The annual industry competition boasts a diverse list of entrants, ranging from the independent to the municipal
The shortlist for the 2012 UK Bus Awards (UKBA) was announced at the Tubelines Auditorium in London’s Canary Wharf on September 27, before an audience of around 100 representing shortlisted organisations, sponsors and other stakeholders. More than 90 people selected from 270 nominations go forward to the final judging and mystery traveller checks with winners being announced November 20 at the lunchtime awards ceremony held at the London Park Lane Hilton.
Go-Ahead Group tops the list with 20 places, followed by Stagecoach with 13 places, Arriva with 10 and FirstGroup with nine. Other groups, independents and municipal operators also feature strongly.
At the event, UKBA Director Chris Cheek spoke of the industry’s role in the Olympics saying it showed “what good can look like.” He was followed by Reading Buses CEO James Freeman and Chloe Leach- O’connel Head of Regional Marketing at Arriva Yorkshire and North East. Both were keen to stress the importance of the positive publicity gained from the awards and encouraged nominees to share the news of their successes.
Two attending NBfL provided transport throughout the day. Asked how this had been organised, recently appointed UKBA Director of Communications Trevor Whelan replied: “with friends in high places.”
The coveted UK Bus Operator of the Year, sponsored by Belmont International and QBE Insurance, is chosen from the winners of the Top City, Top Shire and Top Independent categories and will be announced alongside the winners of The Local Authority Project of the Year and the Award for Services to the Bus Industry at the ceremony.
In addition the Transport Hero Award for the 2012 Games has been introduced this year and nominations for this award close on October 5 following the completion of the Games contracts. A shortlist will be announced later this month.
UK Bus Awards 2012 Shortlist
OPERATING AWARDS
Top Express Operation, sponsored by Volvo Bus
- Arriva the Shires – Green Line 757
- Oxford Bus Company – the airline
- Scottish Citylink – Express Service Network
- Stagecoach East Scotland – Express City Connect
Top National Bus Depot, sponsored by Personal Group
- Burnley, Transdev Blazefield
- Crawley, Metrobus
- Huddersfield, First West Yorkshire
- Speke, Arriva North West
Top City Operator, sponsored by BAE Systems
- Go North East
- Nottingham City Transport
- Stagecoach Manchester
- Stagecoach Sheffield
- Transdev Keighley & District
Top Shire Operator, sponsored by Ticketer
- Bluestar
- Metrobus
- Oxford Bus Company
- Reading Buses
- Stagecoach South West
- Thamesdown Transport
- Transdev Burnley & Pendle
Top Independent Operator, sponsored by Scania
- DRM of Bromyard
- Ensignbus, Thurrock
- Ipswich Buses
- Newport Transport
- Perrymans, Berwick-upon-Tweed
TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Environment Award, sponsored by Heathrow Airport
- First Group – Small Changes, Big Difference
- Reading Buses – Hybrid Power
- Stagecoach East Midlands – Lincoln BioBuses
- Stagecoach South West – Green Champions
- Volvo Buses – The Volvo Hybrid Bus
Innovation Award, sponsored by Alexander Dennis
- Go-Ahead Group/Go North East – The Key Lifestyle
- Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach Oxford – Oxford SmartZone
- Newport Transport – Unigo
- Translink – Safety Bus
- Stagecoach Group/Scottish Citylink – Megabus Sleeper Service
- West Yorkshire ITA (Metro) – Metroville
The Claudia Flanders Memorial Award for Putting Passengers First
- Go North East – Moving with our People
- Transdev York – York Unibus, A Partnership for Progress
- Stephensons of Essex – Breeze
- Konectbus – Konectexpress 8
Making Buses A Better Choice: the Peter Huntley Memorial Award, sponsored by The TAS Partnership
- Go-Ahead Group – The Key ITSO Smartcard
- First Hampshire & Dorset with Hampshire CC – Eclipse
- First Bristol and Partners – Greater Bristol Bus Network
- Nottingham City Transport – Social Media & Technology
- Stagecoach East – The Busway
- TrentBarton – rapid 1, the car users’ choice
The Eureka! Award for Marketing Initiatives, sponsored by CBS Outdoor
- Arriva Yorkshire – We are Yorkshire
- Bluestar – The Smarter Way to Pay – The Key
- Ensign Bus Company & First Essex Buses – CollegeBUS
- Go North East – Maximising the Benefits of Social Networking
- Reading Buses – Jet Black is the New Black
- Translink – Metro Smart Saturdays
The Marketing Excellence Award
- Trent Barton – MANGO-no cash, no fuss, no brainer
- Metrobus – Horsham – Getting the Basics Right
- Go North East – The Key
- Reays Coaches – Hopping Mad
- Arriva the Shires – Green Line 757
The Bus and the Community Award
- Arriva the Shires – Keech Hospice
- First UK Bus North Region – Charity in the Community
- First Cymru – A Bus Company Working with its Local Community
- First London – Greenford Library Bus
- Network Warrington – Supporting the Community
AWARDS FOR INDUSTRY PEOPLE
The Young Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
- Jeff Clayton (First Manchester)
- Tom Morgan (TrentBarton)
- Selina Pipe (Arriva Midlands)
- Vicky Tomlinson (First West Yorkshire)
The Unsung Heroes Award, sponsored by Backhouse Jones
- Ron Hayes (Brighton & Hove)
- Patrick Hughes (National Express West Midlands)
- Andrew Howard-Smith (Stagecoach Manchester)
- Dennis Tomlinson (Transdev Burnley & Pendle)
The Chris Moyes Memorial Award for Top National Bus Driver, sponsored by Adelaide Insurance
- Elaine Allitt (TrentBarton)
- Ian Fraser (Stagecoach East Scotland)
- Allan Gilmour (TrentBarton)
- Sharon Harry (Oxford Bus)
- Vanessa Knowling (Yellow Buses Bournemouth)
- John Russell (Metrobus)
- Mick Silverwood (Transdev Keighley & District)
- Matthew Stacey (Cardiff Bus)
The Engineer of the Year Award
- Mike Butt (Stagecoach West)
- Russell Cato (Arriva the Shires)
- John Trubshaw (Arriva Midlands)
- Cliff Ward (Arriva the Shires)
- Andrew Wilson (First Manchester)
LONDON AWARDS
TfL Award for London Bus Garage of the Year
- Barking, Stagecoach East London
- Cricklewood, Metroline
- Merton, London General
- Orpington, Metrobus
- Putney, London General
Luke Rees-Pulley Charitable Trust Award for Top London Bus Driver
- Peter Bennett, Arriva London
- Rui Branco, Abellio London
- Scott Horney, Go-Ahead London
- Roy Lambe, Go-Ahead London
- Angela Spragg, Quality Line
- Kamya Ssemakadde, London United
- Peter Varley, Stagecoach London
- Warren Wills, London United
