Go South Coast has been named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the UK Bus Awards, of which routeone publisher, Diversified Communications, is a sponsor.
It follows its triumph at the routeone Awards last month, where Go South Coast won Large Bus Operator of the Year and its MD Andrew Wickham won Manger of the Year in the Large Operator category.
The results of the 22nd annual competition were staged at an afternoon ceremony with 710 industry guests at Troxy, a restored former cinema, in Limehouse, east London, where 71 awards were handed out.
Stephensons of Essex won Top Independent Operator at the event that saw 21 categories, each with Bronze, Silver and Gold winners, plus special commendations. In some cases the judges were unable to select an overall winner, resulting in Gold awards presented to two winners.
The groups took the lion’s share of the awards, with Go-Ahead wining 12, Arriva 10, Stagecoach nine, First four and Transdev four.
TfL MD Surface Transport Leon Daniels, and CPT’s Director of Policy Development Steven Salmon won Gold Award for Services to the Bus Industry.
The largest group on stage came with the award of a special commendation to the organisers of the annual Imberbus run using Routemasters on Salisbury plain.
Says UK Bus Awards Chairman Mark Yexley: “Every year our job gets tougher and tougher. We would like to congratulate all our finalists.”
Find out more www.ukbusawards.org.uk