CAMBRIDGESHIRE SHORT LISTED FOR NATIONAL BUS AWARDS

Bus-iness is booming in Cambridgeshire according to a UK judging panel who have shortlisted the County Council for two top national bus awards.
Transport chiefs at Cambridgeshire County Council will have to wait until November 1 to find out if they have won Transport Authority of the Year and the Customer Service Team of the Year.

The shortlist for the prestigious UK Bus Awards was announced this week.

The County Council is shortlisted for the Halcrow Transport Authority of the Year, an accolade given to a council for implementing bus-friendly measures.

Both the council and bus operator Stagecoach have been praised by the judges for the Cambridge Citi network, which has seen a patronage growth of 21 per cent since 2001. The judges were impressed with the way the council and Stagecoach have worked together to deliver efficient, reliable and successful services. Acclaimed initiatives include park and ride, the new bus station at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and the availability of realtime and SMS timetable information. The judges felt that the Cambridge example represents a blueprint to the rest of the country of how an effective transport partnership can better serve the community.

The Council has also been shortlisted for the Go Skills Customer Service Team of the Year award, an accolade given to organisations for excellent customer relations and delivery of service.

In the customer services category, the judges praised Cambridgeshire County Council team for providing exceptional service and for responding to thousands of queries quickly and efficiently.

Stagecoach in Cambridge has been nominated for the Award for Operating Excellence at the UK Bus Awards. Bus companies from around the country most covet this accolade as it rewards consistently excellent customer service levels.

The Bus Awards was established to reward excellence in the bus industry.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Services, said: “The County Council is delighted to have been shortlisted for these awards. It shows our commitment to provide better public transport choice and encourage more people to use buses. With thousands of homes being built in and around Cambridge it is vitally important that we provide better public transport. We are already beating national trends by increasing bus patronage. Being shortlisted is also a recognition of the hardwork of the Council staff and its partners to bring forward high quality services.”
ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information contact: Michael Harber, Passenger Transport Development Manager for Cambridgeshire County Council on 01223 714005 or Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Services on 01954 200571 or 07720 379699.

For further political contacts for Environment and Community Services: Liberal Democrat spokes Alexander Reid on 01223 356537; Labour spokes Elizabeth Hughes on 01223 313764.

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