Stagecoach leads industry with 13 UK Bus Awards

Stagecoach, Britain's biggest bus operator, led the industry at the 2019 UK Bus Awards in London, picking up more awards than any other business.

The company’s outstanding performance saw it pick up a total of 13 awards - four gold, five silver and four bronze.

Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire won gold for Top Shire Operator, closely followed by colleagues at Stagecoach East Scotland who claimed silver in the same category.

The gold win meant that Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire went on to contest the overall Bus Operator of the Year 2019 category, where they came away with the silver as runners-up to Nottingham City Transport.

Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire achieved high customer satisfaction scores in 2018 and was recognised for its strong focus on partnership, innovation and exceptional operational delivery. The team also work hard with communities to help vulnerable people back onto the bus and assist families in need.  Innovation within the company, particularly in the field of health and well-being, also enhanced and improved staff engagement.

Jack Abbott, Stagecoach Manchester’s Fleet Engineer, was crowned the Young Manager of the Year, as well as being awarded silver for Engineer of the Year. Jack, who is based at the Middleton depot in Manchester, was recognised for his hard work in motivating and inspiring colleagues to create a high-performance team.  The award also reflected his high standards and continual efforts to improve the experience for customers across Manchester.

Stagecoach East Scotland’s Blairgowrie depot took gold in the Top National Depot accolade, while Stagecoach Yorkshire and partners claimed the top prize in the Marketing Initiative of the Year for their project to stimulate bus use by senior citizens.

Blairgowrie depot runs a fleet of 24 buses, with regular commuter journeys to Perth and Dundee, as well as local town routes and vital rural bus links. The development of a strong community spirit and team structure within Blairgowrie means that employees are an integral part of the community.

Stagecoach West bus driver Gurnam Singh was placed third in the highly coveted Top National Bus Driver category, open to bus drivers from across the whole of the UK.

Gurnam a former milkman recorded a staggering 56 customer commendations in his first two years of being a bus driver at Stagecoach West. He is described as being "a true role model for exemplary customer service, safe and smooth driving and he is professional in all aspects of his work".  

Stagecoach South’s Guildford park and ride electric buses took the silver in the Environment award, while Stagecoach London’s Romford Garage was runner-up in the London Bus Garage of the Year category.

Bronze awards went to Stagecoach Manchester in Top City Operator, Stagecoach East Scotland for the Express City Connect project in the Sustained Marketing Excellence category, and to Stagecoach West for its West Wellbeing project which helps support drivers in their personal lives as well as at work.

Stagecoach Chief Operating Officer Mark Threapleton said: "We have a fantastic team of committed people who are proud to serve their customers and local communities.

"I'm delighted they've been recognised for their industry-leading service, operational excellence, and innovation, as well as their hard work to promote more sustainable travel."

Mark Yexley, Chairman of the UK Bus Awards, said: “This is a tremendous performance from Stagecoach, everyone should be so proud of their achievements. The UK Bus Awards is all about recognising excellence and inspiring teams to deliver a first-class experience, something Stagecoach UK Bus are clearly doing. Congratulation to all the teams and individuals involved.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact the Stagecoach Communications team at media@stagecoachgroup.com or on 01738 442111.