It's Official! Bus 'Oscars' Confirm Buses Better for Passengers UK-Wide

LONDON, November 18 --

At a luncheon ceremony in London today, bus companies and bus service initiatives from around the UK were presented with the Bus 'Oscars' for 2004 by Sir Bill Morris.

The UK bus industry is thriving; buses are successful local businesses, employing many thousands of local people and providing much needed transportation for 100s of 1000s of commuters, schoolchildren and families every day of the week, every week of the year.

This year's UK Bus 'Oscars' confirm excellence and best practice is no longer the privilege of the lucky few. Good, efficient and effective bus services are now widespread across the UK, particularly where partnerships between operators and local authorities demonstrate 'joined-up thinking' and initiate transport integration.

For the first time the prestigious Belmont International Bus Operator of the Year Award was won by a municipal company, Nottingham City Transport, with London United, the main operator in south west London, in second place.

Caldew Coaches of Cumbria took the Claudia Flanders Memorial Award for Accessibility and FirstGroup plc the BP Award for Innovation with their bus environmental award scheme. Brighton & Hove Bus & Coach Company scooped the Eureka! Award and Telford & Wrekin Council with Arriva Midlands & Staffordshire County Council won the Marketing Award for Local Authorities. Transport for London's London Bus Garage of the Year was won by London General and Sutton Garage.

Previous Bus 'Oscar' winners consolidated past performance with Harrogate & District Travel picking up two awards, the CfIT Award for Customer Service and the Viacom Outdoor Marketing Award for Bus Operators, and Lancashire County Council taking three awards, for Buses in the Countryside, Buses for Pleasure and the Award for Infrastructure.

First Leeds' driver Bernard Rhodes was awarded Bus Employee of the Year, and Newcastle-based Go-Ahead Group's Martin Ballinger became the 2004 recipient of the Wedlake Saint Award for Services to the Industry.

The Bus 'Oscars' were presented by Sir Bill Morris at the luncheon ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The awards host was BBC Newsnight's Stephanie Flanders with ex-Strategic Rail Authority Chair, Richard Bowker, keynote speaker. Awards were presented across 14 award categories, from entries involving some 240 organisations from across the UK.

Bus 'Oscars' 2004 - Winners

Belmont International Bus Operator of the Year Award

1. Nottingham City Transport

2. London United Busways

Services to the Bus Industry Award, sponsored by Wedlake Saint,

Awarded to Martin Ballinger, Go-Ahead Group

Transport for London: London Bus Garage of the Year Award

1. Sutton London General

2. Bromley Garage Stagecoach London

BP Award for Innovation

1. FirstGroup plc - the 2004 Bus Environmental Award Scheme

2. Translink - Translink Bus Safety Initiatives

Bus Industry Product of the Year Award

1. Solar Century - 'streetsmart' Solar Powered Bus Shelter

2. Scandus (UK) Ltd - 'Glidemaster' Seat

The CfIT Customer Service Award, sponsored by BAA Heathrow

1. Harrogate & District Travel

2. First York

Viacom Outdoor Marketing Award for Bus Operators

1. Harrogate & District Travel - Route 36

2. The Oxford Bus Company - Espress

Claudia Flanders Memorial Award for Accessibility, sponsored by Tripscope & Unwin Safety Systems

1. Caldew Coaches - Development of Services for Disabled People

2. Warrington Borough Council - Enabling the Independent Traveller

Eureka! Award

1. Brighton and Hove Bus & Coach Co - Endorsement Campaign

2. Gateshead MetroCentre, Go North East & Stagecoach North East - MetroCentre Bus Promotion

Judges Special Commendation: London Central - Improving the Bus Travel Experience

Marketing Award for Local Authorities & Joint Projects

1. Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Arriva Midlands & Staffordshire County Council - RuraLine 481

2. Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council & Partners - The Kangaroo Travelcard

Judges Special Commendation: Essex County Council & Stephensons of Essex - The Blackwater Link Service 90

Infrastructure Award

1. Lancashire County Council - Chorley Interchange

2. First Essex & Essex County Council - Real Time Information in Chelmsford

Bus in the Countryside Award

1. Lancashire County Council - Bowland Transit

2. Norfolk County Council - Wymondham Area Flexibus

Buses for Pleasure Award

1. Lancashire County Council - Bowland Transit

2. Devon & Dorset County Councils and First in Hampshire & Dorset - CoastLinX53

Bus Employee of the Year Award

1. First Leeds - Bernard Rhodes

2. Stagecoach London - Franklin Tumfo

    
    Award Scheme Sponsors:
 
    BAA Heathrow
    Belmont International
    BP
    Bus & Coach Professional
    CfIT
    FWT
    Transport for London
    Tripscope
    Unwin Safety Systems
    Viacom Outdoor
 
    Sponsors:
 
    Adbus
    Best Impressions
    Buses
    Coach & Bus Week
    Halcrow Group
    Jacobs Babtie
    Local Transport Today
    Quickmap
    Scania Bus & Coach UK
    The TAS Partnership
    Transit
    Transport Energy
    Volvo Bus
    Wedlake Saint
 
    Patrons:

    Arriva
    First
    Go-Ahead Group
 
    Supporters:
 
    Stagecoach
    Southern Vectis
    Transdev

Thursday - contact: Mitch de Faria, Tel. +44-207-208-4090: BIA Press Desk, London Hilton, Park Lane. Interviews available from 2pm. Pictures free of charge for media use from Picture Partnership: Tel +44-208-665-5745, www.picturepartnership.co.uk/bia04winners, www.bus-industry-awards.com. At other times contact Mitch de Faria for BIA on Tel. +44-1664-561711/+44-7957-200-277