driving towards a greener future First DD gas bus order...

driving towards a greener future

Issue 36522 April 2016

First DD gas bus order clinched

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VOLVO BUSWedgnock Lane, Warwick CV34 5YA Tel: 01926 401777, www.volvobus.co.uk

EXCEPTIONALWHICHEVER WAY YOU LOOK AT ITThe Volvo 9700 is a luxury coach with a provenance that speaks for itself. It’s a premium product all round when it comes to quality, safety and productivity. And what’s more, it delivers on comfort too. Thanks to the Volvo 9700’s outstanding fuel efficiency, it’s a vehicle that also delivers a clear financial upside bringing a tangible return on investment.

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This month sees two significant events for the coach sector with the UK Coach Rally and UK Coach Awards taking place in Blackpool and Manchester respectively.

These two industry gatherings share a number of attributes, not least the fact that they are run by people who care passionately about the coach industry and not about running an event for a commercial return.

The UK Coach Rally’s return to a seaside location seems very fit-ting and the operators clearly think so too; the maximum 50 entries has already been surpassed with a waiting list of hopefuls.

A number of key trade exhibitors have also returned to support the Rally this year in the expectation that a weekend held in the shadow of the famous Blackpool Tower will breathe strong new life into an event which has been running for more than 60 years.

The Rally takes place on 23-24 April and we look forward to meet-ing friends and colleagues from the coach sector there. Look out for me on the sunday morning with my judges’ checklist, hopefully in a sunhat.

Earlier in the same week, the UK Coach Awards returns to its regu-lar home in Manchester on 21 April. Now, i know that there are some who think there are too many award schemes - and yes, they say the same about magazines but we’re all still here. however, the UK Coach Awards has a unique approach with its independent judging panel seeking to reward coach operators and their staff who deliver excel-lence, underpinned by the scheme organiser’s not-for-profit business model. This year’s finalists include many well-known names as well as a number of interesting newcomers and the awards dinner prom-ises to be strong on networking and inspiration. see you there.

Springing into shape

Bus and Coach Professional is published by Plum Publishing Ltd

EditorialSteve [email protected]

AdvertisingJo [email protected]

Sue [email protected]

Production Nigel Greenaway

Contact address: Bus and Coach ProfessionalPlum Publishing Ltd,Unit 4 Marshbrook Business ParkChurch stretton shropshire sY6 6QE

Telephone: 01694 731510www.busandcoach.com

Every care is taken over the accuracy of material in Bus and Coach Professional but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

Views and opinions of contributors to Bus and Coach Professional are not necessarily those of the publishers who cannot accept responsibility for such contributions.

Letters and articles may be submitted to the editor at the address above. © Plum Publishing Limited 2016

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06-19 newsShearings management sells to minority shareholder Lone Star Funds.

06-19 newsUK Coach Awards 2016 announced in Manchester.

20-21 analysisWrightbus unveils its new SRM body for London on Volvo hybrid double-deck chassis.

22-24 internationalManufacturers and suppliers agree open standards for electric bus charging infrastructure.

22-24 internationalGerman start-up FlixBus enters UK market with Paris-London route.

25-28 peopleOptare Group appoints Graham Belgum as president.

29-31 diary

Trentbarton names an indigo bus in honour of former driver for his centenary.

32-36 productStrong growth for wash manufacturer Smith Brothers & Webb.

37-43 CV showLooking ahead to this month’s CV Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

44-50 enginesTransmission suppliers and their partners seek to maximise the efficiency of today’s engines.

51-54 who buys whatNew Volvo B8R Plaxton for Woodstones Coaches.

59-63 tourismCPT launches its new Coach Friendly award scheme for attractions.

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news

April 20166

Scania wins first double-deck gas orderReading Buses has placed the first order for Scania’s new n280Ud double-deck gas bus with five buses worth £1.3million due to join the existing 34 Scania single-deck gas buses it already operates.

Reading has stressed that it is purchasing the double-decks with-out any government grant which it says is proof of the economic viability and reliability of Cng-powered buses.

“Our gas buses are consistently high performers in terms of both reliability and customer appeal with considerably quieter and greener engines than conventional diesel vehicles,” says John Bicker-ton, Reading Buses chief engineer.

“We were the first UK operator of Scania’s gas single-deck buses and our experience of these has proven the economic case to add more such vehicles within our existing depot infrastructure and come back three years later with yet another major order that is again a ‘first’ for gas buses.”

The new double-deck Scania will have an adL enviro 400MMC body and will be delivered in Octo-ber 2016 to replace existing Scania n230 double-decks on Reading’s royal blue 33 services ‎operating along Tilehurst Road between Reading town centre, Tilehurst and Turnham’s Farm. Reading Buses says that its existing gas fuelling facilities will be able to accommodate the additional five double-decks without the need for further expansion.

The buses will also feature the recently-launched Reading Buses’ interior with high back seats, at-seat USB charging sockets, free 4g wi-fi and next-stop audio and visual customer information systems.

Chief executive officer Martijn gilbert adds: “We are very excited about being the launch customer

for Scania’s new double-deck gas product and the leading edge envi-ronmental credentials that these buses will bring to our town and customers.

“We are continuing to work tire-lessly with our industry partners to provide innovative solutions to keeping our town moving, improv-ing air quality and enhancing the travelling experience for our customers.

“i am confident the pioneering new buses will take all these fac-tors to even greater heights and continue our work to embody the bus as the very best way to get around Reading.”

The royal blue 33 operates seven days a week with frequencies of up to every 10 minutes on weekdays along Tilehurst Road. The new buses will come into operation in October 2016 replacing five older

buses currently used on the route.Scania’s UK bus and coach fleet

sales general manager Mark Oliver says: “We’re delighted to welcome the company as our launch cus-tomer for our much anticipated gas double-decker and look forward to working with them and the wider UK bus industry to continue dem-onstrating the excellent environ-mental and operational credentials of gas power and Scania’s product range.

“Our new double deck model complements our popular K280UB single decker range and has been developed in response to the UK industry’s demands for greater capacity for city and town bus operations.”

www.reading-buses.co.uk

Martijn Gilbert, Reading Buses, and Mark Oliver, Scania (Great Britain).

Coach Sales Centre, Ryton Rd, Anston, Sheffield S25 4DL Email: [email protected]

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news

April 20168

industry dataMarket pricesOperator Price High Low

FirstGroup 97 130 80Go-Ahead 2592 2758 2135

National Exp. 327 353 269

Rotala 74 76 62Stagecoach 266 438 247Closing prices on 21/04/16 plus 12 months high and low.

UK diesel price update pence per litreNorthern Ireland 102.0

Scotland 103.3

Wales 103.0

North 103.2

North West 103.3

Yorks & Humbs 103.0

West Midlands 103.3

East Midlands 103.5

East Anglia 103.3

South East 103.6

South West 103.0Average weekly fuel prices for the UK by region, March 2016. Source: AA

European diesel price update pence per litre equivalentAustria 77.6

Belgium 90.3

Czech Rep 74.5

Denmark 94.7

Estonia 77.6

Finland 103.7

France 89.5

Germany 81.6

Greece 87.1

Netherlands 94.2

Hungary 79.7

Ireland 83.1

Italy 104.5

Luxembourg 70.5

Malta 96.6

Norway 103.2

Poland 68.9

Portugal 83.1

Spain 78.4

Sweden 105.9

Switzerland 95.1European diesel pump price sample March 2016. Source: AA

UK Coach Awards crowns 2016 winnersThe 2016 UK Coach awards saw The Kings Ferry take the top prize of Coach Operator of the Year at the ceremony in Man-chester on 21 april. The Kings Ferry was also named Top Large Fleet Operator and competed for the main award against Top Medium Fleet Operator Maynes Coaches, and Top Small Fleet Operator anthony’s Travel.

Top UK Coach driver was glyn Bowden, edwards Coaches of Pontypridd, and Kevin Walker, York Pullman Bus Company won the gold award for Young Coach industry Professional, while david Steele, association of group Travel Organisers won a special Services to the industry award recognising his work for coach tourism over a career dat-ing back more than 40 years.

“Our awards are about rec-ognising and rewarding out-standing quality in all aspects of running coaches, and our winners this year have cer-tainly delivered that,” says UK Coach awards chairman allan edmondson.

“Coaching is above all a people business. We rely on our work-force to look after customers, maintain our vehicles and do all the vital planning and admin work that goes into providing top-quality public transport. The industry could not do its job without huge effort from our staff, day in and day out.

“Our awards provide people with a real boost: they know that they win because our independ-ent, expert judges have chosen them from the best in the indus-try, and judged their nomination against objective criteria.”

This year’s awards featured a number of new categories, including Best Coach industry Brand, which was sponsored by Bus & Coach Professional and was won by Belle Vue Manches-ter, ahead of anthony’s Travel and BusyBus.

The awards ceremony was hosted by BBC Breakfast’s Carol Kirkwood, and the awards were presented by ian Luckett, chair, CPT Coach Commission.

www.ukcoachawards.co.uk

UK Coach Awards chairman Allan Edmondson.

news

9April 2016

SPT invests in five more Optare Solos

STRaThCLYde Partnership for Transport has purchased a further five Optare Solos for subsidised local bus services across the area, including its demand-responsive MyBus service. This order follows an investment in 23 Solos in 2015.

The 7.9m, euro 5, slim line, Solos are all fitted with e-leather seats and seatbelts, and three of the buses feature two wheelchair bays

and 17 seats for use on MyBus, a bookable bus service offering door-to-door transport in urban and rural areas.

Two of the vehicles will be oper-ated by Mcgills from its hamilton depot and one by Shuttle Buses, Kilwinning on MyBus services. The remaining two will be oper-ated by Stagecoach, Western Buses and McColls Buses, dumbarton.

“We currently have a number of Slimline Solos in operation and they have performed well on our MyBus service,” says an SPT spokesperson, “meeting our requirements for seating capacity, while still being of a size that per-mits ease of operation in residen-tial urban areas and more remote rural locations”.

www.optare.com

Leeds grammar school expands in-house coaching operationThe recently-formed in-house transport operation at The gram-mar School at Leeds has just taken delivery of four Mercedes-Benz Tourismos in a major upgrade of its fleet and capabilities. The school’s wholly owned subsidiary, gSaL Transport Limited, was formed last year in a bid to control its own transport for home-to-school and other school contracts instead of its previous practice of working with local contractors.

The company originally had an O licence for nine vehicles and operated six of 11 school serv-ices, but this was expanded to 14 vehicle-authorisation in February when it had to take on the remain-ing services operated by globe Coaches/Tates Travel.

gSaL transport manager david arkell reports that the company is now operating 10 services as well as other school contracts and also taking on third party work, includ-

ing targeting other educational establishments. around 14 drivers are currently employed.

The new Tourismos will replace Trident 2 double-decks which were used temporarily to cover the former globe contracts. gSaL’s f leet is supplied through dawson Rentals, including the new 53-seat Tourismos and three Plaxton Pan-thers and are provided on a main-tenance-inclusive contract.

www.gsal.org.uk

SPT takes further five Optare Solos

news

April 201610

New flex bus for Logistics NorthTRanSPORT for greater Man-chester is launching a new flex-ible bus service to the Logistics north development, off the a6 near Farnworth, a major employ-ment site for greater Manchester and Bolton. TfgM is introducing the service with developer har-worth estates and local councils in Bolton, Salford and Wigan.

anyone living in the local service area – which covers parts of Bolton, Wigan and Salford – can book a journey to travel to Logistics north from their home or another nearby convenient

location. Passengers register once and can then book journeys online or by phone.

For people travelling from outside the area, pickups for the shared service can also be booked for journeys from local bus and train stations, including Bolton and Farnworth Bus Stations and seven local train stations.

The service will be operated by Telecars using converted eight-seater, wheelchair-accessible Vauxhall Vivaros, and will run every day (except Christmas day, Boxing day & new Year’s day) to

meet start and finish shift times, from 5am to 9am, 2pm to 6pm and 7pm to 1.30am.

“Logistics north Link is designed to meet people’s indi-vidual travel needs and couldn’t be easier to use,” says howard hartley, TfgM head of bus.

