Volvo stable while ADL grows - Issue 199 23 January 2009
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Issue 199
23 January 2009
Volvo stable while
ADL grows
Inside ... See p34 Irish operators shed jobs. p6 Fickling takes the helm. p12 Irisbus UK departure. p47
Contents
Bus and Coach Professional is What’s in this issue...
published by Plum Publishing Ltd
10 Analysis
Editorial PTEG report considers envi-
Steve Rooney, Managing editor
steve.rooney@busandcoach.com Aiming to educate ronmental impact of buses.
12 Optare update
O
News editor
f course coaches are won- senger miles per gallon of petrol Optare marks out 2009 as
Stewart J Brown
derful things, as CPT consumed. So there’s an envi-
stewart.jbrown@busandcoach.com year of delivery.
points out in its latest ronmental benefit too. So far, so
Editorial contributors: publication, Britain’s Coaches: good.
Steve Banner Partnership and Passengers. They But the industry has a major 18 Transmissions
Gavin Booth can carry 50 passengers in the task in reminding local authori- More pragmatic approaches
Peter Plisner road space occupied by three fam- ties of these benefits. to hybrids on the way.
ily cars typically carrying two or Some, of course, do value
Advertising three people each. Generously coaches, but many simply see
Jo Taylor allowing three passengers per car, them as taking up a lot of kerb-
24 Tyres and wheels
jo.taylor@busandcoach.com New systems to identify
it takes 16 cars to move one coach side and car parking space, con-
Charlotte Hicks under- and over-inflation.
load of people. veniently forgetting how many
charlotte.hicks@busandcoach.com A coach with 50 people return- more cars would be clogging up
Jo James ing 10mpg will deliver 500 pas- their streets were the coaches not 34 Tourism news
jo.james@busandcoach.com senger miles for each gallon of there. News, attractions and events
diesel consumed. Those 16 cars, There’s a lot of education for coach tour operators.
Production
returning, let’s say, 50mpg, will needed. CPT’s coach manifesto
Nigel Greenaway
between them deliver nine pas- will surely help.
Contact address: Regulars
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23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 3
Industry data News
Market prices
Price High Low
Irish fleets plan 10 per cent cuts Transport fares
Arriva 477 839 464 badly in public
FirstGroup
Go-Ahead
315 657
1031 2058
311
916 services survey
National Exp. 420 1091 413
A survey of attitudes towards
Optare 11 52 11 a range of public services
Rotala 37 65 30 showed that people were least
Stagecoach 123 333 109 satisfied by public transport.
Closing prices on 19/01/09 plus Just 57 per cent of respondents
12 months high and low. were satisfied with public trans-
port, compared, for example,
with 88 per cent who were sat-
UK diesel price update Job losses as Dublin Bus aims to cut costs. isfied with drinking water and
pence per litre sewage services, or 78 per cent
Northern Ireland 98.64 Dublin Bus is to cut 290 jobs cal Union, has said it will resist with waste disposal services.
Scotland 98.91 and reduce its fleet by 120 buses compulsory redundancies at The survey was carried out
Wales 99.02 in a move to cut costs. And sister Dublin Bus. SIPTU Dublin by ComRes for the Institution
company Bus Eireann is axing Bus branch president Tony of Civil Engineers.
North 98.68
around 300 jobs and 150 vehi- Fallon says: “SIPTU will con- www.comres.co.uk
North West 98.03 cles. The cuts, which represent a sider the company’s proposals
Yorks & Humbs 97.94 fleet reduction of around 10 per and our representatives will
West Midlands
East Midlands
98.61
98.42
cent, are planned for 1 March.
They are being made against a
consult extensively with mem-
bers to formulate a considered,
Syringe attack on
East Anglia
South East
98.56
98.67
backdrop of a fall in passenger
numbers as the Irish economy
informed response.
“We can advise members now
Paisley bus driver
South West 98.96 contracts. that we will not accept com- A bus driver faces six months of
London 98.76 Bus Eireann says passenger pulsory redundancies, but we blood tests after being stabbed
numbers dropped by 4 per cent will explore all other avenues, by a passenger with a syringe in
Average weekly fuel prices for in 2008, and it expects a further including considering alterna- Paisley. Strathclyde police are
the UK by region, w/c 19/01/09. reduction this year. tive proposals that will ensure appealing for information. Says
Source: Catalist
Both companies are part of the the stability and survival of the detective constable Paul Rich-
state-owned CIE organisation. company and protect the work- mond: “To assault and rob a bus
SIPTU, the Services, Indus- ing conditions of employees.” driver is bad enough, but to stab
European diesel price trial, Professional and Techni- www.siptu.ie him with a syringe meaning he
update pence per litre has to suffer for six months is
equivalent just despicable. The victim is
Austria 89.19 First reports UK Bus up extremely traumatised and has
suffered a terrible ordeal.”
Belgium 86.25
Czech Rep 91.81 while Greyhound falls Police are checking CCTV
pictures from the area in a bid
Denmark 94.88
Like-for-like revenue at to match demand and increased to identify the attacker. There
Estonia 85.66 First’s UK Bus division was up our efforts for further efficien- were no other passengers on
Finland 90.79 7.6 per cent in the third quar- cies from the business.” the bus.
France 90.08 ter of 2008, but there was a 4.5 And it points out that its www.strathclyde.police.uk
Germany 96.86 per cent drop in revenue at the low-cost BoltBus operation
Greece 91.42 group’s North American Grey- – launched in the north-east
Netherlands
Hungary
90.88
89.21
hound business. The figures
were announced last week in an
USA in March 2008 as a rival
to Stagecoach’s megabus.com
CV Show called
Ireland 90.79 interim management statement.
In relation to Greyhound,
service - saw passenger num-
bers rise by 25 per cent over the
off amid gloom
Italy 105.60
First says: “We have already previous quarter. The 2009 Commercial Vehicle
Luxembourg 78.49
taken action to reduce services www.firstgroup.com Show, scheduled to take place at
Norway 104.23 the NEC from 28-30 April, has
Poland 85.30 been cancelled.
Portugal
Spain
103.46
82.05
Stagecoach takes over Cavendish in Speaking on behalf of the
organisers, RHA chief execu-
Sweden
Switzerland
90.44
91.95
Eastbourne, but plans March closure tive Roger King says: “This
was a difficult decision but, on
Following its purchase of and employed 65 people. Stage- balance, the right one.
