On Stage Issue 75 - Stagecoach Group

on stage
Issue 75 | Summer 2009
The newsletter of Stagecoach Group
Welcome to our
new-look On Stage.
Look out for some
new features as
well as stories from
across the Group.
Enjoy!
All change at
the top at SWT
South West Trains Managing
Director Stewart Palmer has
announced he is to retire later this year.
Mr Palmer (pictured above), whose career
in the transport industry has spanned 37
years, will step
down in October.
Taking over as
Managing Director
of the South
Western franchise
will be Andy Pitt,
currently Business
Development
Director for
Stagecoach Rail
Group.
Top marks for
Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink has
become the first tram system in the
UK to have stops awarded Secure
Stations status by the Department for
Transport.
Three stops – Old Trafford,Whitefield, and
Harbour City – were given top marks after
meeting the scheme’s safety and security
guidelines.
An independent judge from the British
Transport Police assessed the design and
management of the stops, and considered
crime statistics and passenger surveys to see
how safe passengers felt while using the
stations.
Group well-placed
to weather storm
o
Stagecoach Group has
announced strong annual results,
but warned of tough times ahead in the
coming financial year.
The Group’s UK Bus division – widely
recognised as the best in the transport sector –
performed particularly well and the results were
welcomed by financial analysts.
Stagecoach and other operators are facing
challenging trading conditions, particularly
affecting rail operations in the UK, but the
Group has taken steps to ensure it is operating as
efficiently as possible.
Group revenue for the year ending April 30,
2009, was up nearly 20% to more than £2
billion, while operating profit was up by 11% to
£227.8 million.
A strong performance was reported across the
Group and Chief Executive Brian Souter said
that, despite facing a challenging year ahead, the
company is well placed to weather the economic
storm.
Stagecoach’s UK Bus operation continues
to attract growing passenger numbers, with
like-for-like passenger volumes up 3.2% and
revenue up 11.7% to £830.8million compared
to £743.9million in the previous year.The
operating margin also increased to just over 15%.
The results also showed continued growth
for the UK Rail business. Revenue in the rail
division was up 25.7% to £977.7million and
passenger volumes have continued to rise, albeit
at a slower rate of growth.
Virgin Rail Group (VRG), in which
Stagecoach has a 49% shareholding, also
performed well despite the ongoing
R e s u lt s Fa c
t f il e
R e v e n ue f ro
m
G ro u p b us in co n ti n u in g
e ss e s u p 19
.3%
Fu ll -ye a r d
iv
in cre a se d by ide n d
11.1% to 6
p
U K B us li k efo r- li k e
re v e n ue u p
8.9%
U K R a il li k
ere v e n ue u p fo r- li k e
6.2%
disruption caused by the upgrade of the West
Coast main line. Stagecoach’s share of VRG
operating profit for the year was £42.7million, a
slight rise on the previous year.
In North America, the Group maintained
operating margins at just over 10% despite the
tough economy and the budget inter-city coach
service megabus.com has continued to expand,
with revenues up significantly from $11.3million
the previous year to $35.8m for 2008-09.
Commenting on the results, Mr Souter said:
“There is no doubt the transport sector faces a
challenging year ahead but I am confident that
we can develop new ideas for future growth,
maintain high-quality public transport services to
our customers and deliver long-term value to our
shareholders.”
Corby celebrates
Corby railway station in
Northamptonshire has been officially
opened, bringing with it a full East
Midlands Trains timetable to London St
Pancras Station.
The new £8.3million station provides full access
for disabled passengers and also has bicycle parking
facilities. In addition to parking for 140 cars, there
are facilities for other forms of transport, including
a taxi rank and bus interchange.
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East
Midlands Trains, said:“We know just how much
excitement and enthusiasm there is for our new
train services between Corby and London and we
A new railway station is the icing on the cake for
East Midlands Trains’ services.
are extremely proud to be the company bringing
train services back to Corby for the first time
since the 1960s.”
1
uk bus
On the ball
Congratulations to
the football team at Stagecoach
Merseyside who recently won the
Volvo Cup for the third year in a row,
beating Cardiff Bus 3-1.
A special mention must go to the
Merseyside goalkeeper who broke his arm
in the first half but played on until half time!
