Pacey was judged to have the
perfect voice for the AV system
Oxford Bus Company’s 17-strong fleet of Park and Ride buses has been fitted with an AllSee Technologies Audio-Visual system.
Phil Southall, Operations Director of Oxford Bus Company, said: “We know that in addition to our regular local passengers on the Park & Ride routes there are thousands of visitors and tourists every week. It’s important for them to know they’ve reached the right stop. Our drivers are often praised for their helpful and unofficial role as tourist information assistants and the new system takes that process a stage further.”
The operator decided to use in-house talent for the announcements, utilising the voice of the Directors’ Personal Assistant Lesley Pacey, as Phil explained: “We wanted a voice which was friendly, reassuring and down to earth without sounding like an off-the-shelf ‘voice over artist.’ We thought of many different kinds of voices and then the penny dropped, the answer was right in front of us, Lesley.”
Lesley Pacey explained: “I am at my happiest just getting on with my job looking after the directors of the Oxford Bus Company. I have never wanted to be in the limelight, I haven’t even done any ‘am-dram’, but I was happy to give it a go and record the announcements. I am pleased they seem to be what the company wanted.”
The announcements and the screens have been welcomed by disability groups in Oxford, which have praised the way the screens help the hard of hearing, while describing Lesley’s announcements as a great help to those with visual impairments.