Prices based on a twice-monthly
Eastbourne Buses, Stagecoach coach is closing the operation in “What we learned from
sample for December 2008 from
has also acquired the Cavendish March, but is expected to offer this exercise was that despite
European Road Information
Centre.
Motor Services bus operations some of the Cavendish drivers a generally negative response
Source: AA
in the town. Cavendish was set jobs at Eastbourne Buses. The to 2009, there appears a much
up in 2006 in competition with Cavendish buses operated in more positive approach to 2010
Eastbourne Buses and was asso- a pale green and cream livery which encourages the [organis-
Visit www.busandcoach.com ciated with Renown Coaches of designed to evoke memories of ing] partnership to set plans in
for all the latest industry Bexhill. The Renown business the Southdown company which motion for a show in April of
data, 24 hours a day is not affected by the deal. once served the area. that year.”
Cavendish operated 28 buses www.stagecoachbus.com www.cvshow.com
6 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009
News news briefs
Volvo retains lead, Oxford orders Scanias
The Oxford Bus Company has
but ADL gains ordered 11 Euro 5/EEV Scanias
with ADL Enviro400 bodies for its
market share new Brookes Bus contract which
starts in July.
www.oxfordbus.co.uk
While Volvo retained its lead-
ership of the UK bus and coach
market in 2008 with the same Bristol bus lane fines
market share – 25.5 per cent – In a 90-minute police operation
as in 2007, it was second-placed 26 drivers illegally using a
ADL which saw impressive 100m-long bus lane in Bristol
were given £30 fines. Further bus
growth in the year with deliver- Volvo stable with 25.5 per cent share of UK bus and coach market.
lane enforcement exercises are
ies up by almost 300 units. This planned.
raised its market share by just for double-deckers led the will be hit by the abrupt reces- www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
over four points, from 17.6 per growth in sales of heavy-duty sion but may prove more resil-
cent in 2007 to 21.8 per cent in buses. It also says that although ient than coach demand has Silver Choice to First
2008. sales of large coaches dropped been. Given stable funding and
The Silver Choice overnight coach
MAN also had a good year, in 2008, they were still higher passenger numbers, the grow- service from Scotland to London
with its market share rising than the average figure for the ing use of buses in urban and has been taken over by First
from 5.0 to 7.0 per cent. period 2000 to 2005. remote rural areas should sup- Glasgow. Return fares start at £29.
The total market in 2008 Says SMMT chief executive port the market.” www.firstgroup.com
was up by 13 per cent, from Paul Everitt: “Big bus demand www.smmt.co.uk
just under 4,000 units in 2007 CPT plans Kent group
to just over 4,500. Manufactur- Top five UK bus and coach suppliers 2007-2008
An inaugural meeting of a potential
ers whose sales increased sig- 2007 2008 new Kent group within CPT’s
nificantly ahead of the market Registrations % share Registrations %share London & Home Counties region
growth included ADL (up 40 is being held at the Bush Public
1 Volvo 1,020 25.5 1,148 25.5
per cent), MAN (58 per cent), House, Aylesford ME20 7BS, at
and Mercedes (57 per cent). 2 ADL 701 17.6 981 21.8 6pm on Tuesday 27 January.
Those whose position worsened 3 Optare 466 11.7 533 11.8 www.cpt-uk.org
were Irisbus (down 32 per cent) 4 Scania 452 11.3 521 11.6
and VDL (down 41 per cent). A2Z loses appeal
The SMMT, which produces 5 MAN 199 5.0 315 7.0
Walsall-based A2Z Travel has lost
the figures for new bus registra- Total market 3,993 4,511 its appeal against the revocation
tions, notes that strong demand Source: SMMT of its O licence for operational and
maintenance failures. It has been
told to cease operations on 30
Coach holiday boom forecast by CPT Stringer urges March.
www.a2z-travel.co.uk
A survey of UK residents
shows twice as many people are
towns and cities will miss out
in any growth in coach holidays
quality contracts Atheist ad upsets driver
planning to holiday in the UK by offering limited facilities to Greater Manchester Labour A Christian bus driver with First
in 2009, compared with 2008, coach operators. MP Graham Stringer has tabled Hampshire has refused to drive
instead of going abroad. It also Simon Posner, CPT chief an Early Day Motion in parlia- buses carrying British Humanist
Association adverts saying
reveals the cost of travelling to a executive, says: “These reveal- ment calling on First Manches-
“There’s probably no God”. The
destination is of greater impor- ing statistics show that even in ter to rethink an “unacceptable” company will not allocate him one
tance than the time it takes. It the current financial climate eight per cent fares increase and of the buses unless there are no
sees these two factors offering there is still a hunger for holi- for the Greater Manchester PTA others available.
potential growth for coach holi- daying, although people are to consider setting up quality www.humanism.org.uk
day operators. thinking a bit more carefully contracts to “remove the ability
The survey, commissioned about where they go and how of bus operators to impose fare London jobless bus benefit
by CPT, shows people will be they get there. increases of this scale”. Over the next year London’s
spending less on their annual “Every year more than 273 In the EDM Stringer states half-price bus and tram travel
holiday this year. In 2008, 31 per million tourist and leisure trips that the fares increases “will hit scheme will be extended to
cent spent £500 or less on their are made by coach which proves those on low incomes the hard- include unemployed people in
main holiday compared to 50 the industry is big business for est, will offer further encourage- receipt of Job Seeker’s Allowance
per cent who are planning simi- UK tourism and transport econ- ment to the long-term decline in or Employment and Support
lar lower-cost breaks this year. omy. However, many places will bus usage in the city and come Allowance.
The research shows that cost is miss out on this economic boost after FirstBus has announced www.london.gov.uk
the greatest consideration when because of inadequate provision profits of £180million for the
booking a holiday (45 per cent) for coaches.” last six months accounting LDV extends winter closure
and the biggest influence on CPT announced the survey period, up from £103million for Russian-owned van and minibus
how holiday makers choose to findings as it launched its coach the same period in 2007”. builder LDV has extended the
reach their destination (46 per manifesto, Britain’s Coaches: The EDM was tabled by winter shutdown at its Washwood
cent), above that of convenience Partnership and Passengers, Stringer – a long-standing Heath factory into February, and is
(26 per cent), the time taken to which calls on central and local opponent of bus deregulation – seeking government assistance in
response to a fall in demand.
reach the destination (10 per government to actively promote on 14 January. It had attracted
www.ldv.com
cent) and type of transport (9 the importance of the coach to seven supporting signatures by
per cent). the UK economy. the start of this week.
