Jonathan Welch called in at the CPT’s ‘mini’ Ride & Drive event in Newcastle recently, and found himself having a go too
Who doesn’t like the chance to socialise, catch up with industry colleagues, and have a play with some of the latest new toys? For CPT members in the south of the country, its long-running ‘Ride & Drive’ event held annually at North Weald airfield has offered the opportunity for just that. This year the trade association decided to expand and try a northern ride and drive event to coincide with its black tie regional dinner in Newcastle on Saturday 9 March.
Despite the miserable weather which followed me up the A1, I arrived slightly early at the easy to find venue. Just outside the city centre, the CPT had taken over the main car park of Newcastle College, where Dawsongroup and EVM had a display of vehicles and Stagecoach had set up a driver challenge using one of its driver trainer converted Alexander ALX300 MAN 18.220s.
Having been welcomed by a number of familiar CPT faces, including manager for the northern region Andrew McGuinness, and watched the first couple of drivers take on the driving challenge, I was invited to take part myself. I boarded the 20 year old MAN along with Omnibus founder and classic bus owner Peter Crichton, who would take his turn after me. No pressure.
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Driving test
Under the instruction of Stagecoach driver trainer Michael Fairley, who has been with Stagecoach since 2011 and a driver trainer for around eight years. He explained the course before taking up a position in the specially fitted instructor’s seat on the nearside. I made myself comfortable, making sure to set up my mirrors to the optimum position and adjusted the large, typically German steering wheel; unsurprisingly given its VDV origins, although this was my first drive of an 18.220 the dashboard and cab layout felt very familiar, having driven a Mercedes-Benz O405G on many occasions.
We started with a left turn at a mock ‘give way’ junction before a tight right (any manoeuvre is tight with a 12 metre bus in a car park!) before looping round to squeeze between two more cones and avoid clipping the kerb; I thought I’d turned too late, but just kept the nose away from the cone as I swung in, resisting the temptation to lean right over the steering wheel to check. I’m sure the oft-used bum-off-seat technique to get a better look at how close I was would have incurred a penalty point or two.
Looping back around, I faced the reversing test. It’s one we all know, and I’m sure we all dreaded it from our driving tests. I noticed Michael keeping a sharp eye on the signpost on my offside as I manoeuvred backwards, a little bit of left to get the back end where I wanted it before a hard left to get around the cone and swinging back to the right to line up with the marked box.
Made more obvious by the fact that the reverse was uphill, the 18.220’s transmission had, I think, seen better days but it did the job and I’m pleased to report that no cones were killed in the process. I’m not sure all participants can say the same.
Driving test over, I thought, I was confronted with part two, the multiple-choice CPC questions! Yikes. I didn’t get laughed off the bus, so I must have gotten some of them right at least. And despite the jovial and jocular nature of the event, it was a good reminder that it’s important to keep up to date not just with the latest rules and regulations but to make sure you haven’t forgotten some of the basics.
Vehicles on display
Given the current shortage of vehicle stock and more low-key nature of the event, there were fewer vehicles on display but enthusiasm aplenty from both Dawsongroup and EVM, which had both brought along two models. Dawsongroup displayed an example of the always popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minicoach alongside the equally popular Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single-decker in short wheelbase 8.9m format.
EVM had examples of its front-engined 8.5m, 37-seat AOS Grand Toro and 9.5m AOS Visigo, with a capacity of 39 and more conventional rear-engined layout. All four vehicles were available for test drives, and unlike the driving skills challenge not only by those with PSV licences but to car licence holders too; one of the benefits of the private site over on-the-road drives.
Summarising the day, Andrew McGuinness said: “CPT holds a very successful annual Ride & Drive event at North Weald, and we’d had a lot of requests to hold something similar in the north of England. Our north of England regional dinner is well-established, so while we have industry leaders and members in town together, this time in Newcastle, we thought we’d try a mini Ride & Drive for the very first time.
“Unfortunately we don’t have a disused airfield here in the middle of Newcastle, but we have the Newcastle College car park. It’s not as big but we are very central and accessible. We have around 200 people coming for the dinner tonight, so they can come here first, have a look and a ride around on some of the latest vehicles and have a go at our very competitive assessed drive.
“It has a business edge in allowing some of our suppliers to show off their vehicles but in a fun environment. The reaction’s been great so far. We’ve had lots of smiles.
“Because we’re on private land we’re able to give people without a PCV licence the chance to have a spin around the car park. That’s useful, because not everyone in the industry has a licence. And for those with a PCV licence, they are able to do the assessed drive as well. There’ll be a prize for the winner, and a booby prize as well!” Andrew laughed.
Have a go!
One of those taking advantage of being able to drive a bus was Laura Hadzik, Partner at JMW Solicitors, which is a CPT member and works with a lot of operators in the North East. “It wasn’t as difficult as I expected it to be. I actually really enjoyed it,” she said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to driving the coach as well.
“We’ve come along to support Andrew and the team, and to have a go! Shamefully, I’ve not driven a bus or coach in 17 years in the sector. Now I’ve had a go, I don’t understand why more people don’t want to do it! “
CPT Membership Director Leanne Clowting was also at the event, and also took a turn driving a bus. “It’s a great opportunity for the industry to come together,” she said. “We’d have liked better weather, but it’s been great fun to do this for the first time in the north. There’s lots to take away, and we’re really looking forward to the national Ride & Drive in July at North Weald.
“I think one of the important things about an event like this is that it lets us get on the ground with people who actually deliver the services. One of the things that comes from events like this and the UK Coach Rally, for example, is how much operators care about delivering a good service.
“Since I arrived at CPT, I’ve been trying to build more opportunities to engage with members, and its events like this that enable members to come together. It’s important to offer lots of different types of industry opportunities to come together and to make sure that we’re catering for different needs.”
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