the sounds of a train as it travels from London to Scotland, for example.

Entry to the NRM is free.

Pre-booking a group visit is recommended as it entitles groups to many special offers and discounts. Visit the NRM website for more information on current special offers, and order these when making a booking to receive offer vouchers when arriving at the museum.

Contact the group administrator on 01904 686263. Visit www.nrm.org.uk

Osborne House was Queen Victoria’s holiday home admission for the coach driver and costumed museum guide or introductory talk. n Enquiries and bookings should be made to the museum booking office on 0121 520 8054 and by completing the booking form which can be found at www.bclm.co.uk/ downloads/grouppack.pdf On selected weekends in January and February 2012, group organisers can benefit

Cost per litre in pence: Great Britain Sweden Greece Italy France Czech Republic Ireland Germany Netherlands Portugal Belgium Austria Hungary Spain Slovenia Luxembourg Poland

139.60 133.70 132.59 125.69 124.47 124.32 124.21 123.25 119.75 119.49 115.65 114.25 110.60 109.18 108.13 100.10 98.47

HOlidAy pOUnd £1 will get you: Euro Switzerland (Franc) Norway (Kroner) Hungary (Forint) Czech Republic (Koruna) Poland (Zloty)

1.15 1.41 8.85 342.59 28.78 5.03

form a reduced-price groundsonly ticket to Osborne House.

Grounds-only tickets for adults cost £5, concessions for £4.50 and children £3, with the group leader entitled to free entry. These rates can be combined with the 15% group discount for more than 11 paying visitors for an excellent saving. Blow away the cobwebs for an hour and take a walk in Osborne’s grounds. Stroll through the Pleasure Grounds containing mature specimens of unusual trees introduced by dignitaries and royalty in Victorian times. Then amble along the Ring Walk taking in features like the mound, the pond and the restored ice-house before standing on the Terrace with its views towards the sea. n For specific dates for the offer and additional information on booking, visit www.englishheritage.org.uk/about/news/ Winter-at-Osborne-House/ www.coachandbusweek.com

TourNews.indd 19

24/10/2011 21:07

20 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

nEWS › BUSINESS

£1.35bn

The tax rise based on September inflation in business rates across all industry sectors next year

BriEfly Regional and local newspapers across the country aim to boost UK business by pledging an unprecedented £15m of free advertising to the most dynamic fledgling enterprises.

The initiative, backed by Dragons’ Den judge Deborah Meaden, is called Local Business Accelerators and is being spearheaded by the Newspaper Society. Nearly 500 local press publications are joining forces to promote the strength and value of local newspapers for local businesses and communities.

Together, the local press industry will search for the nation’s most promising young businesses and help them accelerate their success with top professional advice from local business mentors plus a substantial allocation of free advertising space in their local publication.

The UK could slip back into recession but government action to boost growth is likely to help the country avoid another downturn, business secretary Vince Cable said last week. Asked if he could promise Britain would not experience a double-dip recession, Cable said: “We know conditions are very difficult but the government is doing the best it can to protect people.“ Asked if it was time for the Government to adjust its austerity programme, Cable told ITV News at Ten: “There is no point pretending this isn‘t difficult ... the basic discipline is not something the government is doing enthusiastically.”

A lack of hub airport capacity could cost the economy up to £1.2bn a year in lost trade said the CBI said in response to to the government’s aviation consultation.

Katja Hall, chief policy director, said: “The UK’s international aviation hub at Heathrow is already operating at 98% capacity. The government must explore all ideas for resolving the need for more UK hub airport capacity, as well as addressing environmental and noise concerns. Linking Heathrow and Gatwick by high-speed rail is certainly not a viable solution.

Ducking the issue would mean losing more trade to fast-growing hubs elsewhere in Europe.” www.coachandbusweek.com

BusinessNews.indd 20

Eurotunnel sees 10% revenue growth For the first nine months of 2011, revenues increased by 16% Groupe Eurotunnel has seen a 10% increase in traffic and revenue to €231.7m in the third quarter of 2011.

At €192.2 million, Eurotunnel’s revenues excluding Europorte (the European rail freight subsidiary of Eurotunnel) for the third quarter of 2011 showed a solid 7% increase.

For the first nine months of 2011, revenues increased by 16%, at a constant exchange rate, to €627.8m, compared to 2010.

Revenues from the Channel Tunnel shuttles have also increased by 8% to €116.5m.

On the Channel Tunnel fixed link, revenue increased by 9% at a constant exchange rate compared to 2010, to €516m.

Truck Shuttle traffic grew by

17%. Passenger Shuttle activity continued on track with a further 5% increase in traffic.

The Channel Tunnel maintained its high level of market share with no difficulty, confirming its place as leader in the cross-channel market, both for Truck Shuttles and the Le Shuttle passenger service.

Eurostar however, experienced a slight drop in numbers at the end of the quarter.

On Le Shuttle passenger shuttles, compared to the third quarter of 2010, car traffic has increased by 4%. In a summer market which remained essentially stable, Eurotunnel was able to provide interesting options to customers seeking an environmentally friendly transport solution. The Group has been able to adapt to the growth in demand using the flexibility of its Shuttle services.

The Channel Tunnel has confirmed its place as leader in the cross-Channel market, both for Truck Shuttles and the Le Shuttle passenger service

Business rates to rocket as RPI inflation hits 5.6% Businesses face the biggest annual jump in rates for over 20 years as the government is using September’s 5.6% increase retail price inflation to set next April’s rates rise.

Retailers called for the government to head off the £350m tax blow.

Ratings experts predicted the tax rise would collect an additional £1.35bn in business rates across all industry sectors next year.

Since 1990 successive governments have linked the Uniform Business Rate to the previous September’s inflation

Other areas of revenue growth highlights include: Revenues from the core activity, transporting trucks and leisure vehicles by Shuttle, increased by 8% to €116.5m compared to the same period the previous year.

Revenue from Europorte grew to €39.5m, an increase of 30%.

Revenue from Shuttles grew 9% to €298.3m; Revenue from the use of the railway network grew by 9% to €210.3m; and other revenue increased by 4% to €7.4m.

Commenting on the figures, Jacques Gounon, chairman and chief executive of Groupe Eurotunnel, said: “This summer, Eurotunnel demonstrated its capacity to be market leader across the channel and successfully introduced effective solutions for rail freight. The Group is nonetheless conscious of the signs of economic slow-down and will continue to optimise the flexibility of its services.”

Groupe Eurotunnel reduced its debt: the group spent €99m to buy back some of the variable interest bonds issued by Channel Link Enterprises Finance (CLEF,) the securitisation structure for the debt, in the markets, at an average discount of 11%. This has led directly to a reduction in debt servicing costs.

For more information about Groupe Eurotunnel, visit www.eurotunnelgroup.com/ uk/home/ figure even though the legislation permits the adoption of a lesser figure.

Andrew Cave, chief spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Rates are the highest overhead for a small business. At a time when they are struggling it will be another kick in the teeth next year when most businesses hoped things would be improving and their overheads coming under control.”

24/10/2011 20:42

16%

Eurotunnel’s revenue growth for the first nine months of 2011

171,000

the number of businesses already facing rising bills following the business rate revaluation in 2010

A dramatic fall in confidence over the economy has prompted small firms to lay off staff as costs rise and revenues decline.

A balance of 5.8% of small firms intend to lay off workers over the next three months, suggesting a further increase in the unemployment rate, the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) which conducted the survey said.

Polling around 1,600 members of the Federation of Small Businesses mid last month, the centre registered the largest increase in firms expecting to lay off staff since the survey began in the first quarter of 2010.

Employment intentions were being affected by the state of the economy, the centre said. The index fell by 9.6 points from a balance of plus 0.3 in the second quarter to -9.3 in the third quarter as more businesses lost confidence in the economy.

Charles Davis, economist at CEBR, said: “Companies relying on discretionary expenditure are especially negative, with the leisure, sports, entertainment and hospitality sectors showing the largest drops in confidence of any”.

Optimism has also slumped in the manufacturing sector, with as many now concerned about the future as optimistic, down from a positive balance of 23 in the second quarter.

Confidence in the West Midlands and the South West has collapsed the fastest. In contrast, sentiment was balanced between those seeing prospects improving and those seeing tougher times in the East Midlands and South East.

Almost 80% of the businesses reported cost rises compared with a year ago, with a third reporting the increases were “significant”.

Utility bills, raw materials, labour and rents all rose steeply, the firms reported.

Company revenues, in contrast, continued to fall for the seventh consecutive quarter. The centre noted that firms were becoming less pessimistic about the extent of future falls, with balance of 7% expecting further falls in the final quarter of the year – the second lowest figure since the survey began.

John Walker, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the Chancellor should respond to the collapse in confidence by extending national insurance (NIC) tax breaks designed to encourage new firms to hire more staff and by cutting VAT, echoing Labour’s policy.

“As businesses come to terms with the double whammy of falling revenues and rising costs, it is no wonder that they’re losing confidence, and unfortunately, as their overheads increase one simple way to control it is to lay off staff,” he said.

If the government decides to set the rise as part of November’s local government finance settlement it will mean the Uniform Business Rate rockets from 43.3p to 45.7p per £1 of rateable value.

London’s firms will face rates nearing 50p in the £1 for the first time as a result of the additional 2p rate levied to help pay for Crossrail.

Jerry Schurder, head of rating at Gerald Eve said with the Bank of England expecting inflation

will fall next year, the government should “assist businesses and the struggling high street by holding business rates for 2012/13 in the same way as it found funding to freeze Council Tax for a second successive year.”

He said 171,000 businesses already faced rising bills following the rating revaluation in 2010 and were likely to now see their rates shoot up by 26.7%.

“The government has moved

This is the first time we have seen confidence in all regions of the UK in negative territory, says the FSB’s John Walker

Small business con�idence collapses

BusinessNews.indd 21

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 21

BLOG of the week

REASONS WHY COACH TOURISM MARKETING SHOULD ADOPT A “TWITTER”-TYPE APPROACH

The RDA International Coach Tourism Federation recommends the Twitter type ‘say it in 140 character’ approach is a good way of getting across simple messages which stick on www.rda.de In their bestselling book, “Made to Stick” (2007), Chip and Dan Heath talk about why some ideas survive and why some ideas die. Their advice is if you want to make a lasting impression, you have to tell stories that are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible and emotional.

Getting such messages across and keeping them alive in a fastmoving, global environment is no simple matter. It involves constant, creative and tenacious hard work.

Those of us who engage and exhibit at coach trade exhibitions such as the RDA-Workshop in Cologne know what challenges we are up against. Our goal is to attract the desired levels of attention, create client interest and display customer value while getting messages across in a manner that sticks and closes new deals.

A “Twitter”-type approach is a great discipline when it comes to achieving business goals, says the RDA

to use a lower CPI measure of inflation to which it links certain payments it makes such as benefits, and consideration should be given to also adopting CPI for linking business rate payments,” Mr Schurder added.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “We need to balance support for business against the tough decisions needed to reduce the deficit.”

This is nothing new. What is new is the real-time explosion in available information, the breaking down of traditional procurement, sales and purchasing patterns and processes and the rapid creation and expansion of new channels for marketing, distribution, promotion and consumption. For some, this is a headache, for others this is a godsend!

A “Twitter”-type approach – the “say it in 140” method – is a great discipline when it comes to achieving business goals. It helps keep things simple, short and significant by distilling the very essence of what you want to say.

“Tweet”-type messages are compasses in a plethora of combinations, permutations and possibilities. Especially when backed up with web content that is always relevant, useful and immediately applicable for your customer group. An example of how this approach may be applied is by providing “Tweet”-type answers to three core questions: Why your country? (e.g.

Germany, Great Britain or Ireland) Why your destination? (e.g.

Berlin, Canterbury or Dublin) Why your company? (e.g. people, services and delivery) This, of course, is easier said than done but you will find it is an effective and fun way to focus the mind and to achieve results.

The RDA International Coach Tourism Federation (founded in 1951, based in Germany) represents coach and group tourism interests with close contact to and active lobbying of economic and political decision-makers at both national and international levels.

Business gurus, consultants and experts aren’t cutting the mustard www.coachandbusweek.com

24/10/2011 20:42

22 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

SHOW rEpOrt › busworld 2011

1

Busworld Kortrijk reflects green theme Coach & Bus Week’s Gareth Evans reports on the unique biennial trade show dedicated to innovation and development in the European bus and coach industry

V

isitors to Busworld Kortrijk were left with little or no doubt ‘green’ technology was the theme of the show and the way ahead for the European bus industry.

Meanwhile, on the coach side, Mercedes-Benz was keen to trumpet its new Euro 6 Travego, which it is claimed, does not suffer from a significant fuel economy www.coachandbusweek.com

Kortrijk.indd 22

penalty – despite the stringent NOx emissions standards.

In the face of gloomy economic forecasts, it was pleasing to see so many new vehicles being launched or debuted by manufactures which included Van Hool, Mercedes-Benz, Tata Hispano, Scania and King Long.

Not to be forgotten was the small army of ‘Brits’ who trekked across the channel to display their wares. Prime examples included ADL, BAE Systems, Holdsworth, Timespace, MiX Telematics, Volvo

Bus UK and the ever-friendly senior management team from Evobus UK.

