The Coach Travel Group (CTG) has hailed the success of its first “Ski Synergy” programme, which was designed to improve operational efficiency on the European mainland over the winter.
The Group coordinated the work of 10 subsidiary operators to reduce dead mileage, align routes, enhance engineering support, and provide vehicle and staff cover.
Ski Synergy involved 48 vehicles and more than 100 drivers across six countries, covering 75,000 miles.
The initiative saw a move away from the CTG-owned operators functioning independently overseas.
Dead mileage was reduced by coordinating collections and return movements between operators. It also strengthened “operational resilience in high-pressure winter conditions”.
Following CTG’s acquisition of The Kings Ferry, operators were able to use the Kent facilities to boost engineering capacity at Dover. For example, a coach experiencing a door fault was immediately replaced by one from another operator in the Group.
Engineering capability was also strengthened abroad, thanks to a dedicated mechanic being based in Reims, France.
A spare vehicle was also kept on the continent for emergency cover.
Battery stock was strategically distributed across the entire CTG fleet to reduce the risk of low charge in cold weather.
The Group says the approach was particularly useful amid challenging alpine conditions in Austria.
Ski operation training packs and snow-chain instruction were issued to drivers ahead of departure, and only experienced drivers were used on alpine routes.
Communication between operators was also improved, linking drivers, engineers and management teams via live tracking technology and other means.
The programme followed a review of overseas fleet movement by Elaine Williams, Head of Operations, Compliance and Safety and Tim Bloomfield, Executive Director.
“Ski Synergy was introduced with a clear objective: to bring our operators together in a more coordinated way when operating overseas,” says Ms Williams.
“Despite challenging winter conditions, the programme ran smoothly because we aligned engineering support, reduced dead mileage and created clear communication channels across the Group.
“What really made the difference, though, was our people. Our drivers, engineers, operations teams and support staff went above and beyond throughout the season, often behind the scenes, to keep services running and ensure every passenger had a positive experience.
“For a first-year initiative operating at this scale, it has proven what can be achieved when we collaborate strategically and put the right teams around it.”
