Marching through the mire

We all know 2020 was extremely tough for anyone involved with passenger-carrying vehicles – especially coaches – thanks to the small matter of a global pandemic. But it’s easy to overlook how many strides were made last year in the industry despite this adversity. For CBW’s review of 2020, Peter Jackson focuses on the positive stories that kept the sector on its feet (just), and promises not to mention Covid-19 (phew!)

7 January

All subsidised bus services operated for Cornwall Council were awarded to Go-Ahead-owned Plymouth Citybus, after it made a package bid during the tendering process. This meant the creation of Go Cornwall Bus and the requirement for a fleet of 130 buses, 92 of which were ordered from ADL. The manufacturer supplied 44 Enviro200s in what was described as an ‘exceptionally short’ timeframe, ready for services to begin on 29 March. In August, Go South West was formed, encompassing both Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus.

30 January

Stagecoach unveiled its long-rumoured brand new look, which it said was ‘part of a wider commitment to simplify, modernise and enhance its customer experience, whilst reaffirming its customer-first approach.’ Based on passenger feedback, the operator created three separate liveries: azure blue for ’Local’ services, amber yellow for ’Longer’ routes and ocean green for ’Specialist’ services.

4 February

The government’s Bus Open Data project went live, heralding the widespread availability of bus tracking and live timetable updates. Bus operators were legally required to provide timetable data by the end of 2020 via the TransXChange platform, and fare, ticket and location data will be a requirement by 2021.

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11 February

NEBus, which represents bus operators in the North East, announced figures showing that bus ridership in Tyne and Wear had increased by 2.4%, bucking the national trend of falling passenger numbers. The West Midlands, Bath, North Somerset and Bristol shone too, outperforming even Tyne and Wear. “This is great news that demonstrates what can be achieved by embracing improvements to bus services and the environmental benefits they bring,” said NEBus Chair Martijn Gilbert.
Also that week, Xelebus was celebrating its 10th anniversary. “It’s been quite a journey and I won’t say it has been easy,” said MD Gareth Blair, “but the exciting part for me has been growing the business with new services and being awarded and entrusted with many school and college services.”

18 February

Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) and BYD Europe delivered two of their Enviro400EV electric buses to Stagecoach East for use in Cambridge’s Citi 6 route. This was the first time the zero-emission ‘deckers had been operated outside of London. Stagecoach opted for the 4.2m low-height version of ADL’s City style body, which allowed seating for up to 70 passengers on ADL SmartSeats. The 10.9m-long vehicles also had room for a further 13 standees.

10 March

Scania and Irizar delivered their 100th coach in the UK, the lucky recipient being London’s City Circle. The landmark vehicle was part of a batch of 20 which was to be delivered throughout the year. All were i6S models, though 18 were tri-axles and two were built on 4×2 chassis. “It is the flexible approach taken by Scania and Irizar over the years which has led to this important milestone for each of our companies,” City Circle’s Managing Director Neil Pegg said.

Also in this issue was the news that Ticketer had been included in the Financial Times’ list of Europe’s 1,000 fastest-growing companies. “By focusing on our philosophy of doing the right thing and really listening to our customers, we have built a successful business that people want to work with. I really couldn’t be more proud,” Managing Director John Clarfelt commented.

24 April

Belle Vue struck a deal with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to take over 17 school transport contracts previously operated by Selwyns Travel of Runcorn. The contract created 20 new jobs at the firm, and was said to have added up to £1m to its annual revenue. Belle Vue bought 22 additional vehicles to cover the routes, including Wrightbus Geminis and Scania OmniCitys.

12 May

In an exciting piece of news for the coach industry, Leyland-based MOBIpeople importer BASE Coach Sales unveiled the first example of the new Premium coach model, which it co-developed with the Portuguese manufacturer using input from British operators. That first example was built for Runcorn firm Anthony’s Travel, which had been involved in the coach’s development, a process BASE said took just over 12 months. It has since been delivered and is earning its keep on the Anthony’s fleet.

21 May

Dawsongroup Finance expanded its workforce by 50%, saying its services were more in demand than ever before due to the economic downturn. “We are in a terrific position to assist all our customers’ with their finance needs and really make a positive difference,” said Head of Sales Anton Scott, who joined in April. “We now have full geographic coverage and further integration with our sister companies.”

6 June

Weston-super-Mare-based Bakers Dolphin moved all its vehicles to a new indoor facility after learning that its former parking area was to be re-developed for housing. The company said the move represented the first step in a ‘major investment’ in new purpose-built headquarters. “Negotiations are at an advanced stage for the new headquarters and we intend to stay in our home town of Weston-super-Mare where we are a major employer and contributor to the local economy,” Managing Director Max Fletcher explained.

17 June

Arrival burst onto the scene, revealing a zero-emission bus that it hoped would ‘transform the public transport industry.’ The London-based start-up said that the bus would be available in lengths of 10.5 and 12m, with the capability to produce up to 15m lengths in 1.5m increments. It plans to deploy 1,000 microfactories globally by 2026, thanks in part to an £86m investment from South Korean car companies Hyundai and Kia.

