UK Transport Awards 2022
2 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Welcome to the UK Transport Awards 2022 With an extremely turbulent start to the new decade, transportation companies have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a surge in online deliveries due to the work from home ‘revolution’, everyone working within both transport and logistics has had to step up and reach another level, with the resilience highlighted more than worthy of recognition! Now the world is beginning to emerge from the other side of the pandemic, and striving to achieve a ‘new normal’, everyone operating within the industry will need to adapt to a number of challenges and trends that are coming their way in 2022 and beyond, just as they have evidenced throughout the last 18 months! Across the UK, 68% of workers typically travelled to work by car. In 2019/20, 4.5 billion local bus passenger journeys in Great Britain accounted for 57% of all public transport journeys. Most modes of travel are used for a mixture of purposes, however over half (57%) of all trips by rail are for either commuting or business purposes. All of these statistics reinforce just how vital the transport industry is to keep the country running like clockwork! Sif Brookes | Senior Editor
UK Transport Awards 2022 | 3 Contents 4. HATS Group Limited: Best Community Transport Service - South London 6. MPC Couriers: Most Trusted Same Day Courier Service - UK & Europe 8. Royal Cars: Most Trusted Taxi Business - Buckinghamshire 9. Wizz Ground Ltd: Excellence Award in Refrigerated Transport – Northamptonshire 10. Galaxy Transport: Best Emerging Road Haulage Company 2022 11. John Coles Contractors Ltd: Best HGV & Plant Hire Company - South West England 12. Solway Vehicle Distributors Ltd T/A Solway DAF: Best Commercial Truck Servicing Provider - Cumbria 13. YG Travel Ltd: Customer Service Excellence Award 2022 and Best School Transport Provider - Southeast England 14. Ticketer: Most Innovative Public Transportation Technology 2022 15. Emission Solutions Ltd: Most Innovative Transport Air Pollution Solution 2022: EMSOL 16. DH Team Ltd: Best Driver Recruitment Company 2022 17. Haulage Hub: Best Logistics & Freight Platform 2022: HaulageHub 18. The Car Specialists: Best Pre-Owned Luxury Vehicle Dealership - South Yorkshire 19. WS Transportation: Best Commercial Vehicles & Plant Machinery Transport Company 2022 20. RHN Consultancy: Transport Consultancy of the Year - UK & Ireland
4 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Feb22120 Best Community Transport Service - South London For over twenty years, the team at Healthcare And Transport Services Group (HATS) has been leading the way when it comes to providing essential transport within communities across the UK. What was once a car based Private Hire and Courier has grown into an incredible logistics resource. We take a look at how their growth has brought them such success in the UK Transport Awards 2022. When two partners got together in December 1995, they couldn’t have known that their Private Hire and Courier business in South West London would form the basis of a transport group operating across multiple healthcare divisions and reaching out the length and breadth of England and Wales. The team’s services have become renowned throughout the industry for its dedicated and comprehensive nature, providing NonEmergency Patient Transport (PTS), Special Educational Needs and Disabled (SEND) Home to Schools transportation, Mental Health services and refugee relocation to name a but a few of their services. And yes, their original Private Hire Business is still going, just as strong as it ever was. The growth of HATS has matched the changing needs of the transport industry. The team’s focus has always been on what the community needs above all else. People lie at the very core of the services the team offer. No matter what is being offered, the team have proven themselves more than flexible enough to respond to the specific needs of each individual they serve. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been particularly challenging, but it is a challenge that the team although initially daunted has risen to. They stood at the forefront of the emergency response to Covid and provided much needed transport and care support to the NHS throughout this unprecedented period. To do this has required developing a team which has service at the heart of how they think. The HATS team is hired selectively, searching for people who exhibit a high EQ as well as having the yearning to work with people. The team’s work is not simply a taxi service, but the beginning and end of vital medical treatment. This sets the tone for their future hospital stay and provides support during a time in which patients feel especially vulnerable. As such, it’s little wonder that safeguarding is a massive part of how the team think. They have often been celebrated for their commitment to going above and beyond, ensuring patients get home safely and that they are safe to continue their recovery at home. In some cases, team members from HATS have arrived to find patients living in cold homes, or unsafe properties. In these cases, they have secured the premises, called relevant services and taken the patient back to hospital in order until everything had been made safe. It’s this practical mindset, with the team taking pragmatic steps to ensure total safety for patients, that has brought them such success. HATS is now, by contract, the largest PTS provider in the country, safely moving over 2.2 million people last year and accounting for the safe transport of over 30% of all contracted London patient transportation including Covid cases over the two years. It’s not just within the Public Sector: they have some prestigious Private Sector clients, too. The team has been called upon to provide logistical leadership, efficient route design, coordination and delivery of transport to