Ashton depot
opens its doors
Stagecoach Manchester has
celebrated the official opening of
its new Ashton bus depot at Unit 5
Riverside Works.
The Worshipful the Civic Mayor and
Mayoress of Tameside, Councillor Jack Davis
and Mrs Carole Davis, joined Stagecoach
Manchester Managing Director Mark
Threapleton for an official ribbon-cutting
ceremony.
The new Ashton depot was opened
following the relocation of the company’s
Glossop operation.
Stagecoach has invested £2 million in the
depot, which when at full capacity will see
over 70 buses operate out of the new site,
covering the company’s East Manchester and
Ashton operating areas.
The facility includes a six-bay engineering
workshop, an office block and full vehicle
wash facility, which uses a recycling unit to
reduce water consumption. There are 173
employees at the new site, including driver,
engineer, inspector and managerial roles.
on stage
You what?! (Overheard on a bus in Exeter.)
Woman: “What’s made you late?”
Driver: “I had a breakdown.”
Woman: “Oh my husband had one of them – I hope you’re OK!”
Can you beat that? Send your weird and wonderful overheard comments to
lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
Busway vehicles ready to roll
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire
recently launched its fleet of 20 brand
new, high-spec buses on routes between
Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge.
The vehicles – which will be used on the
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway when it opens
later in the year – feature free wi-fi, leather seats
and air conditioning, and have immediately
proved popular with passengers.
Stagecoach has invested £3 million in the
vehicles, which all run on 100% bio fuel produced
from recycled food waste.
Philip Norwell, Stagecoach Cambridgeshire
Commercial Director, said:“These new buses are
absolutely fantastic.
“There’s a whole host of extras which make
journeys on them more comfortable than ever.
“They’re the first buses in Cambridgeshire to
run on the renewable fuel, which is an important
step towards reducing exhaust emissions.”
Cambridge’s new eco-friendly buses run on
100% bio-fuel.
Keep on running
three Stagecoach employees have
helped raise thousands of pounds for
charity by running the London Marathon.
Stagecoach Merseyside Route Controller Vicky
Williams successfully completed the marathon in
3 hours 45 minutes – a personal best for Vicky,
who is also the Stagecoach Merseyside Green
Champion.
Her efforts also raised a total of £1800 for the
charity Sense, which provides support for people
who are deaf and blind.
Meanwhile, Sunderland bus driver Sean Smith
completed the race in three hours 12 minutes,
raising over £300 for Macmillan Nurses.
Congratulations are also due to Neil Cook of
Stagecoach South Wales who finished the race in
a time of 4 hours and 49 minutes, raising nearly
£600 for Cancer Research Wales.
Stagecoach staff clock up 1,430 years
A pound goes
a long way
Stagecoach East Scotland staff
recently took part in a ‘Bring a £1 to
work day’ for the Children’s Hospice
Association Scotland (CHAS).
Staff throughout Fife, Perth, Dundee and
Angus brought £1 to work and raised £544,
matched by Stagecoach East Scotland to give
a grand total of £1000.
A group of 51 dedicated Stagecoach
Yorkshire staff have been rewarded for their
loyalty after clocking up the equivalent of
35 lifetimes’ worth of work between them.
The employees, who have completed a
combined 1,430 years of service, were celebrated
at a special presentation evening held at Ardsley
House Hotel, in Barnsley.
Among the long-serving staff were Philip
Tomlinson, Charles Abrahams, Colin Hand and
Anthony Philips, who have all worked for the
company for 40 years.
2
uk bus / uk rail
Dean’s a star pupil
An apprentice body builder at
Torquay depot in Devon has achieved
perfect exam marks two years in a
row.
Dean Swift started with Stagecoach
as a cleaner but later applied for an
apprenticeship with the company.
He has now achieved 100% in his exams
for the past two years.
South West Trains
hitting the back
of the net
The Wessex Eagles Under-15
football team spent the winter months
training indoors thanks to South West
Trains.
The train company donated £300 to help
the footballers fund their weekly training at a
local sports centre.
Manager Steve Hayter said:“Without the
help of South West Trains we wouldn’t have
been able to afford to stay indoors for the
whole of the winter period.”
