21/10/2004

Stagecoach is in the running to be named the best bus operator in Britain after being shortlisted in the prestigious national industry “Oscars”.

The company’s West Scotland operation - which runs 400 buses in Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dumfries - is the only Scottish bus company among the five finalists battling for the top honour at the Bus Industry Awards 2004.

Stagecoach has been shortlisted in a total of six categories in this year’s awards, one of the best performances of any bus operator in the UK.

Tom Wileman, Managing Director of Stagecoach Scotland, said: “We are delighted that our West Scotland company is already seen as one of the best in Britain. As the only bus company north of the border to be shortlisted for the top award, we are honoured to be flying the flag for the Scottish bus industry.

There has been a phenomenal 17% growth in the number of passengers using our services in the past two years. This is a tribute to the hard work of all our employees.

We are pleased our investment in new vehicles, a commitment to safety, excellent customer service, comprehensive training and development and a focus on running punctual and reliable buses has been recognised by the judges and our passengers.”

Some 140 entries were received for the Bus Industry Awards this year, representing some 220 different organisations across the UK.

BIA Chairman Barry Moore said, “The Bus Industry Awards has always maintained that every finalist is a winner, and this year’s results again show this to be the case. Such strong competition underlines the exceptional achievement of 2004 finalists.”

Earlier this year, megabus.com, Stagecoach’s ground-breaking low-cost inter-city bus service, was named UK transport innovation of the year at the National Transport Awards and was also a finalist at the National Business Awards for Scotland.

The Bus Industry Awards 2004 will be presented the London Hilton on Park Lane on Thursday 18 November by awards host, BBC Newsnight’s Stephanie Flanders.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680

Notes to Editors:

Stagecoach is one of Scotland’s biggest bus and express coach operators, running around 1,000 vehicles across the country and employing around 2,500 people.

An international quoted company with its headquarters in Perth, Stagecoach provides services across a wide geographic area, from the Highlands to south-west Scotland, carrying around 75 million passengers a year.

Stagecoach has local bus operations in urban and rural areas, covering Inverness, Aberdeenshire, Fife, Perth, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dumfries. It also operates a network of inter-city services linking Glasgow, Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Fife, Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth.

The shortlist for the 9th annual Bus Industry Awards, the UK’s original and best- known public transport awards, recognises excellence and best practice across the industry. Bus operators, local authorities and other organisations compete with innovative projects that bring about higher standards of travel and care for passengers.