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Holloway driver Stan Davern has safely served Londoners for the last 38 years without ever being involved in a blameworthy collision. “Stan has received a host of commendations over the years, has an impeccable attendance record, and importantly doesn’t have a single blameworthy collision to his name,” says Metroline’s Head of Transport Safety, Ray Webb. Ray continues, “Stan reads the road well and no matter how busy it gets, he always keeps calm and in control. 38 years of safe driving is a remarkable achievement and we are delighted that he was awarded the Transport Safety Champion of the Year.”

This special award is sponsored by QBE and was presented earlier in the year at the Metroline Service Awards in recognition of Stan’s outstanding achievement.  “Winning this Award is a huge achievement and to mark this, Stan was recently treated to a very special meal at a restaurant of his choice, for him and his partner in London. Before they were wined and dined, they were whisked away by chauffeur for a truly memorable night out fitting of the occasion,” says Operations Manager John Evlogimenos who nominated Stan for the Award.

“I really enjoy driving, that’s why I’m still doing it,” says Stan,” but I couldn’t believe this, it was such a surprise to be recognised in this way. I would have been happy to have been given the day off, but to be taken out like this by the Company was such a surprise, it was really fantastic.”

Holloway’s Garage Manager Fola Olawo-Jerome notes that “Stan has exceptional performance and attendance records with MTS commendations for excellent performance. He is friendly, calm under pressure, professional and clearly a very safe driver, a great example of one of London’s best bus drivers and we are very proud of him.”

POTTERS BAR BUS GARAGE OPEN DAY: Saturday 22^nd July 2017, 10:30am – 4:00pm

Come along for a fun day out for all the family and enjoy buses from the 1950s and 60s up to the modern day, free rides on a selection of vintage buses over local routes and a variety of stalls selling transport memorabilia.

All proceeds go to charity

Admission will be by programme, priced £2.50, available on the day at the garage entrance.

High Street, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 5BE, Bus Routes 84, 242, 610 and PB1 pass the door

 

Congratulations to Metroline’s Engineering Director Mr. Ian Foster who was elected to the General Council of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) in April.

The IRTE is one of the most respected names in the field of UK transport and is recognised as the impartial voice of the industry. As an independent body, the IRTE provides accreditation as well as support and guidance to transport engineers and technicians and believes in promoting best practice and safety whilst increasing the overall standard of vehicle repair.

Ian believes that bus and coach engineering is significantly under-represented in the wider engineering world which underpinned his motivation for election to the Council. He started his own engineering journey in 1977 at Acton Technical College and today is responsible for a fleet of 1700 vehicles, including procurement, Health and Safety controls, facilities management and technical and training planning at one of London’s leading bus operators.

“Ultimately, I really want to make a contribution to an industry that has provided me with a living for the past 40 years,” says Ian, “I am committed to raising the profile of bus and coach engineering, especially with schools and apprenticeship programmes, and through initiatives such as Metroline’s new Centre for Skills and Development I want to help promote the development of future engineers.”

 

Holloway driver Tracey Palmer’s dedication and commitment to older and disabled passengers has earned her a nomination for the prestigious Accessibility Champion Award at this year’s 2017 London Bus Awards.

Well-known for being a caring, patient and compassionate driver, Tracey is a favourite with passengers and colleagues alike.  Tracey is a passionate advocate for older and disabled passenger transport accessibility and was appointed as the Holloway Garage Accessibility Champion to promote awareness of accessibility issues and help empower passengers to be more confident when using the bus.

“Tracey is keen to lead by example, she understands that bus accessibility is vital to many, so she always carefully serves the stop so that all passengers are able to board with ease and safely take a seat and is ready to use the PA to make sure people are kept informed; actions that make a big difference, especially to more vulnerable passengers,” notes Garage Manage Fola Olawo-Jerome.

However, Tracey goes further, and “is always first to volunteer to support and participate in our accessibility initiatives, she really understands that by being a champion for accessibility she is able to share information with customers to help improve their experience and build their confidence, and, also share information with colleagues so that they are making sure our services are accessible to all” adds Fola.   After participating in such sessions, Tracey can be seen all over the garage speaking with colleagues and sharing experiences to really reach drivers and make a difference to the service provided. As a result of such enthusiasm and support Tracey became the natural choice to represent Metroline at subsequent events including those organised by TfL for local disability groups in March 2017.

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) representatives recently watched Tracey in action at a ‘Swap with me event’ and pointed out that not only was Tracey a very knowledgeable and professional driver, but she was incredibly concerned about ensuring that visually impaired participants were able to voice their concerns, get help, and leave the session more confident and empowered to travel.