Bus companies
in line for top
national award
Two Stagecoach bus companies
are competing for a top honour at the
2009 National Transport Awards.
Stagecoach Bluebird and Stagecoach
in Fife have both been shortlisted for the
prestigious Chris Moyes Award for Public
Transport Operator of the Year.
The two companies will be up against
several other bus and rail operators for the
title at the awards ceremony on July 22 at
London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
Committed to
excellence
East Midlands Trains has been
awarded the prestigious Committed
to Excellence Award (C2E) by the
European Foundation for Quality
Management (EFQM).
The accolade, awarded following an
external assessment, recognised the
company’s achievements in business
excellence.
on stage
Spotlight on…
The Salisbury Station and
Depot Team
The South West Trains Salisbury
Station team comprises the station staff,
guards and drivers Steve Chislett, Nigel
Crowe, Mike Pearce, Chris Jendensen and
Samir Bares.
They make sure customers receive a punctual
train service and a high standard of customer care,
both on board the trains and at the station.
At a recent event to celebrate the 150th
anniversary of the Salisbury-Gillingham line,
they demonstrated that
teamwork is worth more than a generous budget.
Staff gave up their own time to organise the
celebration, giving everyone associated with
Salisbury a sense of pride and achievement.
The Salisbury staff are proud of where they
work, and of the people they work with, and
demonstrate this through their commitment to
the local community and first-class customer
service.
Destination yesteryear
The London to Havant line (via
Liss and Petersfield) celebrated its 150th
anniversary recently.
To mark the occasion, Petersfield Station
Manager Kim Blake worked with Petersfield
Town Council to organise and host a day of
Victorian-style fun at the station.
South West Trains Managing Director Stewart
Palmer, who donned Victorian garb to unveil a
plaque at the station, thanked Kim and her team
for creating a truly great and memorable day.
“It’s fantastic to see the station team getting
so involved with the local community,” he
commented.
Pictured at the event are (from left): Mike
Baldwin, DSM Portsmouth;Tony King, FSM
Portsmouth; Stewart Palmer, MD SSWT; Russell
Hook, DSM Portsmouth and Kim Blake, SM
Petersfield.
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3
uk bus
Letter from
Number 10
Stagecoach apprentice James
Bellfield was brimming with pride
after receiving a personal letter from
the Prime Minister following a
national award win.
Gordon Brown personally wrote to James
to congratulate him on his accolade, which
recognised him as the leading talent in the
Transport Engineering and Maintenance
category at the GoSkills Passenger Transport
Apprenticeship Awards.
on stage
holiday
escape
Spick and span
During a recent holiday to Perth,
Lincoln Depot cleaner Jane Webster noticed
something wasn’t quite right at Group
headquarters and decided to do her bit to
help!
Each edition, we’re looking for your interesting
and unique holiday photos. Email your snaps to
lindsay.reid@stagecoach group.com along with a
paragraph about where you were and what the
photo shows.
That’s better!
New fleet for Oxford Tube
Pictured, from left, are: Richard Little, Harry
Roles, Mike Turner, Gary Moore, Margaret
McNamara, Rose Thomason and Ann Bell.
A helping hand
for a colleague
When West Cumbrian bus driver
Gary Moore suffered spinal injuries in
a motorcycle accident, his colleagues
did their bit to help.
Not only did they collect £1100 towards
his medical expenses, they also organised a
prize draw which, when combined with
other donations, raised a further £1320 for
a computer.
On behalf of Gary, Mike would like to
thank everybody involved for their help and
generosity.
Bunny money
Stagecoach Yorkshire driver
Dwynne Percival raised almost £600
for Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield
by dressing as an Easter bunny and
handing out chocolate eggs in return
for donations.
Dwynne was treated at the hospital after
falling ill with a brain tumour and decided
it was time to repay the staff for all their
support.
Stagecoach is investing more than
£9 million in a new fleet of vehicles for its
Oxford Tube network – the most frequent
express coach service in Europe.
The fleet of 26 new Van Hool Astromega double
deck coaches – each costing more than £350,000
– is being built in Belgium.
