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News Category: Bus

Open Top Cup: Go-Ahead routes vie for title of Britain’s best open top bus route

25 August 2023

Open Top Cup: Go-Ahead routes vie for title of Britain’s best open top bus route

Two scenic bus routes operated by The Go-Ahead Group are competing this weekend for the coveted title of Britain’s favourite open top bus tour.

Toon Tours, a cultural journey around Newcastle and Gateshead, is pitted against the New Forest Tour – a rural excursion through the depths of a national park – in the final of the Open Top Cup, a competition organised to mark a resurgence in popularity of open top bus tours.

The competition, organised by Great Scenic Journeys, began earlier this year with 32 open top routes from all corners of the UK. Through several rounds of social media voting, these have been whittled down to a final two, which will be put to the public over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Toon Tours is run by Go North East. A hop-on, hop-off trip, it showcases the attractions, museums, nightlife and industrial heritage of the north-east. It includes a ride along the Newcastle Gateshead Quayside with views of the Tyne and Millennium bridges, plus visits to Newcastle United’s ground St James’ Park, to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and to Ouseburn, Newcastle’s cultural quarter.

Meanwhile, the New Forest Tour gives customers a glimpse of wandering ponies, pretty villages and magical landscapes, with a view a treetop level supplemented by audio commentary. The tour allows people to access walking trails and bike rides throughout the New Forest National Park.

“”
It’s exciting that these two fabulous scenic services have made it to the final and we are proud that our efforts have been recognised. Open Top Buses are a trend right now, with people re-connecting with the great British outdoors and enjoying the pleasures of a trip overlooking great scenery. These two routes couldn’t be more different in terms of scenery, however, share the same interest in offering great customer service. I wish them both the best of luck; they both deserve to win.

Martin Dean

Go-Ahead’s Managing Director

“”
It’s been great to see the fans of these lovely scenic routes get behind their favourites and the response on social media and beyond has been fantastic, reflecting the surge of interest in open top bus routes everywhere this summer, which has been reflected in high patronage across the nation. Sustainable, high quality fun days out are what makes scenic bus journeys so popular and rightly so!

Giles Fearnley

Chair of Great Scenic Journeys

Go-Ahead’s regional bus companies run a variety of open top tours across Britain. Others include:

City Sightseeing Oxford, offering passengers a glimpse into Oxfords heritage, starting and the railway station, to Castle Mill Stream’s hidden treasures and past the Sheldonian Theatre.

Clacton Breeze, allowing passengers to soak in the Essex coastline, all the way to the Clacton Pavilion and Pier.

Brighton City Sightseeing, with panoramic views of the shoreline, starting from the famous Brighton Palace Pier and ending at Brighton Station.

Ocean City Sights, a circular route from Plymouth City Centre around the historic Barbican and onto Plymouth Hoe and Plymouth Sound.

The Beachcomber, which goes along Scarborough’s seafront and to many of the town’s attractions such as the Rotunda Museum and Peaholms Park.

The Needles Breezer, from Yarmouth to Needles Battery and back via Freshwater Bay, Alum Bay, Totland – with views that will simply take your breath away.

Purbeck Breezer, from Bournemouth to Swanage, via the golden sands and clear waters of Sandbanks and Studland.

The final starts on Friday 25 August and finishes at the end of Bank Holiday Monday 28 August.

On-demand bus service operated by Go-Ahead connects rural Wiltshire communities

04 August 2023

On-demand bus service operated by Go-Ahead connects rural Wiltshire communities

Buses on demand launched this week for locals and visitors in the North Wessex Downs.

All trips priced at £2-a-ride under UK Government bus fares price cap.

Wiltshire Connect is Go-Ahead’s fourth demand-responsive rural bus service in England.

An on-demand bus service linking rural communities in North Wiltshire is to be operated by The Go-Ahead Group on behalf of Wiltshire Council.

Called Wiltshire Connect, the network allows people to summon a low emission bus using a smartphone app to pick them up and take them anywhere within a prescribed operating zone. It will be run by Salisbury Reds, a subsidiary of The Go-Ahead Group, but funded and managed by the local authority with support from the government’s Rural Mobility Fund.

