Essex Now Winter 2017 by i•creation

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Essex

The magazine for First people in Essex

now LOYAL STALWART TOM REACHES

45YEARSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; SERVICE MILESTONE PAGE THREE

Winter 2017

Get set for crucial

survey PAGE FOUR

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now Spirit of First shows great commitment to community

Arthur Coghlan, second left, visits Hadleigh depot to meet First employees who kept him alive when he suffered a heart attack – Trevor Price, Carli Cass-Heales, second right, and Sarah Penny.

By First Essex Managing Director

Alex Jones A warm welcome and a Happy New Year to all for 2017. I’d like to thank everyone for all their hard work in what was a challenging 2016 for the industry. There were some fantastic highlights for First Essex last year, starting with the £1.9 million investment and launch of our new X10 and rebranded X30 airport services, providing 12 luxury vehicles to our customers. We saw Essex highly commended at the UK bus awards, including three of our staff nominated which shows what an excellent team we have. Hadleigh depot achieved no PVR loss for a third consecutive year which is a huge engineering achievement, and you can read more about that on page three. Your Voice continues to provide valuable feedback from staff, BeSafe was introduced and Essex is leading the way in First Bus on engaging with staff by implementing initiatives they put forward. This year’s Your Voice survey begins on February 6 and I would urge all colleagues to provide any feedback about the business – your views help us to make changes. Throughout last year, 37 employees clocked up over 750 years with First Essex, which is a phenomenal achievement, and I would like to thank them all for their great and continued service. In 2017 we will see new Park and Ride vehicles delivered in early February and further improvements to our app technology such as mTicketing and real time. This year again, will not be without its challenges but with such a fantastic team at First Essex, I look forward to working with you all to overcome these.

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Quick action saved heart attack victim UICK-THINKING depot colleagues put lifesaving skills into action when a member of the public suffered a heart attack in a car at the Hadleigh depot gates. Driver Allocator Trevor Price knew something was wrong when he saw the vehicle parked across the entrance, with VQO Sarah Penny talking into a mobile phone. She was calling an ambulance. When he arrived at the scene, Trevor found unconscious Arthur Coghlan, of Rayleigh, in the

passenger seat, with no sign of a heart beat. Trevor, who received first aid training in the army, gave Arthur CPR massage until paramedics arrived. Staff manager Graham Drake had helped get 75-year-old Arthur – a former captain of Billericay Football Club who led the team to Wembley in 1976 – out of the car. And Supervisor Carli Cass-Heales looked after Arthur’s wife and mother-in-law, who were both very worried. Arthur’s wife Brenda said: “I was terrified. I honestly thought

Arthur had passed away in the car that day. The team were great. I would have lost him for sure without them.” The story had a very happy ending when Arthur went back to Hadleigh depot to meet the team who looked after him. “It was great to come and meet them all,” said Brenda. Trevor Price said: “I couldn’t believe it was the same person, he looked so well. It was a great team effort to look after him and we’re all delighted Arthur has recovered.”

Commendation in UK awards CHELMSFORD Technical Stores Manager Matthew Elsey was specially commended in the final of the Young Manager of the Year Category at the 2016 UK Bus Awards. He was nominated for his “outstanding performance and leadership qualities”. Describing Matthew as a “rising star” the nomination said the stores function he has established is considered to be best practice across First Bus in the UK. Matthew said: “I was proud and really honoured to be nominated by colleagues.” Chelmsford Driver Michal Kudia reached the final of the Top National Bus Driver category, having been nominated for his driving skills, reliability and immaculate appearance.

Matthew Elsey. First Essex itself reached the finals of the industry “Oscars” in the Bus and the Community category for its work to support the county’s air ambulance. The link up was strengthened after driver Michael Birch suffered horrific injuries when a

Michal Kudia. lorry carrying a 15 tonne steam engine dropped its load, crushing him in his cab. Colleagues at First Essex have raised funds for the air ambulance charity and there are plans to further cement the partnership in future.

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GIVING THE BUS SERVICE A LIFT: members of the Hadleigh engineering team who have met peak vehicle requirements every day for more than three years.