“Tracey has an excellent understanding of the issues many older and disabled passengers experience and is always ready to help, and is a vocal advocate of safety and accessibility. She leads by example and always demonstrates best practise for all of her passengers,” notes Operations Manager Joannis Evlogimenos.  Joannis continues, “Tracey brings passion, knowledge, experience and empathy to her role and her commitment to empowering the lives of older and disabled passengers is a great example for us all.”

Following a very successful RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) Swap with me event at Cricklewood, a second event was arranged for one of London’s biggest and busiest garages, Holloway.

The event was organised with the support of RNIB volunteers and provided Holloway bus drivers the opportunity to ‘swap’ places with blind and partially sighted customers so that they could better understand the challenges passengers face when using the bus. Bus drivers wore special ‘sim specs’, which simulate different sight loss conditions and tried to board a bus, buy a ticket and find a seat.

In addition to the drivers participating, members of Metroline’s Transport Safety Unit took part along with Garage Manager Fola Olawo-Jerome, and all agreed, it was a very difficult challenge trying to board the bus whilst being deprived of sight. Equally, all of the Metroline participants agreed it was a very valuable experience, “even though we are only using the sim specs for such a short time, it has an incredibly profound impact on your ability to function, even in an environment that you would expect to be familiar, “ explained Fola, “we are delighted that the RNIB could visit our garage today and helps us all to get a better understanding of some of the issues blind and partially sighted people experience, and we will continue to work hard and share this information with all of our colleagues to help make our services accessible to everyone.”

This was followed by blind and partially sighted volunteers taking turns to sit in the driver’s cab to discover the difficulties drivers have when noticing and communicating with passengers which was also very beneficial and allowed drivers to share ideas and tips with blind and partially sighted passengers to help them use the bus with confidence.

Richard Holmes, RNIB Regional Campaigns Officer for London, said: “bus travel is a lifeline to blind and partially sighted people in London, who rely on buses to take them to work, the shops or just to get out and about with friends…We are really impressed with Metroline’s willingness to make improvements for their blind and partially sighted passengers and are delighted that they are continuing to supporting the charter through such events as the one at Holloway today.”

In 2015 Metroline signed the RNIB’s bus Charter to ensure our services are accessible for customers with sight loss and we pledged our support for the Charter which was developed by RNIB following the success of the ‘Stop for me, Speak to me’ bus campaign.

Further swaps are planned across Metroline throughout 2017.

About RNIB

Every 15 minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) are here for everyone affected by sight loss – that’s almost 2 million people in the UK. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem, RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk

The Metroline Service Awards is a special event held in February at the Hilton, London Wembley and is an opportunity to recognise excellence and honour our outstanding and dedicated colleagues.

The Awards commenced by celebrating Metroline employees who retired during 2016 and this was followed by celebrating the people who completed 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and incredibly 50 years of service with us. The award for 50 years of service was presented to our Harrow Weald driver Mr. David Goodman who collected his award with his wife. “David is a driver who has not only given most of his life to the bus industry, but we can confidently say he has done his job properly. His driving is of the highest standard, and he is a firm favourite with his passengers who regularly call in to tell us how friendly he is, how he makes an effort to greet everyone and how he makes sure he gives the best customer service possible to everyone, every day” says OM Darren Hill.

In addition, for the 4th consecutive year the Awards also celebrated service excellence, with special sponsored awards that recognised outstanding commitment and excellence in various areas of our industry. Thank you to all of our sponsors for kindly supporting this special event.

Metroline’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Jaspal Singh offered his congratulations to all award recipients during his opening address and said, “Tonight is about collectively paying tribute and showing our gratitude to the many remarkable men and women that make this company what it is, and for us all to recognise the excellence that they achieve, well done everyone.”

TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, Mr. Leon Daniels was Guest of Honour and added “I’ve enjoyed this event on many occasions in the past; it’s great to be with you and celebrate all of the great things that have happened with you and with Metroline over the past year… Congratulations to all the award winners and everyone at Metroline for a really good job.”

Congratulations and thank you to everyone for your outstanding contributions.

The Metroline Service Awards are kindly sponsored by: Alexander Dennis, Volvo, Forman Vehicle Services Ltd, Paul Clark Services, QBE, Imperial Engineering, SYNECTICS and Wrightbus.

 

“I would like to thank all of the more than 5,500 men and women who work extremely hard in our garages and on the roads all year round to keep London moving” Metroline CEO Jaspal Singh

Metroline was awarded the title of “Bus Operator of the Year 2016” at the prestigious London Transport Awards held in March this year at the Lancaster Hotel.

Celebrating the very best in public transport, ‎the London Transport Awards are into its 21st year and are supported by Transport for London, London Councils and London Travel Watch. Mr Mike Brown, Transport Commissioner for London, said of the significance of the event, “the London Transport Awards matter because they recognise the achievements of transport professionals who support London — to be one of the greatest and most successful cities in the world, the engine of the UK economy and just a great place to be’’.