The network stretches across the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – a popular area for ramblers, cyclists, horse riders and day trippers. Places of interest accessible via Wiltshire Connect include Savernake Forest, one of the oldest woodlands in England; Wilton Windmill, the only working flour windmill in the south-west, and Crofton Pumping Station – which houses the oldest working beam engine in the world.

The service comprises three zones – the Pewsey Vale which began operating this week; Marlborough and Great Bedwyn which begins on September 4th, and Marlborough and Hungerford which starts on October 30th. All fares will be £2 under the Government’s English national bus fare cap.

Wiltshire Connect is one of a new generation of demand-responsive transport services being pioneered in rural and semi-rural areas across the UK. Buses collect and drop off passengers at designated pick-up points, using software to match passengers going on similar directions and select the most efficient route.

Demand-responsive buses were identified in the Government’s national bus strategy, Bus Back Better, as an important way to serve lower density, rural areas where conventional bus networks are difficult to maintain.

The Go-Ahead Group already operates three demand-responsive bus networks: JustGo in north Lincolnshire, PickMeUp in Buckinghamshire and The Robin in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

“”
These buses are a terrific initiative, and we’re proud to be operating them for Wiltshire Council. We believe demand-responsive transport is an important concept in providing reliable bus service to rural communities. Wiltshire Connect will make it easier and more convenient for local residents to get to schools, hospitals, shops and work, or to connect with fixed bus and rail networks. Visitors will be able to summon a bus at the touch of a button to visit some of the west of England’s most stunning chalk downs, villages and arable landscapes.

Mark Anderson

Go-Ahead’s Customer and Commercial Director

“”
Wiltshire Connect is a revolutionary new bus service that will serve thousands of Wiltshire residents, connecting communities and helping to tackle rural isolation. These innovative new services combine semi-flexible and on-demand buses to give people a service that takes them where they want to go, at a time that suits them and for a reasonable price. People can either hop on and off a timetabled semi-flexible service, or book in advance using the smartphone app or by calling us – it’s very easy to use. In our Business Plan, we set out our commitments to have vibrant, well-connected communities, and to build an efficient and effective transport network that offers a viable alternative to the car, and Wiltshire Connect does just that for all residents in the Pewsey Vale are and beyond.

Cllr Richard Clewer

Leader of Wiltshire Council

The Go-Ahead Group creating world leading electric charging hub in Oxford

17 July 2023

The Go-Ahead Group creating world leading electric charging hub in Oxford

Work begins on installing 104 electric charging points at Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company depot in Cowley.

The facility will be among the largest zero-emission bus charging hubs in Britain.

Electric buses in Oxford will take to the streets later this year co-funded by operators, the local authority and the Department for Transport.

The Go-Ahead Group has commenced work to install one of the biggest electric charging hubs in the UK at the depot of its Oxford Bus Company operation.

Zenobē, the UK’s leading fleet electrification specialist has begun work to install extensive charging infrastructure at Cowley House.

 

The 104 charging points, each offering 150kw of DC power, are being installed ahead of Oxford Bus Company receiving the first delivery of electric buses later this year.

 

The hub will be supplied by an 8 Megawatt (MW) electrical connection, which will provide enough electricity to charge all 104 buses, enough for each bus to drive over 170 miles per day. The charging hub will produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of:

 

More than 16,000 average family homes

More than 130,000 TVs simultaneously

Boiling 2,700 kettles continuously

With co-funding from Go Ahead Group, Oxfordshire County Council and the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, Oxford Bus Company has ordered 104 new electric buses to begin arriving on Oxford’s streets from late 2023.

A consortium of bus operators including the Oxford Bus Company pledged £43.7M towards the scheme, the government committed £32.8M and Oxfordshire County Council £6M. In total the combined investment will result in 159 new battery electric buses serving Oxford. Oxfordshire was one of only 12 local authorities to successfully apply for ZEBRA funding and is one of the biggest schemes in the country.

“”
This is another exciting step forward in our extensive infrastructure scope of works in preparation for transforming our city services to electric. Partnering with Zenobē ensures we will receive the best-in-class advice and technology to fully equip us with a market leading charging solution that meets our needs. We’re looking forward to introducing the first tranche of electric buses later in the year, which will help improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.

Luke Marion

Oxford Bus Company Managing Director

The Oxford Bus Company’s owner, Go-Ahead, is one of the UK’s largest bus and rail operators. Under a strategy called ‘The Next Billion Journeys’, Go-Ahead has pledged to convert its 5,500-strong bus fleet nationwide to zero emission energy.

