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Awards night next stop

19 November 2008

A prestigious business awards ceremony is the next stop for leading bus operator Stagecoach Yorkshire.

Stagecoach, the company responsible for revitalising the region's bus network after years of decline, has been shortlisted in two categories in the prestigious Barnsley Business Awards 2008.

Its success in the business growth category, and also in the diverse workplace award, follows a major review of services which resulted in passenger journeys increasing by more than half a million during the year from May 2007 including adult fare paying passenger journeys rising by five per cent.

Stagecoach Yorkshire, which prides itself on its community role in helping people access work, education, health, shopping and leisure, took over the Yorkshire Traction Group in 2005 and quickly identified a need to transform the network.

Each route was reviewed in terms of how it could best serve current customers and attract new ones, with the emphasis on new timetables appropriate to today's traffic conditions. The company has also invested almost £6 million in new buses.

The new simplified, more punctual network, with strengthened frequencies to create growth where the potential existed, was launched in May 2007, and recognised as the biggest transport change in the area for decades.

A recent customer survey showed that the relaunch has been a major success. Satisfaction for reliability is up from 36 per cent to 73, punctuality from 38 to 72,   frequency of service from 52 to 75, and waiting time from 45 to 66.

Paul Lynch, managing director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: "We are delighted that all the hard work our staff and drivers have put into the relaunch has been reflected in us being shortlisted in the business growth category. Our other shortlisting reflects the strong sense of community within the company and our recruitment strategy which encourages diversity among our 1,200 employees."

Winners of the nine categories in the Barnsley Business Awards, organised by Barnsley and Rotherham Chambers of Commerce, will be revealed at a special awards ceremony hosted by BBC Look North's Clare Frisby at the Brooklands Hotel, Barnsley, on Friday, November 21.

Categories: Stagecoach Yorkshire