Oxford Tube runs a 24-hour service every day
of the year with coaches running between Oxford
and London up to every 10 minutes at peak times.
The 87-seat vehicles, which have two staircases,
are equipped with wi-fi, toilets, air conditioning,
reclining seats, generous legroom, seatbelts,
powerpoints for laptops and mobile phones, GPS
tracking and CCTV for personal security.
Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach
UK Bus, said:“This is the third complete fleet
replacement for the Oxford Tube in 10 years and
it is evidence of our commitment to investing in
Europe’s premier express coach service.”
Enjoying the great outdoors
A group of UK Bus apprentices
headed for the great outdoors recently
as they visited an outward bound centre
in North Devon to learn skills in team
building, motivation and leadership.
The 64-strong group took part in abseiling,
team challenges, assault courses and raft building
during their week-long stay. At the end of the
trip, each apprentice gave a presentation on what
they had learned and all impressed staff with their
attitude and enthusiasm.
Apprentices go outward bound.
Employees scoop top awards
Stagecoach won two top awards
at the second annual Passenger Transport
Management Awards (PTMA).
The awards recognise managers at all levels in
the UK’s public transport industry, rewarding
them for their skills, talent and commitment.
Stagecoach Manchester Fleet Engineer Mike
Brinicombe, who is based at the company’s
Princess Road depot, won the New Engineering
Award for the pride and passion he shows for his
people, his passengers and his profession.
Stuart Roughley made it a double success for
Stagecoach Manchester when he was named
joint winner of the Local and Operational
Management Award.
Stuart, Operations Manager at the company’s
Hyde Road Depot, was rewarded for his drive
and enthusiasm – qualities which have lasted
throughout his 31 years in the transport industry.
Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director, Les
Warneford, said:“This success demonstrates the
quality we have within our ranks.”
4
uk rail
Teamworks
winners
The latest winners of the
South West Trains Teamworks Award
were the cross-functional Clapham
engineering works planning team.
Nominated by Jim O’Brien, Flagship
Station Manager at Clapham Junction, the
team were involved in planning for the
engineering works that took place over an
11-day period at Christmas.
Jim said:“As a result of the team’s excellent
planning, customers were well informed
prior to the works and given alternatives.
“If on the day they had to use the
service, they were met by professional,
knowledgeable people who were able to
assist them in using the request service
between Barnes and Clapham Junction.”
Bid disappointment
Stagecoach Group recently
learned that it was unsuccessful in its
latest rail bid for the South Central
franchise in London.
The franchise was awarded to the
incumbent, Go-Via, despite Stagecoach
putting forward a high-quality, competitive
bid.
While disappointed in the outcome, the
Group has a strong existing rail portfolio
and will continue to assess any further rail
franchise opportunities in the future.
Record-breakers
East Midlands Trains has
announced its best ever punctuality
performance, with the latest figures
showing 94% of trains are on time.
Mark Steward, Operations Director for
East Midlands Trains, said:“This is a fantastic
result, and one that we are very proud of.
“This is our best period of performance
since the franchise started in November
2007, and demonstrates that the investments
we have been making are starting to really
pay off.”
on stage
Picture of
the season
WIN A
£50
VOUCHER
This edition’s winning Picture of
the Season was taken by Krzysztof Uszou
from Stagecoach in Cheltenham. It shows a
Service 14 bus in Gloucester on a summer’s
day.
Congratulations to Krzysztof who will shortly
receive his prize of £50 of M&S vouchers.
If you think you have a picture that captures
one of the four seasons, please send your image
to Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10
Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW, or email it to
Lindsay.Reid@stagecoachgroup.com
Frank’s at the heart of Herston Halt
South West Trains employee Frank
Roberts has reached a major milestone in
his lifelong ambition to rebuild part of the
Swanage heritage railway in Dorset.
Station Manager Frank
has invested 25 years of
his life and thousands of
pounds of his own money
to complete a series of
projects on the Swanage
Railway.
One of his main
objectives was to rebuild
the Herston Halt platform
to allow trains to stop.
After months of hard
work, that project is now
complete and, along with
the many volunteers who
helped him, Frank took
centre stage during a celebration in Swanage to
mark the official opening of the rebuilt platform.