But CPT warns that many www.cpt-uk.org www.parliament.uk
23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 7
news briefs News
Real time in Suffolk
Suffolk county council is to trial
Hoon outlines Brown gets new role under Transport
real-time bus information at bus
stops in Lowestoft. Suffolk plans to
Heathrow growth Act changes
extend the scheme to other towns Improved public transport Philip Brown will be the first
around the county. services will be required at Lon- statutory senior traffic commis-
don’s Heathrow Airport under sioner for England and Wales
Slight rise at Go North East expansion plans announced to be appointed under new
In December Go North East carried by transport secretary Geoff powers in the Local Transport
almost 6.8 million passengers – an Hoon. Act 2008. He will be formally
increase of just under 1 per cent The expansion is linked to appointed and take up his new
on the same period last year. The
the controversial construction role when the powers come into
company operated 99 per cent of
its scheduled mileage.
of a third runway, which now force this spring. Brown is cur-
www.simplygo.com
has government approval. rently traffic commissioner for
Hoon has also announced the South Eastern and Metro-
Penalty doubled plans to extend hard-shoulder politan traffic area and has also
running on congested motor- been the senior traffic commis- Philip Brown to become first statutory
The penalty fare for passengers
ways, saying: “It is clear that sioner since March 2003. senior traffic commissioner for
travelling on a London bus without
a valid ticket has been increased
many of our major roads also At present the senior traffic England and Wales.
from £20 to £50. This is reduced need more capacity and we are commissioner is an adminis-
to £25 if paid within 21 days. committing up to £6billion to trative appointment with no secretary to issue guidance to
www.tfl.gov.uk improve the national road net- additional powers. The Local the senior traffic commissioner
work - including extending Transport Act 2008 changes on the exercise of any of his
Royal revocation hard shoulder running to some this by giving the post-holder functions. The Department for
Royal Buses of St Ives has had its
of the busiest parts of M1, M25, new responsibilities to deter- Transport plans to undertake
O-licence revoked from 11 March M6, M62, M3 and M4, provid- mine how the traffic commis- a full consultation exercise on
following a public inquiry into the ing much-needed relief from sioners perform their statutory draft guidance in the early part
company’s maintenance. Royal ran congestion.” functions. The Act also provides of this year.
six vehicles. www.dft.gov.uk new powers for the transport www.dft.gov.uk
Smoker fined
A bus driver has been fined
£115 plus £35 costs by Oldham
Wi-fi access for school bus services SPT invites
Magistrates for smoking behind the
wheel. Michelle Madden (43) also
The Green Bus, which spe-
cialises in school transport in
“With an increasing number of
mobile phones and handhelds
redundancy bids
lost her job with Bluebird Buses.
the West Midlands, is offering
free wi-fi internet access on its
supporting wi-fi, our investment
in Icomera’s Moovbox enables
as it aims to tackle
Cheap postal hop
Welwyn Hatfield council is to
vehicles. The service uses Icom- students to check e-mail, surf projected deficit
era’s Moovbox system, which the web, and play peer-to-peer
launch a demand-responsive Post also provides real-time vehicle games on devices like the Sony In a move to cut costs Strath-
Hopper service next month, taking tracking. PSP and Nintendo DS – all free clyde Partnership for Transport
elderly and disabled people to town
The Green Bus was estab- of charge. has sent out an offer of voluntary
centre post offices for a return fare
of £1.50. lished in 2005 by a former “More impor tant ly, the redundancy or early retirement
teacher. The company’s buses built-in GPS functionality of to all 700 of its staff. SPT chief
Drunk gets detention carry over 1,400 children to and the Moovbox means we can executive Ron Culley describes
from school each day – replac- see where our buses are at any the move as “prudent house-
A drunken teenager who twice
ing an estimated two thousand time. This feature is being made keeping”. SPT faces a projected
stole buses from Stagecoach’s
Barrow-in-Furness depot has
car journeys in the process. available on our web site where deficit of £500,000 in the year
been sentenced to 12 months in a “We want to make the experi- parents and school staff can ahead and about £2.5million for
detention centre and banned from ence of travelling with us a posi- securely log in and follow the 2010/11.
driving for two years. tive one for the new generation progress of any particular bus Culley says: “While we antici-
of tech-savvy school children,” during its journey via a familiar pate that this redundancy offer
PayPoint for First explains Ian Mack, managing Google Maps display.” will only be of interest to a small
First bus passengers in Cheshire director of The Green Bus. www.thegreenbus.co.uk number of our staff, we have to
and Staffordshire can from this make the offer to everyone in
week buy tickets from shops which the interests of fairness.”
are part of the PayPoint network.
www.firstgroup.com
North-east seeks £15million for buses He continues: “The fact is
that 81 per cent of our business
A bid for £15million funding schemes. costs are spent in areas which
TfL in gay top five to improve bus travel by cut- David Wood, Nexus chair- are difficult to influence or
Gay equalities organisation, ting delays in Tyne and Wear man, says: “This bid represents reduce quickly. Fifty per cent
Stonewall, has rated Transport has been submitted to the gov- a serious move to speed up bus of operating costs are salary
for London fifth in the top 100 ernment by Nexus, the Tyne & services on some main corridors related and some 22 per cent of
employers in the UK for lesbian, Wear PTA, acting on behalf of into central Tyneside and into our budget is spent on subsidies
gay, bisexual and transgendered local bus operators Go North Sunderland city centre.” to bus operators and bus serv-
staff in their 2009 Workplace East and Stagecoach, as well More than 130 million jour- ices, with 9 per cent on fuel and
Equality Index. as Gateshead and Sunderland neys are made by bus in Tyne property costs.
www.tfl.gov.uk councils. and Wear every year, with the “The savings we need to
The proposals include major vast majority on routes into city deliver are challenging but
highway projects, new bus pri- and town centres. essential.”
orities and two park-and-ride www.nexus.org.uk www.spt.co.uk
8 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009
News news briefs
Tram crash bus Bakerbus introduces upgraded Death driver banned
A Blackpool Transport bus driver,
passed red light Macclesfield-Stockport service Callum Patrick (45), has been
banned from driving for 12 months
The driver of a Go-Ahead and fined £600 after a accident
Volvo double-deck bus which last June in which his bus struck a
motorcycle, killing the rider.
collided with a tram in Croy-
don last September passed a red
light, according to an investiga- New London route
tion by the Rail Accident Inves- First London is operating a new
tigation Branch. A passenger Transport for London service
linking Central Middlesex Hospital,
on the top deck of the bus was
White City and Maida Hill. It runs
thrown out of a window, and every 12 minutes during the day;
died from head injuries. every 20 minutes at other times.
