This Award is designed to recognise and reward initiatives, projects or innovations which add value to or otherwise improve the attractiveness of coach travel to both users and non-users. This award will incorporate schemes or initiatives which would previously have been judged under our accessibility award.

Winner: Stagecoach Group plc, for megabus.com

Ten years ago megabus.com set out to provide passengers with a low-cost, but reliable coach service. The aim was to attract more people to coach travel and to grow the megabus.com business in a sustainable way.

Since then the business has grown into one of the biggest coach operations in the UK. In addition, megabus.com wanted to innovate. It uses a yield management ticketing structure, similar to that used by budget airlines, and offers passengers something they had not previously been offered – high quality, comfortable coach links at budget prices.

It is now one of the most innovative coach providers in the country, which can be demonstrated through the launch of its sleeper coach service – which provides passengers with a bed as well as a seat – between Glasgow and London.

The judges were pleased to note the integration with rail services and were unanimous that megabus.com has truly helped to make coaches a better choice.

Who can be nominated?

The award is open to operators, local authorities, partnerships, tourist and visitor attractions or other organisations.

… and by whom?

Nominations will be accepted from all eligible organisations, and self-nomination is acceptable.

What the judges were looking for

The judges will be looking for a scheme, project or partnership that achieved one or more of the following:

• improved the provision of an existing coach product
• improved passenger facilities for coach passengers
• provided a genuinely innovative new service
• improved services to coach passengers through new infrastructure or facilities giving faster, more comfortable and/or more reliable journeys.