the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, they currently provide on-site paramedic support to the UK American NFL Training Academy games and have also provided medical response for large attendance open air celebrations. It’s not enough to offer these services. The HATS team are committed to showing themselves to consistently be the best of the best, having been assessed by the Care Quality Commission recently as ‘Good’ overall but receiving an ‘Outstanding’ in the Responsiveness category. To maintain the high standards that they demand of themselves, and that their customers have come to expect, the HATS Group has started an in-house but open-to-all HATS Training Academy. This accredited training facility in London has satellite staff in all of the business’s regional locations to ensure consistency of training and of service at all times. With a one-approach model, staff can move between services and locations with ease, allowing them to offer a responsive and consistent approach to their clients. Often, the team’s ability to act in a way that serves their clients better involves them taking stock of the specific needs that they might have, individual to the patient. A classic example of this is the team’s work with the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, where HATS staff sat down with the Paediatric team to learn how best to meet the needs of children. Children often turn up at hospital anxious; ambulances can be serious, unfamiliar and scary places. HATS adapted a normal ambulance into an “Aqualance”, a less scary, fun looking vehicle packed with non-traditional amusement like game consoles, colouring books, brightly coloured blankets and give away treats. For Great Ormond Street, a Peter Pan themed ambulance was created – the “Peter Pambulance”! This approach has been cheered by children, carers and medical staff because of its fun and vibrancy at an often-difficult time. The HATS Home to School teams have also received acclaim, with drivers and passenger assistants undertaking a comprehensive training package including, but not limited to, safeguarding, first aid, mini-bus driver awareness scheme (MIDAS), passenger assistant training scheme (PATS) and understanding autism and epilepsy awareness. This detailed understanding of the sector allows the HATS team to provide truly astonishing levels of care, with each passenger receiving incredible levels of compassion at all times: the very least they deserve. With operational centres and depots across England and Wales, the level of service that has been achieved is remarkable indeed, setting new standards of excellence for the industry as a whole. It’s clear that this is a team that is always looking forward, anticipating and adapting to the challenges of the future. In some cases, this involves taking a holistic view. The needs of the transport sector have evolved enormously since 1995, and the HATS team have evolved too. Having started out with fossil fuel courier bikes and cars, they are now proud to operate the first
UK Transport Awards 2022 | 5 Best Community Transport Service - South London all-electric ambulance in Europe, with a fleet well on the way. The HATS team are partnering with energy firms and the NHS to roll-out more EVs and charging infrastructure, supporting the sustainable goals that Hospital Trusts are determined to reach. “Going Green” also gives HATS much greater flexibility as to where they can put their operational bases. EVs are silent and unaffected by noise or carbon pollution. This means that they can be based in the communities that they serve, often urban locations, without ‘creating a stink’ or being unduly noisy. As the team progress through 2022, it is hoped that at least 6 client organisations receive EV Ambulances, either complimenting an existing mixed-fuel fleet or as an entire EV fleet. The HATS team are already well on the way to having an all-EV fleet by 2026. The drive for the HATS Group to consistently deliver is a key part of how they operate. No matter what, they are always pushing their team to provide a service that is a cut above the rest. Their work has a major impact on the most vulnerable among us, and as such they are committed to ensuring that they make sure they are cared for and looked after. With such a high degree of trust in the team as a result of their incredible attitude, we are certain they will continue to thrive as a business for many years to come. Company: HATS Group Limited Name: Richard Hancock Email: r.hancock@hatsgroup.com
6 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Feb22427 Most Trusted Same Day Courier Service - UK & Europe The journey of MPC couriers is one which embraces technology and people in equal measure. The driving force at the heart of the organisation, however, is a commitment to serving the needs of the customer. With such incredible resources behind them, it’s little wonder they achieved such remarkable success in SME News’ UK Transport Awards 2022. We take a closer look to discover more. When it comes to getting essential freight delivered around the country, business has come to rely on a range of small enterprises that have the resources to get the job done. The best of these is able to react quickly to rapid demand, offering a solution that is deftly tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Of course, no two shipments are the same and this can mean trawling through the various options for hauliers on the market to find one that meets your specific requirements. Thanks to the team at MPC Couriers, this search is now over. Their incredible range of different vehicles, located the length and breadth of the UK, has made them one of UK’s most versatile performers. Able to meet almost any need that might arise in terms of light and heavy haulage, they have been proud to garner a reputation that matches their impeccable level of performance. For most people, the need for a logistics service that can react quickly to their specific demands