Eberspächer Sütrak: global growth

Growth from Singapore to South Africa was the key message from Eberspächer Sütrak at Kortrijk.

Following the integration of Sütrak into the Eberspächer Group, the firm was keen to promote itself as a global supplier – with further growth in the pipeline.

“To consistently expand our position as a global system supplier for bus thermal management, we have adapted our sales and service areas to meet the requirements of the international customer network,” reported Eberhard Wolters, director of marketing and sales at Eberspächer Sütrak.

“The firm has expanded with new locations and partnerships in Singapore, India, Australia and Russia. A nationwide service network in the growing bus market of South Africa will be soon added.”

Also announced at the show was the commencement of series production of the new AC 136 G4 rooftop air-conditioner generation, which will be available from early 2012 in four performance categories – from 25 to 44 kW. Not only does it weigh 20% less than its predecessor model, the G4 benefits from up to 20% higher air exchange. Furthermore, the significantly more compact dimensions make the AC 136 G4 attractive for the continuously increasing number of hybrid buses coming into operation. The compact G4 fits neatly on the roof of a hybrid

25/10/2011 00:34

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 23

roof which is already dominated by numerous electronic components.

A further development revealed at the show was the new AC 188 air-conditioning system which has been developed in cooperation with Van Hool. By semi-integrating larger parts of the system into the roof, an individual concept for the TX coach platform could be developed as a new standard solution. In this way, Eberspächer Sütrak can serve all coaches from 10.5 to 15 meters in length – from single to double-deckers. The modular structured air-conditioning module, which includes heating, cooling and ventilation functions, enables easier and faster installation of the split system as well as significantly simplified access for maintenance.

Holdsworth’s sustainable moquette

While manufacturers presented a plethora of environmentallyfriendly vehicles, West Yorkshirebased Holdsworth Fabrics was rightly keen to highlight its range of sustainable fabrics.

Explaining the importance of the firm’s presence at Kortrijk, Richard Field told CBW: “The mainland European market represents 30% of our turnover. VDL is one of our bigger customers, as is Solaris.”

His colleague Nigel Vickers added: “We’re promoting our environmental message. While some operators are only too keen to boast of their ‘green’ credentials, they’re still using polyester in their seats, which is oil-based. However, our moquette is 85% wool and 15% nylon, so it’s sustainable.

“We’re also pushing our new flat rag range, which is called Vogue.

We work with Climate Care. A percentage of each metre sold goes to them, which in turn is spent on goodwill projects around the world.”

New coach and bus models from King Long

Chinese manufacturer King Long launched two new vehciles at the show – the XMQ6120AGD, a three-door low-floor bus and the XMQ6129Y, a high deck luxury coach for long-distance journeys.

Of interest to UK operators is the XMQ6129Y, which Paul Bicknell told CBW will replace the XMQ6127 12 metre coach.

King Long said the 12.2-metrelong XMQ6129Y, which seats a

Kortrijk.indd 23

maximum 55 passengers, benefits from a number of improvements in appearance, design, equipment and technology compared to its predecessor. Mechanically, the coach is equipped with a Euro 5 Cummins ISM11E5 440 engine, ZF manual or automatic, ZF independent suspension structure, WABCO’s ECAS height adjustment, VDO CAN bus system and EBS. King Long said the XMQ6120AGD, which has taken 18 months to develop, is powered by a rear, vertically-mounted 8.9-litre Euro 5 Cummins ISL8.9E5280B engine. The bus is also equipped with Voith automatic gearbox, ZF air suspension, with two air bags in front and four at rear, and WABCO’s ECAS height adjustment system.

Commenting on the new bus, Mr. Samuel Zhu, the vice president who is in charge of the sales and marketing of King Long, said: “Among the EU countries, the three-door, low-floor bus is the mainstream product. The promotion of XMQ6120AGD enhances the adaptability of King Long bus into new EU markets.”

Looking to the future, Mr. Zhu revealed King Long is planning to enter the North American market to cover six continents instead of the five at present, thus realising the goal of “globalisation.”

2

3

1: Of particular interest to UK coach operators was the public debut of the front and rear styling of Van Hool’s TX coach range. 2: The new Mercedes-Benz Citaro made its show debut; 3: Holdsworth’s Nigel Vickers and Richard Field; 4: Temsa displayed a prototype of its MD9 LE, which may be introduced to Western Europe. 5: Tata Hispanobodied BAE Systems ADL Hybrid

Show debuts for new Citaro and Travego

Two vehicles made their show debuts on the Mercedes-Benz stand – the new Travego coach and the Citaro bus.

Mercedes-Benz claims the Travego is the first new is touring coach to comply with Euro 6, being fitted with a new BlueEfficiency Power engine, new transmission and additional safety features.

An interesting development is the new crawler mode similar to that of automatic gearboxes with torque converter. It enables sensitive manoeuvring simply by operating the brake pedal.

The new integrated retarder develops braking torque of 3500 Nm. It is designed as a secondary retarder and uses the engine coolant as its braking and cooling medium. The previously necessary oil/water heat exchanger can be omitted along with the retarder oil change this entailed. This measure reduces the dry weight of the new GO 250-8 versus the previous

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transmission by 20 kg to 285 kg, despite the higher performance.

Also new is the mostly wear and maintenance-free clutch. Owing to a centrally arranged pneumatically actuated clutch cylinder, mechanical parts such as the clutch release fork, release bearing and declutching force booster can be dropped.

The gearshift of the GO 250-8 PowerShift transmission is also completely new: a steeringcolumn lever takes the place of the previously used dashboardmounted joystick. It contains all functions, but according to Daimler, its unmistakable operation makes it clear and logical at the same time.

As is tradition, with the introduction of each new generation of the Travego, new safety systems also make their debut, including the new Attention Assist, which is available as an option. It registers parameters like steering angle, speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, travelling time, control signals and driver changes. By correlating the data, Attention Assist draws inferences about the driver’s condition.

If the data indicates a lack of concentration and drowsiness, a coffee cup symbol appears on the display as a hint that it’s necessary to take a break.

Turning to the contentious issue of Euro 6 and its effects on fuel consumption, Mercedes-Benz says operators need not worry.

The manufacturer claims to have resolved this conflict with the unique new X-Pulse injection technique and a complex emission control system. For this purpose, the BlueTec engine technology featuring SCR equipment and AdBlue injection, proven in more than 100,000 units, is combined with exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter.

Owing to the cooled exhaust gas recirculation, fewer nitrogen oxides are produced during fuel combustion, which has enabled reducing AdBlue consumption by 40% compared with Euro 5. The AdBlue now is injected into the exhaust flow without air by the optimised metering unit; in the SCR catalytic converter the nitrogen oxides are almost completely converted into water and nitrogen.

The exhaust system of the Euro 6 engines is also fitted with a highly effective diesel particulate filter which in the Travego has to be serviced the first time after 360,000 km and then only every 240,000km. www.coachandbusweek.com

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To avoid increased back pressure in the exhaust system with a corresponding negative impact on fuel consumption, the entire gas aftertreatment system, including oxidation catalytic converter, particulate filter and SCR catalytic converter is a two-pipe design. All components are contained in one housing.

Also on display were a Tourismo and a tri-axle Sprinter City 77, which was launched at last year’s IAA show – not to mention the new Citaro, which was previously featured in-depth in CBW987.

Skyliner to enter production in early 2012

Series production of the Neoplan Skyliner double-decker coach is to start in the coming months, it was revealed at Busworld.

Since the Skyliner was previewed at last year’s IAA show, a number of customer test vehicles have been gathering operational experience.

These customers ran the Skyliner on long-distance routes, tailor-made deployment for the double-decker. MAN said the trials amply demonstrated ride quality and comfort can be combined with fuel economy, with a diesel consumption of under 30 litres per 100kms. MAN said the field trials prove the calculated CO2 values of a minimal 12 grams per passengerkilometre.

The first of the production Skyliners will be delivered from the beginning of 2012 on. MAN said “a great many orders have already been received for the new highlight in the top coach league.”

VDL celebrates 2012 Coach of the Year win for new Futura

VDL Bus & Coach was delighted to have been awarded the International Coach of the Year 2012 status for its new Futura model, especially as it centred on practical usability, fit and finish, and efficiency. VDL had planned its design to take full advantage of its predecessor, which had long been regarded as an efficient, practical workhorse, taking it to another level.

Rémi Henkemans, VDL Bus & Coach MD, said: “The fact we can now boast both the title ‘International Bus of the Year 2011’ for the Citea and ‘International Coach of the Year 2012’ for the

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3 Futura shows we rank among Europe’s top manufacturers. It also proves we develop our products based on our customers’ wishes and we’ve made the right choices.”

The basic models are two-axle high deck coaches with lengths of 12.2 and 12.9 metres available with various seating configurations providing space for up to 57 passengers. A trio of tri-axle Futura models with lengths of 13.1 to 14.8 metres complete the range.

New this year was the Citea LLE (light low entry) which is the successor to the Ambassador. Again, this builds on the strengths of the Ambassador with its low weight and rugged construction combined with modern Citea styling. VDL claims it can offer fuel savings of between 10 – 20% - with resulting reductions in exhaust emissions, over conventionally built buses.

The Citea LLE has an extra wide front entry door for faster boarding and a revised driver’s area. It can seat up to 45 passengers with provision for 35 standees. Access to areas requiring service has been

optimised to reduce downtime.

VDL also highlighted its futuristic aims for public transport with its fuel cell powered Phileas. Four of these have been delivered over the last six months – two to RVK Cologne and two to GVB in Amsterdam. VDL claims it was a ‘double first’ as they were the first Phileas models equipped with fuel cells and also the first 18m fuel cell vehicles – previous fuel cell buses have never exceeded 13.5m to date.

The energy storage in the Phileas employs a combination of supercapacitors and a battery system. They are built by APTS – a subsidiary of VDL.

Volvo launches new lightweight hybrid bus

Volvo’s new 7900 bus shares many similarities with the Volvo 8900, which was launched last year.

They share the same body concept and up to 70% of the components are identical but the 7900 weighs in at 550kg less than the 7700 model it replaces – allowing higher

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2 1: volvo launched its new 7900 hybrid at the show. 2: vdl’s Citea buses made an impressive sight. 3: Timespace Technology’s nick miller, darren majoram and James Bailey.

4: BmC displayed a hybrid version of its falcon. 5: King long’s new coach for the uK market

4 passenger capacity and reducing fuel consumption.

“This will be highly beneficial to our customers who have both the Volvo 7900 and 8900 in their fleets,” said Stefan Guttman, head of business development at Volvo Buses’ Europe Region.

“They will be able to use essentially the same routines for maintenance and repairs, fewer spare parts will be needed in stock and mechanics will be familiar with both models. This will contribute to shorter time in workshops and more time on the roads.”

As with the Volvo 8900, the body is a mixture of various materials.

The structure comprises aluminium profiles which are bolted together and the roof is made of aluminium.

Side panels are formed in GRP and other plastic materials which are bonded for ease of replacement.

Virtually all repairs can be carried out without welding. The front and rear modules are made of steel.

“Replacing components which are frequently damaged, such as the bumper corners and the area

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Winners of The European Coach and Bus Week (ECW) Busworld Kortrijk, was preceded immediately by a related event, namely The European Coach and Bus Week, (ECW, for short). The fifteenth edition has taken place from Saturday 15 till Tuesday 18 October 2011 and consisted of a series of trials and presentations.

The tests were performed on the Xpo Kortrijk premises and a number of outside test courses.

COaCh Or BuS BuildEr Of ThE YEar aWard: hartmut Schick, head of daimler Buses & CEO Evo bus Germany.

EurOpEan Grand priX aWard fOr COaCh TOuriSm: Weltvogelpark Walsrode was awarded as best coach trip destination in Europe. iru CiTY TrOphY aWard: The uK resort of Southport

won the iru City Trophy 2011, as the world’s most friendly city for group tourism, whose transport policy doubled the number of visiting tourist coaches over the past ten years. iru BuS EXCEllEnCE aWard: Geman oeprator reutlingen Stadtverkehrsgesellschaft mbh hogenmuller & Kull Co. KG. iru COaCh TOuriSm innOvaTiOn aWard: The international Jury declared the German company videobustour winner of the iru Coach Tourism innovation 2011 competition for coupling traditional sightseeing tours with modern multimedia tools. inTErnaTiOnal COaCh Of ThE YEar aWard: vdl futura.

around the wheel housing, will be rapid and simple,” continued Mr Guttman.

He claimed the weight saving meant up to 14 more passengers could be accommodated aboard a gas-engine articulated Volvo 7900 and it would benefit fuel consumption by 2%. On Volvo’s hybrid models which currently save up to 35%, the figure rises to 37% fuel saving over conventional diesel powered versions.

Already Volvo has sold approximately 300 hybrid buses, both the Volvo 7700 Hybrid and the double-decker Volvo B5L Hybrid.

Examples are in operation in cities across Europe and in South America, notably Brazil, and in Mexico, China and Israel.

“Customers are very satisfied with the reliability of our hybrid buses, which is on the same level as the diesel buses,” added Mr Guttman. “In addition, fuel consumption is as low as we promised.”

The 7900 is offered with a full range of driveline options including engines for diesel/biodiesel and CNG/biogas. It is available as 12m rigid or 18m articulated bus.