11 July

First Bus announced its commitment to operate an entirely zero-emission fleet by 2035. “We are committing to operate a zero-emission bus fleet in the UK by 2035,” revealed Chief Executive Matthew Gregory, “and do not plan to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We look forward to working closely with our supply chain, industry partners and the UK government to ensure that our shared ambitions can be taken forward.”

22 July

As the summer heat reached its peak towards the end of July, Abellio let its 34 Caetano e.City Gold electric buses loose on the streets of England’s capital. Caetano said that passenger feedback immediately following the launch was ‘overwhelmingly positive,’ while Abellio’s Managing Director Tony Wilson said that staff were happy with the vehicles too: “The vehicles have been well received by staff and provide a quality solution for future use as we move to convert the fleet to zero emissions.”

31 July

It was a busy month for electric buses, as the following week First Bus began the rollout of its latest batch of 21 Optare Metrodecker EVs for the York Park & Ride. The vehicles were brought into operation gradually throughout the summer, and replaced diesel vehicles in a £9.3m fleet overhaul. The new vehicles made York’s zero-emissions Park & Ride fleet the biggest in the UK.

28 August

City Sightseeing York and Scarborough Beachcomber each won Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice awards, marking them out as among the top 10% of attractions worldwide in terms of customer feedback. Operated by Transdev and East Yorkshire respectively, both were rightly proud of the accolade: “There can be no better judge of how well we are performing than our guests who are now joining us in increasing numbers to enjoy our revitalised tour,” said Transdev’s CEO Alex Hornby.

30 August

A month on, and it was National Express Coventry’s turn to unveil electric buses. Launched in partnership with battery storage provider Zenobe Energy, the 10 BYD ADL Enviro400EV double-deckers began operating between the city centre and University Hospital, and brought National Express a step closer to its pledge to transition to a zero-emission UK bus fleet by 2030.

8 September

Pilkington Bus announced a £3m contract win, signalling the arrival of not only new routes, but new vehicles and drivers. The company invested in two Mellor Stratas to help fulfil the Lancashire County Council contract, which was intended to improve transport links around the Ribble Valley, Blackburn and East Lancashire areas.

16 September

New entrant to the intercity coaching market Ember, which had intended to start its scheduled electric coach service between Edinburgh and Dundee in the year, announced that the two-coach service would begin on 1 October, with fares from £7.50 single.

29 September

Totalkare pushed ahead with its expansion plans, announcing it had relocated to a brand-new, purpose-built facility on the Pensnett Trading Estate in Kingswinford, near Dudley. At the same time, it also implemented a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) computer system, which it expected to deliver internal and external efficiency improvements.

13 October

First Aberdeen took delivery of the world’s first hydrogen double-decker bus, in the form of a Wrightbus StreetDeck FCEV. The £500,000 bus was the first of an £8.3m order, and was welcomed by Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse: “Our funding contribution of £3m towards this new fleet is evidence of our commitment to decarbonising transport, as a key element of Scotland’s journey to net-zero carbon, with potential economic benefits for the North East and right across the remainder of Scotland.”

20 October

West Yorkshire’s first ever zero-emission bus fleet entered service in Leeds, the result of a partnership between First Bus and the city’s local authority and council. The nine Yutong E10 electric single-deckers and accompanying charging infrastructure cost £7.3m, with £1.7m of that being provided by the DfT’s Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme (ULEB).

10 November

It’s been a busy year for BASE Coach Sales; following on from the launch of its new MOBIpeople model, in November it announced it was to begin importing the Beulas range of coaches following the demise of Moseley (PCV). It said that the full Beulas range would be available on both MAN and Scania chassis, giving operators a variety of PSVAR-compliant models to choose from on two and three-axle chassis.

17 November

EVM broadened its operations with the announcement that it was to begin converting Mercedes-Benz Tourismo coaches to PSVAR spec. The retrofit was designed to match the appearance of an OEM vehicle as much as possible, and included the fitment of a cassette lift from PLS. The company said it would consider converting other coach models in the future.
Elsewhere in this issue, Mellor unveiled a revamped version of its low-floor Orion model, named the Orion Evolution. The new 5.5-tonne variant has space for 27 passengers and a 180bhp engine, which is mated to a ZF 9-speed automatic gearbox.

24 November

Stagecoach’s Oxford Tube intercity coach service began a £13m fleet replacement programme, which meant a return to Plaxton from Van Hool vehicles. In all, 34 Plaxton Panoramas were ordered for the operation, each built on Euro VI Volvo B11RLE chassis, with five being fitted with solar panels to power onboard electrical equipment.

1 December

Go North East held a launch event for its new Voltra service – the region’s first fully-electric route – following a three-year development and trial process. All nine Yutong E10s were delivered ahead of the reveal event by Pelican Bus and Coach of Castleford, and sport a futuristic LED lighting setup and livery from Best Impressions.

8 December

Wrightbus gained a huge order from Translink for 145 zero and low-emission buses. The order comprised 100 zero-emission StreetDecks (80 of which will be electric and 20 hydrogen-powered) and 45 low-emission diesel variants. In all, the order represented an investment of £66m.

22 December

Ireland’s National Transport Authority (NTA) celebrated the arrival of the first of 280 ADL Enviro400ER plug-in hybrid buses. Of the initial batch of 100 vehicles, 74 were destined for Dublin Bus while the remaining 26 would head to Bus Éireann.

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