Author: David Lyston

Bravo to team Metroline for a great evening at the UK Bus Awards! Congratulations to Wolfgang Chindamo on winning the silver prize in the Luke Rees-Pulley Award for Top London Bus Driver, and well done to Kolawole Obasa on receiving a Special Commendation for Outstanding Service in the Unsung Heroes category.

Wolfgang Chindamo is one of Metroline’s best drivers for customer service. Wolfgang started with the company on 12th May 2003 following a career in hospitality. Bringing with him his excellent customer service skills, in the nearly 20 years since he started, Wolfgang has consistently maintained a very good ethos toward the role and more specifically his customers. One customer who travelled on Wolfgang’s bus wrote: “You [sic] driver was first class smiling, polite and happy. Kept all passengers informed of any delays and was willing to answer any questions. Especially on a Sunday as services are limited. So refreshing to see and hear one passenger say what time he was returning back so she could get back on his bus and so many people say thanks and waving bye. Says so much about this driver his manner [sic] is exceptional.”

Kolawole ‘Kola’ Obasa is an exemplary employee and a supervisor that is known for his politeness and professionalism. Kola started his career at Metroline in a passenger facing role as a customer assistant on the iconic New Routemaster Buses in 2013 before transferring his excellent customer service skills to the Garage Administration Supervisor role at Kings Cross garage. Kola has a reputation among his colleagues as a great team player with excellent timekeeping and attendance record. He goes the extra mile to promote, support and ensure the administration of the garage is carried out timely and efficiently. He will always give 100% regardless of recognition and takes real pride in everything he does at all times. He is always willing to help on both sides of the counter and is someone his colleagues, drivers and management can rely on.

Also nominated for Top London Bus Driver at the UK Bus Awards were Aliya Aleskerova and Porpin ‘Poppy’ Owusu, both from Greenford garage.

Aliya Aleskerova is one of best and brightest Bus drivers of Metroline’s  Greenford Garage. Starting at the garage in 2013, Aliya quickly joined the route 282 after completing her training, and has remained there ever since. Aliya is well known for her extremely positive attitude towards to her work and to her route 282 passengers. She enjoys interacting with many of the passengers on a personal basis; a rapport, that has been built over the years through exceptional customer service. As a result, she has come to know many of the regular passengers who use her bus, many of whom have been responsible for the praise she has received over the years.

Poppy Owusu is a much-loved driver at Metroline’s Greenford garage, known as much for her excellent customer service as she is for commendable driving skills. Joining Metroline as a new driver in 2013 following a 14 year role in the food hall of a world-renowned store in Knightsbridge in central London, it didn’t take long for her to take to the job, as she brought with her the excellent customer service skills she had learnt in her previous role. When Poppy transitioned to bus driving the role was easy, and she was able to utilise those customers skills with her bus passengers.

Finally, Metroline’s Uxbridge garage was nominated for Top London Bus Garage. Uxbridge is Metroline’s jewel in the crown for outstanding performance, top of many TfL and internal league tables and the garage of choice for many new staff who look forward to working here. We are the main operator in the Uxbridge area and deliver services to a much wider area.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Earlier this year, Metroline was able to support the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, a cornerstone of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. Thirty new paid 6-month job placements were created at our London bus garages to provide opportunities for young people who are most at risk of long-term unemployment brought about by the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We received many applications from young people from a range of backgrounds and gave them key roles across the business where they learnt about the company and the industry. Following a successful 6 months, some have chosen to stay at Metroline as full time employees. Hear what some of our successful former Kickstarters who have joined Metroline have to say:

After 82 years of operation, our Alperton garage closed at the end of the operating day on Friday 10 September.