is at the core of what must be offered by a courier. With over 7000 vehicles of various types based in every corner of the UK, this breadth of operation is precisely what drives MPC Couriers forward every day. They are proud to provide complete peace of mind to all of their clients, which is why they have been able to garner such incredible success. Needless to say, the track record of every member of staff is exemplary, giving a perspective that stands apart when it comes to service. When the team takes on a client’s project, they are able to take advantage of numerous benefits. First and foremost amongst these is the guaranteed same day delivery for those who require urgent deliveries. With couriers acting as a crucial part of the supply chain, it’s little wonder that the team are always looking to ensure that they can meet the varied needs of their clients as much as possible. Often, their support allows for pickup of a product within sixty minutes and at all times, care is taken to ensure that the process is 100% hassle-free. When you get a quote from MPC Couriers, it is based precisely on your delivery needs. The team’s incredible array of vehicles includes 13.6m Artics, 4 axle tractors, 6 axle tractors and flatbeds. They has been responsible for transporting everything from refrigerated and chilled items to containers, fragile products and high security deliveries. If there is a need to crane on or off the trailer, MPC Couriers can provide these facilities. Truly, this is a one-stopshop when it comes to offering haulage with a difference. They not only know and understand the market, they lead the way through their comprehensive solutions. As such, the team is proud to offer a service that is truly personalised as far as possible. Finding the right way forward for your specific circumstances is not always easy, and there are often more options than many might think. Working with the MPC Couriers team automatically opens the door to a path filled with discounted rates. Over the years, the team has expanded from their head office in Birmingham to reach out Thanks to the team at MPC Couriers, this search is now over. Their incredible range of different vehicles, located the length and breadth of the UK, has made them one of UK’s most versatile performers
UK Transport Awards 2022 | 7 Most Trusted Same Day Courier Service - UK & Europe into every corner of the UK. Their teams can be found in Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, London and Cardiff, with lorries that are often taking various orders throughout the UK and the EU. Despite the challenges both of Brexit and of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is businesses such as MPC Couriers that have kept things going. During these difficult times, this SME has proven itself more than capable of going above and beyond on behalf of its customers. Such impressive results are not due to an approach which is thrown together at the last minute. In fact, it’s a credit to the impressive infrastructure built up by the team over the last few years. From start to finish, the MPC Couriers team are always looking to improve on what they offer. Whilst the delivery teams operate an incredible logistics service, the customer service team are always on call to provide simple, straightforward updates that are transparent in every respect. No matter what is happening, you are always kept in the loop. Life is simpler for everyone when the logistics of delivery are as straightforward as possible. Where MPC Couriers stands apart is through the way in which their clients know where they stand. It’s not enough for this team simply to deliver, they have made it their mission to make an extraordinary difference. We celebrate their success in the UK Transport Awards and look forward to seeing what they achieve on behalf of their clients in the future. Company: MPC Couriers Name: Martin Coulson Email: martincoulson@mpccouriers.co.uk
8 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Royal Cars, a taxi service that has become renowned for its diligent client service, has been serving the High Wycombe area since its inception. With a fleet of several different cars that can serve all manner of different client requirements – all equipped with GPS and other technologies that allow them to arrive on time and deliver a client safely from A to B for highly competitive rates – it has made itself a highly trusted and dependable service for the local area, cultivating an unblemished reputation and a loyal client base. The best, most reliable taxi service for High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire, Royal Cars provides a family-run business that operates year-round, serving its clients with diligence and dedication. A prompt, reliable business, it takes great pride in its driver’s ability to show up where they’re needed, when they’re needed, and to take clients safely from A to B with smooth and friendly service. Fundamentally, each driver is DBS verified and carries ID cards in order to reassure clients that they are a member of its trusted and heavily vetted team, each and every one of them having passed its strict quality assurance tests with flying colours in order to make it as one of the drivers of its fleet. In addition, its use of a fully computerised dispatch system ensures that its services are kept on a to-the-minute timetable that is incredibly well managed and prompt, and each car is equipped with GPS to allow the driver to find the best possible route to each destination. In short, should a client choose Royal Cars, they are also choosing dependability and peace of mind. It’s vehicular range covers saloon cars to estate cars, as well as people carriers, larger minibuses with wheelchair accessible options, and more, ensuring that no matter how big the party or specific the requirements, it will be able to find the client a vehicle that best fits their needs. With so many excellent vehicles it can offer to its clientele, its