The diesel engine is Volvo’s fuel-efficient Euro 5 D9B, with 260, 310 or 360 bhp power ratings and can be specified as EEV compliant with a particle filter added. The gas engine is the 300bhp Volvo G9B. It can operate on both CNG and biogas.

Automatic transmission options are either ZF or Voith. The 7900 Hybrid retains the existing five-litre diesel engine, an electric motor and the Volvo I-shift transmission.

Internally, Volvo has focused attention on improved driver comfort through cab ergononomics and also developed a comfortable seat. Research into its development and control layout was undertaken with many computer simulations and mathematical calculations but ultimately conducted with many bus drivers who took part in testing different designs.

Considerable attention has also been paid to driver ergonomics.

Indeed, the driver’s seat has its own climate zone, with generous storage space for personal belongings.

Volvo says passenger safety is a core value and permeates everything it does. Therefore, the 7900 is compliant with EU R66 rollover requirements and has electronically controlled brakes. All seats can be

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equipped with two or three-point seatbelts. The engine compartment and the auxiliary heater are fitted with fire detectors and the engine compartment can be fitted with a sprinkler system.

To further increase passenger safety, Volvo has developed an integrated CCTV system which can be installed in all models. An alcohol safety interlock device specifically adapted for bus use can also be specified. The engine can be started without a breathalyzer, but the brakes will remain locked if the breathalyzer reveals the driver is intoxicated.

Initial manufacturing of the 7900 will be undertaken at Wroclaw, in Poland, where the 7700 model is built. However, as the 7900 shares the same body concept as the 8900, it may also be produced at Saffle’s Swedish bodybuilding facility.

Edward Jobson, environmental director at Volvo Bus Corporation has worked on the hybrid bus project since 2002.

“We introduced this system last year and plan to use it until at least 2017. A firm decision beyond that has yet to be made,” he told CBW. “When you look at the fuel saving, five to six percent comes from stop-start operation. The payback period depends on where you are in the European Union due to the varying nature of fuel taxation in the respective nations.”

New cockpit for Viseon’s ‘decker coach

Launched at last year’s IAA show in Hanover, Viseon’s LDD14 double-decker coach again took pride of place on the German manufacturer’s stand at Busworld.

However, the vehicle on display at Kortrijk benefitted from a new control panel in the driver’s cab on the basis of a design developed by Viseon itself and V-Can electronic architecture.

Also displayed on the Viseon stand was a C12 HD high-deck coach, representing an extension of its C-range.

scania launches new bus range

Scania launched its new Citywide bus range at the show, which Scania rightly says has been built “with strong family ties to the Scania Touring”, the coach model built in China by Higer.

However, the bus will built at www.coachandbusweek.com

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1 Above: Scania’s new Citywide bus range was launched at the show. Below: Interior features on the Setra S416 HDH included seat back entertainment

2 Scania’s bus factory in Słupsk, Poland, a facility established in 1993 which now specialises in building all-aluminium buses.

Scania Citywide is a new range of low-floor (LF) and low-entrance (LE) buses with distinctive, friendly styling which makes them readily recognisable in an urban environment. The interior has been designed to be warm and welcoming to passengers.

Advanced ergonomics will appeal to drivers and the optional adjustable dashboard complies with German standards.

Engines are offered for diesel, biodiesel, gas, biogas and bioethanol operation. The buses are built entirely out of aluminium to save weight and facilitate recycling.

A welcome advancement on the three-section bumper is the ‘memory’ function to resume its original shape after minor bumps.

All body panels and the body structure of the Scania Citywide are made of aluminium. The panelling is also designed to be easy to repair or replace in case of

damage.

The body sections are extensively modularised, providing high flexibility e.g. in terms of door layouts. Up to four doors can be fitted on an 18-m articulated bus.

tata hispano launches CNG-electric hybrid bus

Spanish manufacturer Tata Hispano launched it’s a new version of the CNG-Electric hybrid urban bus.

Using the Siemens hybrid driveline, the bus is powered by a Cummins BGeEV 195hp engine, with a torque of 569 Nm. Energy is stored in Twin Lithium Ion, 600V, 134 KW batteries.

The firm already boasts an order for 10 of the CNG-Electric hybrids after EMT of Madrid placed an order last November.

Displayed alongside was Tata Hispano-bodied BAE Systems ADL Hybrid, which was launched at the FIAA Madrid show last November.

Significantly, Tata Hispano announced it had been awarded an order this year for 12 units for

Barcelona public transport, and two buses for the island of Gran Canaria.

As a result, Tata Hispano boasts the ability to offer hybrid technologies in three clearly differentiated options for urban transport operators: diesel-electric Tata Motors chassis, CNG-Electric Tata Motors chassis, both developed with the collaboration of Siemens, and diesel-electric ADL chassis, developed with BAE Systems.

Not to be forgotten at Kortrijk was Tata Hispano’s coach range – namely; the NAYA-bodied Volvo, the Xerus-bodied Mercedes-Benz and the Intea Premium-bodied Iveco.

Interestingly, the latter was liveried for the UK’s BASE Coach Sales.

Voith: Up to 30% more braking power for coaches

Voith launched the world’s first secondary water retarder for road vehicles at Kortrijk last week.

The new retarder is claimed to provide up to 30% more continuous braking power and works with the engine coolant as operating medium.

Voith says the system is wearfree but ensures higher braking outputs and availability. Thanks to its extremely compact design, it requires 50% less installation space and is 35kg lighter than comparable oil retarders. The retarder assumes up to 90% of all vehicle braking operations - protects the service brake and reduces brake dust emissions by up to 80%.

The first application of the new water retarder in a coach was aboard the new Mercedes-Benz Travego Edition 1 with a braking output of up to 520 kW (over 700 HP). Owing to the pumping effect of the retarder, which results in a higher throughput of coolant, the continuous braking power is 20 to 30% higher than achieved by the previous oil retarder.

Voith says modern braking technology makes coaches safer and improves comfort for both the driver and passengers. With the v-constant function of the retarder (Tempomat system for downhill gradients) driving becomes a positive experience, even on steep downhill gradients and narrow twisty roads. Frequent, tiresome gearshifts are prevented, while even and continuous braking is guaranteed. As a result, the driver can concentrate much better on the traffic. Lower brake wear also means less downtime in terms

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of system maintenance.

The retarder generates high braking power, especially during high speeds. Braking output is adapted independent of the prevailing gear and is not interrupted during gear-shifting, which adds to overall vehicle safety.

Voith also launched new two and three-cylinder air compressors designed to reduce fuel consumption. The units come in lightweight design, due to diecasting, and will initially be installed in the new Citaro and the Travego Edition 1.

The compact units offer high energy efficiency. Due to unique two-stage turbocharging with inter-cooling, the system requires considerably less power during delivery operation. In idling operation, a special idling system allows significant fuel savings, without having to decouple the air compressor in a lengthy process.

In addition, the electronic control system enables targeted, fuelefficient delivery in braking and coasting operation.

When installed in coaches and buses, air compressors not only reduce fuel consumption they also result in energy recuperation. The higher air quality provided by the air compressor extends service intervals and allows cleaner vehicle operation with fewer pollutants.

The largest Voith air compressor to date, has been proven in practical operation in the Mercedes-Benz CapaCity buses in the Metrobüs Bus Rapid Transit system in Istanbul, Turkey. The buses operate at 30-second intervals. The reliability and the robustness of the air compressor has not deteriorated even after a mileage of 250 000 km, resulting in continuously high air quality. Similar reports come from operators in South America where practical experience with two-cylinder air compressors has been gained with mileages covering several hundred thousand kilometers.

promoting the MiX into Europe

MiX Telematics was promoting its products to mainland European operators - notably the fuel saving and environmental benefits.

“Kortrijk represents our big bus and coach push into Europe,” Tony English, managing director for Europe told CBW. Indeed, announced at the www.coachandbusweek.com

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1: Providing a reminder of environmental considerations for open-top tour buses was this Unvi-bodied BAE Systems ADL Hybrid. 2: Edward Jobson, environmental director at the Volvo Bus Corporation. 3: Production models of the Neoplan Skyliner will be available from early 2012, at least in continental Europe

The new axle generation will be introduced in two stages to be implemented by 2014.

ZF says the first implementation stage will be completed by the end of 2011 although the second stage will not be implemented until 2014 and will take place in close co-operation with customers. “The second stage focuses on the further improvement of efficiency, noise level and weight”, said Andreas Moser, vice president of ZF’s CV Axle Systems. “Only after this has been successfully completed will AV 133 be stamped on the type plates.”

Improved performance and greater range of applications Despite its enhanced performance characteristics, the new AV 133 low-floor portal axle has been designed to save weight – meaning ZF is making a decisive contribution to compensate for the additional weight of Euro 6 drivelines.

However, the new AV 133 facilitates heavy-weight applications – such as doublearticulated buses – because it is designed to withstand higher torques through specifically reinforcing the gearing and bearings as well as the differential.

Together with the wide ratio range, the new AV 133 also covers new alternative driveline designs such as trolley/electric and hybrid drives.

The new axle can easily be integrated into existing vehicle platforms because it has the same axle connection points as the current model AV 132.

New electric bus from Solaris

3 show was the decision by Belgian bus operator De Lijn to equip its 1,800-strong fleet with MiX technology.

The contract was won by Rauwers, MiX Telematics’ channel partner in Belgium.

The product, named EcoDrive, incorporates a central communication system, FM-Web, a web-based application for access to vehicle and driver data as well as reporting and analytics, and the RIBAS display.

“RIBAS provides instant in-cab feedback for drivers, through visual and audio alerts which help them to improve their driving style.

Integration with De Lijn’s ticketing system is another essential feature included in the solution,” explained Pablo Rauwers, MD of the Brusselsbased Rauwers Group, which is responsible for the project roll-out.

Mr English concluded: “De Lijn represents a major deal for us. MiX Telematics continues to gain ground in Europe, with De Lijn being one of five key customers acquired in the recent months.”

New lowfloor portal axle from ZF

ZF launched its new lowfloor portal axle, AV 133, at Kortrijk last week.

Polish bus and tram builder Solaris presented its first electric bus at the show. The prototype Urbino electric was displayed at Busworld, which will soon begin a demonstration tour of major European cities, where it will run in commercial passenger service. Further vehicles follow in 2012, with volume production to start in 2013.

Based on the firm’s Alpino 8.9 LE midibus, the bus measures 8.9 m long and 2.4 m wide. Depending on specification, between 21 and 29 fixed seats and an additional two tip-up seats are possible.

The drivetrain has been supplied

by Solaris’s system partner Vossloh Kiepe. At the heart of the vehicle is a 120 kW, four-pole asynchronous electric motor, delivering up to 1.400 Nm torque. It has been fitted underfloor at the back of the bus,

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where it powers the rear axle and smoothly brings the electric bus up to usual city traffic speeds of 50 km/h.

Energy is stored in two 700 kg lithium-ion batteries with a combined capacity of 120.9 kWh at a nominal voltage of 600 V. The batteries are supplied by Wamtechnik of Warsaw and are mounted at the rear of the bus on each side of the motor. During braking, energy is recuperated and stored in the batteries, which additionally are charged from an external plug-in connection. At 3x400 V, 63 A, it takes as little as four hours to completely refill fully exhausted batteries.

With the batteries tucked away within the engine compartment, only the system’s power electronics and the legally required brake resistor are mounted on the roof.

The brake resistor would only be used if the batteries could not offer any capacity for recuperated energy, a situation that is avoided at virtually all times by the Solaris Urbino electric’s energy management software.

In terms of weight, the Urbino electric weighs just 750 kg more than its conventional dieselpowered siblings.

The development of the Solaris Urbino electric has been supported by a 30% financial contribution of the European Regional Development Fund.

The manufacturer is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2011.

The first bus left the factory in Bolechowow March 22, 1996. It’ products are now operational in 24 countries.

Timespace promotes new recorder

Another UK supplier present at the show was Huntingdon-based Timespace Technology Ltd., which has been designing digital video recorder products for over 10 years.

“Our products are sold through authorised resellers, which include 21st Century, Synetics and Active Camera, to name but three,” explained Nick Miller, sales manager.

Taking pride of place on the firm’s stand at Kortijk was the new V400 digital Video recorder for bus CCTV. Building on the well established reputation of the X200 recorder for reliability, the V400 is available in eight, 12 and 16 channel configurations and exceeds

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the new Transport for London (TfL) specification for CCTV. This product is to be featured in a forthcoming issue on CBW’s ‘Products’ page.

Van Hool debuts coach & bus models

As in previous years, Van Hool occupied a hall to itself, with no fewer than half a dozen coaches and buses on display.

Two products from the Belgian manufacturer made their public debuts at the show – the TX coach and the ExquiCity bus.

The TX is the successor to the well-known and respected T9 range. The first TX-vehicles will be on the market in February 2012 – and as reported in last week’s issue, one is currently in-build for the UK’s Eavesway. Even before the show as opened, Van Hool said it has orders for 139 TX coaches.

Also debuting at Kortrijk was a driveable prototype of the ExquiCity, a multi-drive platform which combines the flexibility of a bus with the efficiency of a tram.

This platform makes the ExquiCity, 18m and 24m in both versions, a basis for the use of different propulsion systems such as trolley, hybrid, fuel cells or batteries.