“With fares starting at £1, it’s affordable and convenient, picking you up anywhere in the service area to get you to work on time – whether that’s from home or your local bus or train station.”

www.tfgm.com/buses/local_ link

Murray Carter, customer services director, Red Funnel Ferries; and Ed Wills, operations manager, Bluestar.

Bluestar and Red Funnel Ferries launch Quayconnect in SouthamptongO ahead-owned Bluestar, in partnership with Red Funnel Ferries, has rebranded its service that links Southampton central station with the city’s ferry ter-minals as Quayconnect.

The move is designed to improve integration between ferry and train services and is in response to increasing passenger numbers, according to Bluestar which operates the Red Funnel-funded route.

“We are delighted to be work-ing in partnership with Red Funnel in the delivery of the newly-branded Quayconnect service,” says Bluestar operations director ed Wills. “it is incred-ibly popular with customers and i know they will be pleased that the service is going from strength to strength.”

Buses on the route offer free wi-fi, real-time ferry and rail information and a new livery which links to the brand identity for Red Funnel’s new Red Jet 6

hi-Speed catamaran, due to enter service in July.

Kevin george, Red Funnel CeO, adds: “We have always been an advocate of integrated public transport and Quayconnect pro-vides an essential link between the city’s ferry and train services.

Journey times between London and the isle of Wight are shorter via Southampton and the new livery will make it easier for cross-Solent travellers to quickly identify which bus to catch.”

www.bluestarbus.co.ukwww.redfunnel.co.uk/quayconnect

news

11April 2016

Shearings management sells shares to US group to fund expansion plansaLMOST two years on since its management buy-out, Shearings group’ entire shareholding has been acquired by US-based Lone Star Funds which was previously a minority shareholder in the group. The acquisition has been announced simultaneously with purchase by Shearings of equal-match, which in turn owns the Travelstyle and UK Breakaways brands.

Former Travelodge boss and existing Shearings non-exec director grant hearn is set to be named Shearings’ chairman. hearn chairs another Lone Star-backed business, amaris hospi-tality, which owns a number of

Jurys inn and accor hotels.Wiga n-ba s e d She a r i ngs

reported a 30 per cent increase in profits to £9.1million in 2015, up from £7million in the previous year. The group made a pre-tax profit of £5million compared to a loss of £900,000 in 2014, carrying 1.1 million passengers with rev-enues of £201million, up slightly from 2014’s £200million.

earlier this year Shearings announced the largest ever order for Mercedes-Benz Tourismos in the UK with 46 coaches set to join the Shearings and national holidays fleet this year, on top of 38 Tourismos delivered in 2015.

denis Wormwell remains as

chief executive of the group: “This was another landmark year for the group, with a fourth suc-cessive year of improved financial results, continued investment in the business, new ownership and our first business acquisition since 2005.

“With the backing of a long-term investment partner, our best ever line up of holidays and hotels, a well-invested estate and fleet and the loyalty of our fast-expanding over-50s audience, we’re in the ideal position to con-tinue growing our presence and position as the leading escorted tours operator.”

www.shearings.com

Denis Wormwell, Shearings chief executive.

news

April 201612

Cardiff Bus to launch new services through its Vale Busline companyCaRdiFF Bus is transferring some of its services to Vale Busline Lim-ited, a company which was incor-porated in May 1995 and is wholly owned by Cardiff City Transport Services Ltd, which is itself owned by Cardiff county council.

Cardiff Bus has been granted an O licence in Vale Busline’s name from the traffic commissioner, and aims to use it to increase frequency on what it describes as its lower volume routes in order to increase ridership in the areas served.

The new Vale services will be launched in the summer, accord-ing to Cardiff Bus, and routes and timings are currently being finalised.

Vale Busline will maintain a separate identity, and operate under a different livery and have its own website, but the buses will still operate from Cardiff Bus’ depot on Sloper Road and custom-ers will be able to access the web-site and information from Cardiff Bus’ website.

Cardiff Bus’ customers will be able to use their tickets and ‘iff ’ app on the Vale Busline’s routes.

“We are continually looking for

ways to improve the commercial viability of our business, while still maintaining our services and bet-ter serve the people of Cardiff and the surrounding areas,” says Cyn-thia Ogbonna, managing director, Cardiff Bus.

“Vale Busline Limited has been part of our family of compa-nies since 1995. Following board approval and having taken legal advice, we recently applied to the traffic commissioner’s office for authority to operate.

“now approved, it gives Vale Busline its own licences meaning we can now run services on our

lower volume routes.“details regarding services

and times are currently being discussed, but we are looking to launch the new service in time for the summer holidays.

“Our union partners have been informed about this development and we do not anticipate any redundancies from these changes. We hope our customers will take advantage of the increased services and that it is a great success.”

www.cardiffbus.com

Cynthia Ogbonna, managing director, Cardiff Bus.

“it is also vital that LePs are more transparent and accountable in how they spend our money; we want to see more local people involved in deciding how projects and priorities are selected.

“Many new road schemes are at best unnecessary and at worst are damaging in environmental and social terms: LePs would serve the local economy better with more investment in alternative sustain-able transport options.”

www.bettertransport.org.uk

Road building bias in local fundingFUnding for new transport projects by Local enterprise Part-nerships continues to prioritise new road building at the expense of sustainable transport, accord-ing to an analysis by Campaign for Better Transport.

The campaign group’s LeP Watch project has identified that more than 50 per cent of new transport projects spending has been allocated for new road capac-ity and two thirds of all bids are for road-based schemes, with only

three per cent for walking and cycling.

“Our research clearly shows that the balance of proposed LeP fund-ing is still far too heavily weighted to new roads,” says Bridget Fox, sustainable transport campaigner, Campaign for Better Transport.

“What we need to see is a much more joined-up approach to trans-port planning, with a modern pub-lic transport system connecting people’s homes with their place of work.

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news

April 201614

Stagecoach confirms £97million orders for new vehicles in 2016/17STageCOaCh group has announced orders for 478 vehi-cles worth £97million to be deliv-ered in the 2016-17 financial year. alexander dennis wins the lion’s share of the order with a total of 415 complete vehicles comprising e400 double-decks and e200 sin-gle-decks plus 21 Plaxton bodies on Volvo chassis. The orders also include 30 Mercedes Benz Sprinter City 45 minibuses, six Optare Solo SRs and six Van hool astromega double-deck coaches for megabus.

The number of hybrids is just 37 with a batch of e400hs for London operations, while the rest are euro 6 diesels.

Stagecoach says that all of the new vehicles will be fitted with CCTV and most will also feature free wi-fi for customers.

The latest announcement takes the group’s total orders of new buses and coaches to more than £1billion since 2006/07. The forth-coming batch represents £82mil-lion of new buses and coaches for Stagecoach’s regional networks in england, Scotland and Wales, £10million order for London and around £4.5million for megabus.com operations.

The biggest proportion of the order is 278 e400 MMC double-deck buses which will help towards meeting the requirements under the disability discrimination act deadline for double-deck vehicles.

“everything we do is about mak-ing travel even better for our cus-tomers,” says Stagecoach group chief executive Martin griffiths. “We are investing in state-of-the-art, cleaner, greener vehicles, digital technology and smart tick-eting to raise the bar and deliver an even higher standard of serv-ice. These latest vehicle orders are

an important part of our strategy to encourage even more people to take the bus.

“Local bus services are the backbone of the country’s trans-port networks. Stagecoach pro-

vides millions of people every day with a greener way to access work, health, education and leisure and we offer the best value bus fares in Britain.”

www.stagecoachgroup.com

Alexander Dennis to supply 415 complete vehicles as part of Stagecoach fleet order.

STAGECOACH GROUP VEHICLE ORDERS 2016/17

UK REGIONAL OPERATIONS

278 ADL MMC E400 double-decks

71 ADL MMC E200 single-decks

13 ADL MMC E200 midibuses

11 Volvo B11/R Plaxton Elite 6x2

2 Volvo B11/R Plaxton Elite 4x2

1 Volvo B11/R Plaxton Elite i

30 Mercedes Benz Sprinter City 45 minibuses

6 Optare Solo SR Slimline minibuses

MEGABUS.COM OPERATIONS

7 Volvo B11/R Plaxton Elite i

6 Van Hool Astromega double-decks

LONDON OPERATIONS

37 ADL MMC E400 Hybrid double-decks

3 ADL MMC E400 double-decks

13 ADL MMC E200 single decks

news

15April 2016

Simon Posner, CPT and Ben Plowden, TfL with latest London Coach Parking map.

Transport for London and CPT launch London Coach Parking MapTRAnSPORT for London and CPT have launched the new London Coach Parking Map which provides coach drivers and tour guides with detailed information on coach park-ing, set-down and pick-up points, special arrangements for popular tourist attractions and general advice and guid-ance for driving coaches in the capital.

“This map really is the ‘Parking Bible’ for all coach drivers in London and I would like to thank and con-gratulate all those involved in its production,” says CPT chief executive Simon Pos-ner. “There is no doubt that London needs coaches so we have to remember that coaches need somewhere to park.

“As everyone knows, land and road space are at a higher premium than ever in our capital and this very often means that the coach opera-tor’s lot is not a happy one. none of us have it easy and we are appreciative of all that TfL does to support coaches, although we all know that there is so much more that needs to be done.

“It will only be done how-ever if we work together - which we will continue to do. I applaud today’s announce-ments and hope that there will be many more to come.”

Ben Plowden, TfL director of surface strategy and plan-ning, adds: “This new map is being delivered in time to help during the busiest time of the year for the coach and

tourism industry. We want to make it easier to drive and park a coach in central London because we recognise that tourism makes a major con-tribution to our economy and we will support that as much as possible.

“London is growing, our roads are changing and there are more people than ever in the city. We are working con-tinuously to improve on-street provision for coaches and looking at innovative ways to

make the best use of avail-able space.”

Alongside the publication of the new edition of the map, TfL announced that 18 of the 27 short stay bays in London are currently in the process of being converted to 60-minute limits in order to allow drivers to observe the legal requirement for a 45-minute rest period after driving for 4.5 hours.

www.tfl.gov.uk/coachdriverswww.cpt-uk.orglive15apr_5

news

April 201616

Busk to raise Nightcap campaign with education ministerSAfETy campaigners from Busk have secured a meet-ing with education minister nick Gibb later this month to discuss the group’s nightcap campaign which focuses on the need for coach drivers to be provided with single accommodation when on continental tour duties with school groups.

The group has also launched a petition highlighting the need for coach tour drivers to be provided with single accom-modation in a quiet area of a hotel to ensure they get suf-ficient rest between driving periods.

“Some tour companies completely take advantage of coach companies that are unable to afford to turn work away,” says Harris. “At our recent conference, European Heritage Tours told delegates that it would cost a little more

than £5 extra per parent to ensure drivers had single rooms to the same standard as the rest of the party and away from the children in a quiet place and £1.49 extra per parent for drivers to be provided with a day bed.”

Some authorities have already responded to the nightcap campaign, including Monmouthshire council which now requires its schools to ensure that coach drivers are provided with single rooms when they book a package with a tour operator. And Euro-pean Heritage Tours is the first tour operator to commit to providing all coach drivers with single room accommo-dation, according to Busk.

The organisation has also welcomed an announcement by Plymouth Citycoach that all its coach drivers will now be assured of single room

accommodation on private hire work, and has amended its hire terms and conditions to reflect this.

“This has long been stand-ard on our holidays and is now clearly written into our terms for private hire to ensure the same happens with all trips away, particularly where these are schools and colleges,” said Plymouth Citycoach general manager Paul Grace in a letter to Busk. “Addition-ally we no longer accept work that involves continental driv-ing between the hours of 0200 and 0500 unless this is oper-ated with a two-driver crew.”

www.busk-uk.co.ukhttps://www.gopetition.com/

petitions/busk-nightcapprotect-our-children-on-school-trips.html?q.

id=8vwhzixwbaaarh0v&q.sl=1

Roberts Travel invests more than £1million in new buses.

ROBERTS Travel Group has taken delivery of a new fleet of Volvo/MCV single-deck buses for Leicester’s park-and-ride service.

The vehicles, equipped with tracking devices and CCTV, represent an investment of more than £1million by the Coalville-based firm.

“There will be instantly noticeable improvements to our passengers’ whole journey experience,” says

Roberts Travel Group invests in Leicester park-and-ride

Roberts’ managing director Jonathan Hunt.