Commenting on why Metroline came out top, the organisers noted that “TfL statistics show Metroline to be consistently very good for reliability and it comfortably beats its target‎ – it was the best of the larger operators for service reliability”. In addition, “Metroline has maintained its performance seamlessly since taking over five garages and associated routes from First Group from June 2013”.

Metroline’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Jaspal Singh welcomed the accolade, saying, “We are absolutely delighted, very honoured and extremely humbled to be awarded Bus Operator of the Year. Credit must go where it is due, and in this regard, I would like to thank all of the more than 5,500 men and women who work extremely hard in our garages and on the roads all year round to keep London moving. I would also like to thank TfL’s Managing Director Mr Leon Daniels and his officers, as well as the Transport Commissioner for their enormous support over the years.”

Mr Singh continued, “Our success would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of all these people in providing the very best service to all Londoners who depend on us for their daily transport needs.”

To mark this very special achievement, every garage hosted a barbeque for everyone in the Metroline team to celebrate and enjoy.

Metroline has become the first London bus operator to sign up to the RNIB’s (Royal National Institute of Blind People) accessibility charter.

The RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties and part of their ‘Stop for Me Speak to Me’ bus campaign involves a charter containing commitments for bus operators to improve service and accessibility to blind and partially sighted people.

The RNIB’s Regional Campaigns Officer for London, Richard Holmes and Natalie Doig Campaigns Officer for the Inclusive Society met with Metroline and were delighted that Metroline were so keen to commit to further improving their services for blind and partially sighted passengers.

Richard said “Bus travel is a life line to blind and partially sighted people in London, who rely on buses to take them to work, the shops or just to get out and about with friends. We are really impressed with Metroline’s proactive approach to making improvements for their blind and partially sighted passengers. Metroline has clearly been doing a lot already but now that we are working together and with their commitment to our charter, we are sure things can only go from strength to strength.”

Metroline’s CEO Mr. Jaspal Singh and COO Mr. Sean O’Shea attended a formal signing of the charter at Metroline’s ComfortDelGro House. Commenting on the signing of the Charter, Mr. Singh said, “Metroline are committed to ensuring that our services are accessible to everyone. We understand the important role buses can play in a person’s life, and we know that buses can help bring independence to people living with sight loss often providing vital access to work, the local community and important services.”

Jaspal continued, “We are very proud to be London’s first operator to sign the Charter and support the RNIB and through a variety of initiatives and events over the year aim to encourage all of our staff to join us in supporting this important project.”

Metroline’s very own London Bus Awards Accessibility Champion Euphema Wallace was also at the event and said, “We can often take it for granted, but buses are often vital lifelines that vulnerable people especially depend on. As a driver, just being friendly and saying ‘hello’ to a blind or partially sighted passenger can be very reassuring and give them the confidence to travel, little things can make such a big difference to someone’s life.”

The new bus charter identifies a number of principles that Metroline has agreed to adopt, many of which we already do and support, to help further improve bus travel for blind and partially sighted passengers. Look out for the campaigns and initiatives around your garages over the year and help show ‘We’re on board’ with supporting the RNIB and our blind and partially sighted passengers.

Metroline proudly launched the world’s first zero emission, all electric double decker on Route 98 between Willesden and Holborn.

The almost silent bus has been praised for its very impressive environmental credentials; the new bus is zero-emission and zero-tailpipe-pollution emitting which will be a significant benefit for Londoners.

Metroline’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Jaspal Singh said, “Metroline is proud and delighted to have been chosen by Transport for London to launch the world’s first all electric, zero emission double decker bus service in London, reputedly one of the most challenging bus operating environments in the world, with customers who demand and deserve nothing but the best. This is a significant and exciting moment for us all, and underscores our determination to lead the industry as well as our commitment to our customers and Transport for London to deliver the very best service possible.”

Engineers estimate the new bus will be able to travel 190 miles or more than 300 km on a single charge, meaning the vehicles will be able to remain in service all day without stopping to recharge.

Developed by vehicle manufacturer BYD with fast charging equipment at Metroline’s Willesden bus garage, BYD designed and developed the 10.2m long vehicles to TfL specifications which feature air conditioning, seats for 54 passengers and space for 27 standing passengers.

The buses are equipped with BYD designed and built Li-ion iron-phosphate batteries, delivering 340 kWh of power through a permanent magnet synchronous motor that come with 12 year battery warranty. The batteries can power the bus continually for over 20 hours and up to 190 miles (300 km) of typical urban driving on service routes with a single daily recharging requiring only four hours.