Earlier this year, ExquiCity received great acclaim at the UITP Congress in Dubai, where a full-size mock up the vehicle was displayed.

To date, 39 ExquiCity vehicles have been ordered, which will enter service over the course of 2012.

Customers include Barcelona (Spain), Parma (Italy) and Metz (France) – although precise details of the order were unavailable as CBW went to press.

Turning to Van Hool’s performance over the year 2010, the firm said it produced 1,028 buses and 2,594 coaches in addition to industrial vehicles.

Approximately two thirds of the exported products remain in Europe, the rest is shipped to America, Africa and Asia.

said he was proud of the future prospects and the sucesses achieved to date: “With the models of the ComfortClass we have set Europe-wide standards in the combined touring and excursion segments. To thank bus operators for the great confidence they have shown in these vehicles for all these years, we are once again presenting a top touring coach with outstanding specifications.”

Of particular note was interior of the tri-axle S416 HDH ‘Special Edition’ coach on the Setra stand.

Externally branded to mark the manufaccturer’s 60th anniversary, the coach could accommodate 46 passengers on red Voyage Supreme seats.

With its staggered seating arrangement, the coach realises an innovative interior design idea, according to Setra. The aisle-side seats are positioned forward by six centimetres, ensuring a comfortable seating position with more shoulder-room and a much improved view through the side

windows.

The head sections and piping with Swarovski gems are made of leather as standard in this seat. The cockpit trim and the wood/leather steering wheel of the S416 HDH were in what Setra termed “matt black bird’s-eye maple.” With a K-logo on the hub caps and steering wheel, as well as a porcelain flower vase on the A-pillar, the interior was reminiscent of the early years in the brand’s history.

Another key feature was the modern ‘infotainment’ system for satellite TV and radio reception.

The image from the driver’s cockpit camera can also be shown on the monitors integrated into the passenger seat backrests, behind the driver, at the front entry and on the rear wall of the onboard galley.

Other vehicles on stand included high-specification S415GT-HD, an S415NF two-door low-floor bus, a wheelchair-accessible S416H coach and an S431DT TopClass doubledecker coach.

Setra continues interior innovation

With extraordinary comfort features and extravagant design ideas, Setra once again demonstrated there are no limits to the creativity of its developers and designers, even in its 60th anniversary year.

Lothar Holder, head of sales at Setra Omnibusse EvoBus GmbH,

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THE BIG PICTURE

Between 1975 and 1981 the Christchurch Transport Board in New Zealand received 150 Bristol RE buses, all but one being sent out from the Bristol factory as kits.

While the first batches had either Eastern Coach Works bodies or locally built bodies of a similar design, the final 96 had a newly designed body assembled by New Zealand Motor Bodies from kits supplied by Hess of Switzerland.

The bus pictured here by its owner Mike Walker is one of the latter.

Imported to the UK in January 2011, it now has class 5 MOT. Mike spent his entire career in the bus industry. Indeed, he was one of the buy-out directors of Badgerline in 1986. This bus has already made two rally appearances – at Brislington and Warminster.

Visit www.bvbg.org.uk

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tHE Big qUEStiOn › deregulation

25 years on, has bus deregulation been a success?

Today (Wednesday) marks the 25th anniversary of the deregulation of bus services.

Coach & Bus Week’s Meera Rambissoon asks a range of industry commentators, bodies, and operators their views on whether it has had a positive effect on bus operations in the UK

O

ctober 26, 2011 marks 25 years since ‘D-Day’ - the deregulation of bus services, arguably the most significant change in how bus services have been run across their history. A dictionary definition of deregulation is: the reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enacted to create more competition within the industry.

The ‘Buses’ White Paper formed the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the UK except for Northern Ireland and Greater London. It proposed the abolition of road service licensing and allowed the introduction of competition on local bus services for the first time since the 1930s.

The majority of bus services up until 1985 were run by publicly owned bus companies, either owned by the government through the National Bus Company and Scottish Bus Group or by metropolitan county councils through Passenger Transport Executives (or London Transport in Greater London) or by the borough council owning its own municipal bus company. These companies were transformed into limited companies with the aim of selling them into the private sector and in the new commercial environment, new operators entered the industry and minibus operation became widespread. Indeed for Bill Hiron, the MD of Stephensons of Essex, the emblem of deregulation is the Ford Transit minibus, which provided regular services and were able to scoot around estates - and which he says paved the way for the services we have today.

The new deregulated system meant all bus services outside Greater London should be run commercially – i.e. run at a profit. The old established method of cross-subsidising www.coachandbusweek.com

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a less popular route with the proceeds of a more popular one was to be abolished. One commentator said: “Bus routes were to stand on their own two feet or not at all”.

For services deemed unprofitable but for which there was a social need, the local council could step in to subsidise the route, usually by putting it out to tender for the lowest price. In short, any bus company could run any service they wanted to, as long as they registered it within 42 days notice, a period which since increased to 56 days.

Many in the industry see innovation as the essence of the deregulated, commercial approach, creating the opportunity for greater investment in modernised and branded buses, marketed with a greater customer focus. Brian Souter apparently dressed up in a giant bunny outfit, handing out sweets to children at Glasgow bus station to promote his new Magic Bus operation.

Indeed the hitherto new entrant, Stagecoach is one of the infamous “Big Five” operators along with FirstGroup, Go-Ahead, Arriva and National Express, all listed on the stock exchange who riding on the back of deregulation, have grown to dominate the industry landscape. This is not to say the smaller and independent players are not equally important, to which ALBUM (the Association of Local Bus Company Managers) is full testimony.

Nowadays, operators large or small, believe deregulation and the independence it brings is being potentially threatened by a regulated approach in the form of Quality Contracts (QCs) – where the local authority specifies the routes, frequency and timetable and then puts the bus services out to tender. The Local Transport Act 2008 bolstered powers for local authorities to introduce QCs. pteg is a strong proponent of such contracts and believes the deregulated system has not brought with it the high quality,

integrated and efficient transport which the public deserve.

So has deregulation been a good thing or a bad thing for the bus industry?

Chris Cheek TAs Partnership director “Judged against its original objectives of making the industry more efficient and cost effective, breaking the power of the trade unions and reducing ever-rising subsidy costs, the 1986 reform was triumphantly successful.

“It did not, of course, reverse the decline in bus patronage, but then realistically it was never likely to against the background of rising car ownership and low oil prices. However, there is strong evidence that the decline slowed in the years after 1986.

“The long-term effect of the reforms has been to create an industry which is much more customer-focused, more willing and able to experiment and innovate, and one which is very well-placed to provide an increasingly attractive alternative to the car as oil prices rise and motoring goes out of fashion.

“What we must avoid at all costs is a reversion to bureaucratic interference, risk-aversion and political correctness that would result from the introduction of franchising or Quality Contracts.”

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functional level and all of the high quality - high growth routes would be a frustrated dream.

“Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Aggressive and unfettered competition has caused poor quality and low investment in some areas and there have been winners and losers in this. It’s very hard to control this type of thing unless rules are being broken. In many areas the rules were being broken but the agencies involved were too far behind the curve to keep up post de-regulation.

“We are getting a balance in most areas now and I read with interest the CC would like to see multi operator ticketing etc. This will have to be approached with the utmost care. I don’t believe non commercial organisations such as the CC truly understand the impact of what they suggest.

“So, the next chapter...more innovation, more investment and more partnership. Hopefully our politicians will grow the strength needed to make bold decisions as many towns and cities could achieve massive modal shift at minimal cost if only the politicians had the desire to be brave.”

RalPh RoBeRtS Mcgill’s Buses MD and chair of cPt Scotland “If we look at this at a macro level, the change has been huge. In 1986 the industry in Scotland was more interested in internal structures than what the customer wanted. The link between the success of the company and fulfilling the needs of the customer didn’t really exist. Having a nice livery, well uniformed staff and regimented procedures were all paramount when I first came into the industry as a management trainee in 1979.

“It has taken 25 years to break that culture down in most places with some companies being more successful than others. Now, we have an ever-increasing focus on our customer and their needs and the most successful companies are the ones with the best insight into this and the willingness to meet the customer’s desires.

“At a micro level we have all sorts of other improvements such as wifi and leather seats and low floor but who’s to say this wouldn’t have happened anyway? My view is that if the industry was regulated we would see less innovation as the provision of buses would be viewed as a public service rather than a commercial undertaking with potential rewards.

Lowest cost tenders would keep the quality at a

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RogeR FRench MD of Brighton & hove “The record high passenger satisfaction levels (from Passenger Focus research) which other industries ‘would die for’ speak for themselves - we’re now a customer driven, market orientated industry whereas 25 years ago we were operationally led and declining at a worrying rate - I didn’t think there would be an industry left if we’d kept on losing passengers at the rates we did in the 1970s and early 1980s.

“The huge investment in new buses, new technology and marketing in the last two decades has truly been transformational and there’s more to come in coming years with smart cards and information systems.”

Brighton & hove (top) is a beacon of innovation and customer focus. chris cheek of the taS Partnership (top left) and B&h managing director Roger French are both fans of deregulation

“The huge investment in new buses, new technology and marketing in the last two decades has truly been transformational and there’s more to come in coming years with smart cards and information systems.”

Roger French Brighton & Hove

Ray Stenning Best impressions design director “Basically yes: I think the industry has improved no end and deregulation has triggered a lot of entrepreneurial flair and clever thinking by the more progressive operators that just could not exist in a regulated environment; a lot of creativity would just be stifled. You have to ask yourself what would the industry be like now if it had stayed regulated. Not very exciting. Of course, regulation depends on how good the regulators are. Local authorities can have political agendas, an attachment to dogma may sit uneasily with commercial enterprise, and fiscal restraints can curb creativity.

“Regulation can also be costly to administrate and inefficient. And how would the blue-skiesthinking, entrepreneurial, opportunity-seeking, sharp-brained Roger Frenchs, James Freemans, Giles Fearnleys, Brian Souters, Ian Morgans, Alex Hornbys (and dare I say Ray Stennings) and a good many others of this world with flair and vision be able to improve the bus product for the travelling public, as they have done, if there was someone telling them what to do.

“Taking Nottingham and Derby as an example, if you had a regulated environment, would a local authority think of introducing (or

www.coachandbusweek.com

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tHE Big qUEStiOn › deregulation

believe there could be a business case for) a highprofile, high quality, high-frequency non-stop service as well as stopping services. I suspect the mantra ‘unnecessary duplication’ would echo through the civic halls like a chill wind. Never mind what the market wants. There is a lot of ‘mother knows best’ when it comes to regulation.

“Generally, commercial acumen gets a better result for the customer – and there’s nothing wrong with profit. Like it or not, profit is what drives the economy, and I’m no right winger. Imagine if shopping was regulated, you wouldn’t have the choice (or the style and pleasure) you have now. Oxford Street with one shoe shop, one coffee shop (and bland coffee in an uninspired environment at that) and one clothes shop! I do worry about the view that an authority will axiomatically know how to run buses better than an experienced, commercial operator - pro–regulation politicians are always bringing that one out. How can they and why should they? My general view, is where things are good, things are a hell of a lot better under deregulation. If an entrepreneur sees a weakness and can exploit it to the public benefit (and make a profit that feeds the pension industry that, we mustn’t forget, helps even pro-regulation pundits in their retirement), competition can be a good thing.”

Ian SmIth UK Bus awards commercial director “My view is it’s been wonderful, a real shot in the arm for an industry that was previously just ‘managing decline’.

“Deregulation unleashed a great burst of creativity and far better use of good marketing.

“The downside has been comparatively minor but the emphasis on competition meant the advantages of joint services with each operator’s timetables on a route designed to complement, rather than compete with each other have been lost in many cases and joint ticketing was lost too, to the puzzlement and annoyance of passengers.

“Secondly, there have been issues in the PTE, now ITA, areas that have been less than satisfactory and we still don’t seem to have an ideal result in at least some of those.”

BIll hIron Stephensons of Essex mD “Yes, indeed – deregulation has generally been a resounding success. The initial emblem of deregulation was probably the Ford Transit minibus, which trundled around estates, without which all sorts of services would not now be running at five, 10 and 15-minute frequencies.

“I remember when we had typical sized market towns served by half hourly services. Five and 10-minute frequencies were brought in with the dreaded Ford Transit; those services have broadly been maintained by Dennis Darts and lowfloor buses. This never would have happened, if we had stayed in the previous regime.

“Innovation and marketing was done to a lesser extent before.

“The biggest danger with the Competition Commission proposals is multi-operator ticketing. In principle it’s a good thing, but when you read the small print, it appears to www.coachandbusweek.com

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suggest the local authority could promote multi operator tickets based on the average price of the operators, meaning cheaper than the tickets of commercial operators - which is financial suicide.

“But we’ve not seen the final remedies yet – this is a consultation. I’m sure everyone else will comment on the ‘customer is king’ element of deregulation. The Ford Transit buses are the emblem of deregulation.”

StEvEn Salmon Cpt director of policy development “I believe that urban public transport should be integrated, high quality and locally accountable.

On all three counts bus deregulation has failed although of course that wasn’t the objective of the policy. Its also instructive to note how few modern developed nations have adopted this policy. The weakness of the policy also explains why it never happened in London which ironically is a keu reason why it has survived outside London. As London is all right Jack and because bus users outside London don’t have the same political clout. It’s also

ralph roberts of mcGill’s (top left) says the change following deregulation has been huge and Ian Smith thinks it has been wonderful

“In 1986 the industry in Scotland was more interested in internal structures than what the customer wanted.”

