Stagecoach South East wins top transport award

Local bus operator Stagecoach South East has won a top national award for their commitment, expertise and innovation towards improving transport networks.

The bus company was shortlisted for ‘Excellence in Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement’ at Transport Times’ 2024 National Transport Awards held in London last week. The category included six finalists from across the UK, ranging from major road infrastructure projects, rail ticketing initiatives and bus priority schemes. 

Judges were impressed with how Stagecoach South East's collaborative service delivery initiatives in Kent and East Sussex have helped improve punctuality and reliability on its local bus networks. Initiatives included working closely with East Sussex County Council and partner organisations on combating illegal and inconsiderate parking, and on addressing traffic management through partnership with Kent County Council's ‘Streetworks’ team.

Joel Mitchell, managing director of Stagecoach South East, said, “It's remarkable to come away from such an important national transport awards with a win for Stagecoach South East. This award is extra special as it doesn’t just recognise our individual efforts, but also our work with Kent County Council, East Sussex County Council and third-party organisations; a process overseen by our 24/7 Service Delivery Support Team. It really shows how vital best practice collaboration is for benefitting our customers and communities.”

Stagecoach says its own internal online platform, ‘relay the delay’ has helped make it easier for its drivers to report incidents and disruption events in real-time. This has enabled the company's pioneering service delivery support team to act in partnership with local authorities to tackle issues and find solutions swiftly.

Head of business transformation at Stagecoach South East, Susan Horn, added, “We’re delighted and honoured to have won in the ‘Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement’ category at the National Transport Awards. This award recognises our dedication to making punctual bus arrivals a reality, and we are incredibly grateful to the teams at Kent County Council and East Sussex County Council for their ongoing support.”

The awards ceremony was held at the Westminster Park Plaza hotel in London and was hosted by the impressionist Jon Culshaw. The minister for local transport, Simon Lightwood MP, was the event’s keynote speaker. 

Stagecoach South East and partners receive the ‘Excellence in Road Safety, Traffic Management and Enforcement’ award.

From left to right: Jon Culshaw (host of the awards), Claire Meakins (communications assistant, Stagecoach South East), Joel Mitchell (managing director, Stagecoach South East), Chris Seare (Streetworks manager, Kent County Council), Annie McKinnon (customer and stakeholder manager, NSL - Marston Holdings), Susan Horn (head of business transformation, Stagecoach South East)