About Stagecoach South East

Key facts May 2016 – April 2017  

• 44.6 million passenger journeys 
• 20.6 million miles operated 
• 1,355 employees 
• 487 buses and coaches 
• 99.5% reliability 
• 94% punctuality

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Our passengers

We carried over 44.6 million passengers during the year.

We received a total of 3,093 passenger complaints about our services which equates to one complaint per 14,433 passengers.

We comply with our industry code of practice, and every complaint is investigated and action taken to avoid repetition of the problem.

Our staff

We are a major local employer with 1,049 drivers, 200 engineers and cleaners, and 106 support staff, supervisors and managers all based locally. 

Our drivers complete an ongoing programme to achieve their driver Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC).

Our engineers are all skilled workers and we currently employ 13 apprentices to provide skills for the future.

Our supervisors and managers have all completed relevant training courses for their various professions.

Our services

We operated over 20.6 million miles during the year. Our key measure of performance is the reliability and punctuality of our services.

In the past year we operated 99.5% of our scheduled services. We monitor our services for punctuality and 94% of our services operated within 5 minutes of their scheduled time, traffic congestion being the main reason for delay.

We continue to seek improvements both through rescheduling services and in discussions with our local highway authorities.

Our fares

We have been independently found to have the best value bus fares in Britain four times. A recent survey carried out by consumer group Transport Focus found that bus passengers rated Stagecoach as the best value major operator in the country.

In the South East we increased some of our fares by an average of 4% this year.

We have invested in new contactless technology, which enables customers to make fast, easy and secure cashless payments on all of our buses in the south east. Customers can also benefit from the convenience of using the Stagecoach Bus App    to instantly buy and download mobile day and weekly tickets to their smartphone.

Our fleet

We operate a fleet of 474 buses and 13 coaches and have a programme of investment that replaces older vehicles each year - our entire fleet is DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant.

New buses are introduced to our busiest routes, ensuring the highest possible number of customers benefit from these modern, comfortable and environmentally friendly vehicles.

All of our vehicles are inspected by our engineers every 4 weeks, to ensure safety and comfort. Every vehicle is cleaned daily.

Our environment

We used over 2.62 million gallons of diesel during the year, at an average of 7.86 miles per gallon. We are working to improve fuel consumption through technical measures, and all our drivers have completed a Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving course. 

All of our fleet (except biofuel buses) runs on low sulphur diesel, with a high-tech additive Envirox to reduce pollution and improve fuel consumption. Vehicle engines must meet increasingly higher Euro standards of exhaust emissions - 17% of our buses contain Euro 6 specification engines. 

We recycle most of our waste, such as litter, used oils, filters, batteries, parts, etc. We also recycle the water we use to wash our vehicles every night.

We have a company Green Team with members representing different job roles from all of our seven depots. The team has been given special training and looks at each depot’s energy, recycling and sustainability performance and suggests areas for further improvement.

All of our buses are equipped with an eco-driving system called Green Road. The system gives drivers an indication of how they are driving via a green, amber and red warning device which reduces fuel consumption by encouraging better driving practices.

Our community

We play a big part in the local community and we enable thousands of people to go about their everyday activities.

We have Quality Bus Partnership schemes set up in the majority of the main urban areas in the region, where we work together with our partners, in particular local authorities, to improve local bus services.

We support a number of community groups and good causes. Our corporate charity is Pilgrims Hospices in east Kent and our staff often take part in fundraising events for the charity. 

To mark our centenary year, a special event was held at the Herne Bay Bus Rally in August, which offered free bus rides, memorabilia stalls and classic and modern buses on show. During the occasion, we raised £3,066 through the sales of an exclusive range of East Kent centenary merchandise and all proceeds were donated to Pilgrims Hospices.

In December, our Eastbourne depot ran a vintage bus in partnership with Eastbourne’s Chamber of Commerce providing a special service between the town's bandstand, town hall and town centre during the Christmas festivities. Customers donated £1 for a ride on the vintage bus, with all proceeds going to the Eastbourne Lifeboats charity. A total of £300 was raised during the two week period the service ran, almost doubling the amount raised in the previous year.

Our achievements

Triangle Route: Canterbury, Whitstable & Herne Bay

In May, we introduced £3.4 million worth of ultramodern double deck buses on the ‘Triangle’ route between Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay. The 17 new vehicles are designed to accommodate passengers in comfort and convenience on the route and have carried 2.6 million passengers since they were launched.

The new buses have Euro 6 specification engines which represent the very latest in clean engine technology and also feature free wifi and usb charging points for passengers to recharge their smart phones whilst travelling. Our ‘Triangle’ buses sport three attractive designs on the outside which represent different aspects of the three principle locations served by the route.

The timetable for the ‘Triangle’ route was also simplified, with buses now running a direct route in both directions between Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

Open-top Route 69: Ramsgate & Broadstairs

In July, our open-top bus returned to the Thanet coast after an absence of nearly 25 years. The number 69 bus operated a new route between Ramsgate, Boating Pool and Broadstairs, Stone Bay for a six week period during the summer, proving popular among both locals and tourists.

The return of the open-top service coincided with our centenary year and to commemorate the formation of the East Kent Road Car Company in 1916, the bus featured the original East Kent maroon and cream colours. The design also included a series of images of some of the key attractions along the route.

Wave Routes 100, 101 & 102: Dover, New Romney & Hastings

In December, 25 new double deck buses were introduced on the ‘Wave’ routes between Dover and Hastings, which carried 2.7 million passengers in the previous year.

The £5.3 million investment has provided more environmentally friendly Euro 6 buses with free wifi and usb charging points for passengers to keep connected on the move. Each bus is equipped with air-chill technology, high-back faux leather seats and tinted windows, allowing customers to travel in comfort. Our ‘Wave’ buses also feature a refreshed design, which includes a montage inspired by the seaside route.

Herne Bay Depot Relocation

In January, our Herne Bay operations relocated to a modern, 'state of the art' depot at Eddington Lane. The new £5.5 million depot is equipped with full vehicle maintenance facilities, bus and staff parking, bus wash, driver training facilities and staff and office space.

little & often Routes B & C: Ashford

In February, we launched £2.8 million worth of high-spec Mercedes ‘Sprinter’ minibuses on Ashford town routes B and C. The frequent new turn-up-and-go service, branded ‘little & often’, provides buses every few minutes serving William Harvey Hospital, the town centre/rail station, Kennington and Park Farm.

All 30 new minibuses come with faux leather seats and Euro 6 specification low-noise engines and were the first of our buses in the south east to offer contactless payment options to customers.

To celebrate the introduction of the ultra-convenient ‘little & often’ service, a ‘peoples’ launch party was held at Ashford Designer Outlet, with the public being treated to live entertainment, celebrity guest appearances, free giveaways and competition prizes.