Jones Coach and Bus appointed dealer for Higer range by Harris
Jones Coach and Bus of Llanrwst has been appointed by Harris Bus and Coach as a partner to sell and support its Higer product portfolio.
The Conwy business is a sister to coach operator Llew Jones. Its addition to the Higer network is part of what Harris Bus and Coach says is a “rapid UK and Ireland expansion” and within a commitment to establishing a 50-location national footprint for Higer.
Jones Coach and Bus will deliver new vehicle sales on behalf of Harris as well as aftersales service and parts support. It has extensive infrastructure to back that responsibility, including multiple service facilities, bodyshop capability, recovery scope, and more.
Announcement of the North Wales business as a partner comes amid strong momentum for Higer products in the UK under Harris Bus and Coach, which now has examples of the V-10, V-12 and V-14 diesel coaches and battery-electric buses on the ground here.
It recently announced a five-year/500,000km warranty on new coach products and has outlined plans for further development of its bus range beyond existing Azure battery-electrics.
Forming a partnership with Jones Coach and Bus strengthens a network that Harris says will leave customers never more than 90 minutes or 150km from Higer support. Coupled to the warranty offer, the importer says that offers “an extremely compelling business proposition.”
Award-winning operator Llew Jones has more than 50 years’ experience in the sector. Such knowledge will bring real-world insight into vehicle performance and reliability and directly inform the sales and support approach to the Higer range, Harris Bus and Coach says.
Steve Jones (pictured), who is Managing Director of Llew Jones and Director of Jones Coach and Bus, describes the collaboration with Harris as “a significant step for our business.”
He continues: “What sets this apart for us is that we are evaluating the product not just as a dealer, but as an operator with over 50 years’ experience. That gives us real confidence in what we are bringing to market.”
Llew Jones will take delivery of a first V-14 as part of the collaboration. That coach has been specified to suit touring, with 57 seats, a centre sunken toilet, and 13 cubic metres of luggage space. Mr Jones says that the 14m tri-axle model has strong appeal for the business.
“I am seriously impressed with the V-Series range, particularly the V-14,” he continues. “The specification fits hand-in-glove with our operation and the five-year warranty makes it impossible to ignore. There is massive potential for it in this sector.”
In-cab support needed to mitigate driving strain, says Centrad MD
Rising pressures on the road have highlighted the need for drivers to be given greater in-cab support, Centrad Managing Director Geoff Cross has said.
Mr Cross – who is a former bus operator – believes that vocational drivers face increasing cognitive and physical strain. That significantly compounds risk “and underlines why in-cab safety technology must be viewed as an essential, year-round support system” and not a nice-to-have, Centrad says.
Reasons for the increased pressure include long hours, night drives, demanding schedules and weather factors that can lead to reduced visibility, Mr Cross adds.
“Even the most experienced of drivers operate under constant pressure, and rapidly changing road or traffic conditions can catch anyone out, adding to that load. That is why proactive, built-in support has become so important for protecting drivers and other road users.”
Centrad points to driver assistance technology as having a critical role in protecting drivers after an incident. Provision of clear and objective video evidence can help to ensure that any occurrence is investigated fairly and efficiently, reducing stress and anxiety while avoiding misplaced blame.
The supplier cites AI-enabled driver-facing cameras as items that can monitor signs of fatigue, distraction or mobile phone use and issue real-time alerts that prompt drivers to refocus before risk escalates.
It adds that forward-facing and blind spot cameras integrated with telematics improve situational awareness and help to identify unsafe behaviour such as harsh braking or following too close.
“Driver safety technology does not just react after something goes wrong,” continues Mr Cross. “It actively reduces the likelihood of an incident while giving drivers confidence that, if something does happen, the facts will be clear and fair, ultimately helping to resolve disputes quickly and alleviating an anxiety on the driver’s behalf.”
Also highlighted are real-time fleet management platforms. Those give operators “another crucial layer of protection” by providing live visibility of traffic disruption, emerging risk hotspots, and changing conditions, Centrad says.
“This enables quicker, proactive decisions around rerouting, timing, or warning drivers of potential hazards, giving operators a second set of eyes that facilitates a preventative approach to incidents rather than simply responding to them after the fact.”
Mr Cross believes that camera systems enhance driver awareness in the moment, and fleet management platforms allow operators to manage risk proactively.
“When the two work together, they give drivers and fleet operators a unified, real-time view of what is happening on the road, allowing vehicles to be rerouted if needed.
"That combination reduces uncertainty, lowers cognitive load, and helps drivers to undertake their job with total confidence – and that applies to any day across a calendar year, not just when driving conditions are particularly unsafe.”
Irizar UK inaugurates new Blyth headquarters
Irizar UK has officially inaugurated its new headquarters near Blyth, Nottinghamshire.
The new premises were formally opened today (29 April) with a special event hosted with partners, customers and senior figures from across the Group.
The facility builds on three years of record delivery volumes and serves as a statement of confidence in the UK market for Spanish parent Irizar S. Co-op. The latter says its construction serves not only to support positive future projections and growth ambitions in the UK, but also represents efforts to become a one-stop shop for Irizar UK customers.
Guests were invited to tour the site's facilities, which includes a showroom, coach handover area, offices, workshop and warehousing capability. The latter will contain a new parts business launching on 1 August.
Presentations came from Imanol Rego, CEO of Irizar Group, who drew attention to sustainability and the company's multi-technology approach amid the current geopolitical uncertainty, and Andrew Blundell, Irizar UK Managing Director, who offered a personal view on the journey between his appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rapid progress made between 2023-2025 to grow Irizar UK's presence and prepare it for the future. routeone recently interviewed Mr Blundell on what the move into its new Blyth headquarters means for the company.
"This new headquarters is... not a short‑term decision," comments Mr Rego. "It is a strategic investment that reflects our confidence in the UK market, in our customers, and above all in the Irizar UK team. This new headquarters gives us proximity. It gives us capability. And it gives us the platform to continue bringing advanced, reliable and sustainable technologies closer to our UK customers."
Mr Blundell adds: "Running a business in the UK over the last decade has been tough, but the real hard work kicked in and we are now in the most successful period in our history. More than growth and investment, this is about the future of mobility."
The inauguration follows several key appointments made by Irizar UK in the last year.
They include the appointment of Sam Williams to UK Parts Manager, who is supporting the launch of the company's upcoming parts supply business. He says plans are for a 95% first time pick rate for parts and reveals a comprehensive stock building programme is taking place throughout the second half of this year.
Alongside the in-house parts business is a pre-delivery inspection and service centre, which Irizar UK says completes a "comprehensive portfolio of wraparound support". The company says it will deliver a seamless ownership experience for its customers. Mark Jordan was promoted to Operations and Aftersales Director earlier this year, and will support vehicles from their point of entry into the UK through the full lifecycle into aftersales support.
Aftersales support for Irizar e-mobility is further handled by Darren Fuller, while Emily Saunders provides aftersales and warranty support for Irizar UK coach customers.