high standards implemented across each and every one of them, it secures its place as a front-runner of industry and a deeply trusted cornerstone of private transport both with peers and clients alike. Nominally, these standards cover the cleanliness of its vehicles, which it promises will always be Most Trusted Taxi Business - Buckinghamshire beyond reproach, and pertain to the attitude of its staff, which will always be reliably polite and professional. Each of them also operates with the highest standards of discretion. Lastly, a client can always rely on Royal Cars to provide the most competitive rates possible, remaining the same day or night and offering special rates for senior citizens, proud to serve the county of Buckinghamshire and promising that its unshakable standards will be remaining a reliable constant as it moves into the new year. Company: Royal Cars Contact: Patrick Hanbury Website: http://www.royalcarz.co.uk/ Feb22233
9 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Travel and transport are essential parts of the SME ecosystem, with many companies depending on the services of these organisations. When it comes to satisfying customers, the team at Wizz Ground Ltd have led the field forward. With a major triumph in the UK Transport Awards, we dug a little deeper into this incredible company to uncover the secrets of their success. When it comes to moving things around the country, it pays to turn to a transport provider without parallel. Working closely with local logistics providers, the team at Wizz Ground have become the operators of choice when it comes to moving refrigerated items. Their hard work and strong ethos has earned them an incredible reputation when it comes to delivering breath taking service. The team’s attitude is built around achieving excellence. To do this, they turn up on time and go above and beyond to meet the needs of their clients. With different sectors showing various degrees of demand for services during the pandemic, the Wizz Ground team have made names for themselves as an adaptable force that is more than capable of meeting whatever customers might throw at them. The simple principles behind the success of Wizz Ground understates the enormous impact that their work has on their clients. Despite the various challenges and new customs regulations that have come with the pandemic and with Brexit, the company has found ways of supporting various sectors through moments of potential crisis. When the unexpected happens, it pays to know that you can trust a team such as Wizz Ground to deliver no matter what. Perhaps the biggest problem currently facing the Wizz Ground team is one which affects people across the length and breadth of the road haulage sector. UK roads are not designed for long-distance travelling, with very limited parking arrangements. Often, parking areas are full and laybys are full, leaving no space for drivers to rest and recover. This lacking infrastructure is a Excellence Award in Refrigerated Transport – Northamptonshire major challenge as it is one which cannot be easily mitigated against. Many journeys have been cut short by this. Similarly, the Wizz Ground team are preparing for a wave of inflation which will have a major impact on every part of the economy. With fuel prices and other operating costs likely to grow exponentially in the coming months, there simply won’t be the time to pass these costs onto the customer immediately. Fortunately, the Wizz Ground approach has proven robust enough during even these difficult times. The future of the company seems assured, therefore, and this is supported by the team’s recent leasing of a medium sized premises which offers both a warehouse and considerable yard space. Year on year, the business has continued to grow greatly, thanks in no small part to the expert services offered by the incredible team. By offering an approach which always puts customers first, Wizz Ground has been able to thrive where many companies have floundered. With such amazing success behind them, and so many possibilities ahead, it’s clear that Wizz Ground is likely to thrive for many years to come. Company: Wizz Ground Ltd Name: Kobe Gudea Email: wizzground@gmail.com Web Address: https://www.wizzground.co.uk/ Jan22672
10 | UK Transport Awards 2022 increases in international transport, exacerbated by a driver shortage and ever-rising fuel costs. This has all come together to further solidify the Galaxy Transport promise that all of its prices will be totally fair and incredibly competitive, as it has focused on going above and beyond to make sure that price increases are as minimal as possible and implemented honestly. Thus, it has been able to keep its profit margins roughly the same and to remain afloat, continuing to offer its all sizes of heavy goods transport vehicles. Its fleet includes all sizes of vans, rigid flatbeds and curtain siders, arctic flat beds and curtain sliders, rigid and arctic HI AB’s, step frame trailers, low loaders, wide loaders with or without escort vans, and even single pallet Galaxy Transport is a haulage and logistics expert that has grown in trust and scale since its founding. Having found its feet two years ago in Scotland, it has built a team around itself who prioritise honesty and excellence, each of them working hard to fulfil each task to outstanding standards. Whether the delivery is within Scotland proper or across the UK, it promises that its deliveries will be made on time, within budget, and to specification, able to lend any one of its expansive fleet to the task. Experts in road haulage, Galaxy Transport has bases across both Scotland and England, undertaking hundreds of freight movements each week. Fundamentally, it organises huge amounts of daily haulage for the UK completing thousands of jobs that take them all around the UK and the continent in order to deliver stock safely, on time, and with diligence. With such a commitment to its customers at every