Frank, who lives in Swanage, was in the Army
for 25 years and developed an interest in the
Swanage Railway while posted to Blandford
Camp in 1984.
He persuaded the Army to volunteer on railway
projects within the local community – a tradition
that has continued ever since.
Frank and his fellow volunteers spent 22 years
installing the railway’s telecommunication system.
Now, as Station Manager for Staines and
Windsor – and despite also studying for a BSc
in Railway Operation with the
Institution of Railway Operators
– Frank has continued to invest
time and money in the Railway,
most notably at Herston Halt.
Having demolished the
original wooden platform in
January 2009, Frank and his team
of soldiers and Team Herston
volunteers were gifted with a
kit platform from Woodside
Station, which is now part of the
Croydon tram link.
They worked tirelessly to
ensure that the new platform
was successfully rebuilt just three
months later at a cost of just £10,000.
Frank said:“When I left the Army, I thought
military support for the Railway might decline
but I’m delighted to say it has actually increased.
“It’s a wonderful achievement and, along with
the people of Swanage, we should thank the
hundreds of soldiers who have given up their time
over the past 25 years to help restore and preserve
this important heritage railway.”
Pink ladies
Supertram ladies and some of their
family members were in the pink recently
as they took part in the Race for Life.
Attired in striking pink tutus, matching T-shirts
and eye-catching bunny ears, the ladies raised
funds for Cancer Research UK by completing
the 5km race and had a fun day out into the
bargain.
5
the green scene
Green Week pics
This Poster
was created by
Amy Grange
A pupil of St.
Monica’s RC
High School
Specialist
Language
and Applied
Learning College,
Prestwich,
Manchester
It was the
winning poster in
a competition
“What Does Green Mean to You?”
organised by Stagecoach Metrolink as part of
its Green Week activities, a carbon management
initiative by Stagecoach Group, operators of Bus,
Rail and Light Rail Services across the country.
on stage
Ted’s our eco-champion
Eco-friendly Ted Ingle is
Stagecoach Group’s Green Champion
– the staff member who has contributed
most to cutting the company’s carbon
footprint.
A Safety and Quality Manager at East Midlands
Trains’ Neville Hill Depot,Ted beat off strong
competition from across the Group, including
runners-up Phil Johnston from South West Trains,
Michael Johnston from Stagecoach in Bedford
and John Emberson from Coach USA.
Ted’s most recent achievement was a new
disposal system for the estimated 480 tonnes a year
of waste removed when trains are cleaned.
Now, 80% of all off-train waste at the Neville
Hill Depot in Leeds, is recycled – saving some
£25,000 a year.
Receiving his prize of a two-night British
hotel break,Ted said:“It’s very flattering to think
that my colleagues nominated me as the Green
Champion – and to win is brilliant.”
Eco-warrior: Stagecoach Group Green
Champion Ted Ingle.
Green Week drives home the message
The Stagecoach East Midlands ‘green
team’ prepare to visit Gainsborough,
Worksop and Mansfield to distribute their
green kits.
Stagecoach
in Fife customer
Ian Montgomery
was the lucky
winner of a year’s
free travel on
local services after
entering the Green
Week competition.
Stageoach North East staff are
dressed for the occasion as they make the
most of Green Week.
Stagecoach North West Operations
Manager Paul Wainwright presented the
company’s
Green Week
competition
winner
Gary Hall
with his
annual
Megarider
prize pass.
Stagecoach’s first Group-wide
Green Week was hailed a great success.
During the April event, staff and customers
across the UK, North America and Canada
enjoyed activities aimed at promoting the
environmental benefits of public transport.
Stagecoach also outlined its commitment to
reducing its own carbon footprint.
Bringing Green Week to a close, Stagecoach
Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said:“It’s
very pleasing to see that, even when times are
tough, people still care about the environment.
“Green Week is just one element of our
on-going environment strategy.We will continue
to promote low-carbon, reliable and good-value
public transport, as well as striving to further
reduce our own carbon footprint day in, day out
across every area of our business.”
Among the events held throughout Green
Week was an online customer competition for 20
people across the UK to win a year’s free travel on
their local Stagecoach bus network.
