First Bus, the UK’s leading bus operator, enjoyed a successful afternoon yesterday winning three prizes at the UK Bus Awards, the industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.
First Games Transport and First Glasgow collected a special award in recognition of the bus and coach services they provided during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. First Rail Support which specialises in rail replacement services, also picked up a special award for ‘overcoming adversity during rail disruption’. Completing a hat-trick of victories was a joint entry from First's Engineering, Environment and Procurement teams collecting the ‘Environment’ award in recognition of the company's industry leading work with manufacturers and suppliers improving the fuel efficiency of vehicles.
First also collected one ‘silver’, three ‘bronze’ prizes and a ‘special commendation’.
Giles Fearnley, Managing Director of First Bus said: “All our industry award wins this year (a total of 15) really do reflect just how hard everyone in First Bus is working to improve our business and deliver our Better Journeys for Life promise.
He continued: “It’s especially pleasing to have picked up two ‘Special’ prizes at the UK Bus Awards. The teams at First Glasgow and First Games Transport worked incredibly hard during the Commonwealth Games and certainly deserve such positive recognition for their fantastic efforts. Meanwhile First Rail Support received a Special award for its rail replacement services which helped keep the South West moving during the terrible floods earlier this year. The First Rail Support team was very much one of the unsung heroes at the time and so I’m delighted that their efforts have been recognised.”
Award Wins:
- Special Award for First Glasgow and First Games Transport for bus and coach provision during Commonwealth Games
- Special Award for First Rail Support for overcoming adversity during rail disruption in severe weather
- Environment: Carbon Smart Project (First Bus)
Silver Prizes:
- Marketing Initiative of the Year: ‘Fairer Fares’ campaign (Bristol)
Bronze Prizes:
- Innovation: Better Journey Card (First Bus)
- Top National Bus Driver: Claire Akehurst (Oldham)
- Engineer of the Year: Stuart Drummond (West Yorkshire)
The 19th UK Bus Awards took place at the London Hilton Hotel in Park Lane on Tuesday 18 November.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Niall Dowds, Head of Comms for First UK Bus, on 01224 650011 or 07860 936671 or email [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS
FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc is the leading transport operator in the UK and North America with revenues of more than £6.7 billion a year. We employ approximately 117,000 employees and transport around 2.5 billion passengers a year. Our vision is to provide solutions for an increasingly congested world… keeping people moving and communities prospering.
First UK Bus
FirstGroup is one of Britain’s largest bus operators with around a fifth of bus services outside London. A fleet of some 6,400 buses carries approximately 1.6 million passengers a day in a huge number of communities including 40 of the UK's largest towns and cities. We operate Greyhound UK providing regular intercity coach services linking South Wales and Bristol Airport, and we also operate some US-style yellow school buses and have a fleet of coaches available for charter. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.