“”
Customers in Oxford can look forward to clean, green, comfortable buses when this work is complete. This is a great example of bus operators working in partnership with local and national government to deliver zero-emission transport.

Christian Schreyer

Group Chief Executive

The commencement of works is the latest stage in the ambitious urban decarbonisation project, Energy Superhub Oxford. The four-year project has seen innovations such as the creation of a first-of-a-kind battery storage system, a high-power private wire charging network and an electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride.

To enable the buses to charge overnight, depot charging infrastructure being installed by Zenobē will be powered by an EDF Renewables UK substation at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot.

“”
This is a flagship project for Zenobē. It is an example of what an ambitious operator can do with a strong vision and local support. We have worked on more than 50 electrification projects globally and this one stands out for its scale and for the level of collaboration with other operators and government. It has been great collaborating with Luke Marion and his team: we are happy to have started work and are looking forward to seeing the first buses on the road later this year.

Steven Meersman

Co-Founder Director of Zenobē

In 2020 Oxford Bus Company introduced the first double deck electric bus to Oxford via its City Sightseeing Oxford fleet. It now has three retrofitted electric vehicles in its fleet, which were delivered in partnership with Oxford City Council.

The arrival of the fleet of electric buses is expected to support a further drop in NOx levels to help clean up Oxford’s air pollution as part of wider aims for Oxfordshire to become a net carbon zero county by 2025.

All the new buses are being manufactured in the UK and are expected to arrive by June 2024. The Go-Ahead Group is an international provider of public transport services, and its Oxford division includes Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, City Sightseeing Oxford, Carousel Buses and Pulhams Coaches.

Dervla McKay appointed Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland

03 July 2023

Dervla McKay appointed Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland

New MD will oversee 225 buses and 760 colleagues operating services in and around Dublin

Dervla McKay replaces Andrew Edwards, who is moving to Go-Ahead London

Go-Ahead Ireland depot is being expanded to increase capacity

The Go-Ahead Group has appointed Dervla McKay as Managing Director of the group’s bus company in Dublin, Go-Ahead Ireland, which operates services in and around the Irish capital.

Dervla, from Donegal, has extensive experience in bus and coach operation in Ireland and England. She joins Go-Ahead from her role as Managing Director of Aircoach, which runs express coach services across Ireland, and she has held a number of senior roles within FirstGroup since joining as a graduate trainee in 2005.

She will take up the role in the fourth quarter of 2023 and replaces Andrew Edwards, who is moving to Go-Ahead London to become Operations Director of London’s largest bus company after three years at Go-Ahead Ireland.

Based in Ballymount, Go-Ahead Ireland has a fleet of more than 225 buses and employs 760 colleagues, operating 42 routes.

“”
We’re delighted to appoint Dervla McKay to this key role overseeing our successful Irish bus company. She has an excellent track record and knows the bus industry inside out. “Dervla joins the business at an exciting point. Go-Ahead Ireland is expanding in Dublin and has gone from strength to strength under Andrew Edwards’ leadership. I’d like to thank Andrew for steering our Irish business effectively, and we all wish him well in his new role in London.

Christian Schreyer

Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group

Go-Ahead Ireland was appointed by the National Transport Authority to begin running services in Dublin in 2018. The company currently runs 30 routes – 25 in the outer Dublin metropolitan area, and five Dublin commuter routes – carrying 14 million passengers per year.

Work is underway on expanding Go-Ahead’s Ballymount depot by 50% in readiness for new routes added under the NTA’s BusConnects network redesign. The company is also a key supporter of Gaelic sports, as title sponsor of the Dublin GAA’s football, hurling and camogie championships.

“”
Go-Ahead Ireland is an ambitious company which delivers great bus services to passengers, and I’m really excited to be taking on this new challenge.

Dervla McKay

Over the last decade, Go-Ahead has expanded from its base in Britain to operate public transport services in six additional countries – rail in Norway and Germany, and buses in Singapore, Ireland and Australia.

£30 million investment in pioneering hydrogen bus fleet and refuelling station launched for services in and around Gatwick Airport

29 June 2023

£30 million investment in pioneering hydrogen bus fleet and refuelling station launched for services in and around Gatwick Airport

Fleet of 20 buses from Wrightbus to be deployed in the Crawley, Horley and Gatwick Airport area by The Go-Ahead Group.

