On Board for Catch the Bus Week
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The newsletter of Stagecoach Group Issue 116 | July 2016 STAGE ON page 2 page 9 INSIDE Loopy birthday | New buses on the Triangle On board for Catch the Bus Week Stagecoach once again joined forces with Stagecoach as the best value major operator in on buses, to radio shows sustainable transport group Greener Journeys the country. broadcast live from the to promote the benefits of bus use through the Revenue from fares is reinvested in new vehicles top deck, we are fourth annual ‘Catch the Bus Week’. and improvements for customers. always bowled The campaign, which took place from 4–10 July, Earlier this year the company announced that a new over by the sheer drives awareness of the benefits of taking the bus fleet of around 480 vehicles, many equipped with breadth and scale and encourages people to make the switch from free wifi, will be introduced in the coming 2016–17 of the creativity on the car for some of their journeys. financial year. show during the Stagecoach’s bus companies, along with Greener The latest announcement takes Stagecoach Group’s week, and 2016 Journeys, and hundreds of other participants all over total orders of new buses and coaches to more than proved to be no the country – including bus companies, passenger £1billion since 2006/07, delivering more than 6,500 different. organisations and local authorities – promoted the new vehicles for passengers. “The bus provides a vital many benefits of bus travel through competitions, Robert Montgomery, Managing Director of lifeline for the youngest and bus road shows and on board entertainment. Stagecoach UK Bus said: “Catch the Bus Week is a oldest in society, so it is fantastic to see its worth There were activities to promote bus use with a great opportunity for our companies to join forces celebrated in such extravagant fashion.” particular focus on highlighting the possible financial with other local transport providers to promote the savings of taking the bus. benefits of bus travel for the local community. As well Research carried out by Stagecoach earlier this year as the obvious economic benefits for passengers, found commuters can save an average of around there is a whole range of environmental, health megabus.com £1,000 per year by catching the bus instead of and welfare benefits to bus travel. Our message is travelling to work by car – despite falling fuel prices simple; give the bus a try, it’s easy to use and good Europe deal at the pumps. for both your pocket and your health.” Stagecoach has been independently found to have Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, Stagecoach announced, as part of its annual the best value bus fares in Britain three times and commented: “Once again, we are delighted to see financial results, that it has agreed the sale a recent survey carried out by consumer group the entire bus sector coming together to promote of the retail operations of its megabus.com Transport Focus found that bus passengers rated the benefits of the bus. From dance troupes Europe business to Germany company FlixBus. The megabus.com Europe business comprises both retailing activities and coach operating activities. The retailing activities involve the South West Trains launches design of inter-city coach services, including their timetabling, co-ordination and marketing, as well as the pricing and sale of journeys on new app and website those services. The coach operating activities encompass the day-to-day operation and Rail passengers can now access the cheapest using Smartcard system and easy navigation staffing of the coach services. The sale to available tickets across the UK rail network with the of the site which adapts to different versions of FlixBus involves only the retailing part of the launch of a transformational new South West Trains smartphones, tablets and desktops. business. mobile app and website. Christian Roth, Managing Director of South West megabus.com is continuing to operate a A new powerful booking engine developed by South Trains, said: “Rail passengers tell us they want easy, number of services on European routes as a West Trains is the first of its kind to be created by a fast access to the cheapest ticket for their journey. contractor to FlixBus. train operator. It will drive both the southwesttrains. We’ve worked with customers and technology co.uk website and mobile app, searching for experts to deliver exactly that. The development of the cheapest available fares that can often be this very complex piece of IT technology on-time and unavailable through third party rail websites and on-budget means that we are now able to offer the other booking engines. easiest go-to resource to access the best value travel Passengers will have easy and fast access to the anywhere on the UK rail network.” cheapest fares, with no booking fees when buying The new South West Trains website is also part of tickets through the South West Trains website or app. an overall £11 million digital investment strategy The new digital tools provide a simpler, more flexible by Stagecoach Group which has already delivered and intuitive system for millions of rail passengers. a new bus online platform, providing live tracking Key features include a clean, modern layout; simple of every bus and ticket purchase direct from a online booking system; the option to buy tickets smartphone. 