The RAIB notes that the rea- www.tfl.gov.uk
son for the bus driver passing
a red light is still the subject Keep bikes out
of a police investigation, but
An on-line poll by London
comments that the appearance TravelWatch shows 55 per cent
beyond the junction of a green of respondents think motorcycles
light, which was not properly should not be allowed to use bus
shielded, may have been a fac- lanes. More bus lanes in London
tor in the accident. were opened to motorbikes this
The RAIB also says that col- month.
lision damage to the accelerator www.londontravelwatch.org.uk
pedal and linkage on the bus
caused the throttle to be stuck Shropshire school review
permanently open, and the bus Shropshire council is considering
carried on moving after the Philip Baker, Bakerbus managing director; Fraser Innes, Dawsonrentals; operating more school services
accident until it hit a parked Steve Wilkinson, Cheshire county council chairman; and Richard using its own vehicles, as it
car and came to rest against the Matthews, Alexander Dennis. faces rising contract costs and
front of a shop. a declining number of operators
The RAIB has also noted that Bakerbus of Biddulph has routes to provide connections bidding for tenders.
the side windows on the upper secured the Cheshire county with Biddulph and Congleton.
deck of the bus appear to offer council tender to operate Says Bakerbus managing direc- Arriva closes Loftus
little protection to persons sit- improved services between tor Phil Baker: “We are pleased Arriva North East’s Loftus depot
ting on a front seat in a collision Macclesfield, Poynton and to work with Cheshire county closed last weekend, with its
of this type, and has written to Stockport. The hourly service is council to deliver an improved services and most of its staff being
transferred to other depots. It had
the Department for Transport being promoted as The Shuttle, service that will offer a practical
been in operation since 1926.
to express its concern. and operated by two new Alex- alternative to commuters who
www.arriva.co.uk
www.raib.gov.uk ander Dennis Enviro200s. are currently using private cars
The service is being inte- for these busy routes.”
grated with other Bakerbus www.bakerbus.com
New South Yorks website
PCSOs, not A new travel information website
for the South Yorkshire PTE is
conductors, for Centro links with
being developed by Liverpool-
based digital agency Rippleffect.
new Routemasters PayZone to push www.rippleffect.com
Stormont transport call
In the latest twist in London
mayor Boris Johnson’s Route-
ticket sales The Northern Ireland Alliance
Party is calling on the Stormont
master revival plans, it now Centro, the West Midlands Executive to improve public
appears that the second crew PTE, is now making its one-day transport as the economic
member will not be a conduc- nbus ticket available from 1,800 downturn forces people to switch
tor, but a police community Payzone outlets in the region. from cars to buses and trains.
support officer. The nbus ticket, priced at £3.60, www.allianceparty.org
Speaking on BBC Radio Lon- allows a day’s unlimited travel
don this month, Johnson said: on most West Midlands bus Woman loses claim
“What we are not going to do services. An 82-year-old woman has lost
is have the old-fashioned con- Centro reported an increase a claim for damages after she
ductor because you don’t need in adult nbus ticket sales of 25 GaryClarke was thrown from her seat on
them. What you do need is a per cent in the last financial a Stagecoach Manchester bus
figure of authority in uniform year, with child ticket sales up are easy to get hold of and allow when it braked sharply to avoid a
to help people to keep order by 37 per cent. people to use any bus that they pedestrian. The district judge at
and, you know, to help people Gary Clarke, chairman of need to, regardless of who runs Manchester Civil Justice Centre,
on and off the back, and that Centro, says: “Our aim is to it, without having to put their Graeme Smith, accepted that the
driver, Darren Munroe, had had to
can almost certainly be done by provide passengers with one of hand back in their pocket. This
brake hard to try to avoid hitting
transport PCSOs.” the most easy-to-use, integrated deal with Payzone is a good a pedestrian who stepped out
The cost of building and public transport networks in step forward in achieving our directly in front of him.
operating Johnson’s new Route- the world. A key part of this is vision.”
masters remains unknown. offering good value tickets that www.networkwestmidlands.com
23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 9
Analysis
Stewart brown
reports
Assessing the impact
PTEG produces a well-researched
report on the environmental impact
of buses in the city regions.
I
f buses are to be viewed as a car manufacturers react to pres-
truly environmentally-friendly sure from the European Com-
alternative to cars, operators mission to cut CO2 emissions.
have to address the problem of Quite how many people actu-
pollution caused by older vehi- ally consider their so-called car-
cles in their fleets. That’s one of bon footprint when they embark
the conclusions of a comprehen- on a journey is open to question,
sive study carried out for PTEG, but it’s clear that an awareness
the Passenger Transport Execu- of environmental responsibility
tive Group. is in the air, so to speak.
The report, by consultants Various ways of improving
TTR, says that because of the the bus industry’s environmen- ing such emissions is the use PTEG chairman Neil Scales is
number of older buses operating tal credentials are suggested in of sustainable biofuels or the justifiably upbeat about what has to be
in urban areas outside London, the PTEG report. Easiest to introduction of diesel-electric one of the most detailed analyses of
in recent years the car has actu- implement, in theory at least, hybrid buses. Having said that, buses and their environmental impact
ally outperformed the bus on is improving driver perform- it accepts there is a significant in recent years.
particulate emissions and NOx ance to achieve reduced fuel cost barrier and says that to
in Britain’s city regions. But it consumption. The less fuel you overcome it “requires a change chief advantage of a quality con-
also acknowledges that as more burn, the lower your exhaust in one or more of the following: tract for vehicle emissions is that
of the oldest vehicles have been emissions. the bus subsidy regime; fuel and … a local transport authority
replaced, the overall perform- is free to specify whatever type
ance of the bus has improved of vehicle it sees fit. However,
rapidly and the bus is now in In the city regions it is forecast that, on clearly the higher the standard
fact better than the car in terms current vehicle replacement rates, 25 per of vehicle specified, the higher
of particulate emissions. the potential cost.” But it adds
Such has been the advance
cent of PTE area bus fleets will still be at a rider that large orders for
in engine design that modern Euro 1 or Euro 2 standards in 2012. higher-specification vehicles
diesel buses are “difficult to could bring costs down.