A further 34 vehicles will join the fleet over the next 18 months to create one of Britain’s largest hydrogen bus fleets.

The station is the first liquid hydrogen refuelling station for buses in Europe.

Launch event on 29 June attended by the Minister for Roads and Local Transport and stakeholders from across the region.

The Go-Ahead Group, one of Britain’s leading bus and rail operators, has today launched a pioneering fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses to carry passengers on routes in the Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Horley area.

Once fully delivered, the fleet will comprise 54 vehicles and will be one of the biggest hydrogen bus fleets in Britain. It will be served by a liquid hydrogen refuelling station – the largest of its kind in Europe.

The zero emission buses are able to cover long ranges and carry heavy loads, making them ideal for local routes around Gatwick that are intensively used – operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses, manufactured by Wrightbus, are the first hydrogen powered vehicles in Go-Ahead’s fleet of more than 6,000 buses. Hydrogen will be stored at the Metrobus Crawley depot in liquid form, before being converted to gas held in tanks on the roof of vehicles.

The liquid hydrogen refuelling station in Crawley is owned and operated by Air Products, a world leading industrial gas company. Once it reaches full capacity it will be the largest of its kind in Europe and will be capable of providing the equivalent of fuel for over 100 buses per day.

The Crawley bus depot, at Wheatstone Close played host to a number of local stakeholders and politicians in a presentation and ceremony to launch the new hydrogen buses. Richard Holden, minister for roads and local transport, was also in attendance, speaking at the event and touring the refuelling facilities.

“”
Communities and commuters across the country know how important buses are – and these UK-made hydrogen buses could revolutionise transport for millions, bringing quieter and smoother journeys. It is great to see these 20 new hydrogen buses on our roads, one of the largest fleets in the UK, backed by over £4.3m of funding from our Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme. With nearly 3,400 Zero Emission Buses funded across the UK since February 2020, this latest fleet puts us well on the way to meeting our target of 4,000 ZEBs.

Richard Holden MP

Minister for Roads and Local Transport

Ed Wills, Managing Director for Brighton & Hove and Metrobus said “I am delighted to introduce 20 new hydrogen buses to our Metrobus fleet and a liquid hydrogen refuelling station, which, once fully commissioned will be the largest of its kind in Europe. This launch marks a historic moment for our business and demonstrates our commitment to reducing emissions in the local community where the only thing that comes out of the bus tailpipe is water. A further 34 buses will join our fleet over the next 18 months through our partnership working with Surrey County Council.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, commented: “These fantastic buses and the innovative refuelling depot demonstrate Go-Ahead’s commitment to investing in a net zero future for transport. We’re already the leading operator of electric buses in Britain and we believe hydrogen is a further piece in the jigsaw of decarbonising public transport – to the benefit of the environment and local communities.”

Manish Patel, Air Products Hydrogen for Mobility Director UK, commented: “We are proud to be part of this exciting project, where we intend to deliver green hydrogen produced in Immingham from imported renewable energy sources such as the NEOM Green Hydrogen project, where there’s an abundance of sun and wind. The project is an excellent example of companies collaborating and pioneering in the energy transition space. Together, we are making the decarbonisation of public transport a reality; our liquid hydrogen-fed refuelling station will be able to reliably serve the depot’s full fleet.”

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive, London Gatwick Airport, commented: “Sustainability is key to everything we do and we’re proud to have contributed financially to these 20 zero emission Hydrogen busses.  The route this new fleet serves is vital for passengers and airport staff travelling to and from work, including late at night and early morning.

“We want half of our passengers and staff to get to the airport using sustainable transport, so we’re investing in our public transport facilities.  In addition to this zero-emission bus fleet, we have also upgraded a vital bus interchange with accessible lifts and our redeveloped train station will open soon.  We also hope to see further advances in the use of hydrogen at the airport in the years ahead “.

Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus, said, “We are honoured to work together with the Go-Ahead Group to provide our industry-leading zero-emission buses for these important routes. Public transport is a key area in the UK’s zero carbon ambitions and hydrogen has a vital role to play. Collaborations such as this one show the potential of UK industry to meet this challenge that we face.”