“As well as increased com-fort, the new vehicles will be more reliable resulting in improved punctuality.”

The city’s park-and-ride sites are based close to fosse Park, Leicester forest East and Birstall.

The services operate every 15 minutes from 0700 to 1900 Monday to Saturday.

www.robertscoaches.co.uk

17

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news

April 201618

Welcome for Leicester bus lane reportaRRiVa has welcomed the find-ings of a review into the effective-ness of bus lanes across Leicester, which demonstrates they had been successful in improving journey times and reliability for bus users.

a report from the Bus Lanes Task group found that the introduction of the bus lanes in the city delivered benefits for bus passengers and other road users in Leicester, resulting in an increased bus patronage and improved safety conditions for the city’s cyclists.

“Over recent years, conges-tion has been increasing at a rapid rate across the city, which is having a detrimental effect not only on road users but also on the environment,” says Simon Mathieson, area managing direc-tor, arriva Midlands east.

“at arriva, we constantly strive

to provide cleaner, greener, more efficient services which give peo-ple greater choice when making decisions about transport.

“We firmly believe that the introduction of the bus lanes in Leicester has helped make those decisions even easier, positioning public transport as a more attrac-tive journey choice by cutting

congestion by encouraging more people out of their cars.

“The findings of this review not only back our sentiments on the issue, but give us a platform from which we can work with our partners at the council to continue building on this initial success.”

www.arriva.co.uk

Boost for bus lanes in Leicester.

exPanding independent opera-tor gha Coaches is set to increase its presence in Shropshire after winning four local bus service contracts from June 2016.

The tenders, currently oper-ated by arriva Midlands, include Shrewsbury town services 21, 23 and 26 and interurban service 511 between Shrewsbury and Whitchurch which will require six vehicles and create 12 extra driver jobs at gha’s Shrewsbury depot.

The new service 511 will link up to gha services 72,73,146 and 205 in Whitchurch offering passengers onward journeys to Wrexham, Chester, Crewe and nantwich.

“We purchased Shropshire Bus and Coach to not only consoli-date our existing operations in the county, but to have a perma-nent base from which to expand our network in Shropshire,” says Stephen Bryce, gha Coaches general manager.

“We were disappointed not to have been successful in winning the contract to run Shrewsbury park-and-ride, but we have taken a positive step forward in tender-ing for the 511 service and the three Shrewsbury town centre services.

“it is our aim to provide local people with a friendly and reli-able service when we take over the running from 1 June. We

are looking to review our routes in Shropshire and introduce Sunday services where demand justifies.”

www.ghacoaches.co.uk

GHA to take over Shrewsbury services in June. Photo: Ron Hughes.

GHA Coaches wins Shrewsbury contracts from Arriva

news

19April 2016

THE North West’s first guided busway received its first passengers last weekend with the 4.5-mile bus-only guideway between Leigh, Tyldesley and Ellenbrook promising smooth, rapid connections on its concrete track.

The busway is part of Transport for Greater Man-chester’s £122million bus priority package which aims to deliver faster, more punc-tual and more reliable bus services across the region, to, from and through the city centre.

Operated by first Man-chester under the brand Vantage, 20 new buses will connect Leigh, Atherton and Manchester in a 50-minute journey, compared to the previous journey between Leigh and Manchester which is timetabled at up to one hour and 20 minutes.

The new high-specifica-tion, Volvo Wrightbus hybrid double-decks feature wi-fi and USB charging points, plush seating, audio and visual next-stop announce-ments and climate control. Seven purpose-built stops along the busway will have real-time travel information display boards, CCTV, a public address system and covered cycle parking.

Busway services will start from 4am and run beyond midnight, with up to eight buses an hour between Tyld-esley and Manchester.

The investment includes three new park-and-ride facilities, catering for more than 400 cars in total, and

a specially surfaced shared path alongside the busway which can be used by walk-ers, cyclists and horse riders.

“Being able to finally wel-come passengers aboard is a marvellous milestone in our commitment to make travel easier for everyone,” says Andrew fender, chair of the TfGM committee.

“By prioritising buses we not only make journey times quicker, more reliable and more attractive for passen-gers, we also help to tackle congest ion and reduce emissions.

“Completion of the busway is a major technical achieve-ment and our investment promises a significant boost for all the communities it serves, helping people reach key employment, healthcare, and retail and leisure facilities more easily than ever.

“With the work now finished in these areas, our engineers are turning their attention to the last piece of the bus pri-ority jigsaw in Manchester city centre.”

The busway links to bus pri-

ority routes along the A580 through Salford, with the remaining bus priority work currently taking place to the south of Manchester city centre along Oxford Road.

Ian Humphreys, head of commercial, first Manches-ter adds: “first Manches-ter is proud to be working with TfGM, Wigan Coun-cil, Salford city council and Manchester city council in delivering the north West’s first guided busway.

“first Bus has a great track record of working in partnership to develop suc-cessful initiatives to grow bus use. I’m sure this bus-way will attract people onto public transport and help relieve congestion and sup-port connectivity for people to places of employment, lei-sure and education.

“We look forward to wel-coming customers on board who can look forward to travelling on premium, fast and reliable services at great value, low-price fares.”

www.tfgm.comwww.firstgroup.com

One of the first customers, Carol Donelon, with Vantage driver Aaron Davis.

North West’s guided busway launched

20 April 2016

London launch for new Wrightbus SRM on Volvo B5LH

No, SRM does not officially stand for 'Son of Routermaster'; but it is designed to be just that.

Wrightbus has unveiled its new srM double-deck body which utilises design features from the New routemaster but is built on a Volvo b5Lh chas-sis. the new model follows a challenge from tfL to all manufacturers to build on the design elements of its New routemaster, which it regards as a new icon on the capital’s streets, in developing the next generation of double-deck buses.

Leon Daniels, TfL; Ian Downie, Wrightbus; Richard Hall, RATP Dev London; and Phil Owen, Volvo Bus.

the srM resembles the look of the New routemas-ter, but is built to a shorter overall length of 10.6m and features two doors and a single staircase, rather than three doors and twin staircases. the vehicle fea-tures Volvo’s class leading fuel efficient b5Lh Euro 6 hybrid chassis.

“the look of the side structure, roof and floor are the same as the original New routemaster along with

AnalysisSteve Rooney reports

21April 2016

a number of other important design features in order to preserve the style of its already iconic predeces-sor,” says ian Downie, Wrightbus managing director – sales & Customcare. “From a body perspective, we also sought to achieve a high level of commonality of spare parts, so that the aftermarket support can be optimised.

“aside from the chassis, the main difference between the routemaster and the srM is the moulded fibreglass dome. this is an additional structure to the rest of the vehicle, whereas on the New routemaster it is part of the structural integrity of the bodywork.”

the first vehicle unveiled is one of six ordered by ratP Dev-owned London united, part of a larger order which also includes 50 b5Lh/gemini 3s. the srMs will be deployed from september on route 13 from golders green to aldwych, replacing the previ-ous generation b5Lh/gemini 2s.

the first model is due to be weighed shortly and Wrightbus is predicting it will be slightly heavier than a comparable gemini 3 with a passenger capacity one or two less at 87 including 21 standees, but with four more seats than the New routemaster.

“the New routemaster is consistently ahead in all our passenger surveys,” says Leon Daniels, tfL man-aging director for surface transport, “ and we expect the srM to follow suit.

“this latest addition to the Wrightbus/Volvo bus

partnership will form an important part of our drive to provide the best in passenger transport around our city. Wrightbus has certainly risen to the challenge we set them.”

Daniels notes that the new srM will be bought and owned by operators rather than tfL, pointing out that the New routemaster had been acquired by the public body only because of the fact that a three-door, two-staircase model would not be applicable outside the capital and therefore a less attractive proposition for fleets which have the need to cascade vehicles in their second life.

Phil Owen, Volvo commercial sales director for uK & ireland, adds: “this new Volvo bus/Wrightbus combination gives operators a wider choice of body options from Wrightbus with the class-leading b5Lh Euro 6 hybrid chassis.”

ian Downie points out that the second life of the vehicle has also been taken into consideration with the inclusion of a conversion kit to take the bus from two doors to one door if required. a provincial ver-sion with a single-door is also in development.

the launch vehicle does not feature opening win-dows, a subject that has been a matter of controversy with the New routemaster, although Downie says that Wrightbus is looking at adapting future versions of the srM to include this facility.

www.wrightbus.com

Analysis

international Bus and coach news from around the world

22 April 2016

EuropEan bus manufactur-ers Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo have agreed to standard-ise charging systems for electric buses ahead of the implementa-tion of industry standards which are expected in a few years time. Charging infrastructure provided by aBB, Heliox and Siemens will ensure an open interface between electric buses and charging infrastructure.

European and interna-tional standards bodies, CEn-CEnELEC and ISo/IEC, are

Open interface for electric bus charging agreed by European manufacturers

now working on the development of standards for electric vehicle charging which are expected to come into force in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

However, since a number of cit-ies are implementing electric bus systems now, the European bus manufacturers and charging sys-tem suppliers are implementing an open, transparent and voluntary approach. Common, preferred interfaces will be opened-up for all market participants and will be used for electric buses includ-

ing opportunity charging (fast charging at end stops) and over-night charging.

The group of companies say that the objective is to facili-tate the transfer to electric bus systems in cities to ensure reli-ability and compatibility across bus brands and charging sys-tems. other bus manufacturers and system suppliers are being invited to join the cooperation.

BYD deployed a K9 full electric bus to operate as a shuttle serv-ice for the International Elec-tric Vehicle Expo held on South Korea’s Jeju Island.

Jeju has an ambitious plan titled ‘Carbon-Free Island by 2030’ and is calling for increases

Demonstration of electric BYD at South Korean industry show

in vehicle electrification, including replacing 10% per cent of the total number of conventional vehicles with EVs by 2017, 30 per cent by 2020 and 100 per cent by 2030.

“The ideal electric vehicle energy ecosystem has to be zero emission from beginning to end,” says Liu Xueliang, general manager, BYD asia-pacific division. “The energy has to be generated, stored and used without launching any car-

bon into the atmosphere. BYD has these three stages in check, with its high technology being deployed to ensure affordable solar power generation, effective energy storage and extremely efficient electrified transporta-tion.

“We are very excited to coop-erate with South Korea’s actions against climate change.”www.byd.com

South Korea

Europe

International standards to be agreed for electric charging.

Bus and coach news from around the world international

23April 2016

THE Irizar Group has reported 2015 turnover of more than €550million with particularly strong results for its Spanish operation at ormaiztegi which saw 30 per cent growth in rev-enue.

The figures follow a pat-tern seen in 2014, when Irizar ormaiztegi grew more than other group companies, in con-trast to earlier years when as a result of the economic crisis and the lack of growth in Europe, the Brazilian and Mexican plants were driving growth in the group.

Irizar’s growth in Spain is down to increases in integral coaches for Europe and body-on-chassis operations for its home market in Spain, as well as the introduction of manufac-turing of integral coaches for the uS market.

Irizar’s market share in Spain is more than 40 per cent and the market has grown by 30 per cent compared to 2014, which saw 20 per cent growth.

Irizar’s Spanish operation cur-rently accounts for 46 per cent of the group’s total turnover.

Irizar says that given the eco-nomic situation in Brazil, its strat-egy there is based on targeting export opportunities by taking advantage of a heavily-devalued currency while continuing to posi-tion itself in the premium coach segment.

registrations in Mexico are down by 27 per cent this year and Irizar ended the year with a market share of more than 60 per cent.

In Morocco, a new record turno-ver was been achieved in 2015 with growth in the country’s luxury coach market and with manufac-turing Century coaches on behalf of Irizar ormaiztegi for European markets.

In 2016, Spain and Mexico are expected to be the main driv-ing forces along with anticipated growth in integral coaches in Europe and the united States.

The new Irizar i8 model in Mexico has led to around a thou-sand orders, and Irizar has begun

to manufacture integral coaches in Mexico which it says will lead to strong growth in production at the plant.

Irizar e-mobility is the group’s new company with a focus on electromobility in cities, and it will have prototypes of all its new products and systems com-pleted by the end of this year.