Built by the London Passenger Transport Board in 1939, route 83 transferred in when the garage opened and was the last route to transfer out, along with its newer counterpart routes 483 and N83. The garage survived bomb damage during the Blitz and was expanded with its western extension in the late 1970s. During privatisation ownership passed to CentreWest, including a period branded as Challenger, and on to First Group before eventually joining Metroline in 2013. Under Metroline’s ownership, Alperton was award winning; London Bus Garage of the Year at the UK Bus Awards 2015, a finalist for the same award in 2019 and Garage of the Year at the 2019 Metroline Awards, recognising its regular position at the top of the London Buses league tables.

The Alperton Garage Farewell Open Day took place on 11th September 2021, a day after sending buses out into service for the last time. Families, former drivers, Bus enthusiasts and more all came down to see the Alperton Garage and the vintage buses on display.

Metroline is pleased to be able to support the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, a cornerstone of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. Here are some of the young people who have already joined Metroline as part of the scheme:

• Sadiq launches the first double-decker hydrogen bus fleet in England
• These 20 new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses which will reduce TfL’s carbon footprint and further reduce harmful emissions to help ensure Londoners breathe cleaner air.
• The hydrogen buses join a fleet of over 500 electric buses – one of the largest fleets in Western Europe. The aim is to make all London buses zero emission by 2030.
• Mayor highlights the benefits that green investments from TfL is having in different parts of the country
• Customers will enjoy smoother, quieter journeys and USB charging points

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today launch England’s first ever hydrogen double decker buses, marking another major step towards making the bus fleet zero-emission and cleaning up London’s toxic air.

The 20 new environmentally-friendly buses, the first of their kind to be launched in England, will produce no pollution from their exhausts and join more than 500 electric buses in the core fleet which are already zero-emission. The new hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses are first being introduced on route 7 between East Acton and Oxford Circus.

Hydrogen used in a fuel cell is free from harmful emissions. The only by-product is water from the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen from air, a process that produces electricity to power the bus. The buses will help clean up the air and improve the health of Londoners by reducing the level of harmful nitrogen oxide in the air. Passengers will benefit from smoother, quieter journeys due to fewer vibrations and will be able to take advantage of free-to-use USB charging points.

The Mayor’s green transport investment is also supporting jobs across the UK. The buses were manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, helping to create new jobs, and the gas cylinders are manufactured by Luxfer in Nottingham. The hydrogen for the buses is currently being produced at Air Liquide’s plant in Runcorn, harnessing waste hydrogen as a by-product from an industrial chlor-alkali plant. Oxford-based Ryze Hydrogen is responsible for transporting the fuel to the fuelling station. From 2023, the hydrogen will be even greener as it will be produced by electrolysis powered by a direct connection to an offshore windfarm.

A new, state of the art fuelling station completed by Danish engineering firm Nel Hydrogen will top up each hydrogen fuel cell bus just once per day in as little as five minutes.

In addition to around £6 million of funding from TfL, more than £5 million of funding has been provided by European bodies – by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), an executive agency of the European Commission – as well as £1 million from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.

TfL has paved the way for cheaper hydrogen buses across the rest of the UK, having led the UK procurement within the Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe (JIVE), to buy in bulk with other UK authorities. In total, the JIVE project seeks to deploy 139 new zero-emission fuel cell buses and associated refuelling infrastructure across five European countries and has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

With sustained financial support from the Government, TfL could look to accelerate its plans for a zero-emission bus fleet from 2037 to 2030 in order to reduce carbon emissions and address the public health emergency caused by dirty air.

The Mayor will today visit Perivale bus depot in Ealing to see the new hydrogen double decker and new hydrogen refuelling station.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We have made real progress in London to clean up our air, but we still have a long way to go because toxic air pollution in our city is still leading to thousands of premature deaths every year and is stunting the growth of children’s lungs. As part of our world-leading ongoing efforts, I’m proud to announce England’s first hydrogen double decker buses, which don’t produce any harmful emissions, will now be put into service.

“Our investment in these hydrogen buses is not only helping us to clean up London’s air, but is supporting jobs and local economics across the UK. This is a great demonstration of how tackling air pollution and the climate crisis and boosting economic growth is about regions working together, investing in the very latest technology.

