UK Transport Awards 2021

18 | Transport Awards 2021 Feb21052 Best Community Travel Company - NorthWest England Preston Bus, winner of ‘The Best Community Travel Company’ award for the North West of England, celebrates its win by reflecting on its road to success. As the company seeks to breathe life back into Preston’s public transport, we profile it to find out more. Preston Bus Ltd has undergone a significant revamp since being bought by Rotala in 2011, an AIM listed plc with a focus on city bus services throughout the UK. Rotala took on the challenge of renovating the bus service steeped in history, that has been serving the Plungington area of Preston since 1922. Having been passed between county councils and transport companies of Lancashire multiple times in the hundred years since its creation, the localised bus operator continues to run a network of services around Preston, Plungington and the surrounding areas, but now, it is with a new, modern approach to delivering quality service for its community. In the ten years since Rotala took over Preston Bus, the business focus has been set on safety, legal compliance, quality, respect, and profit, in order to create an award-winning bus service with a reputation for excellence in customer service. Bringing together the heritage of the century-old bus station and the dynamism of a balanced team of young and old individuals, the new Preston Bus is on a journey to develop and improve its services in order to make valued contributions to the social needs of its city. To that end, many of its internal systems have been reworked, implementing upgrades to bring them up to the highest current technical standards in its industry. Conducting all of this during a significant time of tumult for the bus industry has made for an interesting transition period. Shortly before Rotala’s acquisition, Lancashire County Council ended its funding to the Preston Orbit’s non- commercial segment, the Park and Ride was facing significant revenue hits, and the real-time passenger information system was scrapped. Give that this amenity was only installed a couple of years beforehand, it made for a significantly poor return on investment that hit the transport sector in Preston as a whole. Preston Bus has weathered all such storms by pulling together as a team, unified by a vision to ‘be the best in our sector and encourage competitors to strive to achieve our standards’, and driven by a timetable of targets laid out by the team of directors and managers. Every member of the hierarchy pitches in to actively participate in the company culture that takes a ‘must-do and collaborative approach’, while the Senior Management team operates an ‘open door’ policy and celebrates each staff member for their vital importance to the future successes of Preston Bus. Therefore, staff are recruited for their ambition, their work ethic, and their compatibility with the Preston Bus team, and given comprehensive training designed to upskill the entire crew appropriately. It is not satisfied with simple preliminary onboarding; with a commitment to encouraging personal development and cultivating an atmosphere of ambition within its ranks, Preston Bus regularly implements training programmes for its staff. The company culture that has resulted from this meticulous recruitment and training process is well-known in the area, attracting new talent from across the region on a regular basis. The staff’s friendly and helpful customer facing attitude is enhanced by high standards of transport services that are regularly being improved through technological innovation. Whether it be in enhancing operational performance, boosting customer offerings, or elevating the fleet of buses that Preston Bus has at its disposal with the addition of the state-of-the art StreetDeck double-decker bus, Rotala and Preston Bus have invested into the service to maintain its central position within the community of Preston. Latterly, the contributions made by Preston Bus to its community have been highly valued in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. While passenger numbers may have dropped considerably in the initial stages, Preston Bus continued to run its services so that key workers and members of the NHS could continue to do their vital work in keeping the UK moving forwards. Throughout the pandemic, Preston Bus has implemented strict cleaning and hygiene protocols to ensure their service meets the highest standards of safety, as well as comfort and convenience. Meanwhile, the team has taken the time to improve itself, undergoing internal and external training and qualifications that ensures Preston Bus will be in prime condition for life after lockdown. Additionally, the bus station continues to be modernised and renovated. Having remained largely unchanged since it was first built in the 1800s, Rotala and Preston Bus are now launching plans to create a safer and more efficient operating depot that better represents the high standards of the Preston Bus brand. Moreover, having already reinstalled the Orbit and Park & Ride services of Preston Bus, Rotala plans to make further investments throughout 2021. Two major projects include the creation of an enclosed travel information office and e-ticket technology that is set to go live in the coming months. With such clear dedication and ambition to improve itself - and by extent, to enhance its region - Preston Bus has certainly made itself one to watch. Company: Preston Bus Ltd Contact: David Clayton Website: http://www.prestonbus.co.uk/