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth said, “I am delighted that Surrey County Council and Metrobus continue to work together to help deliver our ambition to become a net zero county by 2050, to improve public transport and to encourage more people to use buses in Surrey.

Surrey County Council has invested £16.4m to roll out 34 of 54 hydrogen fuel cell buses across the county – creating one of Britain’s largest hydrogen bus fleets and offering our residents cleaner, greener bus travel.

We’re also investing in bus priority measures to make sure buses turn up on time, more real time passenger information for users to plan journeys and providing more on-demand bus services.”

 

 

Trams on wheels for Kent: Go-Ahead to operate all-electric Fastrack network

14 June 2023

Trams on wheels for Kent: Go-Ahead to operate all-electric Fastrack network

Go-Ahead wins £110 million deal to run Fastrack service for Kent County Council.

Passengers will travel on zero emission electric buses from November 2024.

More than 2.5 million people annually travel on the rapid transit network in the Dartford, Ebbsfleet and Gravesham area

The Go-Ahead Group has been awarded a 15-year contract worth £110 million by Kent County Council to operate Kent’s award winning Fastrack bus rapid transit system.

Under the contract, the group’s Go-Ahead London division will operate the service from November 2024. Existing buses will replaced with a zero emission, electric fleet on the network, which runs in the Dartford, Bluewater, Ebbsfleet and Gravesham area.

The network provides essential access to jobs, education, healthcare and shopping in an area of rapid economic growth which is undergoing significant regeneration.

Go-Ahead is in talks to deploy a fleet of 28 brand new Irizar ie Trams on the network, powered by inverted electric pantograph technology. The distinctive, eye-catching vehicles feature leather seats, USB chargers, Wifi, braille buttons, luggage racks and real-time passenger information. Similar vehicles are already in operation on Go-Ahead London routes in south-east London.

Kent Fastrack provides a frequent ‘turn up and go’ service with a reliable journey time, providing a real alternative to the car for local journeys. A high proportion of its routes run on dedicated busways, avoiding traffic congestion.

The contract will add 100 colleagues to The Go-Ahead Group, which has made it a priority to expand in the UK bus and passenger transport market under its Next Billion Journeys strategy. Go-Ahead intends to use its award-winning transport apprenticeship scheme to recruit for Fastrack.

“”
Kent’s Fastrack network is a fantastic blueprint for the future of bus travel, on dedicated busways away from traffic congestion. Go-Ahead will make this a zero-emission service and will deploy comfortable, modern, state-of-the-art ieTrams to enhance passengers’ journeys.

Christian Schreyer

Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group

“”
Fastrack is the jewel in the crown of Kent’s bus network and our intention with this new contract was always to achieve the best possible outcome for our users, securing the highest quality service proposed to us. Another key agenda was to transform Fastrack into a zero-emission operation, improving out footprint in Kent Thameside. Following KCC’s successful bid for DfT ZEBRA funding, we’ve been able to make this a reality. We’re delighted to embark on this 15-year partnership with Go-Ahead and I can’t wait to see the next generation of Fastrack come to fruition in 2024.

Shane Hymers

Fastrack Development Manager at Kent County Council

“”
Our flagship Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit service is a singular tool designed to enable continued economic development and sustainable regeneration in Kent, crucially helping to prevent unacceptable traffic congestion in and around the key traffic interchange, The Dartford Crossing. Fastrack’s new zero-emission fleet will further improve air quality and visibly set the trend for local communities and other industries. Through the National Bus Strategy, Kent County Council is working even closer with our bus operators, and it is only through these strong partnerships that we can achieve the bold ambitions that we have set for ourselves. We look forward to welcoming Go-Ahead to Kent.

Cllr David Brazier

Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Kent County Council

From Swindon to Ukraine: Go-Ahead hospital bus presented to ambassador

22 May 2023

From Swindon to Ukraine: Go-Ahead hospital bus presented to ambassador

A bus donated by one of Go-Ahead’s local bus companies has been converted into a field hospital for use in treating casualties of the war in Ukraine.

The bus, which until recently carried passengers in Wiltshire as part of Swindon’s Bus Company, was today presented to His Excellency Vadym Prystaiko, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, in a ceremony outside the House of Lords.

The single-decker vehicle has been fitted with hospital beds and medical equipment for use as a mobile field hospital on the frontline as Ukraine defends its territory following Russia’s invasion.

