For our first Superfeature of 2020, we look at multi-award-winning arms-length municipal operation Nottingham City Transport. Peter Jackson describes the firm’s history to-date
Last year was a good one for Nottingham City Transport (NCT). The arms-length municipal had much to celebrate, having secured the title of UK Bus Operator of the Year for the fifth time – the first operator to do so. That would have been impressive enough on its own, but the company also scooped three more awards that evening: Top National Bus Driver for Jatinder Kumar, Unsung Hero for HR Admin Manager Sheila Swift, and the Services to the Industry Award for Managing Director Mark Fowles.
We previously put together a Superfeature on NCT back in 2014 (CBW1139) but, with the above in mind, we thought it was only right to return to find out how the operator has managed to continue its winning ways for another five years. The answer to that question is most certainly not by standing still; NCT has evolved considerably since we last visited, aiming to keep itself ahead of the curve in terms of technology and sustainability.
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Before we get to what’s changed since 2014 though, it’s worth recapping NCT’s long and fascinating history, which can be traced all the way back to 1878. This was the year that the Nottingham and District Tramway Company began operating its first routes (on Thursday 17 September, to be precise). Beginning with horse trams, the first steam-powered vehicles were introduced in 1882, sparking competition with another local firm which stuck with horse power. Have a guess which company won.
1897 was an important year for the firm, as it was taken over by Nottingham Council on 16 October. Nine years later, the first motorbuses came into service, changing the course of the company’s future dramatically. The fleet grew by a further 10 motorbuses in 1924, with trams bowing out in 1936 as diesel-powered buses began to prove their capability. It wasn’t until after the war that they really took off though; large deliveries of diesels took place, signifying the end of petrol-powered buses.
The last new trolleybus joined the fleet in ’52, the same year the company recorded its highest passenger numbers to-date – 174 million. By 1960, the end was nigh for the trolleybus in Nottingham; two years later, the council approved the ‘gradual abandonment’ of the network. Diesel buses remained the preferred option thanks to their ease of maintenance and flexibility. The last trolleybuses ran in the city in 1966, after 39 years of operation.
By 1974 the company’s name had changed to City of Nottingham Transport, following a local government reorganisation. The following year the local council launched the ‘Zone and Collar’ traffic experiment, which David Astill touched on in his interview (see page 40). The pioneering scheme was designed to reduce the number of private cars entering the city.
1981 saw the launch of the operator’s Easyrider travel card, which offered a choice of either 14 or 28 days’ pre-paid, discounted travel across the entire network. 12,000 people bought one in the first year, proving the potential of travel passes.
Deregulation was the next major event in the company’s history. In 1986, Nottingham City Transport Ltd began operating for the first time, now reconfigured as an arms-length private company with Nottingham City Council the sole shareholder. The early ‘90s brought more change, with Erewash Valley Services being integrated into NCT in 1990 and South Notts being acquired the following year, expanding the company’s offering with a route from Nottingham to Loughborough. Pathfinder (Newark) Ltd joined the fold in ’97, giving NCT a presence in the north of the county.
The evolution continued into the 21st century. Bendy buses hit Nottingham’s streets for the first time in 2002, following the introduction of the Go2 and Network brands the previous year. Later that decade, the operator began experimenting with alternative fuels, trialling a trio of ethanol-powered vehicles on route 30. That same year, £4.5m was invested in 36 brand-new diesel buses. 2004 was a year to remember too, as NCT secured the UK Bus Operator of the Year title for the first time.
Investment continued with 56 new vehicles – 24 Optare Solo SRs and 32 Scania OmniDekkas, the last built – joining the fleet at a cost of £6.4m in 2011. The following year the firm was crowned UK Bus Operator of the Year once again, reporting passenger satisfaction of 91% – among the highest in the UK at the time. David Townsend became the first NCT Driver of the Year too, making 2012 a year to remember. 2014 saw the company re-take the UK Bus Operator of the Year title, following the addition of 40 new ‘deckers to the fleet and the withdrawal of the final bendy buses.
In 2015, NCT and Nottingham City Council submitted a joint bid to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for 82 biogas double-deckers. That meant something of a new vehicle drought for NCT as it awaited the outcome of the bid – 2016 was the first year for a while that didn’t involve any new vehicle deliveries. It wasn’t all bad though, as the company became UK Bus Operator of the Year yet again, following reported customer satisfaction scores of an incredible 97% – the highest in the country.
Its patience was rewarded later in the year, when funding was granted towards 53 biogas ADL-bodied Scania ‘deckers. The environmentally friendly vehicles began operating in spring of 2017, drawing national interest and putting NCT firmly on the sustainability map. 2018 marked 140 years since those first tram routes began operating way back in 1878, and saw the delivery of the second batch of biogas buses from the original order of 53.
That brings us nicely to 2019 which, as I touched on at the beginning, was a landmark year for NCT. Thankfully, the operator isn’t too shy to shout about its achievements; whichever direction you look in the centre of Nottingham you’ll see one of its colourful buses proudly showcasing its award wins. As for the future of the company, the 37 pages which follow give us a great indication of which direction it’s heading in. Judging by its current performance, it seems only a matter of time before it will have to extend its trophy cabinet!
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