Galloway Coach Travel welcomes a Scania Touring tri-axle pair
Galloway Coach Travel has added a pair of Scania K410NI models with Touring bodywork to its fleet, supplied by Scania UK.
They are to the recently-introduced 13.3m tri-axle configuration. Each seats 53. PSVAR compliance has been specified, with a passenger lift mounted over the tag axle and silver destination displays.
Exterior finish is in white with the Mendlesham operator’s blue and yellow colours added towards the rear. Both coaches are compliant with the General Safety Regulation and have highly polished alloy wheels.
Scania Regional Account Manager Richard Austin has thanked Galloway Coach Travel for choosing the brand and putting its faith in the Touring product, describing the newcomers as “stunning vehicles.” He adds that the 13.3m Touring variant is already proving popular.
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C9 Recruitment and Crescar establish joint office in Stockport
C9 Recruitment has established an office in Stockport, which the specialist transport staffing partner says will continue the growth of its reach among operators in the north of England.
The premises are shared with consulting and project management company Crescar Associates. Opening on 23 April represented the culmination of a multi-year aspiration for C9 and follows what Executive Chairman Sam Wharfe (pictured, right) says is an “immense scaling” of the supplier’s presence in the north.
Mr Wharfe adds that the ongoing rollout of franchised bus services has driven demand for staff. Reregulation has been fully delivered in Greater Manchester and will follow in several other areas. C9 thus expects the call on its services to further grow in northern England, with the new office also benefiting existing operator clients there.
“Greater Manchester will be a central powerhouse for C9 Recruitment,” he continues, noting that the supplier continues its involvement with coach operators alongside bus company support. The Stockport base does not represent a conclusion of C9's expansion, and Mr Wharfe expects that a second base in the north will follow before the end of 2027.
The geographic spread sits alongside the recruitment specialist’s established headquarters in Waltham Cross, which continue as normal. Over the past three financial years, C9 has seen revenues grow by 113%, says Commercial Director Daniel Lunn (pictured, second from right).
“Among bus operator clients, a lot of our work was building trust, something that is now paying off,” he adds. “We lean heavily on proper training and induction of staff with clients and we have a hard line in the sand that we will not consider self-employment.”
Establishment of the Stockport office “is about having a base and people on the ground to service C9 Recruitment clients in the north,” Mr Lunn continues. “In conjunction with Crescar, this facility shows our commitment to customers and drivers there.”
One of Mr Wharfe’s associated businesses, Intellilogix, is developing a driver risk evaluation tool, for which C9 Recruitment is the first client. The platform assesses each driver before they are placed with an operator and generates an individual risk score using over 60 parameters and seven behavioural algorithms.
Regular rechecks follow, with the operator able to specify how often that happens. The client can also define how findings from the risk assessment are weighted. Intellilogix will add further compliance elements later, including aspects relating to DBS checks and medicals, Mr Wharfe says.
Coach Options adds a second Van Hool TDX21 Altano interdeck
Coach Options has added a Van Hool TDX21 Altano to its fleet, the second such vehicle to join the Rochdale operator. It has been supplied by VDL Bus and Coach UK.
It has been delivered with 40 Kiel seats on the upper deck and five more in the lower area. All are in real leather with diamond stitching and three-point belts. Peripheral downlighting at the roofline is also fitted.
AD Coach Systems will complete the interior to team coach specification, but also included from the factory is a centre sunken toilet and an entertainment package. The exterior is in Coach Options’ distinctive livery including a fader at the front.
Power comes from the DAF MX-13 engine rated at 530bhp driving through an Allison T525R automatic gearbox.
The coach was handed over to Coach Options Director Gareth Williams (pictured, right) by VDL Bus and Coach UK sales representative Robert White (pictured, left).
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