turn – despite dramatic market shifts due to Brexit and the pandemic – it has been able to push through the tumult and retain an interstellar team of expert drivers who have each earned the trust of the client and the company with exemplary service. Nominally, it has been privy to huge rate Best Emerging Road Haulage Company 2022 Jan22689 deliveries through its industry leading platform network. Having been working in haulage and logistics since 1990, it has managed to cultivate a reputation of ‘no job too big or too small’, proving itself time and time again across all manner of haulage tasks to all manner of different places. Additionally, having kept a finger on the pulse of its industry, it promises its clients that it is ready to handle whatever challenges come next, committed to continuing the same outstanding work that has secured it their trust over the years. Company: Galaxy Transport Contact: Neil Morrison Website: galaxytransport.co.uk
11 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Based in the South-West, the team at John Coles Contractors have been of invaluable support to many businesses for nearly sixty years. With incredible skill, the team have offered much needed plant equipment to developers across Devon. In SME News’ UK Transport Awards 2022, the team were achieved unparalleled success. We dig into the depths of this incredible partner to some many businesses. In 1963, John Coles won big in the pools and decided to invest it in his first piece of plant machinery. It’s a decision that forever changed the path of the Coles family. Now, 59 years later, his sons Trevor and Geoffrey have worked their lives expanding this vision and providing a place where their children can grow and flourish and technicians and entrepreneurs as well. With the next generation of Coles, Matthew, Amanda, Chris, Stephen and Daniel, now in place, this is a family-run enterprise with enormous potential. Since John Coles Contractors was established, it has gained and maintained an incredible reputation for quality and cost-effectiveness that is second to none. With over 60 pieces of plant machinery and goods vehicles available for use, the team has an enormous flexibility within its operation that has seen it in high demand indeed. No matter what a client’s specific requirements, they are certain to be able to meet it. The family run approach offers clients familiar and friendly faces that are able to take the time to understand the specific needs of each project, and knows from experience how best to support them. Indeed, it could easily be argued that the success of the firm is showcased through the team’s immense experience. Many of the team’s HGV drivers have been with the firm for over 20 years. That is not to say that the business has not changed to suit the needs of the day, however. Innovation built on practical knowledge is at the very heart of how John Coles Contractors operates. Whilst telematics programs and on board cameras can ensure that high standards are kept at all times, drivers know that they have the freedom to make the right decisions as they see fit. They are empowered to deliver at all times. Such a successful approach means that the team rarely needs to advertise for staff. In fact, they have a waiting list of names and numbers who are waiting for vacancies to open up. This is a credit to the incredible reputation that the team holds on a local level. Their popularity is clearly justified both to clients and to employees. The HGV driver crisis that has swept the nation is one which the team Feb22025 Best HGV & Plant Hire Company - South West England No matter what a client’s specific requirements, they are certain to be able to meet it. were not prepared for, with much higher rates of pay available in wealthier regions. The loyalty of the John Coles Contractors team, however, shows that there is more to work than money. To work with a team like John Coles Contractors is to work with people who not only care about what they do, but have a deep and abiding passion for it. For three generations now, the Coles family has worked tirelessly to bring about the dream of John Coles and it’s fair to say that they have not only achieved it, but they have also exceeded his wildest ambitions. As the business prepares to enter its Sexagennial year, we cannot wait to see what the team will do next to thrive and flourish for the next sixty years. Company: John Coles Contractors Ltd Name: Amanda Coles Email: amanda@johncolescontractors.co.uk Web Address: http://www.johncolescontractors.co.uk
12 | UK Transport Awards 2022 priority. Even in the middle of the night, in stormy weather, this is a team that can be relied upon to keep the wheels of industry turning. The success of Solway DAF reflects the product they sell. Their attitude is reliable and robust in every respect. It’s this that has secured them such a strong position in the industry and why they have been able achieve so much. This is a firm for whom the future is bright indeed. Company: Solway Vehicle Distributors Ltd T/A Solway DAF Name: Peter Fullelove Email: peter.fullelove@solwaydaf.co.uk DAF Trucks are the backbone of the trucking industry within the UK, offering a complete range to suit the varied needs of transport hauliers. The team at Solway DAF are justly recognised as ideal partners when it comes to getting their vehicles in the UK. At the Industry ME News’ UK Transport Awards 2022, the team were proud to be recognised for their incredible efforts. We take a closer look to see what drives them to new and greater heights of success. In 1973, the first DAF truck rumbled forth on UK soil. In 1978, the team at Solway DAF opened their doors, offering the entire range that was available to the market. For 44 years, this line has been the backbone of the business, with the team’s specialist knowledge of the sector providing them with a unique advantage over the competition. The company has grown significantly since those humble