beat” for air pollutants. The Says the report: “Much work vehicle costs; and/or the frame- To address the problem of
study highlights that a new has been done in the field of fuel work in which the bus sector is pollution levels from older buses
Euro 5 bus emits less than a efficiency in the HGV indus- regulated and planned.” the report suggests that the fit-
third of the NOx and a fifth of try, but it has been much more The last-named is, of course, a ment of pollution abatement
the particulates produced by a slowly adopted in the public PTEG hobby horse. The report equipment such as particulate
Euro 2 model. However, in the transport industry. Information observes, with reference to the filters or oxidisation catalysts
city regions it is forecast that, from the major bus operators 2008 Local Transport Act: “It can be cost-effective for vehicles
on current vehicle replacement suggests they wish to do more in is hoped that the stability and which still have a long operating
rates, 25 per cent of PTE area this area and there is certainly removal of damaging competi- life remaining.
bus fleets will still be at Euro 1 much potential for improvement tive practices can enable long- The report is wide-ranging,
or Euro 2 standards in 2012. and cost/emissions savings.” term investment plans to be to and covers items such as the past
And the historic advantage Replacing old buses with new properly costed, decisions made exploration of CNG and LPG
bus travel has over car travel ones clearly cuts emissions, but and then implemented.” to fuel buses in Britain, and the
for greenhouse gas emissions PTEG questions if this in itself And while it sees quality recent trial of fuel-cell buses in
appears to be narrowing as is enough. It says that buying contracts as offering an oppor- London, a technology which it
smaller and more fuel-efficient new diesel buses does nothing tunity to specify environmen- judges will not be viable in the
cars become more popular, and to reduce greenhouse gas emis- tally-friendly buses, it accepts next 10 years, the time frame of
sions, and that the key to reduc- this has cost implications: “The the study.
10 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009
of the bus
Modern buses are greener than ever, such as this example from the
first batch of Euro 5s for First now in service in Manchester.
PTEG chairman Neil Scales and informed debate on how we Department for Transport cal-
is justifiably upbeat about can green city region bus fleets culated that the country’s CO2 Replacing old
what has to be one of the most and in doing so ensure that pub- emissions totalled 554.5 million buses with new
detailed analyses of buses and lic transport’s environmental tonnes. Of that, road transport
their environmental impact in credentials are secure.” was responsible for 120.3 mil- ones clearly cuts
recent years. He says: “This is Even the most committed lion tonnes, or just under 22 per emissions, but PTEG
a comprehensive, useful and supporter of the bus industry cent. Cars accounted for 68.7
challenging report. It provides a has to accept that not all buses million tonnes (12.4 per cent),
questions if this in
helpful guide through the maze are as clean as we would like trucks for 25.8 million tonnes itself is enough.
of conflicting claims for all the to think they are. The situa- (4.7 per cent) and buses for 4.9
new and existing bus fuels and tion may be much improved, million tonnes (0.9 per cent).
technology options available to but stand in any city centre in For carbon monoxide, buses
policy makers. It also sets out a an area where buses congregate were responsible for 0.3 per cent
range of scenarios on how dif- and you will still see – and smell of emissions; cars for 36.6 per
ferent levels of investment in – diesel fumes from the older cent. For NOx, buses produced
our bus fleets would result in buses which PTEG’s report 2.3 per cent; cars 12.2 per cent.
different outcomes on carbon rightly highlights as being a For particulates, buses came in
and pollution. problem. (And, it has to be said, as producing 0.5 per cent; cars
“This report will help us fac- on occasion from newer buses 4.0 per cent. (The figures come
tor in environmental considera- where maintenance standards from Transport Statistics Great
tions as the PTEs develop their are not all they should be.) Britain 2008.)
strategies for bus networks, in Yet, while it is important that Yes, let’s clean up the bus
the light of the new powers and the environmental impact of fleet. But don’t forget that buses
options opened up by the Local bus operation be minimised, are part of the solution, not part
Transport Act. We also hope consider this. In 2006 (the most of the problem.
that it will help open up a wider recent published figures) the www.pteg.net
23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 11
optare update
STEVE rooney
reports
Delivering on
the promise John Fickling, Optare executive chairman.
Optare plans a year of “consolidation and delivery” as it deals with the
aftermath of the sudden departure of its former chief executive.
O ptare is predicting output of
750 vehicles in 2009 as it consolidates its
operations following a year of change and
The move into a new Blackburn factory has
slipped a little behind schedule but the facil-
ity should be operational in the first half of
The Rapta uses hybrid technology from
Enova while the single-deck Tempo uses
the Allison parallel hybrid system. Optare
acquisition. The double-deck hybrid Rapta, this year, according to Fickling. He stresses already has orders for ten hybrid Tempos,
unveiled at November’s Euro Bus show, is that the company has improved manufac- five each for Metroline and East London.
scheduled to be available for demonstra- turing processes at the existing Blackburn During 2009, Saint says that Optare will
tions in the second half of the year with the and Leeds sites and is confident of keeping be developing hybrid versions of the Versa
first production models available for Lon- to delivery schedules. In the longer term the and Solo models, using Siemens or Enova
don before the end of 2009. However the Leeds plant will be relocated in the city or systems. “Reliability is the key issue for us
Solo Plus model which was also unveiled at close by, but this is not imminent and the with hybrids,” says Saint, “which is why we
the show has been dropped from the plans state of the economy means that the pro- are working with partners such as Enova,
because of a mixed reaction from custom- posed housing development on the site is Siemens and Allison who have expertise in
ers. not likely to start anytime soon. delivering proven complete systems”.