Ralph Roberts McGill’s Buses

John owen, UKBa chair (top left) and Jonathan Bray, pteg director, who wants bus franchising

“So what would my school report about 25 years of bus deregulation say? Probably “has done well but has yet to really fulfil its potential.”

John Owen UK Bus Awards

fair to say that the deregulation we have now is not what was originally envisaged with on street entrepreneurialism replaced by large monopolies and limited on street competition.

This in turn has opened up the way for large scale statutory and non-statutory partnerships.”

Jonathan Bray pteg support unit director “Deregulation has been pretty good news for Mr and Mrs average, whether they are bus users or (particularly) local taxpayers. The network in my home town is denser than it was in the 80s and the quality of the buses (and the staff) is much better. You don’t see the “sorry, no staff” and “sorry, no parts for the buses” notices that were all too common in the 70s, nor the “take it or leave it” plastic seats and stark interiors of the 1980s. The industry understands its customers better, both in terms of what they want and what they are prepared to pay for it, and there have been excellent examples of people succeeding by putting out the right services at the right price.

“If you want to travel on Sunday, or in the evening, the situation is much worse in my part of the world than it was when the whole network was negotiated between the county council and the local NBC subsidiaries. It’s difficult to guess how a parallel world might have evolved, but I think the commercial network is currently more stable, under operator control, than it would be if it were subject to local authority budget cuts.

“Freedom to try different ways of competing has made the good really good, although I can’t pretend that all operators have grasped the idea that sparkling clean, comfortable, well-driven, punctual buses attract more people than the other sorts!” anDy GIBBon nottingham City Council public transport manager “I can only give the view from my experience in Nottingham where it has been a success.

The network is over 90% commercial, fully accessible, comprehensive, integrated and affordable. The main reasons are: n very well run locally-owned bus companies working closely in partnership with a consistently supportive local authority; n healthy competition between operators; and n key development and planning decisions which have ensured the city centre is vibrant, attractive and fully accessible by bus.” traCy JESSop atCo vice chair “’The introduction of competition into local bus services will put the emphasis on the customer rather than the operator. It will bring the opportunity for lower fares, new services, more passengers and better value for money for the taxpayer.’ You might think this was a quote from the Competition Commission’s proposed remedies announced last week, but actually it’s Nicholas Ridley, secretary of state for transport, who in the Thatcher era introduced deregulation in 1985.

“Given that 26 years have passed, and now very similar messages are being repeated, and combined with the loss of essential bus services to the public in rural, suburban and some urban

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from the public purse – it makes me realise how fortunate we were to go down the route of deregulation. It is a step which also led to challenges for the manufacturing sector, enabling us to raise the bar in terms of developing and building quality products which, given time, WILL get more and more people out of their cars and into buses and trains. This has to be our collective goal if we are to avoid suffocating our towns and cities with ever-increasing traffic congestion.”

bus deregulation heralded a minibus or ’bread van’ revolution to enable high frequency services areas, it would be easy to conclude it has not worked. But we shouldn’t just look at the bus industry, so much else has changed that alters the dynamics of demand for the bus. Cars are cheaper to buy and (relatively) cheaper to run, average journey lengths have increased, working patterns have changed and family units are very different - so it may not be deregulation that is to blame.

“But, if deregulation is a success, why hasn’t anyone else copied the UK market? So I’d argue despite what may have been best intentions, the objectives of deregulation have not been achieved and we still have some way to go to create a perfect bus market.”

Colin RobeRtson Alexander Dennis ltd chief executive “Deregulation was clearly a huge issue 25 years ago and, albeit, I was only 21 at the time and working in another industry sector, I do recall the controversy surrounding it.

“The late Nicholas Ridley, transport minister in the Thatcher Government, was the driving force for change and – to be frank – he was never the most popular of cabinet ministers, which didn’t give the initiative a flying start. There were also job losses in the early days, which added to the antagonism from trade unions and the Labour benches.

“Looking back over the 25 years however, it is clear the whole process stimulated the market in way which could never have been achieved through the public sector alone, certainly not without huge government hand-outs. The businesses created, some of which have emerged as giants of the global transport industry, have invested billions over the years and created a transport network (including rail franchise operations) which has taken the quality of public transport in the UK to a whole new level.

“As I travel around the world and see the quality standards elsewhere – and the continuous level of federal funding derived

BigQuestion.indd 39

“It is a step that has also led to challenges for the manufacturing sector, enabling us to raise the bar in terms of developing and building quality products that, given time, WILL get more and more people out of their cars and into buses and trains.”

Colin Robertson ADL

Ray stenning sees value in commercial acumen

“Like it or not, profit is what drives the economy, and I’m no right winger. Imagine if shopping was regulated, you wouldn’t have the choice (or the style and pleasure) you have now.”

Ray Stenning Best Impressions

John owen UK bus Awards chairman “I was one of the most vociferous critics of Nicholas Ridley’s original deregulation proposals because of the chaos I was sure they would cause – and I once had the pleasure of telling him so!

“But I have to admit, as enacted, deregulation has been a success – not an unqualified success depending on where you live – but a success nonetheless. Deregulation can and does work – inspired by retail practice and with effective partnership, operators like trent barton and Brighton & Hove have shown, if you get things right, substantial passenger growth and modal shift are not just an aspiration. They are not the only ones.

“Increasingly there are top quality bus services in most parts of the UK. What we have to do is ensure all emulate the best – and standards continue to rise all the time as our experience with entries for the UK Bus Awards clearly shows.

“In theory, a system in which commercial bus services are planned by operators and non-commercial services are brokered by local authorities is a good model – after all who can identify customer need better than those ‘at the sharp end’ and who should know social need better than a local authority?

“But is the bus industry outside London REALLY deregulated? Not only was it left with much regulation – and not just that concerned with safety – in 1986, but it has been saddled with more and more red tape over the last 25 years, most of it detracting from our ability to make the best of the current industry framework.

“This is yet another example of process being more important than the end result!

“Plus 25 years of crises over funding of supported services and concessionary fares, a lack of commitment by national and local government to recognise the potential of the bus by giving it greater freedom of movement, and authorities who for a long time have been obsessed with ‘internal competition’ rather than recognising the real foe is unnecessary car journeys, all contributed to us never having seen what deregulation could REALLY achieve.

“So what would my school report about 25 years of bus deregulation say? Probably ‘has done well but has yet to really fulfil its potential’.

“Has deregulation passed its sell-by date? No. Recognising no model is ever perfect but with effective partnership the bus is the key to the nation’s environmental and energy objectives – not an obstacle to them – would go a very long way towards allowing the potential of deregulation to be realised.” www.coachandbusweek.com

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ptEg COlUmn › jonathan bray

The CC reverts to type The Competition Commission has taken a sudden manoeuvre back down the on-street competition cul-de-sac, with thrown-together remedies, says pteg director Jonathan Bray I don’t know about you but I prefer my fudge to come from Devon and contain clotted cream rather than come in the form of thousands of pages from the Competition Commission’s (CC’s) dithering economists. Of course there was no doubt I would say this because the latest version of the CC report has made a sudden, unsignalled and rather undignified right turn away from high-end partnership and franchising, back down the onstreet competition cul-de-sac.

Exactly why and how they can justify such a sudden manoeuvre is unclear and the report doesn’t seem to feel justification is necessary.

Indeed it’s a strange old process whereby, after a painfully long time, the final draft report seems so disconnected from the previous reports which came before it, and the remedies it suggests look thrown together with no explanation of how they might fit as a coherent package.

It’s almost as if each report from the OFT and the CC forgets its predecessors. The tone and narrative are different, and the bit which matters - the remedies - always seem a bit like a last minute afterthought. Indeed this investigation seems to take on more incarnations than Dr Who - minus a fully operational sonic screwdriver.

Now I realise there are those who would forgive the CC anything for being mean about QCs. However don’t laugh too hard, as it is not just QCs which the CC has a certain distaste for but also high-end statutory and non-statutory partnerships. In reverting to type, the CC has a problem with any partnership that might exclude the theoretical possibility of low-end competition.

However unlikely it is to happen, the CC wants to keep the dream alive that some day easybus will arrive offering a low price, lower quality alternative to partnerships based on quality and relative stability; that consumers will have a wide choice of services which they carefully assess on comparethebusoperator.com before setting off, delightedly weighing comparative matrixes and logarithms of quality, price and journey time before finally, and in the bliss of perfect competition, head down to the bus stop to make their 20 minute journey to the GP. Now given the merest possibility this nirvana may be attained in the space of one lifetime, qualifying agreements and higher spec partnerships are a worry to the CC because, by their very nature, such agreements are not www.coachandbusweek.com

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It is not just Quality Contracts which the Competition Commission has a certain distaste for but highend partnerships - one of which has been proposed for Birmingham - says Jonathan primarily designed to encourage competition – and definitely not low quality competition.

Passengers may like what such agreements bring them but that’s very base and unenlightened of them because what they should like is as much on-street competition as they can get – and that’s what the CC wants to give them. Indeed that’s what all the potentially useful stuff in the report on ticketing, information and so on is about. It’s not principally about their obvious benefits to passengers, it’s that it keeps the CC’s fantasy alive that if the ticketing and information framework functions in an equitable and perfect way then it should encourage the new entrants the CC would sacrifice just about anything for.

Now, if they followed this logic to its conclusion, they should outlaw Qualifying Agreements and high-end partnerships. But this is where the politics kicks in as they know unwinding successful existing partnerships is not something they can get away with, so instead they satisfy themselves with raising the same old uncertainties about what attitude the competition authorities took in the past to new such arrangements. Franchising gets the same treatment. They strike but they don’t kill.

They blight what’s there now but they don’t build anything substantial in its place. So the end result is a clumsy set of remedies where CC ideology collides with political realities with the vague hope somehow the magic wand of BSOG money will make everything all right.

I suppose to be fair the clue is in the name with the CC. And as they say themselves they lack the social and wider remit local transport

authorities have in making decisions on public transport for their areas. What is galling, however, is that having accepted they only have a narrow perspective, they then go on to cast doubt over solutions which do work right now on the ground; solutions which have been made to work by people who do have that broader perspective – high-end partnerships, SQPs, qualifying agreements and franchising. And the CC does this in favour of a wholly unproven and unsubstantiated claim that their “package” of remedies is superior. There’s still time for them to substantiate or withdraw the claim in the final, final, final version. However, the danger is the CC will end up blighting what works right now in favour of the DfT spending years tinkering around in the shadows of the long grass, half-heartedly trying to stimulate more on-street competition. And what a waste of time that would be.

Jonathan is director of the pteg support unit. His background is in both transport campaigning and transport policy.

He was one of the founders of the campaign against the national road programme in the early nineties and later led the campaign against rail privatisation. He has also worked for the Campaign for Better Transport on a range of sustainable transport issues.

Jonathan was appointed as assistant director of pteg in 2003 and director in 2008.

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DRIVERS

Send your driver news and stories to gareth.evans@rouncymedia. co.uk or call 01733 293 243.

Drivers urged to exchange paper licences Photocards are replacing paper licences and you must obtain a DQC card as proof of holding CPC From October 18 bus and coach drivers holding a British paper driving licence have been asked by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to exchange it for a photocard licence in order to receive their driver qualification card (DQC) at no cost.

The DQC proves a driver holds the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) which professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must now legally hold in addition to their driving licence.

Drivers with a photocard licence will receive their DQC automatically, as the same photograph can be used for both documents. While drivers will still have to pay the usual £20 photocard licence fee, they will benefit from receiving their DQC free of charge, which could save them up to £30 over the 10 year photocard licence period.

Rosemary Thew, DSA chief executive said: “We’re urging drivers to exchange their paper licence sooner rather than later.

As well as saving money, drivers holding a photocard licence will receive their DQC automatically when they have passed the Driver CPC initial qualification or completed 35 hours of periodic training.”

Should drivers leave the exchange of their licence until after completion of their training, they may risk a delay in receiving

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Drivers.indd 42

For more information on exchanging your paper licence visit www.direct.gov.uk/ exchangelicence

The DSA is now offering financial incentive to swap your paper driving licence for a modern two-part version, the plastic photocard part of which is pictured here

trent barton announces new driver of the month

Colin Garrod is trent barton’s latest driver of the month, followed closely by Gavin McGill who won the commendation certificate for August.

A familiar face on the Cotmanhay to Nottingham ‘two’ service, Colin began his career with trent barton in February 2010, and passed his test the following month on his 50th birthday. In his spare time Colin enjoys fishing, DIY, computers and gardening, along with going out for dinner with his wife and family.

Gavin McGill joined trent barton in November 2009 and went from being a regular face on indigo

their DQC. Drivers can apply to exchange their licence online, by post or drop off their application at DVLA local offices and selected Post Office branches.

To advertise on this page, contact team leader Harley Denham on 01733 293 249 or e-mail harley.denham@ rouncymedia.co.uk

Dangerous driving charge for bridge crash The driver of a double decker bus which crashed into a bridge as it carried students to a Teesside college is to face a charge of dangerous driving. The top deck of the school bus collided with a railway bridge on Neasham Road in Darlington (CBW 1005).

The bus was carrying around 50 students to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in the town.

