Plaxton coach production restarts months sooner than expected
Production of Plaxton coach models is restarting at Alexander Dennis’s Scarborough factory sooner than anticipated after a rebound in customer demand.
“Coach production stopped in summer 2021 once existing orders had been fulfilled and sufficient stock had been built up to tide us over,” says a spokesperson. “We had then expected the break to last a year or more, but demand has since returned more strongly, which allows us to make this move now.” ADL adds that sales of stock coaches have continued since that temporary halt.
89 Plaxton coaches were delivered to operators in 2021, which ADL says was in defiance of a cautious market. It has highlighted particular success on the island of Ireland, where 15 Leopards were supplied to Northern Ireland’s Education Authority in addition to 14 Panthers that went to independent coach operators in the Republic of Ireland. ADL has also seen strong success with bus sales in the latter market.
Thanks to the restart of coach production, Plaxton will offer stock Leopard and Panther coach models from April onwards, all built on Volvo B8R chassis. The Leopards will be a mix of 12.2m and 12.8m models, with 2+2 and 2+3 seating configurations for up to 72 passengers and PSVAR compliance. Chassis will have either Volvo’s I-Shift gearbox or the ZF EcoLife.
The limited number of Panthers available at that point will also comply with PSVAR and be 12.8m examples seating between 53 and 61, depending on specification. All the Panthers will be mounted on chassis with I-Shift transmission.
Adds ADL General Manager New and Used Coach Sales Simon Wood: “The coach industry has had a tough time over the last two years, so we are glad to see signs of recovery.
“The versatility of our Plaxton Leopard gives operators the confidence that they will continue to earn their keep even if the type of work changes. With the range of specifications we will have available from this spring, there is no businesses that we cannot support.”
Merseytravel chooses Omnibus for cloud-based scheduling
Merseytravel, the transport delivery arm of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, has chosen Omnibus's cloud-based solution for its timetabling and scheduling software.
The agreement extends the operator's partnership with EPM Group. Together they have already deployed ETM DAS, a contract management solution, and EPM Insights, an interactive analytics platform.
ETM DAS monitors the performance of tendered routes to help make cost-effective decisions while EPM Insights offers real-time management information and dashboards.
The scheduling suite will integrate with those products, removing the need for manual entry of timetables when preparing to isssue new tenders.
Omnibus's TransXchange viewer tools can also be used to review submissions from operators to ensure compliance with tender specifications, streamlining multiple tender submissions.
“The implementation of Omnibus scheduling suite will help streamline and increase the efficiency of the tendering process by removing the need for manual data entry," says Jeanette Townson, Bus Development Manager at Merseytravel. "Previously this process involved creating timetables in Microsoft Word and Excel which was time consuming and difficult to update.
"The integration of the products and automation capabilities will help ensure data quality and provide significant time savings - freeing up valuable resources to focus on other priorities."
Adds Ian Churchill, CEO at EPM Group (pictured): "We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Merseytravel, and this new integration is testament to the software’s capabilities as well as the value which is achieved with the two businesses, EPM and Omnibus, working together. Driving efficiency is the key goal behind our software solutions and we are committed to helping Transport Authorities improve the effectiveness of their organisations and the success of their networks."
CPT refreshes brand as coach travel TV campaign to launch
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has revealed a refreshed brand that will make its public debut on Monday 10 January with the launch of an industry-wide television campaign to promote coach travel christened Get Back on Board.
CPT says that the updated brand “will help the organisation to deliver on its values and priorities, which were shaped last year during a consultation with members.” It adds that those discussions delivered a verdict that the Confederation “should be ambitious, inclusive and consistently provide a professional service.”
Adds CEO Graham Vidler: “Our brand needs to convey our values and the dynamism of the industry we represent. Our modernised look reflects our core values: That we are ambitious, we are inclusive and we always act with professionalism. With this new look we will be able to maintain consistency across our communications, so that people can clearly identify the work of CPT and our members.
“Our new strapline, Driving the UK Forward, shows the scale of our ambition to champion the benefits delivered by coach and bus for everyone across the UK. It reflects the essential services that our members provide for communities, supporting local economies and keeping the UK moving.”
The television advertising campaign, which represents the fruits of work first begun by a group of operators in mid-2020, hopes to promote the benefits of coach travel to a wide audience. It has used a specially branded Mercedes-Benz Tourismo and will be backed up by a dedicated website.