Following the unplanned departure of Ahead of the launch of the demonstra- Fickling says that the company incorpo-
chief executive Andrew Brian at the end of tion Raptas, Optare plans to launch its Solo rates a high level of engineering skills with
last year, Optare is now seeking a replace- EV electric vehicle. Commercial director the coming together of LPD personnel and
ment and in the meantime chairman John Glenn Saint says that the Solo EV received the “old Optare” team. “This expertise is
Fickling has moved into an executive role. very strong interest at the NEC show and why we have been able to be quick to bring
Fickling describes the coming year as although there are not yet any orders to new product to market even though the
one of consolidation and delivery, follow- announce, he believes it has great pros- technology and the external issues continue
ing a year of restructuring and launches. pects. “It is ideal for low mileage, light duty to change rapidly”, says Fickling.
in level areas and the payback is faster than Aftersales is another area of development
hybrid technology meaning that it is a com- for Optare. From this month Multipart has
mercial proposition for operators, not just taken over the stocking and supply of all
a way of being green.” Optare parts, although Fickling stresses that
Hybrid technology is of course a high the customer will still call Optare and speak
priority as well as Optare competes for its to its own staff for ordering, with Multipart
share of the promised London market for looking after the logistics and fulfilment.
this option. The first Rapta demonstrators Other projects on the horizon are
will be hybrid versions in TfL specification coaches. Optare continues to import small
and Saint points to its lighter weight as an coaches from Spanish builder Ferqui but it
additional advantage over competitors. “It is planning to start the development of its
is around a tonne and a quarter lighter than own range of coaches by the end of the year,
equivalent double-decks. We have achieved according to Saint.
this because we started with a clean sheet Export markets are still a focus for Optare
and designed the vehicle as a whole.” but it is now looking for more opportuni-
Saint points out that a tonne of weight is ties to work with dealers and importers
roughly equivalent to 1mpg saving in die- rather than trying to establish direct sales
The first Rapta hybrid demonstrators are sel and with average London mileages of in Europe. A recent export win is five Solos
due in the second half of the year. 5mpg, this equates to an additional 20 per for an Israeli operator which are being sup-
cent fuel saving. plied through the local MAN dealer.
12 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009
International Bus and coach news from around the world.
The plan is to offer a 25 per tor John H Hill.
cent discount to pensioners and The plan addresses concerns
students travelling at weekends, that drivers with poor medical
and to provide free transport for records are able to obtain a com-
up to two children up to 12 years mercial driver’s licence.
of age accompanied by an adult on www.fmcsa.dot.gov
weekdays.
www.europa.eu Veolia for St Charles
The R iver Parishes Transit
Authority in Louisiana is plan-
Jamaica ning to sign a three-year contract
with Veolia for the management of
Jamaica takes VDL/Volvo a local bus service in the area. The
The Jamaica Urban Transit service would run in St Charles,
Company is taking delivery of 100 about 50 miles west of New
buses for operation in and around Orleans.
Volvo to supply more buses the capital, Kingston. The first
to Sydney. australia 50, Volvo B12Bs with 12m-long
VDL Jonckheere Arrow bodies Canada
Volvo order for 235 buses were delivered last month. They
Volvo has received an order will be followed in March by 50 Greyhound steps up security
for 235 city buses for operation in modified VDL SB4000 chassis Greyhound is using hand-
Sydney and Brisbane. In Sydney with 10.5m-long Mistral 30 bod- held metal detectors at three
the New South Wales State Tran- ies. VDL has been selling buses in locations in Canada – Calgary,
sit Authority has ordered 150 18m Jamaica since 1986. Edmonton and Winnipeg – to
articulated buses on EEV-specifi- ensure that passengers are not car-
cation B12BLE chassis. They will rying weapons. Similar checks are
take the number of Volvos in STA USA to be introduced at terminals in
service to over 700. all major cities in the country. The
In Brisbane, the city council has Megabus clocks 2 million move follows a knife attack on a
decided in a tender process that all Megabus.com this month car- Greyhound coach in July last year
diesel buses to be purchased in the ried its two millionth customer in in which a man was decapitated by
next three years will be Volvos. It North America, as people look a fellow passenger.
has placed an initial order for 85 for cheaper travel to beat the eco- www.greyhound.ca
EEV-specification B7RLEs, but nomic downturn. Megabus is now
the total over three years could be carrying around 150,000 passen- Ontario bulk order
as high as 335 buses. gers a month, and offers links to Metrolinx, acting on behalf of
www.volvo.com 30 cities across the Midwest and 12 local authorities in Ontario, has
Northeast. ordered up to 160 buses from New
Volgren expands Dale Moser, president of mega- Flyer and City View Bus Sales,
Volgren Australia is building bus.com in North America, says: agents for ElDorado National.
a new factory in Newcastle which “While consumers are feeling the “Getting more people onto
will employ over 250 people after effects of the current US economy, transit will reduce pollution
winning the contract to build megabus.com has fast become the and congestion. I am pleased
the bodies on the 150 articulated perfect solution for those looking that Metrolinx has spearheaded
Volvos ordered by the NSW State to stretch their travel dollar.” the purchase of technologically
Transit Authority. An interim facil- Megabus.com research shows advanced buses for small and
ity will be in operation in March. that 60 per cent of customers are medium municipalities,” says
The main factory will be ready former car users, 19 per cent previ- Ontario transportation minis-
in October. Volgren currently ously travelled with an airline and ter Jim Bradley. “Municipalities
has factories in Melbourne and 11 per cent used to take the train. can decrease operating costs and
Perth, and one is being built in www.megabus.com improve service reliability, making
Brisbane. transit a more attractive choice for
www.volgren.com.au Tougher on licensing their residents.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Metrolinx is a Crown agency of
Administration has announced the Province of Ontario.
Denmark plans to combine the commercial www.metrolinx.com
driver’s licence and medical certif-
Cheap coaching agreed icate records for commercial truck
RUSSIA
The European Commission has and bus drivers.
given the Danish government the “While we have made sig-
go-ahead to introduce discounted nificant improvements in motor Daimler invests in Kamaz
long-distance coach fares for stu- carrier safety, these actions will Daimler has taken a 10 per
dents, pensioners and families support and strengthen our con- cent stake in Russian truck
with children. The government tinuing commitment to ensure maker Kamaz. The deal is ini-
will agree public service con- that only medically-qualified indi- tially focussed on trucks, but
tracts with individual operators to viduals are allowed to operate an in the longer term there could
ensure adequate transport services interstate truck or bus. be joint projects involving bus
to low-income groups and to boost Safety is our paramount respon- manufacture.
public transport. sibility,” says FMCSA administra- www.daimler.com
23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 13Alexander Pemberton’s Diary
Cobham to host vintage gathering The changing face of London
In the depths of the January the RT - and the contemporary Be careful what you wish for, people thought was just a lot of
cold it’s hard to stir up much RF single-decker. The event is the old Chinese proverb alleg- pre-election populism but now
enthusiasm for bus rallies. expected to attract up to 300 edly says. Well, I must confess looks like becoming a reality.
