Things are feeling a bit more positive these days at Citybus:
We are so pleased to say that Go South West have been nominated by a Route One Award in the Large Bus Operator of the Year (over 150 buses) category!
Watch this space to see if we are successful when the awards take place later this year!
They wont the best medium operator back in 2017
Congratulations!
Meanwhile the new buses continue to arrive and this young man seems quite happy about that…
Congratulations to Plymouth Citybus…
Investors in People is delighted to award Plymouth Citybus, the leading bus company in Plymouth, We invest in people, platinum accreditation.
It means policies and practices around supporting people are embedded in every corner of Plymouth Citybus. And in a platinum company, everyone – from the CEO to a customer services apprentice – knows they have a part to play in the company doing well and is always looking for ways to improve.
Today, Plymouth Citybus is at the heart of the local community, it is a patron of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and the Plymouth Citybus team invests time and money supporting the community through sponsorships, sporting events and charitable giving.
Plymouth Citybus operates a modern fleet, including 11 brand new low carbon buses that have recently gone into service, and provides the local service for Plymouth customers. Plymouth Citybus employ over 550 staff and carry over 16 million passengers a year.
Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Plymouth Citybus. Platinum accreditation on We invest in people is a remarkable effort for any organisation, and places Plymouth Citybus in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”
Commenting on the award, Richard Stevens, Managing Director at Plymouth Citybus, said: “Investors in People has never been about wearing a badge, it has always been a tool to help shape a working environment that truly puts people at the centre of everything the company does. Achieving Platinum accreditation was far from easy, at lot of people have put a lot of work in, to create an environment where change is embraced, where people can genuinely thrive. Looking back on our Investors in People journey, our company is unrecognisable in the way it behaves, together we respect difference and collaborate at every opportunity to achieve collective and individual success.”
We believe that the success of your organisation begins and ends with people. If we make work better for everyone, we make work better for every organisation. And if we do that… we make society stronger, healthier and happier.
This is very well timed for Plymouth Citybus as they reach out for a lot of new drivers for their new Cornish network. Many drivers wondering if to TUPE across to Citybus will at least be able to see that Citybus are serious about investing in their team.
This does of course mean that Citybus 85 is out of date! Hopefully we can look forward to a Platinum version – preferably on something a bit better than an old Citaro. There are a couple of Red Flash Enviros waiting their turn in the paintshop and this is clearly something Citybus should be proud of and should be shouting about!
Some tough competition there, but well done to Citybus for being shortlisted - by far the smallest of the operators chosen.
Congratulations to all at Plymouth Citybus for getting the (medium) big one this year, and Andrew Wickham for getting the (big) big one plus the Manager of The Year Award. You guys are clearly doing something right!The Routeone Awards have taken place and Plymouth Citybus have won an award!
Congrats PLYMOUTH CITYBUS @plymouthbus! Winner of the Medium Bus Operator of the Year Award, sponsored by @ScaniaUK #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
And a former Plymouth Citybus Manager has done well too…
Congrats @AndrewWickhamGo @go_south_coast! Winner of the Manager of the Year Award (200+ vehicles) sponsored by @LytxUK #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
Congratulations @go_south_coast! Winner of the Large Bus Operator of the Year Award, sponsored by @millbrook_co_uk #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
Elsewhere within the Go Ahead Group
Congratulations to GO NORTH EAST! Winners of the routeone Operator Training Award, sponsored by @newsfromfta @gonortheast #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
Congratulations to GO NORTH EAST! Winners of the routeone Operator Training Award, sponsored by @newsfromfta @gonortheast #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
Congratulations GO-AHEAD LONDON @Go_Ahead_London! Winner of the routeone Environment Award, sponsored by @GasAlliance #routeoneawards— routeone (@routeoneteam) October 4, 2017
The British Parking Association has awarded accreditation for safe bus stations for several years, but has now launched a new accreditation for long-distance scheduled coach services – and Plymouth’s new coach station is the first to receive it!
The £4.8 million coach station opened to passengers last September with seven bays, electronic passenger information, sail-like steel canopies to provide shelter, an internal heated waiting area, toilets, a staffed ticket office, ticket vending machines, cycle stand, CCTV, a customer help point, a taxi drop off zone and extensive landscaping. The site also works as a satellite tourist information centre with maps, leaflet racks and onward travel information for buses, rail and ferries.
