23/07/2009
Stagecoach Bluebird was last night (Wednesday 22 July) named Public Transport Operator of the Year at the 2009 National Transport Awards.
The Scottish company scooped the top bus operator award at a ceremony in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel after beating off competition from several other bus operators, including Stagecoach in Fife which was also shortlisted for the award.
Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Les Warneford said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award and to be recognised for our efforts to attract more people to greener, smarter bus travel.
“Across our UK Bus operations we are committed to excellence, innovation, sustainability and delivering a high standard of customer service to our passengers."
Stagecoach Bluebird now carries 12million passengers a year, up 3.11% on the previous year, with 95% punctuality. The company has also invested heavily in new vehicles with greener engines.
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.
Stagecoach Bluebird Managing Director Bryony Chamberlain added: “Partnership working is crucial to our success and I would like to thank all our partner organisations – in particular Aberdeenshire Council - for their continued support in our drive to provide first class bus services for passengers in the north of Scotland.”
The 2009 National Transport Awards were 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 were 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
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 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