early days as a dealership in Carlisle. Now, the team are able to offer additional body, paint and general workshop facilities to perfect their clients’ vehicles and add that much-vaunted personal touch. Virtually all of the vehicle preparation is carried out in-house to provide customers with a seamless route to getting the vehicle on the road. One of the aspects that sets the team apart is their impressive after-sales service. With new depots being opened at Dumfries in 1995, Workington in 2000 and Penrith in 2002, Solway DAF has built a reputation for excellence that is second to none. The team’s ability to provide any and all spare parts required by local operators means that they have become a one-stopshop when it comes to using these impressive services. The team’s strong connections with DAF Trucks has been crucial to securing their position as a leading provider in the region. Many of the customers who turn to Solway DAF are based either in Cumbria or in South West Scotland, but the company’s impressive reputation has brought them consistent success from further afield. Their focus on maintaining these important pieces of infrastructure is a clear example. For many clients, vehicle downtime is a costly affair. The Solway DAF team offer a late evening shift through the week and all the company depots offer weekend servicing and repairs. The team also try to repair any damage that occurs during travel at the roadside. They have become well-known for their skill in this regard, keeping clients on the road as far as possible. Best Commercial Truck Servicing Provider - Cumbria The future seems bright for this talented team. For over four decades, the technology behind Solway DAF has developed significantly. The quality of the vehicles remains unparalleled, but the sophistication behind them requires a bold new approach. The service staff now includes trained specialists who keep up to date with the rapidly changing expectations of their clients. That said, those who come to work for Solway DAF tend to stay. The low turnover means that there are 20 people who have worked for the company for over 25 years. This means there is a built-in wealth of expertise focused purely on maintaining DAF products, and a strong culture of ensuring that customers are always the first Feb22404
13 | UK Transport Awards 2022 By providing exceptional bespoke transport solutions, YG Travel can provide customers with reliable and efficiently tailored packages that include one-stop solutions in transportation for any individual, educational establishment or business. Regardless of their needs, YG Travel will exceed them. Founder and CEO Dr Jaya Sajnani expands on the company’s offerings, explaining, “We provide school bus service, airport Meet and Greet Transfers, UK and Europe Tours and Educational tours for the UK and International students. However, we not only provide transportation, but we create beautiful memories for everyone to cherish it. We have executive vehicles from five seaters to 53 seaters to cater to clients’ transportation needs. We also work with the Education Institutions globally to provide educational tours in the UK and Europe.” In addition to winning the Customer Service Excellence Award 2022 and being regarded as the Best School Transport Provider in Southeast England, YG Travel has made quite the impressing in its short four years in the industry by winning several other awards such as The Business Transfer Specialists of the Year, The London and Southeast England Prestige Award 2021, and Woman of the Year 2021 – claimed by founder, Dr Jaya Sajnani, regarded as the company’s Director and Transport Manager. Moreover, Dr Jaya has been in one of the most recent publications of 100 Successful Woman Around The World and was one of the finalists at the 2021 Great British Businesswoman Awards. With a mountain of achievements, accreditations and recognitions for its excellence within the industry, Both Dr Jaya and YG Travel has been flawlessly welcomed into the sector and highly appreciated and relied upon by its several diversified clients. Expanding on this, Dr Jaya states, “We provide school bus services to the top Grammar schools in England: The Henrietta Barnett School and The Latymer Grammar School. All vehicles are equipped with the latest technology, including Sat Nav, GPS tracking, CCTV. This allows tour operation team to pinpoint the exact location of the coach at any time.” Built on a solid foundation of values and Customer Service Excellence Award 2022 and Best School Transport Provider - Southeast England principles, YG Travel customers understand and look forward to the innate standards and services that the company provides. These values are often showcased in how each team member acts and how they look after the YG Travel reputation. For the members at the establishment, the most important priority is safety – it is the prime focus for the business and closely followed is the people who use its services – they are the heart of the company. Striving for excellence in everything it does, YG Travel is more than a transportation solutions provider but a business that cares, accommodates and overcomes challenges to ensure customers reach where they need to go safely while making paramount memories along the way. However, like many businesses over the past few years, YG Travel has dealt with significant financial impacts from Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic and all the rules and regulations that followed. Dr Jaya explains the effects and reaction to these difficulties, stating, “When Covid-19 hit, our industry was nearly shattered. Getting the trust back from the customer and providing safer transportation to our kids in the school was the prime focus we had. So we started using the vehicle for the limited capacity; each driver is dedicated to the dedicated route only.” While there has been a shortage of drivers due to Brexit and financial loss due to the pandemic’s restrictions, YG