Service 35 makes final for Scottish Transport Awards

Stagecoach Bluebird has made the final in two categories at the Scottish Transport Awards following their £3.5million investment in 15 brand new vehicles for Service 35 in March 2019.

Stagecoach Bluebird’s Service 35 fleet of electric hybrids have been recognised in the ‘Best Bus Service’ category as well as ‘Contribution to Sustainable Transport’.

The awards recognise the positive impact of the new fleet –

• 8.2% increase in passenger journeys made each week.
• Punctuality improved by 10%.
• 9.5% of customers had never used the service before the new fleet was introduced.
• Each individual trip saves 19kg of co2.
• All 15 buses on the route give a weekly saving of 5560kg of co2.
• Weekly fuel saving of 142.5L per bus (collectively this is an average weekly saving of 2,137.5L).

• The new buses operate 2 miles further per gallon than the previous coaches.

This is the fifth consecutive year for Stagecoach Bluebird at the Scottish Transport Awards, last winning a title in 2017 for the Jet 727 service. The Jet 727 picked up the Best Bus Service title following impressive period of growth in passenger numbers of 21.6% since 2014.

Peter Knight, Managing Director for Stagecoach Bluebird, said: “I’m really proud our Service 35 has gained this recognition for the improvements we’ve delivered over the last 18 months. The service operates out of our depot in Macduff and the service making it to the final is testament to the commitment of the team in Macduff providing a quality service keeping the communities connected.”

The fleet was introduced in March 2019 and replaced coaches, the new fleet provides around 45% more capacity for those travelling on the service. The easy access has also improved the boarding experience for customers with mobility restrictions and has also reduced boarding times for wheelchair users.

The awards are set to take place in Glasgow on 24^th September.

All detail correct at time of award entry submission – February 2020.

Stagecoach Bluebird has invested £13.45 million in 50 brand new vehicles for Aberdeenshire and Moray in the last 5 years. This investment includes 15 smart hybrids for service 35 (2019), 10 coaches for service 10 (2017), 8 double deckers for Jet 727 (2016) and 17 coaches for the Buchan Xpress (2015)