The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan has opened the new world class Operations Control Centre (OCC) for Go-Ahead London, the capital’s largest bus operator. Equipped with the latest technology, the new OCC will improve the reliability and punctuality of services for over one million customers who use the service each day.

Consolidating Go-Ahead London’s six OCCs into one purpose-built facility, the new OCC will monitor and co-ordinate the operation of Go-Ahead London’s services 24 hours a day, seven days a week across the entire fleet of over 2,400 buses on 170 routes across London.

The new OCC will enable controllers to oversee the entire network, work more collaboratively, and better allocate resource to ensure safe and reliable journeys for our passengers and our drivers. They will achieve this through access to live operational data for the whole of Go-Ahead’s London network, including information on road congestion, roadworks, bus departures and vehicle availability and reliability. This data will help the controllers make faster, more informed decisions. The OCC will also manage Go-Ahead London’s growing fleet of over 800 zero-emission buses, the largest in the city, by providing live information on the battery range and state of charge for all electric buses.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As the son of a bus driver, it was great to officially open Go-Ahead London’s fantastic new Operations Control Centre and meet the staff working to deliver safe and reliable journeys for bus drivers and more than one million Londoners. I’m proud we’ve taken London’s bus network from strength to strength since I became Mayor, delivering the Superloop network, the Hopper fare, improving safety, freezing bus fares for six years and ensuring there are now more than 2,000 zero emission buses in the capital. We’ll continue to ensure buses remain the most accessible, affordable and sustainable form of transport as we build a better London for everyone.”

 Matt Carney, CEO, Go-Ahead Bus said: “Putting the customer first goes to the heart of everything we do. Therefore investing in new technology and world class facilities to improve our teams’ workplaces whilst continuously improving the safety, reliability and punctuality of our services is an easy decision. We are proud to partner with TfL to keep London moving by delivering more than 1.8 billion bus journeys per year.”

Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach, two of the UK’s leading bus operators, have collaborated to launch a new report highlighting the crucial role of incorporating bus services in new residential developments, helping to integrate public transportation into emerging neighbourhoods for improved community convenience.

The report examines how strategic urban design can enhance bus provision and accessibility specifically in locations outside of metropolitan areas, while aligning with major policy shifts.

Including new case studies and reflecting significant evolution in other areas of policy and guidance including the National Model Design Code, the report updates the previous award-winning Stagecoach guidance published in 2017.

The launch was hosted online by the Bus Centre of Excellence (funded by the DfT) on Tuesday 25 March 2025 and featured key leadership figures from Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach with the event being led by the author of the guide, Nick Small, Head of Built Environment & Infrastructure for Oxford Bus Company & Go South Coast, part of the Go-Ahead Group.

You can read the report by clicking here.

Go-Ahead has acquired Pearces Coaches, expanding its established coach operations in the UK and adding to its rapidly growing Oxford network.

Pearces Coaches provides its loyal customers with high-quality coach services, including for Oxford University and home to school routes for local independent schools.

Pearces Coaches will join Go-Ahead as part of the Oxford Bus Company and follows acquisitions in the Oxford and Gloucestershire region including Pulhams and Swanbrook coaches.

Go-Ahead has grown its coach services and is now one of the largest coach operators in the UK with over 400 coaches from the South West to the North East, serving customers such as schools, universities, local businesses and local authorities. Go-Ahead’s coach services include East Yorkshire Coaches, Excelsior and Dartline Coaches.

Miguel Parras, Group Chief Executive, Go-Ahead, said: “Pearces Coaches is a fantastic operator, with an excellent reputation and we’re delighted to welcome them to Go-Ahead. Our Oxford Bus Company has gone from strength to strength, connecting customers from a wider area with a wider range of services. We’ve grown our coach and bus services significantly in the last few years to provide additional high-quality services  for schools, local businesses and local authorities.”

Martin Pearce, Director of Pearces Coaches “We’re delighted to join Go-Ahead who share our approach in offering high-quality, reliable and punctual services to the local community. As a leading public transport business with a such a strong local presence, we know our loyal customers will continue to experience excellent service when we become part of Go-Ahead.”