The 22nd annual UK Bus Awards competition has been launched.
Entries are now open until early June 9, with nominations possible for 21 award categories covering the full range of skills required to plan, promote and deliver high quality bus services to customers.
The finalists for 2017 will be announced on October 12, with the annual presentation ceremony set for lunchtime on Tuesday, November 21, at Troxy in East London.
A number of changes have been made to the scheme, including the introduction of a new Leadership and Inspiration Award, designed to recognise and reward achievements by middle and senior managers. A new award for Innovation in Road Safety is also being introduced in conjunction with the Road Operators’ Safety Council.
Mark Yexley, UK Bus Awards Chairman, said: “These two new awards will fill some gaps in our scheme.
“It is important to have an opportunity to recognise and reward our really talented middle and senior managers in the industry, and also to cover the critical subject of safety to our passengers and other road users.”
The new safety category will replace the presentation of ROSCO’s driving award, which will be switched to another event.
Mark continued: “Customer expectations and our ability to use technology to meet them are both still evolving at a rapid pace.
“Our New Horizons Award was specifically designed to focus on this field last year, and we were delighted with the response; so we’re really looking forward to seeing a whole range of new projects and ideas this year.”
There will be no competition specifically for local authorities in 2017. Mark explained: “Our other categories such as Making Buses a Better Choice, Putting Passengers First and the two marketing awards are ideal for authorities and partnerships to enter, so we’ll be encouraging them to participate in this way.”
Detailed changes have been made to other criteria following feedback from stakeholders and from the panels of independent judges.
