20/05/2009
- Stagecoach Bluebird and Stagecoach in Fife in line for top award
- Both shortlisted for Public Transport Operator of the Year award
Two Stagecoach bus companies are competing for a top honour at the 2009 National Transport Awards.
Stagecoach Bluebird and Stagecoach in Fife have both been shortlisted for the prestigious Chris Moyes Award for Public Transport Operator of the Year.
The two companies will be up against several other bus and rail operators for the title at the awards ceremony on 22 July at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.
Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Les Warneford said: "It's extremely pleasing to have two of our companies shortlisted for such a high-profile award. Across our UK Bus operations we are committed to excellence, innovation, sustainability and delivering a high standard of customer service to our passengers, and we will strive to attract even more people to our greener, smarter bus travel."
Stagecoach in Fife carries more than 30 million passengers a year and has undertaken a number of successful initiatives that have attracted new customers to public transport, including the Ferrytoll park and ride operation and the company's commitment to a carbon neutral network between Fife and Edinburgh. Stagecoach in Fife has also been involved in bus partnership schemes with local authorities and has made a multi-million-pound investment in new coaches for its express network.
Stagecoach Bluebird carries over 17 million passengers and operates over 17 million miles a year. The company has achieved passenger growth through continued investment, close working partnerships, the introduction of new products and services and through a number of improvements to existing routes. Stagecoach Bluebird has successfully run leading edge marketing campaigns and is committed to on-going training and development and first class customer relations.
The 2009 National Transport Awards are organised in association with Transport Times with the support of the Department for Transport and the Local Transport Planning Network. The awards recognise transport professionals and providers who have made a real difference to the UK transport system.
A total of 19 awards will be presented across a range of categories, recognising excellence in transport delivery, travel information and marketing, innovation, walking and cycling, sustainable transport, bus and rail services, accessibility and customer service.
Stagecoach has won a clutch of awards within the past year. At the 2008 UK Bus Awards, for the second year in a row, the company won more honours than any other operator by claiming three awards and two runner-up spots.
In December last year, Stagecoach was named as one of Britain's top ten Most Admired Companies in an authoritative survey of corporate reputation by Management Today and also collected an award for top company in the transport sector. Conducted by Nottingham Business School, the survey looked at a range of performance criteria, including community and environmental responsibility.
Stagecoach was also rated the most ethical of the UK's big five public transport groups in a survey carried out by the Observer newspaper in conjunction with Co-operative Asset Management in November 2008. The Group was rated in the top 10% of UK plcs in the second annual Good Companies Guide, which assesses the performance of all the shares in the FTSE 350 index against a range of social, environmental and ethical criteria.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
For further information contact:
Lindsay Reid
Corporate Communications Manager
Stagecoach Group
10 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 5TW
Phone: 01738 442111
Fax: 01738 443076
Mobile: 07500 446896
