Grant Palmer is latest operator for DVSA Earned Recognition
Grant Palmer is the latest member of the coach and bus industry to be accredited as a member of the Earned Recognition (ER) scheme by DVSA.
The achievement follows what the Flitwick-based, 40-bus firm says is “considerable investment” in updating its systems and technology to ensure that it met the standards required by ER. Every member of Grant Palmer’s engineering team holds IRTEC certification, and its Bedfordshire depot has received the same accreditation.
Says Managing Director Grant Palmer: “I am delighted to announce our achievement in securing DVSA Earned Recognition status, and I am proud of our engineering and operations teams, who work tirelessly to provide safe and compliant bus services across the county.”
Grant Palmer joins several other coach and bus operators to have joined ER in 2022. Among those are Paul S Winson Coaches, First Beeline, First Hampshire and Dorset, Yelloway Coaches, Eavesway Travel and several National Express Transport Solutions-owned businesses.
Of the 383 O-Licences that form part of Earned Recognition, 90 are in the passenger sector.
Scottish Bus Week debuts to celebrate the industry
The first Scottish Bus Week is being held between Monday 23 and Sunday 29 May as a celebration “of all that the bus can do for us in Scotland."
In addition to highlighting the benefits that the mode brings to health, the environment, the economy and a fairer transport system, Scottish Bus Week will also acknowledge and thank the people that work in the sector, including those on the manufacturing side.
Using the hashtags #ScottishBusWeek and #lovemybus – the latter as part of wider work by Transform Scotland – the campaign also aims to generate social media awareness. Digital assets have been produced and a programme of events will be held across Scotland throughout the week to celebrate the bus industry and its people.
Information and promotional items will be shared at those events highlighting the benefits of the sector and educational establishments will play a major part in proceedings. In addition, a video that champions the sector, including its importance to young people, was released on the first day of Scottish Bus Week.
On Friday 27 May, an open-top bus will visit Ayr beach, while the day before will see Lothian Buses will host a roadshow at Edinburgh University. Stagecoach East Scotland will showcase its battery-electric buses in Perth city centre.
Scottish Bus Week has the support of operators and the wider industry, including Strathclyde Partnership for Transport. Says Transform Scotland #lovemybus Programme Lead Jess Pepper: “Scottish Bus Week is an opportunity to celebrate bus and all that it can do for us, plus thank all those who work in coach and bus – making low- and zero-emission buses right here in Scotland and delivering services across the country.”
Adds Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Scotland Director Paul White: “CPT Scotland is delighted to be delivering, in partnership with #lovemybus and other supporters, the first Scottish Bus Week.
“This week will provide a perfect opportunity for the whole sustainable transport sector to highlight the important role that bus plays in many communities across Scotland by connecting people to work, education, family and friends.
“It will also allow us to champion the positive aspects of bus from helping the economy and reducing congestion on our streets to helping tackle climate change and reducing inequalities. We hope this week will inform, challenge preconceptions and inspire people to choose bus in future.”
Optibus debuts Ridership Insights as it gains unicorn status
Optibus has launched Ridership Insights, which it says will enable the visualisation and analysis of patronage data directly on a map during network planning. The tool will allow planners to view ridership KPIs on a route, segment or stop level with boarding and alighting data for each stop, or filter by time and date range.
That data will bring insight into how a network is performing and result in the delivery of services that are optimised to meet passengers’ needs, the supplier says. Ridership Insights comes after Optibus closed a $100m funding round with investment from new and existing partners. That takes Optibus’ valuation to $1.3bn, which it claims makes it the first unicorn business dedicated to the public transport sector.
Says CEO and Co-Founder Amos Haggiag (pictured): “Optibus is proud to be the first unicorn dedicated to public transport, which is at the core of a healthy and equitable society.
“By putting powerful technology in the hands of industry professionals, Optibus helps to increase transportation equity and ridership while reducing emissions and costs. Our investors and employees see the double promise of Optibus to generate social good and return on investment, and we are thrilled to lead the industry’s digital transformation.”
Mr Haggiag adds that the latest funding round will allow Optibus to further expand its product offering, “including real-time operations and electric vehicle management.” He continues: “It will also enable us to deliver a superior customer experience… and progress further toward our vision of a holistic, modern operating system for all public transport.”
Stagecoach continues to use Optibus software. It is “revolutionising our day-to-day operations, as well as the passenger experience,” says Stagecoach UK Managing Director Carla Stockton-Jones. “Optibus is the future of public transport and we celebrate this fantastic milestone with it.”