Irizar is investing €75 mil-lion in a new modern plant in aduna (Gipuzkoa) with a gross f loor area of 18,000 sq m within a 37,000 sq m plot which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016. It will not only produce electric buses, but also other vehicles that complement the electromobility needs of cit-ies as well as their main compo-nents and systems.

The group’s full-electric bus is being trialled in London, Bar-celona, paris and Marseille and has also been tested in Madrid, pamplona, Zaragoza and nice. www.irizar.com

Spain

i8 helps deliver growth at Irizar.

Spanish headquarters plant leading the growth path for Irizar

international Bus and coach news from around the world

24

TurKu in southern Finland is due to take its first full-electric buses this autumn with delivery of six electric buses to be supplied by Finnish manufacturer Linkker oy. Including the charging sys-tem, the total value of the order is around €3.8million of which the

Finland ministry of employment and the economy is providing approximately €1million.

The goal of the city of Turku is to become carbon neutral by 2040, and it aims to increase the share of electric vehicles in public transport.

The electric buses will operate on line 1 of Turku City Transport, from the harbour to the airport via the market square. During rush hours, two diesel-powered

buses will be operated alongside the six electric buses.

Turku Energia will build quick-charge stations for the electric buses at the harbour and the airport and will also provide charging equipment at the oper-ator’s bus depot for overnight charging.

The buses will be built at the factory of Linkker oy’s contract manufacturer in Sastamala. www.turku.fi

First electric buses for Turku due in the autumn

FlixBus arrives in UK.

Finland

GErMan start-up FlixBus which is rapidly expanding its European coach network launched its first services to the uK last month with a non-stop route from London to paris oper-ating twice daily. From paris, passengers will have access to 60 international destinations on FlixBus’ network across six countries.

and the company says it aims to extend its services to fur-ther cities in the uK and pro-vide direct links to Germany, Belgium, the netherlands and

Czech republic.The FlixBus business model

comprises a central technology-led company which uses regional coach and bus companies as its operating partners. The initial London-paris service is being operated by a French partner but a spokesperson from FlixBus told Bus and Coach professional that they are already talking to poten-tial coach partners from uK.

The coaches on the London-paris route are new VDL FHD2-129s. “The cross-border link from London to France is our first step

into the market in the uK,” says andré Schwämmlein, FlixBus founder and managing director.

“We are soon going to connect the capital to the most popular cities in mainland Europe by day or night. Besides, we want to extend our service to other destinations in England.” Tick-ets are priced from £9 including free wi-fi, extra legroom in new coaches and include three items of luggage.www.flixbus.co.uk

FlixBus enters UK coach market with inaugural London-Paris route

Europe

For all the latest vacancies visit – www.busandcoach.com people

25April 2016

Ben Murray.

Go South Coast appoints Ben Murray as finance directorGo Ahead-owned Go South Coast has appointed Ben Murray as its new finance director from his pre-vious role as a financial reporting accountant and business partner.

The company operates as more-bus, Bluestar, Southern Vectis, Salisbury Reds, Damory, Tour-ist Coaches and Hants & Dorset Trim.

“I am delighted that Ben has accepted this new position here at Go South Coast after spending the past three years with us and par-ticipating in our group talent pro-gramme,” says Andrew Wickham, managing director.

“With his wealth of knowledge and experience, acquired both in the UK and across the Atlantic, Ben will continue to be a consid-erable asset to the Go South Coast team.

“I am very much looking for-ward to working with him to fur-ther enhance our business and operating activities in the region.”

Murray graduated with a degree in accounting and information sys-tems at the University of Montana in 1999. After spending five years as a general manager in Alaska’s tourism industry and then becom-ing a qualified accountant during a five years tenure in Hawaii at an highly specialised account-

ing practice, he moved to the UK, performing audits on large inter-national businesses including Car-nival Cruise Lines and IBM whilst at PwC in Southampton.

“I joined Go South Coast in 2013 because I was attracted by the company’s ambition to increase its presence and enhance its offering across the south of England,” says Murray.

“The excellent team at Go South Coast is fully committed to the task in hand - with customer serv-ice at the heart of its operation. And I am excited to be part of a management team that will lead the company to even greater suc-cess in the future.”www.go-ahead.com

Graham Belgum appointed as Optare Group president GRAHAM Belgum has been appointed president of optare Group taking on the strategic and operational leadership role of the company and reporting to the head of global bus at owners Ashok Leyland. Belgum joined optare in March 2015 as business process excellence and aftermarket direc-tor. Since then, he has been deliv-ering a series of improvements focusing on customer support and manufacturing.

“optare is about so much more

than building buses,” says Belgum. “As a manufacturer we have a responsibility to innovate greener vehicles and provide service solu-tions that support operators in delivering an outstanding service for passengers at the best possible whole life cost. This philosophy is at the heart of everything we do.

“Now is an exciting time for optare; the Metrodecker demo programme is in full swing and the first pre-production vehi-cles are due to start trials with national operators over the next two months.”

John Fickling, optare non exec-utive chairman, adds: “Graham has brought to optare a wealth of experience in delivering improve-ments in efficiency and customer service and his operator knowl-edge has been invaluable in driving optare’s program of continuous improvement.”www.optare.com

New CPT area director for midlands regionCPT has appointed Lynda Waltho as area director for the midlands region with a brief to work with local authorities and elected rep-resentatives, particularly in those areas where greater devolution of powers looks set to become a reality. The appointment follows a review of CPT’s regional struc-

Lynda Waltho.

Graham Belgum.

people For all the latest vacancies visit – www.busandcoach.com

26 April 2016

ture which recognised a need to ensure the organisation was able to respond to the changing political dynamics which flow from devolu-tion to the English regions.

“I am very pleased that Lynda has agreed to take on this role – the first area director appoint-ment CPT has made following our regional review,” says CPT chief executive Simon Posner. “Lynda brings with her a wealth of politi-cal, parliamentary and industry experience, which makes her ide-ally suited to represent our mem-bers.”

Waltho was the MP for Stour-bridge between 2005 and 2010, and served as West Midlands regional minister in Gordon Brown’s gov-ernment. She was also director of communications for the Green Bus Company and board member of Parry People Movers until 2015. other positions include a director at Clearvu Communications and managing director, Abbott Barber Communications.www.cpt-uk.org

Mobility Networks appoints Andrew Creese as non-executive director

ANDREW Creese has been appointed as a new board member at Mobility Networks. Mobility Networks CEo Mike Simmonds

says that Andrew Creese will strengthen the company’s global strategy and provide wider con-tacts through his international experience.

Creese has fulfilled several CEo positions throughout his career focused on global manufacturing, including the position of Unwin Safety Systems managing director for five years. he was instrumental in developing the Unwin’s strate-gic merger with Autoadapt.

“The market for accessible vehi-cle solutions is evolving at pace,” says Creese. “As many specialist suppliers move to the next level my appointment with Mobility Networks will ensure our product innovation remains at the fore-front.” www.mobilitynetworksgroup.com

New design appointment for Stagecoach North EastFIoNA Couling, a graduate from South Gosforth in Newcastle, has been appointed as graphic designer with Stagecoach North East. Based at the head office in Sunderland, she will be responsible for the crea-tion and delivery of the company’s designs in both print and digital media to support the marketing activity, in addition to improving internal communications materi-als and upholding the brand image

across all platforms.Couling worked as a graphic

designer and photographer at Mal-hotra Group in Newcastle, where she managed the imagery and produced a variety of design work for the property, care and leisure firm.

“I am most looking forward to seeing my designs printed and out on display for the public to see,” says Couling. “I enjoy all aspects of design, however I am particularly passionate about the illustration side of things, and I love that I am getting to use my drawing skills in this job.

“Already I have been working on the new branding for the livery on the back of the 22 bus, which I can’t wait to see on the buses; and on a campaign for the awareness of hidden disabilities which I found really interesting.”www.stagecoachbus.com

Steven Duffy joins MAN as retail sales executiveMAN Truck & Bus UK has appointed Steven Duffy as a new retail sales executive for its Neop-lan coach range to cover Scotland, north England and Northern Ire-land.

“I was drawn to MAN because they are a manufacturer of quality vehicles whose range is strength-

Andrew Creese.

Steven Duffy.

Fiona Couling.

27April 2016

UK Southern Sales RepresentativeLocation:- Southern England

Required for a leading supplier of transport interior solutions for passenger carryingvehicles in the UK.

Due to company expansion and reorganization, an opportunity has arisen for a Salesperson based in the South of England to develop and maintain our business with vehicle builders and operators.

Reporting directly to the Sales Director/Board of Directors, the successful applicant will: Promote/sell/secure orders from existing and prospective customers through a

relationship-based approach. Demonstrate products and services to existing/potential customers and assist them in

selecting those best suited to their needs. Identify areas for growth and develop the business where appropriate. Carry out technical assistance regarding correct installation of the products.

Experience in a field based, technical sales role is an advantage but not essential as full training will be given.

Must be result-orientated and able to work both independently and within a team environment. Must possess excellent verbal, written and practical communication skills.

Proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Excel, is required.

Valid full UK Passport & clean UK driving licence is essential (company car may be provided after completion of probationary period).

The successful applicant will be preferably based in the South of England, work from home and meet customers throughout the designated sales area with overnight stays where necessary.

Occasional overseas travelling may also be required.

A competitive remuneration package is available, including Pension, Bonus Scheme and Life Assurance.

In the first instance please apply with current CV, salary expectations and handwritten covering letter explaining why you are suited to this role to:- Mr MJ Houston, Martyn Industrials Ltd, 5 Brunel Way, Carlisle CA1 3NQ

The role will encompass the development of the company’s Bus and Coach business in the UK.The individual will be a self-starter, able to work from home if required and be fully mobile with very much a “can do” attitude. Our client base is UK wide, predominantly in the midlands and north of England/ southern Scotland. There is outside possibility of some European clients also.

The individual will be focussed on developing their own direct client base in the transport industry and converting leads from major UK Bus and Coach suppliers, which Coachlease provides.

This is an exciting new senior role within our transport division, where our management have historical experience in lending into.

The role will be a growth position, working with achievable targets and assistance from the MD and Operations Director - the candidate needs to have experience in the leasing/asset fi nance sector and be highly self-motivated and confi dent about making appointments with both new and existing clients and Dealers in the UK.

We are looking to establish Coachlease as one of the major specialist Bus and Coach asset fi nance providers within the UK.

The role will require regular contact and visits to one of the UK’s largest dealerships with a view to developing our relationship with them, and their customers. There will also be opportunities for the candidate to continue their existing relationships.

The role will mainly involve development of relationships via regular contact with customers, suppliers & dealers - to sell the services of the company and to negotiate profi table asset fi nance business on a brokerage basis on behalf of the Company. You will be expected to carry out an array of duties, including but not limited to building new & improving existing vendor/manufacturer relationships. You will need to be able to demonstrate that you have already the skills to present a deal to credit and to “close the sale” with a customer. This is more than an account management/ vendor support role.

The head offi ce provides full back offi ce support in terms of underwriting, approval,documentation and payout of deals, leaving you to concentrate on what you are best at - developing customer relationships and opportunities for Coachlease.

To apply please send your CV and covering letter by 15th of April to:Simon Ball, Operations Director, Coachlease, Nene House, Sopwith Way, Daventry NN11 8EA, or e- mail to [email protected]

BDM /Vendor Sales Manager roleBased in the UK - Likely OTE is £60k- £90k pa. (un-capped commission)

Join an award-winning bus company!We are looking for an Assistant Manager to join our Planning & Schedules team. Across our network of services in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and beyond, we want to ensure that good service design enables high standards in service delivery.

We are looking for someone who will add value to our existing network of commercial and contract services, as well as help us win new business. The ideal candidate will be conversant in performance metrics, experienced in scheduling, capable of liaising and negotiating withsuppliers and stakeholders, and able to project manage change and deliver results. Your team ethos will complement being able to work independently. This management opportunity therefore provides an excellent grounding for future leadership development.

A good working knowledge of Omnibus, Diva and EP Morris is desirable but training will be off ered to the right candidate. If this is you, the team here would love to hear from you.

Closes at 16:00 on Wednesday 13 April 2016.To apply for this vacancy, please submit your CV to:Mr Jeff Clayton, Head of Network Develop-ment, Bournemouth Transport Ltd, Yeomans Way, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 0BQ or by email to [email protected] with a covering letter explaining why you would be a great fi t for the position.