Indeed, many would say that buses and coaches, traditional I wished to see the back of And as if all that madness
even in the height of summer London taxicabs and heritage London mayor Ken Livingston. wasn’t enough, the mayor
it’s hard to stir up much enthu- commercial vehicles. I didn’t mind his left-wing fire- announced on a radio interview
siasm for bus rallies, most of Frequent services by herit- brand anti-Thatcher period two this month that when the Boris-
which consist of a collection of age buses will link Weybridge decades ago, rather it was his masters appear, they won’t have
old buses parked in a field. Station, the Cobham Museum 21st century middle-aged smug- conductors on the platform,
But I’ll mention the Cobham and the Airfield rally site, and ness which irritated me. but low-cost substitute poli-
Bus Museum’s Spring Gather- admission is £10 per adult – And I got my wish. But oh, cepersons in the shape of police
ing, at Wisley Airfield in Sur- which is more than a week’s dear! At what price? community support officers.
rey, which offers more action wages for a bus driver when the Boris Johnson always appears Shouldn’t PCSOs be out pre-
than most rallies. It takes place RT was new. affable, if slightly confused, venting crime or something
on 5 April, and the theme of www.lbpt.org when I see him on television. like that, not standing on buses,
the day is a focus on the most Now he’s in power in the capital flexing at the knee, and saying
stylish double-deck bus ever London’s 1950s RF-type will feature and out go artics and in come “Allo, allo, allo, what have we
built for London Transport – at Cobham Spring Gathering. bigger numbers of smaller here”?
buses, surely creating more Can things get any worse?
congestion and burning more Suddenly smugness seems an
fuel. And then there’s the Boris- attractive alternative to mad-
master, a project which all sane ness.
DIARY DATES
Thu 29 January Tue 28 – Thu 30 April
CPT Dinner, London CVShow, NEC,el
c led
Birmingham
www.cpt-uk.org ca n
www.cvshow.com
Tue 3 – Wed 4 Mar Mon 11 – Wed 13 May
Travel Trade Britain 09, Album Conference, Blackpool
NEC, Birmingham
www.traveltradebritain.com Mon 8 – Thu 11 June
UITP World Congress,Vienna
Thu 26 – Sun 29 March www.uitp.org
Best of Britain & Ireland,
ExCel, London Tue 4 – Thu 6 August
Watch out for that wheelchair! www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk RDA Workshop, Cologne
www.rda.de
Exploding wheelchairs. term passenger loosely, since Thu 2 – Sat 4 April
That, apparently, is one of the the lady in the wheelchair was Coach Holiday Mon 5 – Tue 6 October
potential dangers you might left on the pavement, so there- Conference, Maidstone CPT Scotland Conference,
come across in North Wales. It fore can’t actually be described www.cpt-uk.org www.cpt-uk.org
was a matter of sufficient con- as a passenger.
cern to an Arriva Cymru bus Arriva is investigating. And Sat 18 – Sun 19 April Wed 7 – Thu 8 October
driver that he declined to let a no doubt pointing out to the UK Coach Rally, Brighton Coach & Bus Live
passenger in a battery-operated driver involved that it wants to www.coachandbuslive.com
wheelchair board his bus earlier see its passengers on its buses,
this month. Actually, I use the not left on the pavement.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS
East Kent was one of a small Bus Company ownership. A
number of British Electric further 15 similar buses in
Traction group companies 1967 were the company’s last
which preferred AECs for its as it switched first to AEC
double-deck fleet, sticking to Swift single-deckers and then
front-engined Regent V models to Daimler Fleetline double-
while sister companies were deckers.
buying Leyland Atlanteans and In BET days, East Kent’s
Daimler Fleetlines. buses were adorned in a
In 1966 the company distinctive maroon and
received 30 Regents with cream. Enthusiasts bemoaned
72-seat Park Royal bodies, that livery’s replacement by
and one of these is seen near National Bus Company’s
the end of its life in National bland poppy red.
14 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009Products The latest products and services for the bus and coach sector.
Fuel management system reaps reward at Reading Transport Remote download
R eading Transport has
introduced Triscan’s automated
options for VDO
mileage capture technology to VDO has introduced new
provide better management options for digital tachographs
information on its fleet. including short-range or long
“Migrating from our old sys- range downloads.
tem to the new Triscan solution There are two tailor-made
provides us with far more accu- VDO remote download solu-
rate data,” says Sam Simpson, t ions, depend i ng on t he
Reading Transport operations intended use.
director. “This is imperative for For longer distances VDO
inventory control, stock man- offers the Wide Range DLD
agement, monitoring vehicle device which works with the
mpg and the reconciliation of GPRS mobile communications
our budget for BSOG. network.
“The Triscan fuel monitoring If the data is to be read solely
system is also used to monitor System can be used for different fuel types, says Reading’s Sam Simpson. at the company premises, the
the issue and usage of the etha- DLD Short Range system is
nol powered double-deck buses fuel monitoring is accurate so the nettle when it comes to sufficient. It is equipped with
used on the highly successful any abnormalities can be easily managing what is in many cases WLAN connectivity for dis-
Service 17 operating between spotted as a change in mpg could their largest overhead.” tances of up to 300 metres.
Tilehurst and Wokingham equate to a massive increase on www.triscansystems.com www.vdo.com
Road; thus proving that the sys- fuel expenditure.”
tem can be used for many dif- Triscan’s Simon Hollings-
ferent types of liquid fuel.
“Using a combination of
worth says that far from treating
the current climate as a threat,
National first for Coventry College
the Triscan hardware and the the company is working closely City College Coventry has ators such as National Express,
clever on-board vehicle tech- with clients to establish and become the first in the coun- First Group, Arriva and Metro-
nology allows our 200-plus identify improvements in their try to be awarded the City & line. Students split their time
vehicles to be refuelled securely fuel and fleet management sys- Guilds UK Skills Star Unit Sta- between learning in their place
and quickly over the two sites tems “Our experience over the tus, which is part of a UK Skills of work and on block release at
operated. With £8million a year last twelve months has been that and City & Guilds three year the new state-of-the-art college
spent of fuel it is vital that our organisations are keen to grasp project to identify exceptional facility at Swanswell.
performance in the workplace, “We are very pleased to have
when completing a vocational received this certificate,” says
Leyland Auto contract for Stagecoach qualification.