More than 20,000 free ‘green kits’ were
distributed across the country from bus stations,
while hundreds of school pupils also took part in
Green Week through a green poster competition.
In addition, green roadshows and demonstration
events were held across Stagecoach’s rail
operations, along with energy saving trials and
initiatives.
Coach Canada cleans up on the highway
Coach Canada celebrated Green Week
across its nine locations in Ontario and
Quebec.
The company has adopted a ‘simple actions,
big impact’ approach to reducing energy, waste
and carbon and, each day throughout the week,
Coach Canada had ‘lights out’ for 15 minutes.
Employees are also cleaning up a 3km stretch of
road close to its Head Office as part of an Adopta-Road program.
Courtney Hogg,
Sarah Brooks,
Kim Scott and
Jessica Post
from Coach
Canada clean
up the highway
as part of the
Adopt-a-Road
programme.
Publicity campaign is up, up and away
Following the announcement
of its groundbreaking £350,000 green
programme late last year, Stagecoach North
East has launched Ready Steady Green, the
communication element of the scheme
which is set to engage its 1,700 staff.
To mark the launch – and the start of a new
energy-efficient era for the company – the
company released hundreds of biodegradable
balloons from its head office in Sunderland.
The Ready Steady Green handbook
informs every employee about the company’s
environmental vision and features guidelines on
improving energy efficiency at each depot.
6
north america / uk bus
Speaking up
Stagecoach is reminding
employees across the Group about its
whistleblowing policy, which ensures
individuals can raise serious concerns
constructively and in confidence.
The Group’s ‘Speaking up’ policy applies to
all divisions, companies and employees, and
covers issues such as financial malpractice,
safety concerns or practices that could be a
danger to the public or the environment.
A copy of the policy is available on
the Stagecoach Group website at www.
stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/
publications/policydocs/speakingup.pdf
If you have a concern about malpractice,
Stagecoach hopes you will feel able to first
raise it with your line manager.This may be
done verbally or in writing.
However, if you feel unable to raise the
matter with your immediate line manager,
for whatever reason, you can raise the issue
with a Director of the Company.
Alternatively, you can contact Stagecoach
Group Deputy Company Secretary Mike
Vaux, tel +44 (0)1738 642043 or email
michael.vaux@stagecoachgroup.com
You can also email your concerns in
confidence to
whistleblower@stagecoachgroup.com
Treble triumph
Paul Herbert of Stagecoach West
has been named the company’s Bus
Driver of the Year for the third time in
a row.
Cheltenham driver Paul (pictured left)
received his trophy from Operations
Director Sholto Thomas at Cheltenham
Race Course. Runner-up was Marcin
Aleksandrowicz also from Cheltenham, with
Suzanne Blewitt from Coleford picking up
third place.
Wales gets Wi-Fi
Stagecoach South Wales
recently introduced 17 brand new
vehicles on its X4 route – the first of
its fleet to offer Wi-Fi technology.
Cllr Kate Lloyd, Lord Mayor of Cardiff,
said:“This is great news for Cardiff, especially
for those people who have mobility
problems or parents with pushchairs.”
on stage
All-time high for megabus.com
megabus.com, the market-leading
budget inter-city coach service, has
attracted one million passengers in North
America in the past six months as the
airline and car industries are hit by the
economic downturn.
Sales at megabus.com in North America grew
by 183% between May 1, 2008, and April 30,
2009, and it has now carried more than 3 million
passengers since its launch in April 2006.
The figures were released as the International
Air Transport Association announced it had
doubled its forecast for global airline losses to $9
billion this year.
Total US car sales are down by more than 33%
compared with May 2008, with high-profile
manufacturers filing for bankcruptcy and the
industry seeking billions of dollars in government
aid to survive the downturn.
Canny consumers, meanwhile, are snapping up
bargain inter-city coach travel with megabus.com,
benefiting from fares from just $1 available via the
internet.
Dale Moser, President and COO of megabus.
com in North America, said:“While the public
is feeling the effects of the current US economy,
megabus.com has fast become the perfect solution
for those looking to stretch their travel dollar.
“The rapid rise to three million customers is
proof of that.”