The 50-year-old driver, a Stockton resident, has been summonsed to appear at Darlington Magistrates’ Court in November .

A Durham Police spokesman said: “Earlier this month police completed their inquiries and sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Following advice from the CPS, the driver of the bus, a 50-yearold man from Stockton, has now been summonsed to appear before Darlington magistrates for an offence of dangerous driving.”

The operator of the school service is Compass Royston, also based in Stockton. A spokeswoman for the firm said Compass Royston was unable to make a comment on the development.

Grantham driver suspended for reading paper at wheel

trent barton drivers Colin Garrod and Gavin McGill to the keyworth connection. His spare time is spent at the gym or relaxing with his wife and son.

Alex Hornby, commercial director, told CBW: “It always gives me great pleasure to present these awards, and to congratulate our latest winners who work so hard each and every day to make this award possible. It is a fantastic achievement, and both Colin and Gavin should be extremely proud.

Well done to both of you.”

Two Grantham residents filmed a bus driver reading a newspaper while driving through the town.

Kelly and Danny Wright of Signal Road, Grantham, were shocked by what they saw, so decided to film the event on a mobile phone. The video shows the driver still reading the newspaper as he pulled away.

Kelly Wright said: “I was disgusted. He had passengers on the bus and some of them were kids. It has to be classed as dangerous driving. At the beginning he was sitting in traffic and we thought we would give him the benefit of the doubt, but then he actually turned the page as he pulled off.”

The Wrights attempted to contact operator of the bus, Centrebus, though they did not

receive a response. Operations manager of Centrebus, Alan Humphreys, told the Grantham Journal the driver was disciplined by the company and he had been handed a fortnight suspension.

Humphreys said: “It was dealt with as a disciplinary matter. I don’t appreciate what he has done, it shouldn’t have been happening. He shouldn’t have been doing what he was doing at the steering wheel.

Hopefully it will never happen again. He was in traffic but that doesn’t give him the right to get the newspaper out and start looking at it.”

Lincolnshire police service has also been provided with video footage of the incident. The matter is to be investigated and handled by the road policing unit.

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LEGAL UpdAtE

In association with

A high price to pay Jennifer Bell, head of the corporate department at Backhouse Jones, answers frequently asked questions on corporate manslaughter.

In the second case of its kind, a steel company has been charged with corporate manslaughter following the death of an employee who fell through a roof. In addition, three of the company directors have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter for failing to ensure the safety of their employees at work. The company has also been charged under health and safety legislation for failing to ensure the safety of its employees.

But what are the factors that can lead to your business being prosecuted for corporate manslaughter and the penalties for breaching the legislation.

Who does the offence apply to?

Corporate manslaughter legislation applies to all businesses operating in the UK. It does not apply to individuals (for example, company directors or managers). However individuals can be prosecuted for the offence of manslaughter by gross negligence. If your business is prosecuted under corporate manslaughter legislation, it (and the company directors and managers) could still be prosecuted for breaches of health and safety or other laws.

What are the offences?

Your business will be guilty of a corporate manslaughter offence if all of the following apply: The way in which your business’ activities are managed or organised causes a person’s death.

The person’s death is the result of a gross breach of a relevant duty of care owed to that person.

The way in which your business’ activities are managed or organised is a substantial element of the breach.

What constitutes a gross breach?

“Gross breach” means conduct that falls far below what can reasonably be expected of your business in the circumstances. A jury must take a number of factors into account when deciding whether your business is guilty of corporate manslaughter: Whether your business was in breach of health and safety legislation; How serious the management failure was; and How much of a risk there was of death occurring.

The jury must also take into account a number of other factors, including: Any health and safety guidance relating to the breach; and Whether there were any attitudes, policies, systems or accepted practices in your business which were likely to have encouraged a management failure.

A business is not allowed to make any deduction or allowance for the depreciation of capital items when calculating its taxable profit or loss. However, a business can claim capital allowances, which are deductible when computing taxable profits, on certain types of capital expenditure. Capital allowances are available (in the form of an annual writing down

allowance) for expenditure on plant and machinery. The rate of the allowance depends on the type of expenditure. For example, the general rate is currently 20% and the rate for integral features and long-life assets is 10%. Although most fixtures will only qualify for the 10% rate, depending on the type of building, fixtures can represent a significant proportion of its value.

A recent case illustrates the risks for businesses of buying a property without obtaining information about the capital allowances history of the fixtures being bought. A tax tribunal ruled that the buyer of a business, which included a property, could not claim plant and machinery allowances on certain

Research a sellers’ capital allowances

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LegalUpdate.indd 44

signposting is not enough to avoid a corporate manslaughter conviction What types of duty of care are covered?

The legislation deals primarily with health and safety matters, but is not limited to these. It may be possible to prove a duty of care in a different context (for example, under environmental law). The types of duty of care covered include a duty owed by a business to employees, a duty owed as an occupier of premises and a duty owed in connection with: The supply of goods or services; Carrying out any construction or maintenance operations; or Carrying out any other activity on a commercial basis. fixtures. The buyer failed to obtain information about the seller’s capital allowances claims and could not show that the seller had not previously claimed allowances on those fixtures.

practical tips to consider When buying a business As previous owners’ claims can restrict the amount of a claim for capital allowances, you should: Carry out proper capital allowances with due diligence.

Follow-up blank or inadequate replies to your enquiries.

It is sometimes thought to be better not to discuss allowances with a seller, as a seller may then recognise their value, compromising your

What are the penalties for breaching the legislation? financial penalties: A conviction for corporate manslaughter could lead to the imposition of an unlimited fine on your business. According to the sentencing guidelines, a convicted business should receive a fine that will rarely be less than £500,000 and may be in the millions of pounds.

Fines can be increased if there is evidence your business could have foreseen the accident and where breaches of rules were widespread within your business. remedial orders: The court can impose a remedial order requiring your business to address specific failings involved in the offence. Because the court will not usually take into account any remedial costs when it assesses a fine, you may have to pay both a fine and the costs of improving your internal procedures to comply with a remedial order. reputational damage: The court can impose a publicity order forcing your business to advertise that it has been convicted of corporate manslaughter. The order may include details of the conviction (for example, the amount of the fine and the terms of a remedial order). insurance: Insurance cover will not be available to your business if it has been convicted of a corporate manslaughter offence. However, if you mount a successful defence, cover may be available for any legal costs your business has incurred.

Make sure you check your position with your insurers. negotiating position. However, this case shows if you adopt this approach, you risk being unable to establish entitlement to allowances.

Backhouse Jones acts for clients in the private and public sector, both national and international operators from one to several thousand vehicles. Backhouse is absolutely “industry specific”. Whilst the company can trace its heritage to 1819 it only represented its first Road Transport Operator in 1930. The explanation for this is that the first transport act was only introduced in 1930. n Contact 01254 828300. Visit www.backhousejones.co.uk

24/10/2011 20:44

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The leading magazine for the coach and bus professional

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Coach & Bus

1 Coach & Bus Week keeps you up-todate with topical industry news. It reports interviews with industry leaders, operator profiles, deliveries and new vehicle & product launches and legal up dates including employment. It is also in touch with changing government policy across the industry and topical debate that affects your business.

There is a drivers’ section (including jobs).

Yes, I would like to subscribe to Coach & Bus Week at the rate of £85 for 51 issues Name Company

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Minibus is the only monthly specialist supplement dedicated exclusively to the minibus and contains up-to-date technical reviews; new vehicle road test reports; mobility and accessibility safety; community transport reports; and road traffic legislation and lists local authority tenders. Designed to help minibus operators in this highly regulated sector.

The Coach & Bus Guide is the most comprehensive directory in the market.

Events diary; trade associations; ATCO Regions; PTEs/PTAs and TfL; Traffic Commissioners; Cross Sea Carriers; Tour Wholesalers; Service Stations; VOSA Centres; Major Bus and Coach Groups; Airports; Vehicle Suppliers/Dealers, Industry Suppliers A-Z; Toilet Drops, Operators A-Z.

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25/08/2011 15:46

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 47

PRODUCTS

Email martin.cole@rouncymedia. co.uk to get your new product or service in the spotlight

MichElin introducE spEcialist wintEr tyrEs to uK Michelin is urging operators to invest product in its range of winter of thE tyres by releasing a wEEK dedicated winter tyre for the first time in the UK, after new statistics released by the Department for transport Statistics have shown more than 300 coach and bus accidents in the last year were caused by snow or ice.

A family of specialist tyres offered

by Michelin is headed by the XDW Ice Grip. This tyre is already tried and tested in Nordic markets and parts of mainland Europe, and is engineered to offer excellent traction and braking on low grip surfaces with 2,000+ bi-directional sipes and optimised tread rubber.

Operators who do not wish to purchase dedicated winter tyres could instead opt for the all season X Coach XD, which Michelin said will provide

Michelin’s Xdw ice grip tyres 10% more grip in wet or slippery conditions and up to 15% more grip in snow and ice than standard Michelin tyres, or X InCity XZU3, which provide 18% more traction for urban driving.

The firm said any ‘M+S’ rated tyres it offers will perform better than standard tyres in mud or snow.

driving down accidEnts through alcohol risK The AlcoDigital Drivealyzer prevents drink driving by disabling the ignition of a vehicle if the driver is over the limit.

The Drivealyzer can be fitted to buses, coaches and minibuses without a large capital outlay. It uses an ignition interlock, consisting of a combined breathalyzer and immobiliser, which prevents the vehicle being driven if it measures alcohol content above a preset level, usually set at a quarter of the UK drink drive limit.

A number of anti-fraud features are standard. Rolling re-tests are required at random intervals to prevent the system being fooled by a ‘friend’ providing a single surrogate breath sample at the start of the day.

A serious drawback with other interlock devices is that they require expensive visits by technicians when calibration is needed.

However, to keep costs to a minimum, the Drivealyzer has an exchangeable breathalyzer handset – the base unit which

the drivealyzer handset controls the ignition and stores data is fixed. When calibration is required a replacement handset is sent out ahead of time and exchanged, keeping the system simple.

Alcodigital said the system will work well for avoiding serious accidents, as well as insurance claims which often result from bumps and scrapes, incidents which become more frequent even

Martin Covington, Michelin’s Head of Truck and Earthmover Marketing, says: “With winter almost upon us, bus and coach operators should already be thinking about how to keep their vehicles moving in the event of snow and ice. These statistics highlight the chaos that winter can cause, particularly when you consider that accidents can lead to vehicle damage, resulting in avoidable cost and downtime – not to mention possible injury to drivers, passengers and other road users.

“Michelin offers a number of solutions to ensure commercial vehicles are kept as safe as possible, no matter what road conditions they encounter.

“Fleets should also remember that maintaining tyres at the correct pressures, based on tyre manufacturers’ recommendations, can also significantly improve traction & braking.” for further advice on this and any other tyre-related issues, commercial vehicle operators can visit www.michelin.co.uk/atmm and ‘ask the Michelin Man’. after small amounts of alcohol.

However, they said the system can help an operator in other ways.

In a statement, AlcoDigital said: “Drivealyzer does more than prevent alcohol related incidents. It can provide the edge over competitors when tendering for new business by showing commitment to safety.

“Fitting an interlock device may even become a prerequisite to winning work - it is already mandatory for French coach operators who carry children to have an interlock device fitted, and an interlock is demanded by Swedish local authorities before work is awarded.”

Contract hire costs £5 per week and the service gives access to a full Drivealyzer system - base unit, handset and software.

All maintenance, service and calibration costs are included within the £5 per week hire cost. Outright purchasing of a full Drivealyzer alcohol interlock system costs £595 with an annual maintenance contract charge of £90 per year. the product launched on october 5 during coach and Bus live 2011. a dedicated website, www.drivealyzer.com, was launched to coincide with the show.

delphi automotive’s new modular hvac air conditioning system

distriButEd air conditioning froM dElphi Delphi Automotive is introducing a new HVAC system for city buses to keeps passengers comfortable while improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption when compared to traditional external roof top bus units.

The new Diavia City Bus HVAC delivers uniformly-cooled air to passengers regardless of where they are sitting in the vehicle. Using compact, multiple units installed inside the bus, the system is ductless, modular and uses brushless motors to reduce unit noise.

“Compared to traditional roof top units, Delphi Diavia’s new internal HVAC unit reduces drafts, freeze zones and loud noise,” said Marco Lelli, sales and marketing manager, Delphi Thermal Systems. “Its modular design helps reduce maintenance costs while its compact engineering cuts weight and energy consumption.”

Available for installation by bus body builders and OEMs later this year, the new internal HVAC system joins a complete range of Diavia products which include both rooftop and internal HVAC units for buses with four to 35 seats and up to 18kW. Diavia products also include a wide range of A/C components and sub systems for ambulances, special purpose vehicles and mobile refrigeration systems.

Delphi develops and produces A/C systems for global automakers and the independent aftermarket.

Diavia products are supported by a dedicated network servicing all of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The network members are able to provide regular maintenance and original spare parts and also service products outside of the warranty period. All vehicle details are recorded in a website database where all information related to the AC system will be available to each service station. for further details, visit www.delphi.com www.coachandbusweek.com

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48 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

BUS STOPthe place to buy and sell

To advertise on these pages for as little as £20 just call 020 8320 1351 Optare Toro

Mercedes-Benz 0815 Vario chassis with rear air suspension, 28 passenger seats with 3pt lap and diagonal seat belts, powered entry door, air conditioning, double glazed windows, luggage racks with individual passenger reading lights and adjustable air flow blowers, radio/CD & PA system.

