Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire among the winners at the 2016 UK Bus Awards

• Company scoops Top National Depot and Top London Depot awards
• London driver named ROSCO Safe Driver of the Year
• Two Stagecoach companies recognised with awards for overcoming adversity

Stagecoach Group was once again among the winners at the 2016 UK Bus Awards.

Several Stagecoach Group businesses were recognised across a range of award categories at the 21st annual awards ceremony held in London yesterday (Wednesday 23 November), with gold, silver and bronze awards being handed out. 

The company was recognised in categories covering safety, depot operations, overcoming adversity, unsung heroes and marketing excellence.

Stagecoach East Scotland’s St Andrews depot was named Top National Bus Depot at the event. Judges said the depot’s “efficient operations are a testament to the professionalism of the staff and high levels of morale” and recognised the excellent team spirit. In the same category, the silver award went to Stagecoach East’s Fenstanton depot which was praised for its low levels of lost mileage despite difficult traffic conditions and for the continued growth achieved on the Guided Busway.

Stagecoach London’s Leyton garage scooped the Top London Depot award and was recognised for its strong reliability and focus on customer service. The judges also noted that the garage “has excellent links with schools and organizations, making it part of the local community”.

London driver Ray Clements won the Road Operators Safety Council (ROSCO) 2016 Safe Driving Award and was described as a model employee who has received numerous commendations, has never had any complaints against him and who displays exemplary attendance and a strong work ethic. 

There were also awards for Stagecoach East Scotland and Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire in the Overcoming Adversity category. The East Scotland team was recognised for its role in keeping passengers moving by launching a large-scale transport operation during the closure of the Forth Road Bridge last December. Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire was praised for its response to the flooding caused by Storm Desmond which involved delivering a special service to provide a vital connection between the north and south Lakes while the A591 was closed for several months following storm damage. 

In the Unsung Heroes category, there was a Special Commendation for Stagecoach East Customer Liaison and Revenue Protection Officer Joe Somers, while Stagecoach South won the silver award in the Marketing Initiative of the Year category for its King’s City network relaunch.

Stagecoach East Scotland won bronze in the Award for Sustained Marketing Excellence, for its Express City Connect network and the Aberdeenshire Grasshopper Multi-Operator ticketing scheme – which involves Stagecoach North Scotland along with other operators and Aberdeenshire Council – won the bronze award in the Local Authority Bus Project of the Year category. 
 
Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert Montgomery said: “I am pleased that so many of our companies and individual employees have been rewarded for their hard work and excellence. 

“Since last year’s awards, we have introduced a number of digital improvements for customers including the launch of our new website and smartphone app, the delivery of real-time information across our UK network, the launch of mobile ticketing and the planned roll-out of contactless payments. We are continuing to work hard with our partners to make bus travel even better and to fight for stronger action to be taken on the growing problem of congestion to help attract even more people to our greener, smarter services.” 

Stagecoach Group had 12 finalists at this year’s awards.