“I’ve worked hard to ensure TfL’s entire core bus fleet across London now meets the ULEZ standards, and this includes 500 electric buses. Our new investment in hydrogen buses will move us even closer to our ambition of making all London buses zero-emission by 2030.”

Interim Director of Buses, Transport for London, Geoff Hobbs said: “London may have one of the cleanest bus fleets in Europe, but we need to continue to act now to tackle climate change and the city’s toxic air quality. Introducing these hydrogen double decker buses to our fleet, alongside electric buses, diversifies our green bus portfolio and helps us use the right technology for the varying operational requirements of our vast network. This will help Londoners breathe cleaner air.”

“Our investment in hydrogen won’t just benefit London, either. Outside the capital, we are supporting jobs across the UK and our involvement with the industry across Europe is making cleaner fuels more affordable to cities all over Europe.”

Wrightbus CEO, Buta Atwal, said: “At Wrightbus, we’re incredibly proud to be launching our world-first zero emission hydrogen double deckers onto the streets of London to help turn its iconic red buses green. London residents – and visitors to the capital from around the world – can experience what it’s like to ride in a UK-made hydrogen-fuelled vehicle that produces no harmful emissions from its exhaust. Thanks to TfL’s visionary approach, the city will have the first fleet of hydrogen double deckers in England and the benefits to the city in terms of CO2 reduction will be significant. We hope that other cities around the country will follow London’s lead and help us in our ambition to decarbonise public transport and improve air quality.”

Sean O’Shea, CEO at Metroline said: “Hydrogen is an extremely promising renewable fuel for public transport vehicles and we are looking forward to proving its application on London’s roads. The hydrogen buses are an exciting new addition to our fleet, and highlight Metroline’s continued dedication to making London’s streets greener. Our engineering teams have been hard at work preparing the buses for service and we are proud to be operating the first hydrogen powered double-deck buses in London in the hope that it will further showcase the application of sustainable vehicles in the capital.”

Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen joint undertaking (FCH JU), said: “We are proud to see that thanks to our grant the JIVE project enables the market size scale-up of fuel cell buses in Europe and contributes to the price reduction for the entire value chain. With green hydrogen solutions we can improve the air quality of London and build a climate-neutral transport system for our future generations. London has long and successful history with fuel cell buses and played a key role in leading a joint procurement scheme on behalf of several UK cities for the deployment of world first double decker buses running on hydrogen”.

Jens Egholt Rasmussen, Senior Director Global Sales at Nel Hydrogen A/S, said: “In May 2019, we were proud to announce a contract for a bus H2Station™ solution for Transport for London. Today, I’m happy to confirm a dual bus H2Station™ has been commissioned and is now fully operational. While currently in the ramp-up phase, eventually, 20 buses will be fuelled at the station on a daily basis. Hydrogen buses are already a competitive alternative to battery buses, with significantly faster fuelling time and therefore, less downtime. They are also becoming more of a competitive alternative to diesel buses on a total cost of ownership basis. The market for such solutions is growing quickly and we see significant opportunities going forward. This is an important step in the right direction.”

Notes to editors

• London Mayor Sadiq Khan will visit Perivale bus depot in Ealing on Wednesday 23 June to take a ride on one of the new buses and see the new fuelling station completed by Danish firm Nel Hydrogen.
• The use of hydrogen powered buses in addition to battery electric allows TfL to match the right fuel with the operational requirements of the network. Hydrogen buses store large quantities of energy, which can make them well-suited to longer routes.
• As part of TfL’s wider work to make buses greener, by January this year all buses in its core fleet had been brought up to strict Euro VI emissions standards following a retrofitting programme. Since 2017, TfL has worked to phase out polluting diesel buses and to retrofit older buses with cleaner engines. Now completed, this will see harmful NOx emissions from buses fall by an average of 90 per cent. Transport for London has a total fleet size of c9,000.
  • The European funding is provided by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), an executive agency of the European Commission. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), which provided £1 million in funding, is a team working across government to support the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).
  • The overall objective of the JIVE projects is to promote the commercialisation of fuel cell buses through the use of vehicles and infrastructure on a large-scale so that at the end of the project fuel cell buses are commercially viable for bus operators and can be incorporated into their fleets without subsidies.