Double celebration

for top team ADLEIGH’S award winning engineering team has enjoyed a double celebration... for its astonishing record on meeting peak vehicle requirements every day for three years, and because two of its members have just tied the knot. The icing on the wedding cake came when Grace Ferguson tied the knot with John Doucette in the summer. Colleagues helped them celebrate, and joined in with fun photo booth pictures in wacky fancy dress. Engineering Manager Simon Lawrence puts the PVR success down to nothing more than pure hard work and commitment from every member of the crew, which was named South

and West of England’s Team of the Year in the 2016’s First Bus Excellence Awards. Simon said: “Everyone pulls together to get those buses out. It’s about hard work, determination and setting priorities. Even the shift handovers are planned to leave the incoming team in the best possible situation.” Simon paid tribute to his team of Supervisors John Gray and Steve Lacey, his Assistant Grace Doucette, Stores Supervisor Steve Braggs, Engineers David Topp, Michael Coad, John Doucette, Gareth Norris, Ian Clark, John Pratt, Paul Mitchell, Lee Beilby. Paul Ferguson, Philip Williams and their Apprentice Joe Harvey.

Grace and John in wacky fancy dress on their wedding day.

He said: “They all know that if we fail to make PVR it means a bus doesn’t turn up, customers complain and we lose revenue to other operators. That’s our motivation in making sure the buses are out on the road at peak times.”

Tom looks back on proud career FROM days of rubber, steel and oil to sophisticated digital analytics, Basildon Engineering Supervisor Tom Wells has seen the industry transformed in his 45 years with the company. Along with Clacton Driver Simon Lodge, Tom reached the long service milestone in 2016. Hadleigh Driver Bryan Roberts reached 40 years’ service in the bus industry in a year when 37 First Essex Tom employees notched up 750 Wells at years’ service between them. Basildon Tom Wells recalls the early

seventies, when buses were more simple to maintain, but also remembers the arrival of better equipped vehicles, with longer running times offering an improved service to customers. His proudest moments included making a success of the depot’s MOT centre, which he ran for around 10 years. Tom, 61, supervises a team of 15 fitters, and said one of the biggest changes to his work was the introduction of computerised vehicle

management systems. He said: “The people who worked here when I started have all gone now, and over the years I’ve made many new friends here. “There’s no comparison between the workshops in 1971 when I started and today. Then it was all rubber, steel and oil and now it’s more and more electronic systems to manage everything from engines to braking systems and gearboxes.”

workshop. WINTER 2017

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Investing in drivers to boost

Technology and people are key to great services By GILES FEARNLEY, Managing Director, First Bus

customer service D

SCAN GRAPHIC

NEW technology and a TO SEE VIDEO commitment to provide the very best bus services will be the cornerstone of 2017. New ticket machines, contactless payment and an exciting new app will all enable us a step change in the customer experience. But our people are vital in providing punctual, reliable services, which is also so vital to growing passenger numbers. I urge everyone to play their part. Much was achieved in 2016 despite very challenging conditions around the economy, congestion and low fuel prices which encourage some people to use their car. Manchester’s Vantage guided busway, which has seen passenger numbers increase by over 75 per cent in eight months, and the Leeds Partnership, a £180 million strategy to double customer numbers over 10 years, are excellent examples of us working successfully with local authorities. This is so crucial in unlocking the full potential of our bus services. I’m so pleased too that last year we saw continued investment in new vehicles. Most important of all is that so much of what we have done in 2016 has really benefitted our customers. We still, however, face the same challenges going into 2017, so everyone must focus on enabling us to make great strides in punctuality and reliability. This will be the year when we transform the technology we offer. But while technology

Complete it online from February 6!

www.yourvoice survey.com

“”

Password: BUS2017 is vital, people doing their jobs well is most important to deliver great bus services. I would urge all colleagues to complete the Your Voice survey in February to help improve our business this year. The 2015 survey has led to many local initiatives, but also to nationwide improvements like BeSafe and the Excellence Awards, projects on staff development, wellbeing and uniforms.

Most important of all is that so much of what we have done has really benefitted our customers.

We will continue to react to our local marketplaces to make sure we have strong foundations to operate successfully in our towns and cities. I know I can rely on all colleagues to meet these challenges, deliver great services and a successful 2017.

with the First Bus and First Scotland AR apps Download the First AR app or the First Scotland AR app from App Store or Google Play.

Scan the photo on the pages where you see this AR icon. SCAN PHOTO

TO SEE VIDEO

WINTER 2017

■ New, informal job chats for drivers with their managers, based on what drivers want to talk about. The emphasis will be on responding to issues raised and making sure they feel heard and valued. ■ Allocating drivers to fixed routes to increase team spirit and ownership of route performance. Having regular drivers on a route also helps them build relationships with their customers. Other colleagues are included in the initiative. A special ‘Journey Makers’ training programme is being designed and will also be piloted in Bristol and York to help everyone (including non-driving colleagues) understand what customers need and and how everyone has a responsibility to do their bit to deliver the best customer service. Drivers are out on the roads every day, dealing with customers, and everyone can help make it easier for them to provide great service. The Journey Makers programme will be rolled out across all OpCos from April. Mel Rees, Interim Head of Customer Experience, said: “There’s no doubt driving buses is a difficult job, and it’s easy for our drivers to feel isolated. So we will be working hard to make sure