GLAZING…RECOVERY…INSURANCE…SPARES………

INSURANCE…SPARES…ENGINES…RE - TRIMS…RE - TRIMS…

TRAINING…

SEATINGENVIROTANKSS…PARTS…SEATING…BUILDINGS…

CONSU

…COURSES…TRANSMISSIONS…SPARES…INSURANCE…

GLAZING

CONSULTANTS…GLAZING…GAS STRUTS…HEATING…PARTS

…SPARES…RE - TRIMS…LIFTS…FANS…ENVIROTANKS…

RECOVERY…INSURANCE…GRAPHICS & SIGNS…LIFTS…

…GLAZING…RECOVERY…INSURANCE…SPARES…CO

INSURANCE…SPARES…ENGINES…RE - TRIMS…

TRANSMISSIONS…RE - TRIMS…TRAINING…SEATING…

HEATING…PARTS

BUILDINGS…PARTS…SEATING…BUILDINGS…COURSES…

TRANSMISSIONS…CONSULTANTS…GLAZING…GAS

Promote your ServicesThe best way to reach the industry’s professionals

Book this spaceCall Jo now on 01694 731510 for details

people For all the latest vacancies visit – www.busandcoach.com

28 April 2016

ening,” says Duffy. “I bring with me credibility and a lot of expe-rience, having built up strong relationships with customers who trust me.

“In my early career, I worked for many years in a family business, which means I can look at what a customer needs from a business perspective.”

Paul Gardner, MAN general manager bus & coach, adds: “We are delighted to have Steven join the retail sales team. He has a wealth of experience and knowl-edge in the passenger service vehicle sector and is trusted by customers and suppliers alike.

“I’m sure his enthusiasm and tenacity to work hard for his cus-tomers will ensure him every success when managing the sales territory. Steven joining us repre-sents MAN’s continued commit-ment to the UK market and we are hoping for continued success throughout 2016 now the retail sales team is complete.”www.bus.man.eu

New commercial manager for Stagecoach East ScotlandSTAGECoACH has appointed a new manager for its East Scotland bus operations with Ker Corbett taking on the role of commercial manager. originally from Glas-gow, Corbett began his career in

2006 with Stagecoach West Scot-land as a trainee in the commercial department during his business studies degree. After graduating Corbett joined the team perma-nently and from 2011 he undertook an 18-month secondment to the Stagecoach UK Bus Events team, delivering the 2012 olympics.

Following the olympics, he moved to the US as commercial manager at megabus.com before returning to the UK in the same role at megabus.com for Europe.

Now returning to Scotland to be closer to home, he will be involved in the development of the Stage-coach bus network across East Scotland.

“I am delighted to be joining East Scotland and look forward to working with the team here to attract even more people to bus travel,” says Corbett.www.stagecoachbus.com/about/east-scotland

Alcoa Wheel Products Europe appoints dedicated fleet manager for the UK

ALCoA Wheel Products Europe has appointed Karl Brown as UK fleet manager. Brown comes with 15 years’ field sales career and will work with Alcoa Sales man-ager Ghalid Dohri to develop the company’s presence in the UK market.

“I’m really pleased to have an extra person in the UK,” says Chris Edwards, Alcoa sales manager for Western Europe.

“This enlargement will position Alcoa to capture the increasing demand for our innovative light-weight wheels.

“We already enjoyed a very suc-cessful history in this country and I’m looking forward to building on this positive path with this bigger team.”www.alcoa.com

Paragon Bank Business Finance appoints Simon Welling as sales director

ASSET finance provider Paragon Bank Business Finance - recently re-branded from Five Arrows Business Finance - has appointed Simon Welling as its new sales director. Welling will lead Para-gon Bank Business Finance’s sales strategy and extend its reach in the asset based finance and leasing sector. He has experience in corpo-rate asset finance and leasing with a career of more than 27 years in the industry.

Prior to joining Paragon Bank Business Finance’s senior manage-ment team, Welling began his sales career with NatWest before mov-ing to Lombard Business Finance. Latterly, he was an independent sales consultant in the aviation and general business finance sectors.

“We are delighted that Simon has joined Paragon Bank at this pivotal stage in the development of our Business Finance unit,” says Paul Coggins, Managing Director, Paragon Bank Business Finance. “Simon has a fantastic pedigree in asset finance and leasing and he will be a major driving force behind our ambitious growth plans that will see us move into a wider range of industry sectors.” www.pbbf.co.uk

Ker Corbett.

Simon Welling.

Alexander Pemberton’s Diary diary

29April 2016

Former Barton bus driver’s family spring a special 100th birthday surprise

Kenneth Wareing with his daughter Lynn Gosling in front of a vintage Leyland Leopard bus which Kenneth would have driven as a Barton driver and the modern indigo bus which now carries his name

The 100th birthday of former bus driver Kenneth Wareing was marked by a trentbarton bus being named after him by his family. Wareing’s family chose to celebrate the milestone by donating £100 to trentbarton’s Namesake initiative, which this year is raising money for the children’s charity When You Wish Upon a Star.

For his 100th Kenneth was taken by his family to Barton’s historic Chilwell depot where the indigo bus was waiting alongside a vin-tage Leyland Leopard of the kind he would have driven.

Born in Suffolk and raised in Devon, Wareing moved to Notting-

hamshire when he was demobbed after world war two. his daugh-ter Lynn Gosling says: “In 1947 he got a job at Barton Transport and drove buses until he retired in 1981. Dad worked on many routes including ones that went to Derby, Coalville and Loughborough. he drove holiday services to Wales and Skegness.

“The university climbing club used to ask for him to always be the driver on their outings. When he retired they sent a bottle of whisky and a silver salver. he used to bend over backwards to help people so he was very popular for excursions.”

Lynn said they had no idea what to buy their Dad for his birthday, so the naming of the bus is a per-fect present: “What do you get for a 100-year-old man?

“It’s a bit special to have the bus named after him. he was a bit f lummoxed by the surprise but thinks it is brilliant to have a bus named after him.”

www.trentbarton.co.uk/namesake

diary Alexander Pemberton’s Diary

30 April 2016

Graham and Hazel Higgs with grandson Daniel and Richard Hands, operations manager, Stagecoach Stratford-upon-Avon depot.

Stagecoach Midlands open-top bus named in honour of frequent sightseeing passenger

AN open-top City Sightseeing bus operating from the Stagecoach Midlands Stratford-upon-Avon depot has been named to recognise trips on more than 70 City Sight-seeing tours that two grandpar-ents have made with their severely autistic 18-year-old grandson over the past 12 years.

Graham and hazel higgs and their grandson Daniel make the journey from hall Green, Bir-mingham where they live to Strat-ford every school half term and summer holiday, an average of six times a year, to do the same tour in all weathers. Repetitive activi-ties are foremost in Daniel’s daily

routines. Riding on the top deck of an open-top bus gives him enor-mous joy.

Graham’s cousin Paul Stanton approached Stagecoach Midlands to ask if something could be done to mark this unique achievement and the open-top City Sightseeing bus waiting for them had been sign written with “Daniel higgs” on the front and above the entrance door of the bus.

Richard hands, operations manager for the Stratford depot and assistant operations manager Zoe Stilgoe met the family on the day and presented them with a free ticket for the tour and a voucher

for their next visit. Richard says: “Daniel was very excited and eager to get to his favourite seat upstairs at the back of the bus. It was his first tour of the year.”

“It was a complete surprise to us to find the bus has been named after Daniel,” says Graham higgs. “It is a fantastic thing that Stage-coach has done. Daniel loves looking at buses and in particular riding on an open top bus.”

www.stagecoachbus.com

Alexander Pemberton’s Diary diary

31April 2016

Jake Osman prepares for first run.

Running for CALM charity at ReadingJAKe Osman, Reading Buses mar-keting and communications man-ager, has signed up for nearly 130 miles worth of races to raise money for The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), the company’s charity of the year.

“We chose CALM as our char-ity of the year for Reading Buses through an employee vote and I think it was the staggering fact that suicide is the biggest cause of death in males aged 20-45 that really caught people’s attention,” says Osman. “It averages out at 12 men per day taking their own life which is an absolutely shocking statistic.

“CALM is looking to help reduce this rate by persuading men, their family and friends, to talk before it is too late.

“Such a simple idea, yet it will help many who equate being a strong male with keeping quiet about their feelings and suffering in silence.”

his first run was at the Bath half Marathon on 13 March, and is followed by the Reading half Marathon, Brighton Marathon, Rat Race ‘Dirty Weekend’, The Bacchus Marathon and Yorkshire Marathon.

“In total, I am currently signed up for nearly 130 miles worth of races, which doesn’t include the hundreds more miles in training,” he says. “I’m crossing my fingers that my body holds together to be able to complete them all.”

Although a keen runner and veteran of a few half marathons

and a couple of full marathons, Osman has not done anything on this scale before. he is hoping that colleagues, family, friends and customers may wish to sponsor him or donate to CALM.

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JakeOsman

Spring Gathering to honour Weymann of Addlestone and Harrington of HoveThIS year’s Spring Gathering at the London Bus Museum, which is situated within the Brooklands Museum complex in Weybridge, commemorates the 50th anniver-sary of the closure of two renowned coachbuilders, Weymann of Addlestone and harrington of hove and celebrates their lasting achievements.

Weymann applied aircraf t technology to the building of bus

bodies and was well-known for its major contract to build RT buses for London Transport, while har-rington was a coach builder with its output ranging from horse-drawn carriages to motor coaches incor-porating the dorsal fin design.

An impressive range of buses and coaches produced by both companies will be on show across the museum site and some will run on the free bus services through-

out the day.A unique exhibition of Wey-

mann and harrington ephemera and one or two classic vehicles will provide an added attraction for visitors in addition to mod-els, books, artefacts and historical items on the traders’ stalls in the Market Place.

The Spring Gathering will be held on Sunday 17 April.

www.londonbusmuseum.com

product The latest products and services for the bus and coach sector

32 April 2016

Strong growth for Smith Brothers & Webb

Smith Brothers & Webb says a number of new contract wins in the bus and coach sector has fur-ther reinforced its position in the UK market. the company, which manufactures the Britannia brand of washing systems, reports a surge of orders for its Streamline and Strong washing systems which are manufactured at its Alcester base.

the company is also seeing increased demand for its Reverse Osmosis water-softening systems

Lucketts Travel among recent contract wins for Smith Brothers & Webb.

which help ensure that washing quality is achieved even in areas which have hard water.

“Our reputation for reliability, durability and unsurpassed wash quality has further reinforced our position in the marketplace,” says director Andy Barracliffe.

in addition to washing systems, Smith Brothers & Webb has also won service contracts from Stage-coach, Cardiff Bus and Go Ahead.

Recent installations include a

Streamline drive-through machine capable of washing up to 80 vehicles an hour from minibuses to double-decks, at metroline’s Willesden Junction garage with more to fol-low, and Strong gantry washes at Konectbus in Dereham, London United in twickenham, ipswich Buses and Lucketts travel.

Smith Brothers & Webb is able to tailor machines to suit customer requirements, and it recently fitted Automatic Number Plate Recogni-tion cameras to a Britannia system for trentbarton to look after nine new coaches for its f lagship Red Arrow express service running between Derby and Nottingham.

A special wash programme ensures none of the new coaches are damaged by being accidentally put through the wrong wash cycle with the use of the ANPR camera.www.sbw-wash.com

hUNteRS Auto electrical engi-neering offers operators a complete supply-and-fit solution for USB charging units for passengers.

installations are carried out by the firm’s own team of PSV electri-cal engineers and the work can be undertaken at a time to suit opera-tors.

Complete supply-and-fit pack-

USB charging deal from Huntersages start from £699 plus VAt, and include product support and warranty.

hunters says it has a strong rep-utation in the industry for expert installation of new and emerging products, and can offer operators a complete project management solution for fleets and retrofits. www.haee.co.uk

MORE WORK SPACEAt AC Hydraulic we’ve spent years engineering quality lifting equipment that helps businesses like yours to grow. Our Inground Lift for example is so ergonomically designed that it is hardly there at all. For you, this means

ways to increase productivity and reduce down time – and there’s nothing else like it in the UK market.

