Arriva Midlands wins in UK Bus Awards

Arriva Midlands has again been successful in the prestigious UKBus Awards achieving runner up in the Operating Excellence Award –large fleet and also won the top accolade in its joint bid withTelford & Wrekin Borough Council for the Integration Award.

The ceremony was held at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London onWednesday 1 November.

Arriva Midlands had been nominated for the Operating ExcellenceAward – large fleet for demonstrating excellence in customercare, marketing and initiatives for staff retention, as well asaddressing competently and consistently all essential operationalcriteria. Arriva Midlands impressed the judges with itspraiseworthy schemes for delivering customer satisfaction, equalopportunities and employee satisfaction, training and moreeffective recruitment and selection. The judges also said it wasencouraging to see a substantial investment in new vehicles incombination with major network revisions designed to generatepassenger growth and modal shift.

Arriva Midlands and the Borough of Telford & Wrekin werejointly nominated for the Integration Award. By implementing infrastructure improvements and fast reliable bus services linking therail and bus stations, this scheme has provided an excellentexample of bus/rail integration. The scheme has also raisedawareness of all bus services serving the railway station to theextent that, within a year of its introduction, the number of buspassengers alighting at the railway station had increased by around80 per cent. The judges felt that the partners in this scheme couldbe justly proud of their partnership.

Catherine Mason, managing director for Arriva Midlands,said:

The Bus Industry Awards promote excellence and bestpractice in the bus industry.

We were delighted to be shortlisted and to be awardedRunner Up for the Operating Excellence, and also to be winner withour partners Borough of Telford & Wrekin in the IntegrationAward that recognises the imaginative, creative and dedicated workwe do with customers and local authority partners.