1 Did you know? Skegness Train Station now has a dedicated cleaning team ON STAGE What a Speaking up Bus Beat launch WE would like to take this chance to remind STAGECOACH has held its first Bus Beat session Laugh! employees about our whistleblowing policy called after teaming up with Police Community Support Posted on Twitter: Speaking Up. Officers (PCSO). For normal, everyday enquiries employees are The bus company partnered with the Horncastle “Always get mad twitches when I start falling advised to contact their line manager in the first Neighbourhood Policing Team to launch Bus asleep on public transport. Look like a funny instance. However, the Speaking Up policy provides a Beat – in the first session PCSO for Wragby, looney when my arms fly up in the air!” way for employees with serious concerns about the Lucy Holland-Hancock, travelled on the service If you have seen or heard something funny interests of others or the Group to come forward. between Wragby and Horncastle to provide – online, in the papers, on social media or just Staff are actively encouraged to report any concerns passengers with an on-board surgery. while out and about – send your contributions for about malpractice, including bribery, corrupt The session gave passengers the opportunity to the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition to practices and financial impropriety. Measures are in voice any concerns and seek advice on crime [email protected] place to ensure complaints are treated confidentially. prevention and other matters. All complaints are logged, investigated and Lucy said: “Our launch of Bus Beat went very appropriate action taken. well. The response from the passengers was very n Stagecoach buses aid Copies of the recently updated Speaking Up policy positive. They thought it was a great idea and are available online at www.stagecoach.com or look forward to seeing me on the bus on a regular Leicester celebrations from your line manager. For any questions, advice or basis.” STAGECOACH Midlands’ Stratford Upon Avon further information, please get in touch with one of Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director of depot provided two of the four open top buses, the following contacts: Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “It’s great that which were vinyl wrapped in Leicester City livery, we can provide passengers with this service for the celebratory street parade to mark the Andrew Levy, Stagecoach Group Legal Director as they may have questions for their PCSO but Foxes’ historic Premiership win. Phone: +44(0)20 7620 5976 simply don’t have the time to voice them. It’s also The football club’s players, directors, key staff Email: [email protected] an easy way to get useful advice.” and the team’s families boarded the buses at the Address: Stagecoach Group plc, Friars Bridge Court, King Power stadium and drove to the High Street 41-45 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NZ where the official parade began and a reported 250,000 people turned out to cheer the team Michael Vaux, Stagecoach Group Company along the hour long drive. Secretary Matt Begg and Leroy Bain, both inspectors at the Phone: +44(0)1738 642043 Stagecoach Midlands Head Office, drove the two Email: [email protected] Stagecoach buses. Matt said “It was really great Address: Stagecoach Group plc, 10 Dunkeld Road, to be involved in such an extraordinary event, but Perth, PH1 5TW it was scary driving with the crowd so close to the buses, even though we were going very slowly.” Lindsay Reid, Stagecoach Group Senior Group Communications Manager Phone: +44(0)1738 642019 Email: [email protected] Address: Stagecoach Group plc, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW Jazmine Estacio, General Counsel, Coach USA Phone: +1 (0)201 225 7587 Email: [email protected] The four parade buses parked outside the King Address: Coach USA, 160 South Route 17N, North Power stadium Paramus, New Jersey 07652 PCSO Lucy chats to passengers on the bus Loopy birthday celebrations THE STAGECOACH London part of the new Group Ham Garages were announced as the winners. intranet, The Loop, celebrated its first birthday recently. A competition was run on The Loop in the lead up The company – which was first to trial the new to the birthday celebrations with the top prize of an internal communications tool – marked the occasion iPad mini 4 being won by Lisa Bradbrook at Barking by giving all garages banners and balloons as well as Garage.