Informal job chats are part of supporting drivers in doing their jobs. Southampton Supervisor Jimi Kazi, left, talks with Driver Robbie Symms over a cuppa in the Empress Road depot canteen. colleagues understand the pressures they are under and how to support them. “I want our drivers to feel they have an army of people behind them when they go out on the road – so we will be working with all teams who can have an impact on this, from engineers to staff managers and radio operators, so we all become Journey Makers for our customers.”

Drivers are supported by colleagues in many ways. Here Aberdeen Incident Investigator Steve Gordon uses a model to help drivers avoid tailswing.

EXPERIENCE MORE... By downloading either of these two FREE apps on to your smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android) you can bring photographs in this magazine to life using the power of the augmented reality (AR) technology. To access the bonus video content with an innovative twist, simply follow the three easy steps:

RIVERS are at the heart of an exciting initiative to improve customers’ experience and attract more people to travel with First Bus. Significant pressures are faced by drivers every day, so the company has launched pilot initiatives in Bristol and York aimed at improving their experience and making them feel better supported. All of this will contribute to the company’s commitment to maintain and grow the business by addressing three key “pain points” experienced by customers. Research identified these as a lack of belief in the reliability of services; complexity in understanding ticketing; fares; payments and routes; and a lack of customer relationship. The principle is that by providing more support for drivers and making it easier to do their job, customer service will naturally improve. Moves are also underway to improve communications and technology to address the three “pain points”. Some of the changes proposed to improve the way drivers feel about their work are simple but should have a significant impact. These include: ■ Improving canteens to provide a better rest environment.

When the video starts double tap your screen for a full-screen view.

Hi-tech makes bus less fuss A huge advertising campaign has been launched to show customers how First Bus’s technology makes it easier to use the bus. It promotes the mTickets app, travel app, website and free WiFi on buses as tech that makes the bus less fuss. A video ad shows how a new animated character, called Ben, even gets an extra 10 minutes in bed by using tech to catch his bus. Around 35 million adverts will go out in the four month online and social media campaign. The ads all show the reasons why people don’t use the bus and counter this with a positive reason why they can, using the latest tech. Marketing Projects Manager Judy Giles said: “By encouraging the use of the tech there’s less fuss on the bus. Boarding is quicker, there’s not so much cash to handle, fewer change vouchers and it’s easier to check to counterfeit notes and tickets.” The video featuring Ben can be viewed at bit.do/getthebus withlessfuss

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now

Investing in drivers to boost

Technology and people are key to great services By GILES FEARNLEY, Managing Director, First Bus

customer service D

SCAN GRAPHIC

NEW technology and a TO SEE VIDEO commitment to provide the very best bus services will be the cornerstone of 2017. New ticket machines, contactless payment and an exciting new app will all enable us a step change in the customer experience. But our people are vital in providing punctual, reliable services, which is also so vital to growing passenger numbers. I urge everyone to play their part. Much was achieved in 2016 despite very challenging conditions around the economy, congestion and low fuel prices which encourage some people to use their car. Manchester’s Vantage guided busway, which has seen passenger numbers increase by over 75 per cent in eight months, and the Leeds Partnership, a £180 million strategy to double customer numbers over ten years, are excellent examples of us working successfully with local authorities. This is so crucial in unlocking the full potential of our bus services. I’m so pleased too that last year we saw continued investment in new vehicles. Most important of all is that so much of what we have done in 2016 has really benefitted our customers. We still however face the same challenges going into 2017, so everyone must focus on enabling us to make great strides in punctuality and reliability. This will be the year when we transform the technology we offer. But while technology

Complete it online from February 6!

www.yourvoice survey.com

“”

Most important of all is that so much of what we have done has really benefitted our customers.

We will continue to react to our local marketplaces to make sure we have strong foundation to operate successfully in our towns and cities. I know I can rely on all colleagues to meet these challenges, deliver great services and a successful 2017.

with the First Bus and First Scotland AR apps Download the First AR app or the First Scotland AR app from App Store or Google Play.

Scan the photo on the pages where you see this AR icon. SCAN PHOTO

TO SEE VIDEO

WINTER 2017

Drivers are supported by colleagues in many ways. Here Aberdeen Incident Investigator Steve Gordon uses a model to help drivers avoid tailswing.

