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 incorporates schemes or initiatives which would previously have been judged under our accessibility award.

Gold Award Winner: National Express – Military Partnership

This project involved the creation of an industry-leading support package for members of the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. This involved the creation of specially discounted fares, job interviews for service leavers and support for major military charities.

The judges were very impressed by this ground-breaking campaign, its scope and, importantly, its success.

Silver Award Winner: uTrack & The Kings Ferry – Dynamic RTI

uTrack have created an affordable dynamic Real Time Information solution for The Kings Ferry coach passengers on London and North Bristol commuter services.

The traditional approach was prohibitively expensive for Kings Ferry with a regular RTI solution for just 5 vehicles costing more than the entire uTrack solution (RTI & Mobile Apps) for 30+ vehicles.

Another key requirement was to make the solution "Dynamic" where Kings Ferry could update stops, routes and timetables in real-time so Customers always had the latest information in the Mobile Apps. This is something truly unique for the Project as traditional RTI solutions deployed by Local Authorities and Large Transport Groups don’t factor road disruptions, stop closures & Route deviations.

By using data directly from the “Coach Manager” back-office software from Distinctive Systems, uTrack eliminated the need for staff at Kings Ferry to change their day-to-day processes for running the Commuter Services.

The judges praised the scheme as an affordable, private sector solution which offers great potential for expansion.

Bronze Award Winner: Birmingham City Council – Christmas Markets

Birmingham City Council has organised Christmas markets for several years. In 2013 there was a Frankfurt Christmas Market, which is the largest authentic German market outside Germany. There is also a craft market and other features which in 2013 attracted coaches from all over the country, bringing more than 7,400 visitors.

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.