Stagecoach eco-driving champions named

Stagecoach’s eco-driving champions have been recognised in the latest Christopher Ball Memorial scheme.  The scheme, which has been running since 2015, is named after a former Stagecoach employee and is designed to honour eco-driving excellence right across the country.

Christopher Ball, Stagecoach Eco-driver Project Manager, sadly passed away in 2014. Christopher was instrumental in introducing the GreenRoad eco-driving technology to Stagecoach’s bus companies across the UK and was a respected and well-liked employee.

As a tribute to Christopher, an awards scheme in his memory was introduced in 2015 and the company has now named the 2020 winners.

Overall winner of the award – for the sixth consecutive year - was Stagecoach Oxfordshire for its employees’ consistently strong eco-driving performance over the past year.

Stagecoach London’s Leyton depot won the top depot award for the first time, while Stagecoach Merseyside driver Dave Birch, from Birkenhead depot, was named top performing driver for the fifth time. Dave is one of Stagecoach’s Eco-driver champions and is a great ambassador of the system, supporting the company’s drive for greener, smarter travel and the importance of public transport as one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel.

The GreenRoad system is installed on all 8,000+ Stagecoach buses. Using a traffic-light LED system on the dashboard, the system gives drivers instant feedback on their driving manoeuvres, encouraging smoother, safer, and more fuel-efficient driving.

Stagecoach has cut carbon emissions from its businesses by 14% over the past five years as it continues efforts to tackle climate change and boost air quality.  In addition to the investment in eco-driver technology which helps to improve fuel efficiency, other investments include the introduction of new greener buses and coaches, training for bus drivers and engineering teams, measures to tackle bus idling, and use of state-of-the-art environmental management systems at the company's facilities.

Stagecoach Regional Director Robert Andrew said: “As the economy and our communities start to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we look to a future with fewer cars on our roads, cleaner air and less damage to our environment.

“Our eco-driving system has already delivered some significant reductions in CO2 emissions, and our investment in this, and other initiatives such as greener buses, will help to ensure that buses continue to play a crucial role in developing more sustainable communities.

“We’re very proud of the great work of all of our employees right across the country under the difficult circumstances of the last few recent months. The eco-driving awards scheme has become a hotly contested scheme and even during difficult times, it’s great to be naming this year’s winners for their excellent eco-driving performance and our congratulations go to them all.”

Christopher Ball’s father John, added: “I am pleased to see that the project Christopher worked so hard on continues to be a success for the company as well as making a positive contribution to an improved environment. The commitment of the company in general, the eco-driver champions in the depots and of course the many drivers employed throughout the UK all deserve congratulations for a job well done.” 

Richard Hemming, GreenRoad’s Vice President of Customer Success, commented: “We congratulate Stagecoach on its exceptional record of safety and environmental stewardship, and are proud to be a small part of its success. Bus drivers are on the front line as the world returns to a ‘new normal’, and we are committed to helping them provide the safest, comfortable and responsible services possible – day after day, year after year.”

For more information on Stagecoach, visit stagecoach.com

ENDS