£45,500 +VAT NOW £43,000 +VAT

UNVI GT

Mercedes-Benz 0816 Vario chassis with rear air suspension, 29 passenger seats with 3pt lap and diagonal seat belts and leather headrest inserts, courier seat, dark tint double glazed windows, air con radio/CD & PA system, DVD player and monitor, grammer luxury heated driver seat, full draw curtains, large boot space and side lockers.

£69,950 +VAT NOW £67,500 +VAT

Call Dougie at Haggis Adventures on 0131 554 9192 K & E HORTON (GARAGES) LTD WE HAVE FOR SALE THE FOLLOWING COACHES

1998 VOLVO ENIGMA 49 SEATER WITH TOILET MOT MARCH 2012 £27,500

1998 MAN SETRA S250 SPECIAL 48 SEATER WITH TOILET MOT JAN 2012 £17,500

1998 SCANIA IRIZAR CENTURY 53 SEATER MOT JAN 2012

AdvertiseyourCoachorBushereforaslittleas £20.00 aweek!

Call Lara Odumosu on 0208 301 8310 or email: lara.odumosu@rouncymedia.co.uk

£17,500

CALL 07584 080866

LOCATED 3 MINS AWAY FROM JUNCTION 11, M6

!

R E F F O SPECIAL t Contac Lara Odumosu

0 1351 020 8@r3ou2nc ymedia.co.uk

lara.odumosu

Telephone Lara Odumosu on 020 8320 1351 or email lara.odumosu@rouncymedia.co.uk

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NEW PRE-REGISTERED FORDS (60) 2010 Ford Transit 17 seat Hi Roof 2.4tdi, Air -con, Bluetooth, tacho, sat-nav, COIF/PSV £23,850

W at NE se 17

(60) 2011 Ford Transit 15 seat 2.4 tdci minibus, tacho, air-con, Bluetooth, silver £18,995

(10) 2010 Ford Transit 12 minibus 2.2tdci 115ps tacho, air-con, Bluetooth, parking sensors, in silver, 1,400km £17,495

Peugeot Boxer 3.5 ton 17 seat School minibus diesel 2.2 120ps six speed, COIF/PSV. Choice of colours £21,995+VAT

FORD TRANSIT MINIBUSES (08) 2008 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4tdi, tacho, high back seats with three point belts, 33,000kms only, COIF/PSV £15,200

(07) 2007 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4 tdi 115ps, high back seats with three point belts, COIF/PSV, 44,000 miles £11,995

SOLD

(06) Ford Transit 17 seat 4.1 ton minibus, high back seats with three point belts, COIF/PSV £7,995

(53) 2003 Ford Transit 17 seat 2.4 td minibus, high back seats with three point belts, tacho, COIF/PSV £6,995

(02) Ford Transit 3.5 ton, 15 seat minibus, 2.4 tdi, high back seats with three point belts £2,995

LDV MINIBUSES

5 3.

n to

OTHER MAKES New Renault Master 17 seat LM35 / 125PS £21,995

(55) 2005 Chrysler Grand Voyager 7 seat Auto 2.8 diesel, DVD, heated seats, radio/CD, electric mirrors, electric windows, one owner from new with FSH, silver, 67,000 miles £7,750

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS (09) Renault Master LM39 2.2 diesel, Automatic, inboard lift, air-con, e/w c/l e/m with only 4,500 miles £18,495 (07) 2007 Volkswagen Crafter 8 seat 2.2 diesel inboard lift, fully tracked floor, rear heating, 48,000 miles £13,995

(06) Fiat Ducato LWB, high roof, panoramic windows, inboard tail lift, 6 seats plus wheelchair tracking, 42,000 miles £10,995

New LDV Maxus 17 seat minibus 2.5 diesel, LWB, twin side loading doors, 2 year mechanical warranty, COIF/PSV £16,995

(04) 2004 Mercedes Sprinter 413cdi minibus 2.2 diesel, front entry drop step with power door, inboard Clearway lift, fully tracked floor to take 4 wheelchairs, rear heating, 77,000 miles £9,995

(57) 2007 LDV Maxus 15 seat minibus, high back seats with three point belts £7,495

(53) 2003 Iveco Daily 16 seat minibus, front entry drop step with power door, wheelchair tracking, under floor tail lift, rear heating, COIF/PSV £9,995

(03) 2003 LDV Convoy Maxi XLWB 17 seat mini-coach, 2.4 Tdi, front entry drop step, luggage racks, rear heating, wide aisle, rear row of seats removable, New PSV £7,995

Y 2001 Renault Mascot 2.8 diesel, 16 seat wheelchair accessible minibus, front entry drop step, fully tracked floor to take five wheelchairs, under floor lift, rear heating, COIF/PSV £7,750

Tel: 01633 485858 Mobile: 07866 443304 Contact Graham Thatcher – email: sales@minibussales.co.uk

Pembridge House, The Park Business Centre, Plough Road, Goytre, Penperlleni, Nr Usk, South Wales NPA 0AL – 10 minutes from M4 motorway. Viewing by appointment only Finance Contract Hire and Finance Lease Available. We deliver Nationwide. All vehicles prepared to VOSA standard COIF/PSV specialist

All above prices are subject to VAT @ 20%

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DOUBLE DECK E 1997/8 VOLVO OLYMPIANS Seatbe exampleslted no available w

LEZ

LEZ

COMPLIANT

COMPLIANT

Volvo engines, Euro 2, 78 seats, converted to single door, new COIF, tyres included, UK registered ready to work.

1996/7 P/R REG VOLVO BM10M’S

Cummins/Voith, LEZ compliant for 2012 with traps to Euro 4, CCTV, Alexander ALX400 bodies, DDA compliant or upseated to 80 seats.

1999/2000 T/V/X REG DENNIS TRIDENTS

8.9m, Cummins / Allison, Hanover blinds, 29 seats, full DDA.

2009 ADL ENVIRO 200

ZF automatics, Plaxton Premiere Interurbans, 51 seats, can be upseated to 53 / 55 / 57.

Cummins ISBC engine, repainted white, Hanover destination, MOT August 2012, one only at £28,000.

2004 DART MPD

10.8m, Cummins / Allison, Hanover blinds, 37 seats, full DDA.

2009 ADL ENVIRO 200

1995 M REG DENNIS DRAGONS

2006 OPTARE SOLO

Mercedes, 9.2m, 31 individual seats with 3 point belts.

Cummins/Voith gearboxes, Duple Metsec bodies, recent floors and 92 coach seats.

2001 Y REG DART SLF’S 2007 DART MPD

Euro 4, Cummins/Allison, MCV body, 9m, 32 seats.

Cummins/Allison, LEZ compliant for 2012 with traps to Euro 4, CCTV, Alexander ALX200 bodies with either 30 seats and 2 doors or 34 seats converted to single door, ramps, DDA certified and compliant. 10.8m 37 seaters now available.

OPEN TOP BUSES A SPECIALITY - B

Juliette Close, Purfleet Industrial Pa Telephone 01708 865656 Fax: 01708 864 Visit our website for current sto

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K ER SPECIALIST 1994 K REG VOLVO OLYMPIAN

GREAT VALUE DENNIS DARTS!!!

Northern Counties low height bodies, Volvo engines, good selection with long MOTs.

6 speed ZF manual, Marcopolo body, 67 seats, MOT 02/12.

1995 PP DENNIS JAVELIN

1998-2000 S / V / W reg Darts with Plaxton Pointer 2 bodies, 31 seats, dual door, DDA compliant, exhaust traps fitted so reduced tax, huge choice at an unbelievable £4,500 each plus VAT and tyres (£375).

I-shift, Sunsendengui Sideal body, 49 seats, centre toilet, air-con, very clean and straight inside and outside. £70,000.

2005 55 PLATE VOLVO B12B

Cummins / Allison World Series gearbox , Pointer 2 body, 41 seats.

6 speed ZF manual, Caetano Algarve, 55 seats, recently trimmed.

ZF automatic, Plaxton Excalibur body, 49 seats, NSR toilet, air-con, MOT 05/12.

£7000 just spend on recon engine, MCV Evolution body, 40 seats, DDA, Hanover LEDʼs.

1998 S REG DENNIS DART SPD

2000 W REG VOLVO B10M

Cummins / Allison, Marshall bodies, 37 seats, LEZ post 2012 with traps, from our own fleet and very tidy. £6,000 each.

1998 REG DENNIS DART SLF’S

1999 V REG DENNIS DART MPD’S Cummins/Allison, Plaxton bodies, 8.8m, 29 seats.

1997 R REG VOLVO B10M

2007 MAN 14.220

ZF auto, Plaxton Prestige body, 41 retrimmed seats, MOT August 2012.

1998 R REG DAF SB220 SLF

Mercedes engines, Slimlines, 2.34m wide, 7.8m long, 24 seats, Hanover LEDʼs.

2006 OPTARE SOLO’S

- BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BUS DEALERS

rial Park, Purfleet, Essex, RM15 4YF 708 864340 e-mail: sales@ensignbus.com ent stock at www.ensignbus.com

000000-1005-Fishwick

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THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL OFFERS...

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552906-1009-Heatons

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HEATONS MOTOR CO. WIGAN 01942 864222 THE NORTH WEST’S PREMIER MINIBUS SALES, SUPPLYING NATIONWIDE FOR OVER 40 YEARS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

PSV’d 02 VOLVO B7R PLAXTON PREMIER One family owner, automatic, 53 highback reclining seats plus courier with lap belts, air conditioning. Very genuine coach.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

54/05 MERCEDES SPRINTER 413 CDI UVG coachbuilt, choice of 2, low miles, 10/16 highback seats, complete flat floor, external PLS cassette tailift, powerdoor, front entry, Triptronic transmission, one council owner, will come with 12 mths PSV test. Where can you find these?

POA

08 PEUGEOT BOXER MWB only covered 15,000 mliles, Monarch conversion, twin SLDs, side steps, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal fully automatic tailift, stunning silver metallic, showroom condition inside and out, tailift certificate and ministers approval certificate. £17,995

08 IVECO IRIS BUS 16 highback Cogent seats, all quick release, covered only 34,000 miles, saloon heater, full Cant rail, full panoramic tinted windows, Powerdoor front entry with low step, external fully automatic PLS cassette tailift, euro 4, totally totally showroom condition in everyway.

Choice of 2, from £21,995

PSV’d

04 PLAXTON BEAVER 2 One council owner from new, 33 highback coach seats in coach moquette, 3 point belts, luggage racks, large boot, powerdoor, totally dual purpose and a excellent example £19,995

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

56 VOLKSWAGEN LT 46 VDL KUSTER service bus, 15 passenger seats, digital destination, 1 council owned, wheelchair accessible, low miles, totally immaculate. Where do you find these?

12 months PSV test, ready to work £19,950

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

08 IVECO 50C15 features 16 highback Cogent seats all on quick release, only covered 44,000 miles, full air conditioning, front low step entry, full panoramic windows, external fully automatic PLS tailift, totally showroom condition inside and out. £21,995

PSV’d

PSV’d

PSV’d

54 MERCEDES VARIO 614 with 15 highback passenger seats, complete flat floor, powerdoor front entry, external PLS tailift, analogue tacho, fully colour coded, totally immaculate in every way. low mlsiles, excellent value, ready to work £12,995

08 RENAULT TRAFFIC LWB highroof, covered 30,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, SLD with cassette step, internal fully automatic tailift, automatic transmission, air conditioning, excellent value £13,995

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

05 RENAULT MASTER MWB, covered 34,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal tailift, SLD with cassette step, totally showroom condition inside and out, excellent value, choice of 6 - 54, 05, 56, 07 & 09 from £9,495

54 PLATE IVECO 50C13 IRIS BUS 16 highback passenger seats, 3 point belts, full air conditioning, panoramic tinted windows, front low step entry, one owner, looks excellent, excellent drive, excellent value, 12 months PSV test, ready to work £9,995

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

05 RENAULT MASTER LWB 12 highback seats, 3 pointbelts, only covered 45,000 miles, lots of Unwin tracking, Ricon internal fully automatic tailift, SLD with cassette step, air conditioning, one local authority owned from new, showroom condition inside and out £10,995

08 IVECO 40C12 good quality Iris Bus conversion, covered 60,000 miles, one local authority plant on, panoramic windows, 16 highback passenger seats, 3 point belts, full air conditioning, Euroliners, totally showroom condition inside and out £16,995

55 CITROEN DISPATCH only covered 15,000 mliles, Ricon internal fully automatic tailift, 3 seats plus wheelchair, twin SLDs, special electric seat, totally showroom condition inside and out £5,995

08 FORD TRANSIT MWB 8/11 seat, factory spec minibus, covered 54,000 miles, twin SLDs, full electric pack, totally showroom condition inside and out. £10,995

Let us take the stress out of the purchase of your next minibus, leaving you to concentrate on running your business.

1, PSV tested. 2, Tacho fitted. 3, Finance options if required – 36, 48, 60 months low deposits, etc. Details on request. 4, Delivered to your premises. 5, Tail lift certificates.