Seats have been stripped out of the bus to make way for three beds, facilities for heart monitors and drips. The bus has a fresh water tank fitted, bathroom facilities and a portable generator.

The project has been overseen by Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership (SHAP), a local charity formed to help the war-torn country. Since Russia’s invasion, SHAP has donated 925 tonnes of aid to Ukraine.

“”
We’re all appalled by the ongoing situation on the ground following Russia’s invasion. I hope this bus will make a small contribution towards Ukraine’s war effort, and towards the treatment of those injured on the front line.

Christian Schreyer

Chief Executive of The Go-Ahead Group

Arrangements are being made for the bus to be transported to Ukraine.

“”
We are indebted to Go-Ahead, and to Swindon’s Bus Company, for the donation of a bus that allowed a group of committed local volunteers to convert a standard public service bus into a mobile medical facility for use in Ukraine. It is hard to comprehend what our Ukrainian friends are having to endure but in the best British tradition all we can do is support them with all our might.

Mike Bowden

Chair of The Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership

A number of parliamentarians took part in the handover including Robert Buckland MP (Con, South Swindon),  John Healey (Shadow Secretary of State for Defence), Iain Duncan Smith MP (Con, Chingford), Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour deputy leader in the House of Lords) and David Davis MP (Con, Haltemprice and Howden).

Keeping Manchester moving: Go-Ahead kicks off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers

05 May 2023

Keeping Manchester moving: Go-Ahead kicks off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers

Go-Ahead’s Manchester bus company, Go North West, to hire 300 drivers on apprenticeship or training contracts.

The drivers will operate Bee Network buses as part of mayor Andy Burnham’s new integrated transport network.

The Go-Ahead Group has kicked off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers in preparation for the launch of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network public transport service.

Go North West, the group’s Manchester bus company, plans to hire up to 300 bus drivers on apprenticeship or trainee contracts for a newly created Elite Bus Driver Academy in Bolton.

The drivers will operate yellow Bee Network buses in Bolton and Wigan from September – the first two areas to be franchised under Transport for Greater Manchester’s new vision for local buses.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, has set out a vision of an integrated London-style transport system bringing together buses, trams, rail, cycling and walking. In an initial step towards this, Go North West was selected by TfGM in late 2022 as the winner of its first two bus contracts.

“”
Bus drivers play a pivotal role in helping people all over Greater Manchester get to where they need to go. The Bee Network is set to transform public transport here and it’s great to see this huge recruitment drive taking place, as we prepare for the launch in September, and the creation of hundreds of jobs for local people. There’s no better time to get involved in transport, so I’d encourage anyone who’s thinking about becoming a bus driver to get on board with us.

Andy Burnham

Mayor of Greater Manchester

Themed as ‘Be an Elite Driver’, a recruitment campaign for Go North West uses fighter pilot style uniforms and imagery. Applicants will be urged to become ‘the best of the best’, to find the thing that will ‘make them awesome’ and to brace themselves for a career with ‘wheels…that you’ll steer’.

They will undertake an intensive six-week training program, open both to existing bus driver licence holders and to those who have never sat behind the wheel of a bus before. Furthermore, Go North West will offer longer term apprenticeships combining studying with hands-on driving, allowing people to earn while they learn.

“”
This is a ground-breaking recruitment campaign to match the huge scale of change that we’ll be helping to deliver in Greater Manchester’s public transport. We’ve already had lots of interest in driving the new Bee Network buses and we’re expecting thousands of applications. Our parent company, Go-Ahead, is the largest bus operator in London so we’re specialists in busy, joined up urban transport networks. We’re very proud to be pioneers in delivering bus services fit for such a great city as Manchester.

Nigel Featham

Managing Director, Go North West

Go-Ahead is already one of the largest apprenticeship employers in the UK, taking on 1,100 apprentices annually to train as bus drivers, train drivers and engineers. The group has a strategy of offering apprenticeships in order to widen the diversity of its workforce.

Once the new contracts are underway, Go North West will operate more than 500 buses from Bolton, Wigan and from its existing Queen’s Road depot in central Manchester. And the company’s facility in Bolton will be the largest UK bus depot outside London.