When the video starts double tap your screen for a full-screen view.

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THUMBS UP ON SAFETY: Swansea Operations Manager Mark Jacobs, left, has a Touchpoint conversation with Driver Brian Gorvett at the city’s bus station.

New mobile app will help drive more customers to mTickets FIRST Bus is set to launch a new mobile app bringing together its journey planning and mTicketing and significantly improving customer experience. The new app, which is on schedule to be trialled and launched between March and July this year, will offer a Google Maps-based journey planning and vehicle tracking service – complete with places of interest – with an option to buy tickets always on offer. The aim is to drive more and more customers to the mTicketing platform, which is already saving hundreds of hours a week in boarding time across the UK and makes operating the bus much more straightforward for the driver. First Bus Retail Development Director James Timperley said: “mTicketing significantly reduces boarding time and the amount of cash onboard a bus, so it improves journey times and makes life easier for drivers. “We are achieving revenues of £1 million a week through mTicketing and in some areas it accounts for 20 per cent of all ticketing sales. We expect the new app to significantly increase these numbers.”

Confidential support FREE 24-hour confidential advice and support is available to all First Bus colleagues through the company’s Employee Assistance Programme. Anyone with a problem at home or work can contact the team by calling freephone 0800 015 5630. Trained operators are there to help with issues from legal and financial enquiries to debt management and wellbeing.

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Positive messages in the workplace ORE than 1,400 supervisors and managers have completed a two-day training course on BeSafe principals and how to put them into practice in the workplace. Since BeSafe was launched a year ago, each OpCo has selected dedicated champions who are there to provide help, with access to a library of materials and a dedicated training/support and quality assurance team. BeSafe is all about recognising when colleagues are working safely, positively reinforcing these safe behaviours so they continue

and happen more often. It encourages everyone to have conversations (touchpoints) about safety, making safety a personal core value and helping us all to reach the goal of zero harm. Norman Wood, Divisional

Health and Safety Project Manager, said: “We want to recognise, praise and positively reinforce our safe behaviours. This can be as simple as saying well done when someone is doing the right thing. “BeSafe also allows us all to constructively challenge someone if they are working unsafe. Rather than just telling them off, we want colleagues to understand why it is unsafe and be able to self-correct and to work safely in the future.” All safety leaders have learned about techniques to support colleagues by having BeSafe conversations in a natural way.

Brew and bake for chosen charity TEA and cake events will be staged throughout First Bus in February to raise money for our employee-voted charity of choice, Prostate Cancer UK. Packs including posters, bunting and labels are available for colleagues organising Brew and Bake sessions between February 13-19. Group Partnerships and Events Manager Kirstin Aram said: “We’re urging colleagues to

get the kettle on, bake a cake and help beat the most common cancer in men.” Colleagues can order Brew and Bake packs by contacting: firstgroup@prostatecanceruk.org or telephone 020 3310 7061. Since the start of the partnership in April 2015, FirstGroup has donated in excess of £400,000 in employee fundraising, corporate donations and Gift in Kind advertising.

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Stylish new uniforms set to be rolled out EW uniforms will be rolled out to thousands of First Bus drivers starting at the end of February. Colleagues are advised to keep an eye on notice boards for local timings of the introduction which will see drivers and supervisors receiving 22 items of clothing for work. Updates include: ■ Men’s shirts in a classic or tailored fit. ■ Women’s blouses fitted with modesty buttons. ■ Slimmer ties and more delicate women’s scarves. ■ Trousers with an elastic waistband for extra comfort. ■ Redesigned outdoor jackets which are more practical for all types of weather.

Two new items have been added to the uniform range to provide even more flexibility. The sholo is a cross between a shirt and a polo and is available to all drivers. The shirt-style front looks smart and means drivers can wear a tie or scarf, but the back is made of polo material making it breathable and flexible on warm days. There is also a bodywarmer which provides an extra option on cool days. Carol Jones, Head of Indirect Procurement and Project Lead, said: “We trialled the uniform in five depots across the business in the summer, and made changes based on the feedback we received to make sure we made the final designs work for everyone.”

Bradford Supervisor Jodie Warburton and Manchester Supervisor Chris Bradbury model the stylish new uniforms.