Objectives of the JIVE and JIVE 2 projects:

• Achieve the deployment of nearly 300 fuel cell buses across Europe.
• Foster joint procurement processes, encourage manufacturers to develop and refine their fuel cell bus offers, allowing cities to access economies of scale.
• Validate large scale fleets of fuel cell buses in operation and encourage further uptake.
• Showcase fuel cell buses as an environmentally friendly option for public transport authorities, offering the same operational flexibility as diesel buses but without the harmful tailpipe emissions.
• Deploy largest hydrogen refuelling stations in Europe and operate them at near 100% reliability.
• Demonstrate routes to achieve low-cost renewable hydrogen.
• Share data and best practice to support the adoption of the technology and provide evidence of the suitability of fuel cell buses for a full roll-out.
  • The JIVE and JIVE2 projects have received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 735582 and 779563. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe, and Hydrogen Europe Research.
  • The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique public-private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. It aims to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-lean energy system. Fuel cells, as an efficient conversion technology, and hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, have a great potential to help fight carbon dioxide emissions, to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons and to contribute to economic growth. The objective of the FCH JU is to bring these benefits to Europeans through a concentrated effort from all sectors. The three members of the FCH JU are the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe and N.ERGHY. More info: www.fch.europa.eu
  • Face coverings are still required by law across the TfL network, including on buses, unless an exemption applies. TfL’s enforcement officers continue to take a hard line with this requirement and hand out fines to those who do not comply. To further reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, customers are also encouraged to travel at quieter times, which are currently between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 on weekdays, and before noon and after 18:00 at weekends. Customers are also asked to keep bus windows open to ensure a good supply of fresh air.
  • Information about quiet times to travel is available at https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/busiest-times-to-travel

 

We are continuing to keep our employees and customers safe with extensive cleaning on our buses. Watch the video below to see how we are working closely with our cleaning partners at Sasse Group and Cordant Group PLC to ensure our buses are fully sanitised every day for service.

Whilst on duty on Thursday 6th August, a customer took ill on Route 190 Driver Ayisha’s bus. Ayisha’s quick response saved a life and has made all at Metroline proud.

Watch her story below:

Metroline is proud to have gifted £100,000 of its unused apprenticeship levy towards apprenticeships and training within the Automotive and Electrical sector, to be delivered by Total People.

Gifting surplus levy allows large employers like Metroline to sponsor an apprenticeship in their chosen sector or industry, while at the same time supporting employment and skills development in SME businesses who benefit from fully funded apprenticeship training.

Leanne Shackleton, Levy Gifting Manager, Total People said: “This is a fantastic example of levy gifting from Metroline and one that is truly appreciated. Gifting unused levy really will change the lives of multiple apprentices in the sector by enabling them to upskill and take the next step in their career.”

Total People have worked with Metroline previously, providing additional training and support for Metroline’s award winning Engineering Apprenticeship programme, which last year saw a record number of young apprentices selected to join.

Stephen Harris, Managing Director, Metroline said: “Since Brunel and the Victorians the UK has always been at the forefront in delivering engineering expertise and innovation. Metroline has a proud tradition of providing award-winning and industry-leading apprenticeships and we are pleased we can assist in this way. Resources for this area of training are desperately needed in this country. Diverting our unused levy funding benefits similar businesses that understand the value of delivering apprenticeships.”