To give your business a lift, come and talk to us and try our products at the CV Show, stand number 4F99

For more details call 01257 474737or learn more at www.ac-hydraulic.com

30-75 tonnes capacity

43746 AC Hydraulic bus and coach ad 170x245mm [1].indd 1 31/03/16 11.27


34 April 2016

Expansion plans at Britcom to meet growing demandBRitCOm is planning to extend its operations at market Weighton and has recently gained planning permission for a new workshop building. the expansion is in response to what Britcom says is a sustained increase in business for its vehicle engineering and bodyshop departments over the past two years. “We have decided that the time is right to increase our capacity in this area,” says a spokesperson.

the new facility will include four additional engineering bays with an overhead crane, together with a second commercial paint-shop and associated preparation area. tenders have been issued to contractors and Britcom hopes to complete the build and be fully operational by the end of 2016. www.britcom.co.uk Britcom to add new workshop building.

Additional Omnibus applications adopted by McGill’smCGiLL’S, Scotland’s largest independent operator, has added to its existing Omnibus products of OmnitimeS, OmniBASe and Crewplan with the purchase of OmnimAP and OmniStOP.

in common with many opera-tors, the company had previously been using excel for systems such as bus stop displays. in order to improve and support the way the company promotes its services, it has now added OmniStOP.

“Our software needed to keep pace with our expansion as we simply needed more help with things like mapping,” says tom Cairns, Senior Commercial man-ager, mcGill’s. “We currently have one person managing our map-ping function and adding Omni-mAP will really help them.”

As it now has a range of Omni-bus solutions, the company has also added the file management

system OmnimAN to centralise all programmes and automatically back-up critical data. “We operate from several locations and many people need access to our opera-tional data, so OmnimAN will simplify access to our information across all sites,” adds Cairns.

And anticipating further growth for mcGill’s, Cairns is currently considering adding OmniDAS for driver and vehicle allocation and

OmniROtA to improve rota effi-ciencies, which would mean that mcGill’s has the complete Omni-bus suite of products.

“We currently use excel for our depot allocation, which leaves a lot open to interpretation,” says Cairns. “i had used OmniDAS in a previous role and found it to be a useful tool. it leaves no grey areas, so it is ideal for us.”www.omnibus.uk.com

McGill’s adds new Omnibus products.

35April 2016

Bus and Coach Professional is the only industry magazine

to deliver professionally written and presented features about

industry products and services.

busandcoach.com offers 24 hour access to the industry’s

leading news, jobs and vehicles sales.

We also have an unrivalled search facility and a substantial

archive of the best news and features from back issues.

It’s simple – just log-on to www.busandcoach.com

Whatever the subject – we’ve got it covered


36 April 2016

New EPM interfaces help provide operator efficiencieseP morris & Company reports that it is continuing to refine its analysis tools and working to cre-ate business process efficiencies for operators. Current develop-ments include work to link data from mobile defect card apps and telematics systems into the ePm engineering management Sys-tem.

ePm says that importing defect data into the system enables oper-ators to capture data efficiently from smartphones or mobile devices, and avoids the need for manual inputting which can often mean operators choosing not to digitise the records at all. Defect information can also be reconciled to etm data to ensure that there are records for all vehicles that

have operated in service, and the extensive reporting tools in the ePm engineering system can be used to identify key trends such as repeat defects by vehicle type, driver and engineer.

integrating defect card data links to the VOR log and job cards also ensures that a traffic office has up-to-date vehicle availability information via links to allocation software.

By providing interfaces from vehicle telematics systems, ePS says it is able to extract live telem-etry data from vehicles to feed the defect log as well as other key systems with vehicle management data to ensure that engineers have early sight of vehicle defects, ena-bling them to adopt a more proac-

tive approach to maintenance.mileage data imported into the

system helps calculate the fuel con-sumption factor for BSOG claims, as well as tyre leasing returns and vehicle performance analysis. this can provide a number of efficien-cies, particularly where operators are recording and entering manual odometer readings, according to eP morris. And it also negates the cost of replacing odometer units or calibrating on-board devices that record mileage through electronic fuel systems.

the data can also be used to identify driver behaviour which feeds driver risk scores into ePm’s Operational Performance mod-ule.www.epmorris.co.uk

Nick Bland, Arriva London South.Malcolm Maycock, Licence Bureau.

Compliance system delivered for Arriva London South driversLiCeNCe Bureau is providing driver licence checking, and com-pliance solutions for Arriva Lon-don South’s 1,500 drivers. the hemel hempstead-based com-pany has rolled out its Compliance managed Services (CmS) portal to Arriva London South, at garages in Brixton, Croydon, Norwood and thornton heath.

the drivers will have their licences checked twice yearly, allowing managers to monitor whether there are any changes to a driver’s entitlement to drive. the CmS produces alerts on critical risk factors such as drivers holding an invalid licence with particular emphasis on their Category D enti-tlement.

Licence Bureau is also develop-ing bespoke reports through the CmS, to be used for the operator’s twice-yearly internal audit.

“having over 1,500 driv-ers operating daily poses some unique challenges for ensuring

they remain compliant,” says mal-colm maycock, managing director, Licence Bureau. “Our CmS ena-bles Arriva London South to man-age their drivers, allowing them to focus on the job at hand – trans-porting their passengers across the capital.”

Nick Bland, general manager, Arriva London South, adds: “Licence Bureau’s service and por-tal delivers to our exact require-

ments. their unique alerts system flags any changes in our drivers’ entitlement to drive, providing our operational managers with accurate and timely compliance data. this, combined with their professional and helpful support team, provides an invaluable serv-ice with a partnership approach to the challenges linked to managing a large driver workforce.”www.licencebureau.co.uk

33April 2016

Call 0844 561 8862 or email [email protected] www.haee.co.uk

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focus on cv show

Full range on display from Bowmonk-Tapley and In-CarPCBrake tester manufacturer Bowmonk-Tapley along with its in-vehicle computer division, In-CarPC, will be exhibiting again at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC next month.

As well as the DVSA-approved portable brake testers, the popular time-saving ABS sensor tester, Bowmonk SensorCheck, will also be displayed on the stand as well as the commercial trailer power unit, Bowmonk TrailerCheck which can power a trailer’s electrical system remotely when there is no truck available, enabling the operator to identify any faults.

Other products on show will be a comprehen-sive ‘all air’ On Board Weigh Scale live demonstra-tion unit, which will be accompanied by a system that caters for all mechanically-suspended, rigid-framed vehicles.

Making its debut on the stand this year will be a Tyre Pressure Monitoring system specifically for trucks, trailers and coaches. The Conti Pressure

Check is a comprehensive, in-cab tyre pressure monitoring system which provides a constant, real-time display of the pressure and temperature of every tyre on the vehicle/trailer and alerts the driver to any status change by way of an audi-ble and visual alarm giving them time to stop and investigate, and avoiding the potentially danger-ous situation of a blow-out.

Also on display will be a portable exhaust filtra-tion system for commercial vehicles. This will allow a diesel engine to be run while in a confined space such as a workshop service bay or showroom.

Bowmonk’s In-CarPC division will be bringing a range of rugged, compact in-vehicle computers and routers to the CV Show. In-CarPC’s comput-ers can be used for CCTV, live communications and tracking, on-board stock control, navigation, and provision of high-reliability wi-fi hotspots for mobile devices.

www.bowmonk.com

New digifobpro from Tachosys Stand 5G01

Some operators view the tachograph as a costly legal obligation but Tachosys claims that its systems have been able to help operators save time, efficiently centralise their tachograph data and harvest valuable information.

This year’s CV Show sees Tachosys launch a new version of its digifobpro, a hand-held tool for downloading vehicle units and driver cards and providing comprehensive tachograph analysis. Tachosys claims that the digifobpro is preferred by many enforcement officers throughout Europe for its full and accurate information.

SensorCheck from Bowmonk.

Stand 4D30

The new product has a colour screen, long-life lithium battery and a modern menu system. The associated software is designed to provide easy configuration and smooth integration with any analysis software.

Celebrating its 25th year in 2016, Tachosys will also be displaying the digiDL which automates driver card and vehicle unit downloads and inte-grates directly with main service providers. The digiDL also supports both Driver Decision Support (DDS) and Counter (VDO) which allows operators to see drivers’ hours rules in real-time.

www.tachosys.com

38 April 2016

43April 2016

5J131...see you there!

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See us on stand 4H01 at theCommercial Vehicle Show 2016

focus on cv show

one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of hydraulic lifting equipment is taking a stand at the CV Show for the first time to launch its Inground Lift in the UK market.

AC Hydraulic A/S is a family-owned Danish-based manufacturer of hydraulic lifting equipment for the automotive vehicle industry, and has been operating for more than 50 years. It has now set up an office in the Bolton area and recently appointed Carlo Alaroni as UK business development man-ager in order to focus on the UK’s automotive vehi-cle aftermarket sales and service industry.

“We see a growing potential for business devel-opment in the UK’s automotive vehicle after-market,” says Alaroni. “The CV Show is a great platform for us to create a higher awareness of what we have to offer the British market as well as a perfect opportunity for us to demonstrate how our Inground Lifts differ from standard lifts for commercial vehicles.”

AC Hydraulic’s lift is developed specially to meet the challenges of more and more low-floored com-mercial vehicles coming into the market. It says that the lift allows technicians to gain access to all

AC Hydraulic to premiere its lifting solutions at CV Show Stand 4F99

parts of the vehicle, and also offers a completely flat and obstacle-free floor when not in use. With a lifting capacity of 30-75 tonnes the lift will accom-modate every lifting task in a commercial vehicle workshop, according to AC Hydraulic.

“The lift is so ergonomically designed and so easy to use that it is one of the most effective ways to increase productivity and reduce downtime,” adds Alaroni. “I have over 35 years’ in-depth expe-rience of the UK’s automotive vehicle aftermarket sales and service industry, and I can honestly say that I have never seen a commercial vehicle lift like this in the UK. It combines all the preferred func-tions from other types of lifts, and on top of that the investment future-proofs the workshop in the sense that no vehicle will ever be too low to drive on to the lift.

“Workshop safety will always be part of the garage agenda and high quality never lets you down.”

The Inground Lift will be displayed alongside a wide range of AC Hydraulic’s other lifting equip-ment including jacking beams and pit jacks.

www.ac-hydraulic.dk

ComplianCe and tachograph specialist Tru-Tac, is launching a series of new product features at this year’s CV Show. Among the launches is a TruControl product for tach-ograph analysis in a variety of languages, including French, Polish and Welsh. TruTac says that the new language options have been driven by customer demand, and opens up European opportunities.

Within the TruControl product there are new features including eSignLive for secure digital sig-nature capture and a range of reporting enhance-ments. New reports include fixed penalty fines added to the drivers’ letter which indicates what level fine the infringement may have attracted, and if the driver had been stopped by the authorities

TruTac's new features at CV Show Stand 4H01

and issued a fixed penalty. In addition, a new Driver Licence Expiry report

shows the expiry date and driving licence number, as well as employment number for easier filtering and category selection. The range of automated reports has also been increased to enable easier management of key compliance data.

The TruCheck product for daily driver walk-round checks has been enhanced with new graphics and easier to manage functions. The TruChecks app is now available on Android, Apple and Win-dows operating systems. Completed checks are instantly viewable to enable managers to immedi-ately view defect reports and take action accord-ing to the severity of the defect.

www.trutac.co.uk

April 201640

ROOM TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

At AC Hydraulic we’ve spent years engineering quality lifting equipment that helps businesses like yours to grow. Our Inground Lift for example is so ergonomically designed that it is hardly there at all. For you, this means

ways to increase productivity and reduce down time – and there’s nothing else like it in the UK market.

To give your business a lift, come and talk to us and try our products at the CV Show, stand number 4F99

For more details call 01257 474737or learn more at www.ac-hydraulic.com

30-75 tonnes capacity

43746 AC Hydraulic bus and coach ad 170x245mm [1].indd 2 31/03/16 11.27

focus on cv show

at this year’s CV Show, Road Tech will intro-duce its fifth transport system, CheckMas-ter, a new driver licence checking system, which has a direct link to the DVLA to offer ‘instant’ checks.

