Jonathan Welch speaks to Best Impressions founder Ray Stenning about his views on making public transport better
It’s about understanding that customers are individuals. We have to realign our attitudes. We really should be trying to make everything the best it can be.”
After the launch of the new Alexander Dennis buses for Transdev’s high-profile route 36, I found myself in conversation with Ray Stenning about his work to update the brand, as well as some of his other recent projects, including creating an identity for new North East operator Northstar, as well as the wider topic of, to borrow his own line, creating desire. As the new Labour government gets to grips with its term in office, and with the promise of more widespread franchising powers, how important is it to have a strong visual identity, we asked, and how do people like Ray and his company work with suppliers and vehicle manufacturers to achieve it?
“We had a quite hand in the refurbishment of the earlier buses,” Ray said speaking about the 36s. “But our main involvement was with the outgoing fleet, the Wrightbus Streetdecks. We worked very closely with Transdev to specify them. We wanted to raise the game even more.
“With the new Enviro400EVs, we needed to raise the bar even further. And we need to remember that expectations move on. What’s good at one point might still be good a few years later, but there might be something better out there, or a different view of what you should be doing as the market has changed.”
If the previous buses were good, and the next ones are better, is it possible to reach a point where there’s no more that you can do, I wondered. “You can’t anticipate what people will want in a few years’ time,” Ray said. “You might have hopes for things that you want to do but can’t do now. There are always limitations; sometimes things are just too costly, or it feels like manufacturers can’t be bothered to do it.”
Ray recalled one occasion in the past where he would have liked to adapt a moulding to give what he thought would be a better passenger experience, but, he said, the bus manufacturer didn’t want to produce a new tooling for the part. “At other times, they have, though it has to be paid for, even though you’re essentially improving their vehicle for them.”
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