• Metroline set to pilot Vehicle Avoidance Lateral Lights (VALLs) on 24 buses.
• Pioneering VALLs system creates illuminated footprint around vehicle which can improve safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and people with hearing impairments.
• Partnership between Metroline and JBDL is supported by the TfL Bus Safety Innovation Challenge

Leading London Bus operator Metroline is to pilot an innovative new lighting system designed to make the capital’s roads safer. The Vehicle Avoidance Lateral Lights (VALLs) system illuminates the area on the sides of buses to help show road users that they are in close proximity to a bus which is especially important for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and people with hearing impairments.

The VALLs system is the first of its kind and has been developed in partnership with Jimmy Beam Downlights Limited (JBDL) using JBDL’s lighting system. Each VALL unit features a downlight with 4 LEDs, acting as a passive system with three functions that aims to prevent a collision between a bus and other road users by creating an illuminated ‘footprint’ which clearly identifies the lateral clearance area around the vehicle. This will provide cyclists and people with hearing impairments a more visual warning of a buses’ proximity and movements.

Metroline’s pilot of the system will begin in February using 24 buses, including night services in operation on route 6 from Willesden garage. Speaking about the initiative, Sinead Maguire, Head of Transport Safety for Metroline, said: “We are very excited to be leading this innovative pilot which marks an important step for the project and reinforces our commitment to Vision Zero and making London’s roads safer for all.”

The VALLs System features include:

• The ‘Slow Speed’ light facility: An automatic function operating through the system’s control box, the slow speed facility ensures that the VALLS switch on when the engine switches on, and remain on until the bus reaches a speed above 15kph (9mph), at which point they switch off.

• Synchronous flashing with Indicator: When the bus is indicating, the VALLs footprint will flash on the ground in conjunction with the indicator, providing a visual aid for other road users in close proximity such as cyclists and pedestrians as well as the hearing impaired who may lack sufficient warning of a turning bus in urban environments when lighting conditions deteriorate.

• Constant Lateral Clearance Area: The downlights remain active as long as the engine is on under 15kph, meaning the footprint is projected even in stop-start traffic. The driver can also activate the vehicle light switch, which overrides the slow speed automation and allows the footprint to be projected at all times.

Metroline and JBDL are both contributing to the funding of the project and were successful in their joint application to the Transport for London Bus Safety Innovation Challenge  for support. The TfL Bus Safety Innovation Challenge was established to identify new, innovative products and solutions which will improve the safety of the London bus network and work towards Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network.

The VALLs system will be piloted on Metroline’s buses from next month.

This week saw Holloway Garage host a special delegation from the Government of India’s Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, facilitated by Transport for London. The delegates alongside some representatives of TfL were given a presentation on Metroline’s operations in London, highlighting the successes and challenges of operating in the city. The delegation also received a tour around the century-old garage, and were deeply interested in the efficiency of Metroline’s electric bus operation.

Managing Director Stephen Harris said “It was a pleasure to receive the delegation from India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. We were pleased to be able to share our insight and expertise as a London Bus Operator, highlighting our partnership with Transport for London and our trailblazing work with electric buses in the capital. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, we hope that the visit to Metroline has helped to provide inspiration for the continuing development of their own rapidly evolving and highly modern transport networks.”

 

A new “Wellbeing Bus” was launched this week which is designed to help improve the health of bus drivers. The Wellbeing Bus is a collaborative project between Transport for London, Unite the Union, and London’s Bus operators and is being delivered by occupational health service provider Medigold Health as part of a London-wide initiative.

Launched at West Perivale on Monday 4^th November, the Wellbeing Bus has been developed to provide advice and professional health screenings to help identify possible issues or risk factors that could contribute to poor health. The bus has already received a positive reception from drivers and will make its way across all 15 Metroline garages over the next few months.

The Wellbeing Bus will provide rapid health diagnosis in an easily understood format that drivers can even access whilst on their break. The bus will be staffed by Medigold Health’s Occupational Health Technicians and features two electronic health assessment kiosks. Completely free of charge, drivers and other employees will be able to receive a full professional wellbeing screening on the bus, through the health assessment kiosk which will measure height, weight, body mass index, body fat %, blood pressure, heart rate and hydration level.