Road Tech says that up until now, the industry had to use different software systems from differ-ent suppliers to gain visibility and tighter control of transport operations. “These systems generally, have either no or, minimal integration with each other and are therefore, unable to pass informa-tion to each other,” says a spokesperson. “We think that this is a very backward way of working and far from an ideal situation for the users.

“Consequently we now offer multiple integrated systems, which include our Licence Check Sys-tem, CheckMaster; Walk-Around Check and Damage Reporting System, PreDrive; Transport Management System, Roadrunner; Tachograph analysis system, Tachomaster; and Falcon vehi-cle tracking. Each of these systems integrate with each other and in doing so, offer an integration growth path which you can build on to receive

Road Tech extends its range with new licence checker Stand 5J111

Falcon analytics from Road Tech.

management information and integrated reporting automatically, from across your operation.”

Road Tech adds that users can receive informa-tion from these systems from within Tachomaster, making it unnecessary to spend time and effort going in and out of different packages to gain vital operational and management information.

www.roadtech.co.uk

Bus and Coach Professional is the only industry magazine

to deliver professionally written and presented features about

industry products and services.

busandcoach.com offers 24 hour access to the industry’s

leading news, jobs and vehicles sales.

We also have an unrivalled search facility and a substantial

archive of the best news and features from back issues.

It’s simple – just log-on to www.busandcoach.com

Whatever the subject – we’ve got it covered

April 201642

Engines & Transmissions

44 April 201644 April 2016

Advances in transmissions and engine systems can deliver much-needed savings in fuel economy and emissions.Steve Banner reports

continued page 44 ➜

Taking a proactive approach to improving the per formance of existing, conventionally-engineered, drivelines can cut fuel usage and emissions without the need to resort to alternative methods of propulsion. admittedly the improvements may not

be as dramatic; but they are still worth having. now offered as standard on all its bus

transmissions, Voith Turbo’s SensoTop can optimise gear change patterns by taking into account

Extracting more from the traditional driveline

the steepness of the hill the bus is ascending or descending, the rate at which it is accelerating and a variety of other factors. Voith can take things a stage or two further however, says Uk sales and marketing manager John Domigan.

To optimise changes even more precisely it can plug a computer into a transmission’s ECU then send the bus out on the route it usually serves. “With the information that we obtain we can tune the

Allison T3280 xFE box on trial on an NCT Enviro200.


©2016 Cummins Ltd., Yarm Road, Darlington, DL1 4PW, UK

Cummins SmartEfficiency means working with customers to tailor our engines in their vehicles for improved fuel efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and the lowest total cost of operation.

We are developing a range of future-proof solutions to support this. Recently announced is the first conventional bus Stop-Start system saving 4-7% in fuel consumption, reduced NOx and improved passenger and pedestrian comfort.

Make Cummins your engine of choice.

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Bus&CoachProf_SmartEfficiencyAd.170x245.indd 1 01/04/2016 13:38


46 April 201646 April 2016


transmission in line with the journey and determine exactly when it needs to drop a gear or hold a gear,” he says.

Even better, Voith can get involved with the operator and the manufacturer of the vehicle before it is constructed. “That way we can consider the entire driveline including the engine and the axle ratios so we can match everything to the route’s requirements,” Domigan says.

He is understandably cautious about over-playing the level of diesel savings such steps can achieve. “Typically the operator should be able to reduce consumption by from 2 to 3 per cent,” he observes.

Other transmission manufacturers offer a route-related driveline consultancy, including ZF. its recommendations have driven bus fuel usage down by up to 4 per cent it says.

The operating cycle transmissions are subjected to has a bearing on how much maintenance they require.

Voith’s DiWa Smartnet 2.0 telemetry regularly extracts and analyses the operational and service data of DiWa transmissions. Operators are then automatically notified of any impending malfunctions so that appropriate preventive steps can be taken and a sudden failure avoided.

allison has been working along similar lines to SensoTop with its Fuel Sense, Fuel Sense Plus and Fuel Sense Max packages.

in 2015 it introduced a new range of automatic bus transmissions under the xFE banner. it has had a T3280 xFE box on trial with nottingham City Transport (nCT) in an aDL Enviro200 for a year configured to achieve better fuel economy in low-average-speed urban duty cycles with frequent stopping and starting; exactly the sort of road conditions that are regularly encountered in and around nottingham.

Run on routes 40 and 42, the bus achieved an 8.15 per cent cut in fuel consumption compared with what was being achieved previously on the same work with an allison T280 transmission.

“Just a five per cent improvement in fuel consumption gives us an extra 2,000 miles each year for the same amount of fuel,” says nCT engineering director gary Mason.

The next challenge for bus companies may involve deciding how frequently they want the stop/start system to kick in.

Last October’s Busworld show in kortrijk, Belgium saw Cummins introduce stop/start on iSB Euro 6 diesels as part of its SmartEfficiency initiative.

“We have developed a system that delivers fuel and CO2 savings of from 4 to 7 per cent without the need for significant operator investment and that meets the durability requirements of city bus duty cycles,” says Cummins global bus engine business

Cummins' Stop-Start testing.

© 2016 ALLISON TRANSMISSION INC.

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48 April 201648

converter, which means you get a delay when the engine re-starts before you can move away.”

That can have a cumulative effect on journey times if buses are always slow off the mark. “So you have to determine how often you can allow that to happen,” he observes.

“One option could be to ensure Stop-Start only functions when the doors are opened,” he suggests. That means it will only be activated at bus stops, not when the vehicle is stationary at the traffic lights or stuck in heavy traffic.

“Our converter is mounted in the middle of the transmission however so it’s less of a challenge for us than it might be for others,” Domigan remarks.

in this context it is worth noting that the latest DiWa.6 auto box is available with automatic neutral Shift. This ensures the engine is decoupled from the transmission when the bus is stationary while passengers are boarding and alighting, thereby saving fuel.

also heading down the stop/start route is ZF. it was promoting a package for its EcoLife automatic transmission at Busworld with fuel consumption cuts of up to 10 per cent in prospect. Both the converter and the lock-up clutch have been strengthened.

The way ZF’s automatic bus transmissions are designed makes it easier to offer stop/start says Uk OE account manager, nigel Marson. “Because we can rely on the pressure from the retarder accumulator that means the bus can be re-started more quickly and move away more promptly,” he contends.

“Furthermore, there is no limit on the number of stops and starts our transmission can cope with and no restriction on how long the bus may remain stationary before a re-start takes place,” he adds. “That’s important because in some cases a bus may be at rest for up to three minutes while passengers


general manager kartik Ramanan. “Results so far have been excellent and we are also seeing a 30 to 40 per cent reduction in nOx emissions.”

noise and vibration is of course reduced when the bus stops.

“a vehicle could stop every minute, so to meet these tough operational needs we have re-designed critical engine components and have been validating them across a total of four million stop/starts,” he adds.

Component changes to the iSB engines include a new starter-motor which Cummins says is capable of handling 210,000 stop/starts and a new flywheel and ring gear. The engine speed sensor, wiring and con rod and crankshaft bearings are all new too, and the fuel system has been updated.

iSB with Stop-Start is already on trial in the Uk with national Express, First group and Stagecoach in conjunction with Voith transmissions, says Domigan.

“it’s been fitted to the Enviro200 and the Enviro400,” he reports. “it’s early days but things are going well so far from Voith’s perspective, the driveline is proving to be robust and we’re expecting fuel economy improvements of from three to five per cent.

“We believe we can win business from our transmission industry competitors as a consequence. There is no added weight burden and there are no additional maintenance requirements.”

iSB’s software has been upgraded to manage the technology and provide flexible architecture, enabling customers to choose what they want from it and tailor it to their operations. That may involve ensuring that the engine does not cut out each and every time the bus comes to a halt, says Domigan.

“at present it’s typically being set at around 15 stops and starts an hour though that will probably increase,” he says. “The issue is that every time you stop, the engine oil drains away from the torque

Flybrid KERS.

45April 2016

Performance Analysis, Optimisation and Management

Helping bus operators optimise and streamline their business processes, make savings and maximise profitability.

For more information or a demonstration of these or any of our other products and services, please contact us.Tel: 01527 556940 Email: [email protected] Web: www.epmorris.co.uk

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Engineering Management System (EMS)EMS is a suite of tools designed to save you time, prevent breakdowns, and ultimately safeguard the reliability and quality of the services you provide.The software package is designed specifically for the bus industry with VOSA in mind and has been developed in collaboration with some of the biggest operators in the UK.

Operational Performance Module (OPM)Protect your reputation through the prevention and controlled management of incidents.Efficiently manage driver performance by integrating data from depots and head office information systems.Break down barriers to usage and improve passenger satisfaction by easily identifying customer needs and responding to feedback.


50 April 201650

year. arriva hopes to start deploying Flybrid kERS across its fleet in the autumn.

The growing sophistication of transmissions looks set to pose repairers and rebuilders - especially those without a direct link to one of the big manufacturers - with increasingly severe challenges. They have risen to them in the past however and seem sure that they can rise to them again.

Ossett, Wakefield-based Queensbridge PSV for example remains confident that it can rebuild virtually all the different types of transmission in service with Uk bus and coach operators. With 30,000sq ft of workshop space and a team of technicians with a wide range of skills, it will happily tackle modern fully-automatic transmissions, epicyclic boxes such as those that used to be fitted by Volvo and Leyland and manual bus and coach boxes too.

nor does it limit its activities to the Uk. it has close ties with US Bus Company of Charlotte, north Carolina, USa, which specialises in importing classic British double-deckers and the parts to go with them - and that includes gearboxes.

board and alight.”Stop/start has of course been available for some

time on diesel-electric hybrid buses. Torotrak group makes the point that there is more than one kind of hybrid and contends that mechanical hybridisation in the form of its Flybrid kERS (kinetic Energy Recovery System) can deliver significant savings.

Flybrid kERS employs a steel and carbon flywheel spinning at up to 30,000rpm that is used to store kinetic energy captured when the bus brakes and which would normally be lost. it is then delivered back to the road wheels which means the engine does not have to work quite so hard when the vehicle accelerates and as a consequence does not burn so much fuel.

“The additional capital investment needed for a Flybrid installation is one quarter of the extra investment required for a full battery-electric hybrid and the payback timescale of less than five years is wholly realistic,” Torotrak contends. “it has a design life of 1 million km, 40,000 hours of operation and 8 million charge and discharge cycles - effectively equivalent to the working life of the vehicle to which it is fitted.”

a trial of a Flybrid kERS in a Wrightbus StreetLite in service in gillingham in kent that began in March 2015 has just been completed and was conducted by Torotrak in conjunction with Wrightbus and arriva.

Feedback from the trial means that a second-generation package with 30 per cent fewer parts and 80kg lighter than its predecessor is now under test on rigs and in a Euro 6 StreetLite. it incorporates a simpler clutched flywheel transmission system which should lead to greater efficiency when torque is being transferred.

Having undergone further trials it is likely to be available in production Wrightbus models later this

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The latest bus and coach deliveries who buys what

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Platinum Express take latest Scania Touring

Richmond’s coaches has added three 9.2m solos to its fleet. The solos seat up to 30 and will serve routes 386 and 90/91 for hertfordshire county council following a recent tender award.

“As part of our service to the local community we operate in, we are always looking for the most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient ways to transport our passengers around hertford-shire,” says Andrew Richmond, managing direc-tor at Richmond’s coaches.

“The solo with the latest Euro 6 engine meets

our requirements perfectly,” “We currently have six solos in the fleet includ-

ing the three new ones. “We bought our first solo in 2000 and have

always bought them new. “our experience has been excellent with optare

giving great back up to the product and we have had great feedback from the passengers and driv-ers. should we need another bus a solo would be our choice.”www.optare.com

PlATinum Express of Wolverhampton has taken a new scania Touring 12.1m full execu-tive specification coach. The vehicle features 49 Kiel reclining seats, three-point seatbelts, centre sunken toilet, drinks machine, dVd player and two monitors and durabright alloy wheels.

“We looked at every option currently available on the market and time and time again kept com-ing back to the scania Touring,” says Platinum Express managing director daniel caddick. “no other vehicle seemed to come close in terms of value for money.