The college was selected to be
Tom McDonald, City College
Coventry internal verifier. “It
part of the pilot project which acknowledges the hard work
make the process of replacing covered the following vocational and dedication of staff and the
key vehicle parts more efficient areas; construction, catering, high standards achieved by the
and ensure our motor vehicle engineering and students.”
bus operations continue to customer service. Dawn Moffat, project man-
run smoothly for our custom- City College’s bus and coach ager – Star Units at City &
ers,” says Colin Brown, finance engineering students were the Guilds adds: “City College
director, Stagecoach UK Bus. first in the country to complete Coventry is one of a very limited
The contract is the first major the Star Units. number of colleges offering this
Stagecoach awards contract for sole-supply contract won by The college has national con- extra recognition.”
replacement electrical parts for ten of Leyland Auto under the own- tracts with bus and coach oper- www.covcollege.ac.uk
its bus businesses. ership of Huddersfield-based
auto- electrical specialist Wood
Stagecoach has awarded a Auto.
contract to Leyland Auto for the Graham Heywood, Wood
supply of replacement electrical Auto managing director, says:
units for ten of its bus busi- “Although we already include
nesses. The agreement, which many bus operators as existing
initially runs for a year, speci- costumers, part of our growth
fies Leyland Auto as the sole strategy for Leyland Auto was to
supplier of starters and alterna- agree a sole-supply contract with
tors to Stagecoach operations in at least one major operator.
Scotland, the North East, North “We were convinced that
West and Merseyside, which given the chance to tender for
between them run almost 3,500 an account of this scale, we
buses. would be able to deliver a first-
In the event of a unit failure, class service. Now that we have
Leyland Auto will supply the won this first contract with
replacement via its next day Stagecoach, we are confident
delivery service. that more will follow.” Tom McDonald, internal verifier, and Kirk Southan, assessor, displaying approved
“This deal will allow us to www.leylandauto.co.uk centre status certificate.
23 January 2009 www.busandcoach.com 15Rapid Transit Peter Plisner, BBC midlands transport correspondent, reports.
In brief DLR Woolwich Arsenal extension opens early ...
Metrolink abseilers The latest extension to the As with the rest of the DLR facilities for the communities
Docklands Light Railway has network, Woolwich Arsenal of Woolwich, Silvertown and
Specialist abseilers have been opened by the mayor of station includes step-free access North Woolwich.
begun inspecting the arches London Boris Johnson, seven to platforms and trains. Boris Woolwich has lacked trans-
of an historic railway viaduct weeks ahead of schedule. The Johnson says: “I am absolutely port links that encourage the
which will take a new Metrolink new £180million line is being delighted that this extension of creation of new jobs, homes
tram line to Oldham and seen as a vital north-south link the DLR with its cracking new and shops. London’s Transport
Rochdale. Smedley Viaduct across the capital. station is up and running and Commissioner Peter Hendy
near Cheetham Hill in North The extension links King puts Woolwich Arsenal firmly adds: “The mayor and Trans-
Manchester opened in 1902 George V station on the north on the tube map.” port for London are investing
and carried the railway over the of the River Thames with a Key benefits of the completed billions to improve transport
River Irk for nearly a century brand new station at Woolwich extension include improved in London and this is a great
before closing in 1998. Arsenal in the south. It has transport links to London City example of that.”
been funded by Transport for Airport and Central London
Croydon campaign London’s multi-billion pound and better access to employ- Latest extension to DLR links north
investment programme. ment, education and leisure and south of the River Thames.
A campaign to get plans for
an extension to the Croydon
Tramlink back on the agenda
appears to be gathering pace.
London mayor Boris Johnson
scrapped the scheme last year
because of a lack of funds.
Now in a letter to a local MP
he has stated that scrapping it
was a “tough” decision and he
has indicated that he “would be
willing to help find alternative
funding streams”.
Edinburgh update
The fate of the next phase of
Edinburgh’s long-awaited tram
still hangs in the balance. A
report into what is called phase
1b is expected to be presented ... but weather delays opening for Cambridge busway
to the city council in the spring. Plans to open the Cambridge- mer. But there’s currently no when complete it will drastically
Funding for the £87million shire guided busway this spring timetable for completion of the improve travel provision in the
scheme has been in doubt have been abandoned because southern section which connects areas it serves.
because of rising costs. of weather-related problems. Cambridge railway station. The project, which has been
The £116million scheme was Meanwhile construction work the subject of a lengthy public
Merseytram support due to carry its first passengers has begun on the long-awaited consultation got the go-ahead
The Liberal Democrats in in April, but promoter Cam- East London Transit BRT after Transport for London
Liverpool have called on the bridgeshire county council has scheme, which will run from was given additional funding
government to reconsider
now delayed the opening until Ilford to Dagenham Dock. The approvals to provide an extra
“late summer”. first phase of the project will link to the Barking Riverside
funding the Merseytram
Flooding and the recent cold cost more than £18million and Development area.
scheme. It follows the recent
snap have delayed the com-
rejection of congestion
pletion of some culverts and
charging in Greater Manchester embankments. Project man-
which could make more funding ager Bob Menzies, says: “We
available from the government’s were talking to our contrac-
Transport Innovation Fund. tor throughout the autumn of
last year about what could and
Weblinks couldn’t be achieved for a spring
DLR Woolwich Extension opening. Then towards the end
woolwich.dlr.co.uk of December there were some
East London Transit further delays. Nothing of great
www.tfl.gov.uk significance, but it just tipped
Greater Manchester PTE
the balance over whether it was
www.gmpte.com realistic to get the guideway
open for the spring.”
Croydon Tramlink
www.tfl.gov.uk
It has also emerged that the
project will now be opened in
Merseytram phases with the northern sec-
www.merseytram.co.uk
tion between Cambridge and St
Ives opening first in late sum- Cambridge BRT opening delayed until “late summer”.
16 www.busandcoach.com 23 January 2009You can also read