Bus driver jobs include 20 days’ annual holiday, generous pensions and pay rates from £28,000 that quickly increase with experience. Go North West has quadrupled the size of its training team in anticipation of an influx of new recruits.

Fit for a king: Go-Ahead’s coronation buses take to the road

17 April 2023

Fit for a king: Go-Ahead’s coronation buses take to the road

Go-Ahead has unveiled commemorative buses in London and in the south-west of England to mark the coronation of Their Majesties Kings Charles III and Queen Camilla.

In Devon, a red, white and blue Plymouth Citybus double-decker with festive bunting will take to the streets of Britain’s Ocean City to mark the historic royal event, operating on route 25 which runs around Plymouth Hoe and waterfront.

In the capital, a special Go-Ahead London bus is still in its iconic red colour but  boasts a new design and is decorated in the official emblem of the coronation. The LT511 Routemaster, delivered alongside Transport for London, is in service on Route 11 (Fulham Broadway to Waterloo), which passes Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square.

Go-Ahead’s transport companies are at the heart of the coronation and will be bringing millions of people to festive events over the weekend – including big screens in parks and city centres, community parties and volunteering events connected with Monday’s “Big Help Out” day.

Many of those travelling to central London will be using Go-Ahead services. Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services, is the largest rail operator in the south-east. And Go-Ahead London runs a quarter of the capital’s buses on behalf of Transport for London.

“”
We’re proud to be involved in carrying so many people to celebratory events this weekend – be it the coronation in London itself or to community and street parties across the nation. In common with the rest of the country, we congratulate the King and Queen on their coronation and we hope these buses add to the buzz across the country over the course of this historic weekend.

Mark Anderson

Go-Ahead Customer and Commercial Director

Ten million Go-Ahead passengers benefit from £2 nationwide bus fare cap

23 March 2023

Ten million Go-Ahead passengers benefit from £2 nationwide bus fare cap

Promotional ticket sales reach £20 million since scheme began in January.

Passenger numbers up by 130% on one Carousel Buses route.

Go-Ahead launches a prize competition to encourage more passengers onto buses.

National low fares scheme has been extended until the end of June.

Go-Ahead’s bus companies have carried ten million passengers at the nationwide promotional fare of £2 since the Government began funding a scheme capping the price of bus travel on New Year’s Day. As of today, Go-Ahead bus companies outside London have sold more than £20 million worth of tickets.

The initiative, which is part of the Government’s Help for Households initiative, has made bus travel cheaper on all of Go-Ahead’s regional bus companies – which have networks stretching from Cornwall to Northumberland.

The biggest seller of discount tickets in the Go-Ahead network is Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus, where more than 2.5 million passengers have travelled at £2.

On certain routes, passenger numbers have jumped significantly. For example, a route in Buckinghamshire operated by Go-Ahead’s Carousel Buses has seen a 130% uplift in passenger numbers since the beginning of the year. Route 102, which runs from Heathrow Airport to High Wycombe via Beaconsfield and Gerrard’s Cross, has proven particularly popular under the scheme.

Initially planned to run until the end of March, the £2 adult single fares offer across England was recently extended by three months to the end of June, backed with an additional £75 million of funding from the Department for Transport.

“”
The £2 fare cap is an excellent initiative to promote bus travel, and it is great news that it will continue. This valuable funding will safeguard hundreds of routes which are commercially challenging but important for local people. Buses provide vital connections for local communities across the United Kingdom and we’re pleased to be working with the Department for Transport to make them as affordable as possible. A big increase in passenger numbers on services such as Carousel Buses’ route 102 demonstrates how popular this offer is proving to be.

Martin Dean

Go-Ahead Managing Director, Regional Bus

Participating Go-Ahead bus companies include:

Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus

Go South Coast – Bluestar, Morebus, Southern Vectis, Salisbury Reds and Swindon’s Bus Company

Go South West – Plymouth Citybus, Go Cornwall, Go Devon and Dartline

The Oxford Bus Company – including Carousel Buses and Thames Travel

Go East Anglia – Konectbus, Hedingham and Chambers

East Yorkshire Buses

Go North East

Go-Ahead is offering passengers the chance to enter a prize competition by submitting a short video of their £2 bus, journey, route, or destination, with an Apple iPhone for the winner. Videos of up to 1 minute 30 seconds are eligible – the more creative the better.

Shortlisted entries will be shared on the group’s social media channels.