Tricia Brennan’s Ghana diary
As reported in the last edition of
On Stage, South West driver training officer
Tricia Brennan spent time in Ghana earlier
this year, assisting with driver training for
the Women’s Transport Cooperative in
Ghana’s capital city, Accra.
Here are some extracts from Tricia’s journal
during her visit:
Left for Ghana this morning from
Terminal Five.Took about an hour
to get through customs immigration
and baggage reclaim. Managed to spot my guide
Ekow and we got in a taxi – I use the term
loosely as there were no seatbelts and it sounded
as though the back axle was about to drop off.
However it got us to the SSNIT Guest House
and I was taken to my room – basic but quite
adequate.
Saturday
18 Jan
On to the bus with Ekow and Ruth,
the Women’s Cooperative Transport
Manager, for a trip to visit Road
Safety Ltd in Tema.Then back to Accra on the bus
before heading off to the National Road Safety
Commission where I am likely to have some
input into discussions on training and road safety.
Watched President Obama’s inauguration.
The edges are worn away, leaving a drop of about
two feet. Rita did spectacularly well. I had to do
a handbrake stop just once.We lost the nearside
wing mirror at one point but these things happen.
Tomorrow is a new day!
Ekow and I went to the Ministry
of Health where I drafted out an
assessment form for their drivers.
There are 43 drivers to be assessed – I’m going to
be busy!
Wednesday
11 Feb
We managed to get all 43 drivers
assessed in six days and one hour. It
was then time to depart for Kotoka
International Airport.
Monday
23 Feb
So, here I am back in Blighty having had a great
adventure.Thanks to everyone who made this trip
possible.
Tuesday
20 Jan
Introduced to one of the
Cooperative’s vans to check over.
Oh dear! It has not moved since
November – horn not working, no road tax and,
frighteningly, someone had welded the side sliding
door closed. Apparently passengers were supposed
to be able to travel in the back of the van. I said to
Ekow:“No way!”
Monday
26 Jan
The van had been taxed and it
started! Rita, my trainee, is a novice
and has not driven since May.
However, she is so confident and determined
that it is a pleasure.The road is in bad condition.
Tuesday
27 Jan
Transport Supervisor Emmanuel, Transport
Manager for the Ministry of Health Seka Aleja
Dumba, Tricia Brennan and Ekow.
7
people page
Divene gets
on board
Divene Anderson, a marketing
graduate from the University of the
West of England, has recently taken up
the position of Marketing Assistant at
Stagecoach West and Stagecoach South
Wales.
Divene will support the development
and management of new Stagecoach
promotions, as well as working with the
commercial department to ensure efficient
ongoing communication of bus service
information to customers.
East Midlands Long
Service Awards
During 2008, 35 Stagecoach East
Midland employees achieved qualifying
periods of long service.
Many of these went to a special
presentation dinner at Branston Hall Hotel,
Lincoln, attended by Robert Andrew,
Regional Director North.
CONTACTS
Editor: Lindsay Reid, On Stage,
Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road,
Perth, PH1 5TW
Tel: +44 (0)1738 442111
Fax: +44 (0)1738 443076
Email:
lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
www.stagecoach.com
If you have a story for On Stage,
please contact Lindsay Reid as above.
The copy deadline for the next
edition of On Stage will be the second
week of August,
2009.
on stage
– Lindsay
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Gary goes
globetrotting
Stagecoach Manchester has bid
farewell to one of its longest-serving
members of staff, who’s completed 40 years
of service with the company.
Gary Griffies (65), from Cheadle Hulme, retired
as a traffic auditor, a position that made him a
familiar face on the Manchester bus scene for the
past 11 years.
Gary now plans to travel the world and is
making plans to visit Canada and Alaska this year.
Stagecoach Manchester Managing Director
Mark Threapleton is shown thanking Gary for his
sterling service.
Fully qualified
Stagecoach UK Bus employees
Doris Watt and Alison McGregor have
completed a modern apprenticeship
to become Contact Centre Level 3
Professionals.
Senior Administrator Doris and Telesales Team
Leader Alison spent a year working towards the
enhanced qualification, which also included
passing five core skills programmes and two
additional units.
Doris and Alison are pictured with their tutor,
Lexi Smart, Contracts Co-ordinator for Intec
Business Colleges.
8