The screening also features the Boomerang Life Balance, which looks at various factors of an employee’s lifestyle including sleep, smoking, relaxation, home life, work life, stress, diet, alcohol and exercise. Following their screening, the Occupational Health Technicians will be on hand to provide each employee with guidance and lifestyle advice. Information leaflets featuring health tips and advice for various fatigue related conditions including sleep apnoea will also be provided on the bus.

Medigold Health’s Deputy CEO, Scot Smith, was at the launch and commented; “At Medigold Health we are passionate about employee health and wellbeing and we know, first-hand, that a healthy workforce makes for a safer, happier workforce. We are delighted to be working with TfL, Unite and a number of leading London Bus Operators to deliver a proactive, efficient and accessible wellbeing solution for bus drivers and employees across London.”

Speaking at the launch, Metroline’s Managing Director Steve Harris said, “We are delighted to launch the Wellbeing bus across our garages. This is a really good step forwards and represents a positive collaboration between TfL, Unite, London’s Bus Operators and Medigold Health. The bus looks great and I would like to thank our engineers and everyone connected in the launch for their outstanding work, with this new initiative, drivers will be able to get further assistance, information and support to remain in the best of health.”

The Wellbeing Bus will be at Metroline garages between 4^th November 2019, and 20^th January 2020

London bus operator Metroline has been shortlisted in five categories in the finals of the prestigious UK Bus Awards. Metroline’s initiatives, garages, drivers and engineers have all been recognised by the awards, which showcase the achievements of the UK bus industry and encourage and reward best practice and outstanding standards of customer services. The all-important finals take place at a glittering ceremony in London at the Troxy on the 19^th November 2019.

Metroline’s School Library Bus has been nominated in the Bus & the Community category. The award recognises bus projects or initiatives which make life better and make big improvements for local people in the community. Metroline engineers worked tirelessly to convert a double deck bus into a special library bus to be made a permanent part of the playground at a local primary school.

Willesden-based Bus Driver Agnieszka Narbut was shortlisted in the Top London Bus Driver category. The award sponsored by Transport for London (TfL) and Luke Rees-Pulley Charitable Trust, celebrates bus drivers who deliver outstanding customer service and those that go out of their way to do whatever’s necessary to help passengers have the very best journey.

Metroline’s Holloway Bus Garage has been recognised for its environmental initiatives and operation of electric buses, as one of the finalist in the Environment category. The award not only recognises the efforts made to improve the green credentials of bus services, but also improvements made to the overall environment in the communities where they operate.

Talented young Metroline engineer Mitesh Patel has been shortlisted for the Unsung Hero award. The award recognises employees who are committed, devoted to duty, and truly go above and beyond making sure customers get where they need to be and have the very best journey.

Finally, Alperton Bus Garage has been shortlisted for the Top London Bus Garage award. The award celebrates bus depots that are truly committed to their customers and employees, and to delivering outstanding performance and customer service.

Mark Yexley, Chairman of the UK Bus Awards, said: “Reaching the finals is a huge achievement in itself, and for Metroline to be nominated in five categories is outstanding. It’s great to be able to celebrate all the individual talent in our industry, and great to see shortlists in the Top London Driver and Unsung Hero categories. Everyone at the Alperton garage should be very proud too, congratulations! We would like to wish Agnieszka and Mitesh the very best of luck, as well as all the teams involved in delivering such remarkable projects.”

Sean O’Shea, CEO of Metroline, said: “We are delighted to have been named as a finalist in 5 categories at the UK Bus Awards. It is tremendous news and a testament to the hard working members across the company. These nominations are well deserved and we all wish the very best of luck to all of our Metroline finalists.”

The winners of the UK Bus Awards will be announced in London on the 19^th November.