Supreme Court ruling clarifies law on wheelchair space priority use THE Supreme Court in London has made a ruling on the long-running court case involving the priority use of the wheelchair space onboard buses. The case dates back to 2012 when customer and wheelchair user Doug Paulley could not get on a bus in West Yorkshire because a pushchair user refused to give up the wheelchair space – despite being asked to move by the driver. First Bus Managing Director Giles Fearnley explained: “We are currently awaiting further details from the Supreme Court which will help us interpret the decision and make any necessary changes. However, I’m pleased to report that drivers will not be required to remove customers from vehicles. This is really important. Throughout the legal process we fought hard to ensure drivers would not be

required to remove passengers from the bus. From what we understand drivers can verbally be more forceful and advise customers they are ‘required’ to move. We will alert all drivers and other relevant colleagues to any changes as soon as we can. “In the meantime, I’d ask drivers to please continue to adhere to our current policy around the use of the wheelchair space. Our policy makes clear that in the event of a wheelchair user wanting to board, and if the space is already occupied by other passengers, our drivers should request firmly, but politely, customers using that space to vacate it. “If a customer refuses to, or cannot, move from the wheelchair space, the driver should apologise to the wheelchair user, ask them to wait for the next bus and call Control so they

are aware. The driver should also complete a ‘failure to uplift a wheelchair’ form.” The Supreme Court judgment is attracting a lot of interest from national and local media. In the unlikely event that a First Bus employee is approached by a member of the media they should decline to comment and refer them to the First Group media team on 0207 725 3354. If a customer wishes to discuss the ruling, employees should apologise and explain that they are unable to discuss the case. Giles added: “Please rest assured that First Bus remains committed to supporting vulnerable customers, and our work with a range of agencies – including Disability Action Alliance, the RNIB and Age UK – to find ways of supporting customers’ access to our services will continue.”

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Assessors have key training role

Mark Newman came to the aid of a woman passenger who had fainted.

Customers salute

drivers’actions HEN a customer fainted and was sick on a Colchester service, Driver Mark Newman’s first thought was for her well-being. The poorly lady and her travelling companion both contacted the company to praise his actions. Mark informed the other passengers that he was looking after her and waited until her son arrived to collect her. “He wouldn’t leave me on my own,” she told the customer

service desk. “I cannot thank Mark enough for his care and concern.” Driver Christian Kaye also received praise for looking after a female passenger after an incident with another traveller. The woman’s mum phoned in to say: “Would like that driver to be praised for his fantastic service!” Meanwhile, Driver Brin Shrestha came to the rescue when a woman who was new to the area ended up catching the

wrong bus and ended up on an unfamiliar estate. Her mobile had run out of battery life and she was panic stricken because she was out on her own. Brin let the lady use his mobile to call her mum, and stayed with her until she was reunited with her family. Her mum told the company: “I honestly cannot praise the gentleman enough and I would like to send him a proper thank you.”

BASILDON depot’s Debbie Knight and Sharon Pritchet have passed their A1 Assessor qualifications to play an important role in the company’s training. As Apprentice Assessors they work with around 80 learners at depots across Essex to help them achieve an accredited qualification which helps their career with First but it is also transferable to other industries or PCV operators. Debbie said: “We assess and qualify the learners for their apprenticeship framework including a diploma in their vocational skills, a BTEC in Employment Rights and Responsibilities, the technical side of driving jobs and their functional skills in English and Maths.” The course saw Sharon and Debbie produce written, audio and video evidence to support their learning.

Apprentices graduate SIX learners across Essex have passed their apprenticeships after studying for a year. Aaron Avery and Phil Clayton, both of Basildon, Ricky MacGroggan of Colchester, and Lorna Harvey of Hadleigh secured accredited qualifications in Customer Services. Dan Everest of Chelmsford, Darren Whitehead of Basildon and Stephen Argent of Chelmsford passed apprenticeships in Passenger Carrying Vehicles.

Stansted Airport service takes off SERVICES to Stansted Airport have taken off with a £1.9 million investment in 12 new state-of-the-art buses on services X10 and X30. Customers in Chelmsford, Basildon, Wickford and Southend are now enjoying luxurious leather seats, USB charging points and free WiFi. There is dedicated space for wheelchair users, pushchairs and luggage and the service also benefits from a sleek new livery.

WINTER 2017

The investment is paying off for the business. First Essex MD Alex Jones said: “We’re confident that these new vehicles will encourage more people to travel to and from Stansted by bus. We anticipate carrying around 7,000 passengers a week which will help remove cars from our roads, reduce congestion and help improve air quality in the area.” All 12 new buses will be

Support for foodbanks fitted with the latest Euro VI engines, which produce 95 per cent less oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions compared to buses with Euro V engines and, as a result, will help improve air quality on the route.

CUSTOMERS visiting Chelmsford’s five food banks were given a helping hand with free travel courtesy of First Essex. The company also offered volunteers at the charity vouchers to use the buses for free and will carry on promoting the service into next year.