“The coach looks impressive from both an operator and customer point-of-view and with

the R&m support package included gave us the confidence we needed in the partner we chose.”www.scania.co.uk

51April 2016 51

who buys what The latest bus and coach deliveries

52 April 2016

Heading

52 April 2016

New Volvo B8R Plaxton for Woodstones Coaches

Dews Coaches adds another Tourismo M

WoodsTonEs coaches of Kidder-minster has upgraded its fleet having recently taken delivery of a new Plax-ton-bodied Volvo B8R. The new coach is the fourth Euro 6 vehicle delivered to the Worcestershire operator.

“our business is growing and we wanted to add another quality vehicle that would be reliable, had a strong kerb appeal and with great fuel econ-omy, which would add significantly to our green credentials,” says managing director Richard meredith.

“This delivery also provides us with an opportunity to continue the suc-cessful working relationship that we have established with Volvo and Plaxton over a number of years. our six-vehicle fleet is all speci-fied on the Volvo chassis and we like the handling of the B8R and the Plaxton body styling.”

Volvo coach sales in coventry supplied the vehicles and Richard meredith confirmed that Volvo’s localised back up and support is of sig-nificant benefit to Woodstones, when required.

“We will always consider Volvo when it comes

to purchasing a new vehicle for our f leet and would be happy to recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, fuel efficient vehicle,” says meredith.

Woodstones coaches has been operating since 1957 in Kidderminster, moving to modern pur-pose built premises on hoo Farm industrial Estate in 1983.www.volvobus.com

somERshAm, cambridgeshire-based dews coaches has added another mercedes-Benz Tour-ismo m to its fleet, built to Travel specification.

The new Tourismo m joins several other Tourismos and Tourismo ms already in service. seating 57 in Travel star Eco upholstery with leather headrests, the new Tourismo m is powered by a mercedes-Benz om 470, 315kW engine paired with an 8-speed Powershift auto-matic gearbox.

The coach features arm and foot rests with fold-out trays, pleated privacy cur-tains, full air-conditioning and tinted PARsol privacy glass.

The new Tourismo m delivered to dews coaches was supplied by mer-cedes-Benz coach sales at EvoBus (uK). www.evobus.co.uk

The latest bus and coach deliveries who buys what

53April 2016

Heading

suRREy operator Passenger Plus has taken deliv-ery of its first Volvo, a 41-seater B8R sc5.

“Recognising that our customers travelling in smaller numbers demand the same safety, com-fort and luggage capacity that they enjoy on our full-size vehicles we have invested in a 41-seater

Passenger Plus takes its first Volvo coach

BluEBiRd coaches (Weymouth) has taken delivery of a 13.9m Vdl Futura Fhd2 coach powered by a 10.9l 320kW dAF mX11 engine with ZF As-Tronic 12As2301Bo transmission and ZF intarder3.

The coach has 48 Vdl class 500 reclining seats with sideways movement, contrasting embroi-dered leather headrests and piping, three-point

New VDL Futura for Bluebird Coaches

seatbelts, individual adjustable footrests, maga-zine nets, seat-back tables and armrests finished with wood-effect finish. There are also usB charging sockets at each seat and the driver and courier seats are trimmed in leather.

The coach was supplied by moseley in the south.www.moseleysouth.co.uk

coach” says Passenger Plus managing director mark drury. “This is our first Volvo pur-chase, adding to a mixed f leet of 20 vehicles and the Volvo B8R sc5 was a perfect fit for us with the latest generation Euro 6 engine, which already exceeds the requirements of the lon-don ultra low Emission Zone scheduled for 2020.”

Volvo retail bus & coach sales manager, Richard mann, adds: “We are delighted to supply Passenger Plus with their first Volvo, a coach which incorpo-rates a Volvo B8R Euro 6 chassis

with the sunsundegui sc5 bodywork and offers the best in fuel efficiency and versatile opera-tion.”

The B8R sc5 is available with 38/41 seats and measures just over 10m in length.www.volvobus.com

who buys what The latest bus and coach deliveries

54 April 2016

nEW Adventure Travel Group started out run-ning four vehicles, but has now grown to become one of south Wales’ major operators with more than 75 vehicles in its f leet. The operator’s clients include swansea city Football club and the cardiff devils hockey club. new Adventure has operated two mercedes-Benz citaros since sep-tember 2015 and has now taken delivery of another citaro for its regional bus services.

The new bus has city star Eco seating, an elec-tronic heating system and panoramic windows.

Power is provided by a mercedes-Benz om 936h 220kW Euro Vi engine, coupled to a 6-speed

Additional Citaro for New Adventure Travel

John martin coaches has invested in a new mer-cedes-Benz Tourismo m, built to top-of-the-range Touring Plus specification. Based in Bath, somer-set, the company was established in 1999, by the husband and wife teams John and lynda Tamblyn and martin and Judy Rawlings. John and martin have more than 50 years’ combined experience

New Tourismo M for John Martin Coaches

ZF Ecolife automatic transmission. new Adventure Travel Group’s most recent

mercedes-Benz citaro was supplied by mercedes-Benz Bus sales at EvoBus (uK). www.evobus.co.uk

in the travel busi-ness and operate a fleet of largely mer-cedes-Benz vehi-cles on private hire, day excursions and extended holiday tours throughout the uK and Europe.

The new Tour-ismo m seats 53 in leather luxline upholster y, plus arm and foot rests, fold-out trays and dual electric folding 19-in lcd monitors paired to a Bosch

audio/visual system. Additional features include wi-fi preparation, wood-effect flooring and tinted PARsol privacy window glass.

Power is delivered by a mercedes-Benz om470 290kW engine combined with a 6-speed ZF Ecol-ife automatic gearbox. www.evobus.co.uk

April 2016 coachtourismprofessional.co.uk 55

Touring

ETOA says Belgium’s borders remain open for coach groups

At the annual National Express Operator awards held in Coventry, Edwards Coaches won four awards, including, ‘High Achiever Award’, ‘Gold Standard Operator’, ‘Engineering Gold Standard’

and ‘Winner, 21+ Vehicle Operator’. Edwards operates 36 National Express vehicles

from its headquarters in Pontypridd, South Wales on routes to London Victoria coach station, Heathrow, Gatwick, Rochdale and Bradford, covering around 11 million miles per year.

Jason Edwards, commercial director, says: “It’s such a great honour for Edwards Coaches to be recognised by National Express. Our partnership continues to grow and develop and with these awards, it’s a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by our staff and National Express on improving passenger safety and comfort”.

The awards come as Edwards Coaches is expecting the delivery of 13 new Volvo coaches for National Express work representing an investment of £3.7million.

www.edwardscoaches.co.uk

Free access to Belgium will continue as normal this summer, according to the European Tour Operators Association in response to recent speculation that controls on air arrivals will be extended to

land borders. ETOA has obtained assurances that coach groups can expect continued ‘borderless’ access when arriving from any of the neighbouring countries.

“We know there has been some confusion in the marketplace, and so I am delighted to confirm that there are no plans to impose systematic checks on vehicles at the Belgian border,” says Peter de Wilde, chief executive, Visit Flanders.

“We know that Flanders features in many pan-

Edwards wins more NX awards and invests in new fleet

European itineraries, and it is important that incoming visitors – especially those from long haul origin markets – know that they are welcome. Part of that welcome is the continuation of the unfettered access allowed to those coming in from our neighbouring countries.”

“Belgium lies at the heart of Europe,” says Tom Jenkins, CEO of ETOA, “and Brussels is the centre of the EU. With its incomparable architectural heritage, its culture and cuisine, Brussels embodies much of what makes Europe attractive and unique. It is vital for visitors to Europe that they can have unimpeded access to such an important destination.”

www.etoa.org

Jason Edwards.

April 201656 coachtourismprofessional.co.uk

Coach Friendly

In addition to its existing Coach Friendly awards for towns and destinations, CPT has launched a new scheme to recognise visitor attractions that go the extra mile to provide a warm welcome to groups arriving by coach.

The first Coach Friendly Visitor Attraction awards were presented to Woburn Abbey & Gardens, West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park and Sabrina Boats (Shrewsbury) at the British Tourism & Travel Show in Birmingham last month.

“CPT is delighted to add visitor attractions to its extremely popular and well respected Coach Friendly status,” says CPT’s Alf Scrimgour. “This new status provides the ideal platform for the coach industry to showcase visitor attractions across the UK that do their utmost to welcome and provide a

CPT introduces new Coach Friendly awards for attractions

comfortable and enjoyable trip for coach groups and parties.

“It has also been designed to help raise levels of awareness and standards across the coach tourism industry for the benefit of coach operators, passengers and the attractions themselves.”

The attractions are granted Coach Friendly status for three years.

“We are thrilled to be one of the first recipients of this status,” says West Midlands Safari Park guest relations officer Sue Day. “It is a great accolade to be identified as an attraction whose services provided to the coach industry not only meets their approval but is recognised by them in such a tangible manner.

“We consider the coach operators who visit us to be a vital part of our business and have always tried to work alongside them to make any necessary improvements to our attraction and the experience that we offer to their passengers.”

Lisa Weaver, Woburn Abbey & Gardens adds: “At Woburn we pride ourselves on our dedication

Alf Scrimgour,CPT; and Lisa Weaver, Woburn Abbey & Gardens.

April 2016 coachtourismprofessional.co.uk 57

Coach Friendly

to be coach and groups friendly. The status offers us the opportunity to demonstrate how we go out of our way to truly welcome coaches, coach drivers, groups and group leaders to the Woburn Estate, allowing groups and tour operators to book with confidence.”

CPT says that the Coach Friendly Visitor Attractions guarantee to provide a range of features including exceptional coach, driver and passenger facilities; dedicated information for coach tours on an easy-to-use website; clear directional instructions and signs for visiting coaches and their parties; evidence the attraction welcomes coach groups and liaises with local bodies on issues relating to coaches; and dedicated and adequate coach parking as well as toilets, refreshments, and waiting areas.

At the BTTS show, CPT also handed out its latest Coach Friendly’ Towns, Cities & Villages awards with Bournemouth and Blackpool named as the 2016 recipients.

“Both towns are well established, famous seaside resorts that have made great strides in recent years to make sure that their offer to coaches, drivers and passengers is second to none,” says Scrimgour.

“Having worked closely with local bus and coach companies, during my recent assessment visit I was delighted to learn that Blackpool and Bournemouth have introduced additional drop-off zones, made major changes to coach parks – including increased security measures due to the

implementation of lighting and CCTV – and vastly improved facilities for drivers and vehicles.

“Both towns have fully grasped the importance of the coach industry to its local economy and present a true ‘Coach Friendly’ face to the industry.”

Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, adds: “Blackpool has a long and successful association with coach travel, stretching right back to the days of the horse-drawn vehicle and this new status is a wonderful reflection of the continued commitment that the resort makes to both coach travellers and operators.

“We have invested in some important initiatives recently to make access to the resort even smoother for coaches, enabling travellers to make the very most of their visit here. The award is also particularly timely as this year, Blackpool will be hosting the national UK Coach Rally in May, which will see coaches displayed along the Promenade between Central Pier and North Pier.”

Previous winners of CPT’s Coach Friendly Award are: Alnwick, Burnham-on-Sea, Bury, Cardiff, Chester, Chesterfield, Coventry, Devizes, Eden Valley, Ironbridge, Lichfield, Liverpool, Llandudno, Nantwich, Perth, Rochester, Salisbury, Scarborough, Shrewsbury, Southport, Stratford-on-Avon, and Windsor.

www.cpt-uk.org

Mark Smith and Sheena Leaman, Tourism Bournemouth; with Alf Scrimgour and Karen Tiley, CPT.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Travel 45 stock available immediatelyExciting and varied upholstery options, highly customisable and all bene tting from Euro VI e ciency. All are available for immediate delivery. For more information please contact your Area Sales Manager.

Phillip Cowdery 07831 135477 North West & North WalesJames Kay 07725 960373 East, East Anglia & South YorkshireLee Hake 07887 830727 London & South EastGary Owen 07753 856052 South West, Wales & West MidlandsNeil Gladstone 07768 594484 ROI & Northern IrelandDavid Hobson 07798 814850 North & ScotlandChris Lawder 07764 987510 Fleet Minibus Sales ManagerLee Gibson 07831 135455 Senior Manager

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