Travel has adapted and evolved from these challenges and joined a greener and safer era. Hence, YG Travel has recently joined the greener movement by investing in greener vehicles and changing its vehicles to the Euro 6 engine that is safer for the environment. “Ultimately, the bus and coach sectors are about people. People moving people - be that to school or work, for leisure, to sporting events or fulfilling the dream of a holiday. It’s an industry that has longevity with the potential for a life-long career, as populations will continue to need to travel and buses and coaches offer a sustainable solution for the long term,” explains Dr Jaya. Currently, for the company, YG Travel is working on a new learning programme in conjunction with universities in India. By doing so, students at these universities will be able to come to the UK and complete their study tours. While the project is still amid completion, YG Travel is looking forward to the day when they can announce its finalisation. With Dr Jaya leading the way for women in business, it is undoubtedly appropriate to assume she will continue on this successful route and ensure YG Travel will become as widely known as her own accomplishments. Company Name: YG Travel Ltd Contact Name: Dr. Jaya Sajnani Web Address: www.Ygtravel.Co.Uk Contact Email: Sales@Ygtravel.Co.Uk Jan22710 Established nearly five years ago, YG Travel has been adding to its extensive list of awards and recognitions for its incredible specialisations in bespoke transport solutions within the UK and Europe. Honoured with the Customer Service Excellence Award, YG Travel is acknowledged as Southeast England’s Best School Transport Provider. YG Travel Ltd
14 | UK Transport Awards 2022 information available and turn it into valuable and insightful analytics has though not always been so straight forward. For instance, the possibility of providing a live feed on how crowded a bus is, and if at capacity, when the next one would arrive, was for a long time a vision only. This vision became reality during the pandemic, spearheaded by Ticketer’s innovative launch of their Passenger Occupancy solution. This live travel information and capacity management tool, allows the driver to manage capacity levels and gives the passengers the confidence to travel safely. Another example is the Ticketer Road Restriction Alert (RRA) feature, which alerts drivers when they are in the vicinity of a road with restricted access. Using the latest dataset of restricted roads across the UK, together with dimensions of the vehicles, the ETM can detect when the bus is approaching any restrictions and warn the driver via a visible and audible alert. Another exciting opportunity within the mobility landscape is around Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), where Ticketer have formed new and innovative partnerships to enable DRT and fixed-route bus intermodality, along with a new level of flexibility for operators in the way they deploy their services. DRT is the ability to run services that don’t operate to a specific timetable or route, but rather to flexible passenger demand. This continues to revolutionise public transport, better connect rural and urban areas, and make public transport easier and more accessible than ever before. This new thinking and introduction of features and mobility solutions, alongside new contactless ticketing solutions, have gone a long way to help improve how operators operate, and in inviting passengers back to travel by bus. Public transport is a vital part of the way in which we live, and one which we must embrace to thrive in the future. To draw people back, however, requires a change to ensure that the transport offering is fit and flexible for today’s passenger requirements. This drive for improvements and future- proofing of the public transport industry lies at the heart of what they do at Ticketer, and is why they continue to innovate and bring new technology to market – and why they are being recognised by our judging panel for their successes. Company: Ticketer Name: Stine McNeillis Email: stine.mcneillis@ticketer.co.uk Public transport plays a key part of our lives, but as the way in which we live changes, so too does how we travel. The team at Ticketer have made it their mission to listen to public transport operator’s needs, find required solutions and bring new innovations to market. They strive to be at the forefront of technological advances, and for the UK Transport Awards 2022, the judges have recognised the team for their pioneering spirit. We dug a little deeper to discover what this really means. The introduction of our new work- and lifestyle habits over recent years have resulted in a big shift in how people travel and make use of the public transport offering. Travelling by car instead of bus, avoiding large crowds of people and working from home, have all lead to less frequent travel patterns and the need for more flexibility. In bringing people back to travelling by bus, the industry needs to adapt to the change in demand for the service offering and accommodate a more personalised travel experience. For Ticketer, part of this change is an approach which supports a new way of analysing insights into the emerging travel patterns, and the subsequent change required in operational planning. Applying the latest that technology has to offer, the team have developed numerous innovative features and mobility solutions. With data-driven information gathered through their sophisticated Electronic Ticket Machines (ETMs) onboard the bus, operators can reap the benefits that come from in-depth analytics, being able to offer a more personalised travel experience for passengers, and also gain a more efficient operation. The need to become more adaptable and dynamic has helped the sector start to realise the benefits of capitalising on its data sources, particularly as it continues on its journey of digital transformation. Operators are now turning to data analytics to better understand customer journeys and optimise route planning, while passengers can use the information gathered to better plan their journey. Finding ways of utilising the vast amount of Most Innovative Public Transportation Technology 2022 Feb22351