Where can you find one of the largest stock of wheelchair accessible/conventional minibuses? Ready to work, combining this with over 50 years of experience in the industry. Just one friendly phone call to Wayne or Philip will simplify your job.

HEATONS MOTOR CO. WIGAN

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.

52 Bickershaw Lane, Abram, Wigan, Lancashire WN2 5PL

Tel: 01942 864222

SEE ALL OUR STOCK ON OUR WEBSITE www.heatonsmotorco.co.uk

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Southdown PSV 01342 711840 www.southdownpsv.co.uk

2003 MAN 18.280 SLF IKARUS 12m. 42 seats £29,950

1999 DART SLF PLAXTON 31 seats. £7,500

1996 SCANIA SLF WRIGHTS 42 seats. £8,950

1996 VOLVO OLY ALEXANDER 78 seats. £15,500

2000 VOLVO B7 SLF ALEXANDER & PLAXTON 72/74 seats/belts. £POA

1999 DAF DB250 NCME EXHIBITION/HOSPITALITY. £32,500

Prices plus VAT @ 20%

Southdown PSV Silverwood Snow Hill Copthorne West Sussex RH10 3EN

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 57

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PROMOTION

LARA

020 8320 1351 lara.odumosu@rouncymedia.co.uk

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October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 59

ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS &SERVICES BUILDINGS

CHECKPOINTS

HEAVY DUTY STEEL BUILDINGS

Bus Workshops - Secure Storage Supplied any width, any length Building to BS5590 - Doors high enough for Double Deckers - Finance available For further information phone

TO PURCHASE CHECKPOINT/DUSTITE loose wheelnut indicators or to locate your nearest stockist:

BLUELINE BUILDINGS 01709 578333 anytime

www.checkpoint-safety.com

Tel: 01524 271200

CRAIG TILSLEY

ENGINES

Tel: 01782 791524 or 01782 791527

Fax: 01782 791316

Moorfields Industrial Estate Cotes Heath, Stoke-on-Trent ST21 6QY

SPECIAL OFFERS

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

ELECTRONICS

Specialists in Used Commercial Garage Equipment

BWS 0117 953 0381 www.bwsequip.co.uk

email: bwsequip@hotmail.com

Suppliers of Reconditioned DAF MAN MERC, VOLVO SCANIA, GARDNER LEYLAND, CUMMINS ENGINES CYLINDER HEADS CRANKSHAFTS CRANKCASES CAMSHAFTS PUMPS ETC

HEATING

Heaters • A/C Equipment Blowers • Motors • Radiators Silicone Hose • Ducting Wiper Equipment • Gas Struts

Tel: 01993 849522 Fax: 01993 706920 Email: sales@thhs.co.uk

www.thhs.co.uk

UNIT 9 NIMROD BUSINESS PARK DE HAVILLAND WAY, WITNEY OX29 0YG

REGISTRATIONS

ENGINES

Crewe Engines Ltd MERCEDES ENGINE SPECIALISTS

WE ALSO RECONDITION ALL MAKES OF BUS & COACH ENGINES Direct from the UK’s No.1 for 30 years

VOLVO - CUMMINS - SCANIA MAN - DAF - IVECO FULL FITTING FACILITIES

G £750 20 PXV 60 NJX 70 NNX 70 PXA 90 PXL PJZ 88 RJZ 66 RJZ 77 SJZ 22

SPEEDY REGISTRATIONS CO LTD G ‘Buy with confidence – CNDA Member’

£350 £99 £99 £50 ACZ 686 HIG 7331 MJZ 6748 AXZ 5617 AJZ 484 HIG 7332 MJZ 6749 AXZ 5618 CJZ 323 JHZ 6118 MNZ 1195 BXZ 7176 JBZ 383 JNZ 5986 ONZ 1115 CRZ 4816 JJZ 808 JNZ 5987 PEZ 9824 CRZ 4817 KBZ 737 KIG 1310 REZ 3378 DRZ 1338 KCZ 505 KIG 1311 REZ 3379 DRZ 1339 KDZ 929 KIG 1312 RUI 2117 IIG 8763 NUI 636 MHZ 5352 SEZ 4286 IIG 8764 We Buy for Cash, also Part Exchange

£50 JIG 9790 JIG 9791 JIG 9792 KIG 1206 KIG 1207 KIG 1208 SUI 9676 TUI 1522 TUI 1523

Tel: (028) 6638 7124 Fax: (028) 6638 7771

Millwood, Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland BT94 5HQ

Get your business noticed!

Advertiseyour

Products & Services

hereforaslittleas£30.00 aweek!

Call 01733 293484 NOW!

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60 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS &SERVICES SEATING

ERGONOMIC SEATING SPECIALISTS

Full range of Static, Mechanical and Air Suspension seats available for Coaches, Service Buses, Vans and Trucks

Prices from £150+VAT (No carriage charges)

12 Murray Place, Righead Ind Est, Bellshill ML4 3LP Tel: 01698 845352 • Fax: 01698 844325 Email: TScottco@aol.com

TYRE EQUIPMENT

G G G G G

Hand Rail Padding Next Day Delivery Seat Belt Installations Double Deckers Seat Belted Seat Belt Supplies Securon Amsafe/Safetex Fasching ISRI Reflex Schneeweis Orion

MCF Fainsa Vogle Keil Politecnica Esteban + many more

The UK’s No1 Seatbelt Installers Call the Experts: 01522 689911 Email: info@bhiuk.com www.bhiuk.com

October 26, 2011 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 61

Seen something funny? Send it to gareth.evans@rouncymedia.co.uk, fax 0845 2802927 or write to: Last Stop, Coach & Bus Week, 3 The Office Village, Cygnet Park, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX

Here are some screenshots of a recent First Bus’ TV advert. The ad is complete with cartoon cars, butterflies, musical number and dancing youngsters. This musical bus full of students feels rather different to the soundtrack our James said he was used to on

a crowded First bus travelling into Norwich city centre from the university on a Thursday night…

The ad states: “We believe every journey should be the greatest one of all.”

It will be interesting to see how the service manages to outdo itself

Chatham’s un�inished business

towards Chatham. There are also no bins. The council said this was not an oversight but a decision taken on the advice of police.

In response, a police spokesman said: “During the planning stages, Kent Police provided advice to Medway Council, particularly in relation to safety measures.

“As is standard with any crowded place, general guidance was given as to how to make the site less vulnerable to crime. Medway Council may wish to review the decision not to install any bins and Kent Police would be happy to discuss with them the most suitable options.”

However, it seems the Pentagon shopping centre has come to the rescue of those who’ve labelled the station a shower of you know what by handing out 300 free umbrellas.

Chatham’s new £7m “dynamic bus facility,” sorry bus station, attracted criticism when it opened last week, after its first passengers noticed some elements were unfinished, or appeared to have been overlooked completely.

Passengers were still waiting for the information centre and toilets to open – despite the council’s claims they would be ready.

Other blunders included maps which were displayed the wrong way round, and a sign directing cyclists to Rochester which actually pointed in the opposite direction

Dilbert

with each subsequent use.

Seriously though, First is to be commended for promoting bus travel.

Watch the video at http:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4tIv3Z64HCI

Reading, steady, cook…

Reading Buses found itself in possession of what turned out to quite literally be a hot pot last week after a school boy left the results of his cookery class work on board his bus home.

His mother, Suzanne Stout sent a message via social networking website Facebook to thank staff at the municipally-owned operator for finding her family’s dinner, a sausage casserole.

Traffic office staff saved the family’s bacon when they put out a radio call to drivers to track the elusive casserole down.

At least the boy was not telling porkies…

Monday: Press day. Meera is working remotely – she’s full up with cold.

The banter is very much alive and kicking, as you’d expect.

Several members of the editorial team sample doughnuts bought by myself earlier in the day from a certain supermarket nearby.

However, far from being grateful, my gesture prompts a flood of complaints about the chewyness of the offering, including the unanimous belief I’ve only bought them because they’re on offer.

All good fun. The internet plays up in the evening, with the result that sending pages to the printers seems to take an age. There’s always something…

Tuesday: Start in the office at lunchtime.

Squeeze a meeting into a busy afternoon. Designer Keith gives the thumbs up my suggested ‘Big Picture’ for this week’s issue.

Wednesday: Working against the clock, spend the morning organising the team in the office. Leave at around midday with Jonathan and head to Eurotunnel for the drive over to our overnight accommodation at a hotel in Lille.

Thursday: Being only able to be at Busworld Kortrijk for slightly less than a day, it’s decidedly manic. After all, I need to start getting the copy turned round the following day or else it will interfere with CBW’s production schedule. As ever, Jonathan and I work well together.

In between all the serious talk, I still find time to laugh. Enjoy banter with representatives from Volvo Bus UK, Evobus UK and Holdsworth – in addition to poor Jonathan, who I’m sure, is glad to see the back of me when I drop him off in the evening.

Friday: A hectic day in the office writing up Kortrijk show report, in addition to managing production.

A weekend in Peterborough beckons, with CBW work to forge on with – not to mention DIY. www.coachandbusweek.com

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62 | COACH & BUS WEEK | October 26, 2011

RECRUITMENT

First York bus managers cycle for child Three First bus managers in York got on their bikes to give new hope to a young boy born with crippling Spastic Diplegia Palsy.

The trio cycled 90 miles from Leeds to Warrington in 12 hours to raise money towards the £50,000 needed to send six-year-old Christopher Maltby to the USA for specialist treatment.

Operations manager in York Peter Taylor, with colleagues Neil McDermott and Tony Graham, raised nearly £1,000.

Christopher’s illness means he cannot walk properly and everyday tasks like getting dressed and writing are a challenge for him. He also needs daily physiotherapy.

Doctors said nothing more can be done here and they wish to send him to a specialist children’s

DEADlINES Booking: Monday 5.00pm Full artwork: Monday 5.30pm

CONTACT Harley Denham 01733 293249

Obituary

St Edmunds College. On Tuesday morning, several calls were made to their offices from parents and children whose only concern was Bob’s well being. Not one complaint that the coach was late, even though Bob was fighting Cancer, and people were aware he was never late.

Golden Boy MD Terry Macintyre raised the alarm and shortly afterwards Bob was found at home.

Bob’s death was caused by complications with a malignant tumour on his Pancreas.

Although separated, Bob was on the best of terms with wife Cindy and they have two sons and six grand daughters.

Peter Sampson of Sampson Coaches has many memories of the friend and former employee he always knew affectionately as “Bowersy”. Bob was the first driver ever to take a Sampson Coach to the Brighton Rally.

Bob’s funeral will be held at 10.45hrs on Friday October, 28 at All Saints Hertford, going on to Salisbury Hotel at midday.

Bob Bowers

First managers pedal 90 miles for Christopher Maltby aid funding hospital in St Louis.

Peter Taylor said: “We discussed going on a long distance ride as a personal challenge but hearing of the fundraising appeal for Christopher really motivated us. Only Neil was a really keen cyclist so he had to keep Tony and me going. If it helps to provide treatment which gives Christopher the chance of a better quality of life then all the saddle soreness will be worth it.”

The Lea Valley Public Vehicle Operators Association regrets to announce the passing of long time member and Treasurer Bob Bowers, owner/operator and driver of Grove Coaches.

Bob began driving in 1964 with Streets Coaches of Ware.

After Streets was purchased by Dons of Dunmow, Bob stayed in Hertfordshire and worked for Sampsons Coaches until 1973 when he bought Grove Coaches from John Lynch.

Bob was renowned for reliability, constant cheerfulness and a kind and helpful heart. His popularity among other operators and drivers was immeasurable, and his passengers, mostly school children, respected him and treated him as a friend.

For some considerable time he had been contracted by Golden Boy Coaches for a daily service to

harley.denham@rouncymedia.co.uk

Your First Choice for Recruitment

Coach and Bus Week’s well-established recruitment portfolio attracts candidates across sales, marketing and management, delivering not just quantity but quality candidates, providing exceptional value for money.

In addition to our unrivalled print-based product, at no extra cost recruitment adverts are also automatically placed online at www.coachandbusweek.com, where they remain on view until a position’s closing date.

Coach and Bus Week and www.coachandbusweek.com combine to create the ultimate recruitment solution, guaranteeing your vacancy is seen by every job seeker that matters from sales agents to board level. To get your vacancy seen by quality candidates, call Harley on 01733 293249 (email harley.denham@rouncymedia.co.uk) or Ian on 01733 293254 (email ian.gillis@rouncymedia.co.uk) www.coachandbusweek.com

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SUBCONTRACTING The Star Bus Company is looking to work in Partnership with fellow quality contractors in the Hertfordshire and North London areas to service one or more of our contracts.

The value of the work could be substantial and would be for a fixed period.

If you wish to register your interest then please email info@starbus.co.uk with the subject heading SUBCONTRACTING. Please include in your email the name of your company, name and contact number of the prime contact for us, type of vehicles you could supply, number of vehicles in your fleet and any other information you wish to include.

We will request additional information before awarding any work.

We require service providers of passenger assistants, PCO drivers and PCV drivers.

Vehicle requirements would be for saloon cars, MPV’s, accessible cars, mini-buses up to 8 seats, mini-buses 9-16 passenger seats, tail-lift mini-buses, accessible welfare buses, service buses/coaches.

Executive contractors also sought. www.coachandbusweek.com

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