As well as the CCTV cameras, there are regular patrols by security guards at all hours of the day and night to add an extra sense of security for passengers and visitors.
The accreditation system is based on two assessments – a face-to-face customer survey to find out how safe people felt both during the day and out-of-hours and a detailed audit of systems and procedures in place.
Some of the comments which came back from passengers included: ‘security staff and café staff – friendly and helpful’, ‘comfy seating and always nice and clean’, ‘clean and comfortable, warm and good seating. Friendly and helpful staff’ and ‘things have really improved!’
Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport, Housing and Planning said: “We are really proud of this accreditation and it is particularly gratifying to hear that people who use this coach station at all hours of the day and night feel safe. ” 
The coach station is operated by National Express. Megabus and SW Falcon also run scheduled services from there. It replaces the old Bretonside bus station which is being demolished as part of a multi-million pound leisure development by British Land. 
National Express Coach Managing Director Chris Hardy said: “We are delighted to be awarded this accreditation which is a tribute to the work we and our partners at Plymouth Council have put in to provide the best possible experience for people travelling by coach. Safety is National Express’s number one priority and we regularly review our stations to improve facilities for waiting passengers, such as CCTV, lighting and security patrols to ensure our customers and visitors feel safe. ” 
Facilities have to pass a rigorous risk assessment conducted by the police and the British Parking Association. The assessments include management and maintenance of the facility, ensuring that there are appropriate levels of surveillance, lighting, signage and cleanliness, explained Chas Cannon, Senior Area Manager at British Parking Association.
He said: “I am delighted that National Express and the council have achieved the first Safer Coach Station Award as part of the Safer Bus Station scheme.
“I very much look forward to working with National Express to help them achieve further awards at other bus stations across the UK. This is a relatively new scheme, but as we are encouraged to use more public transport and the fact that we are moving towards more interconnected transport networks, the time was right to extend crime prevention schemes into these areas.”
Its still a shame that they didn't go with the entrance sign as used in the original drawings…
The coach station has also just been shortlisted for the National Transport Awards 2017. The awards are probably the biggest awards ceremony in the realm of public transport and the coach station is up against some very big projects in the construction and engineering project of the year category.
1. Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, The South Bristol Link (SBL)
2. Bicester to Oxford Collaboration, East West Rail Phase One
3. Costain Ltd, Dover Sea Wall Project
4. Furrer+Frey, Electrification
5. Northern Hub Alliance - Ordsall Chord
6. Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Coach Station
7. S&C North Alliance, Sandy South - 125mph handback of a complex rail S&C renewal
8. Skanska UK, M1 Junction 19 Improvement Scheme
9. Transport for Greater Manchester, Second City Crossing
Its not the only local interest in the awards shortlist this year:
1. Brighton & Hove Buses
2. First Hampshire, Dorset & Berkshire
3. Go South Coast
4. LibertyBus - Measuring impact, growing ridership and thinking differently
5. Lothian Buses
6. Metrobus - Inspiring Travel
7. National Express West Midlands
8. Plymouth Citybus
9. Stagecoach East Scotland
And from 2016?
WINNER: National Express West Midlands
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Plymouth Citybus - maybe they can go one better this year?
 Congratulations to Western Greyhound |
Today saw the 2009 UK Bus Awards - and as usual Western Greyhound did pretty well. Independent Operator of the Year 2009and runner up for the big one: The Belmont International & QBE Bus Operator of The Year (Brighton and Hove were the winners)  |
Further ReadingPlymothian Transit: Gold Star Award Plymothian Transit: Awarding Plymothian Transit: Good News Times 3   |
| " Well done Dave, we're proud of you ” Elsewhere… | This is Plymouth Marc Reddy, managing director of First Devon and Cornwall, said: "Dave is one of the best bus drivers we have. He's committed and enthusiastic and he applies the same dedication to his role as school governor. "He's helped us build links with the school and the importance of this, in itself, should not be underestimated. He thoroughly deserves his Gold Star Award; Well done Dave, we're proud of you." [archive link]
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