15 | UK Transport Awards 2022 EMSOL recently secured £738,160 from 433 investors in 33 countries worldwide via a Seedrs Crowdfunding campaign. It has also received funding from the UK government’s Future Fund. This shows incredible confidence in the company and diverse financial backing. The money is already helping EMSOL to expand, scale and develop its product and services. To support growth further, it will be adding to its team, and in 2022, it hopes to develop on proven use cases within key sectors and roll out the solution commercially throughout the UK whilst continuing the excellent work with its existing big brand partners. EMSOL needs innovative and forward-thinking transport companies to join it in its mission to reduce transport-related emissions from communities and the environment. The compnay hopes to achieve multi-site monitoring for a big brand customer by the end of the year – Could it be you? Company: Emission Solutions Ltd Contact: Freddie Talberg Email: freddie@emsol.io Website: www.emsol.io Founded in 2017, EMSOL is an innovative UK cleantech company which simplifies transport and site-based emissions management. Companies need practical solutions to meet ever-tightening standards in air quality, pollution management and ESG reporting. EMSOL intelligently combines air quality monitoring networks in conjunction with real-time vehicle identification technology to identify exactly the who, what, when, where, and why of air and noise pollution before it reaches limits. EMSOL empowers transport organisations to manage their site-based emissions simply but effectively. The provision of realtime pollution notifications, source identification, scientific insight, mitigation recording, and customisable reports facilitates a scientific-based approach to air and noise pollution reduction. Stakeholders are demanding action on air quality and EMSOL enables organisations to measure, attribute, reduce, and report their environmental impact. The EMSOL solution has been developed since 2017 and the company has worked, and continued to work, with local authorities, construction giants, major retailers, and logistics providers to ensure an excellent product market fit that best serves transport operators and their clients. EMSOL’s product roadmap has a series of further integrations and improvements planned to ensure its leading solution remains exactly that. EMSOL has seen an increased demand from customers who want to change to a healthier lifestyle with cleaner air and less environmental impact from commercial vehicle activities – as this is what they experienced during the pandemic when everybody was working from home. The challenge is for operators to make the investment necessary to meet these demands. EMSOL measures the environmental impact of delivery activities by new and existing fleets on a 24-hour basis. The platform supports supply chain operators to win business based on the sustainability of their fleet operations and to ensure environmental impact is measured, controlled and contained to meet local and timebased requirements. In doing so, operators enjoy better community relations as they can prove their sustainable operations and noise compliance. This can fit with more effective optimisation for fleet movements to reduce the impact caused be congestion and drive operational Most Innovative Transport Air Pollution Solution 2022: EMSOL profitability. Armed with EMSOL’s scientific data and impact reports, customers evolve from passive ‘observers’ into proactive advocates who can scientifically manage and evidence reductions in emissions – winning bids, avoiding cost legislation breaches, evidencing progress to sustainability goals, and enhancing brand credibility. As such, EMSOL is a partner for every transport operator and site owner in order to get the environmental impact under control and support the best supply chain partners to be able to operate profitably. EMSOL’s customers have included John Lewis & Partners, the NHS, Veolia, Hanson, and Mace Group. Speaking about his company’s experience with EMSOL’s solution, Andrew Dixon, Regional Transport Manager at Hanson said, “Proving the conversion of our fleet to Euro 6 has had a beneficial impact on the site has been great. If we can see breaches happening when other contractors’ fleets are onsite, it proves our case.” Ali Ashpitel, Sustainability Manager at Mace Group said, “Using EMSOL meant getting data we can take action on, to bring us closer to our net zero goal – like changing delivery patterns, informing traffic planning and evaluating equipment and supplier sources.” Everyone at at EMSOL wants to make a real-world difference to air pollution in urban environments, and this was shown through EMSOL’s company survey in 2021: the key reason people value working at EMSOL is that they know what the company is doing will reduce the impact of air pollution in the environment and create cleaner, healthier communities to live and work in. Scientifically evidencing environmental improvement is the core of what EMSOL does every single day. All employees have visibility of the reductions in pollution that the company is making with its partners, and the scale of the opportunity to truly impact air pollution in the environment in itself inspiring. Feb22624
16 | UK Transport Awards 2022 Established in January 2006, DH Team is the UK’s largest specialist coach and bus driver hire recruitment company. Based in Seaton in Devon, the business emerged from small beginnings and has expanded rapidly. In 15 years, it has placed thousands of drivers in permanent jobs, and operates with around 250 full-time, seasonal, and part-time drivers. Founder, Del Haggerty explains more. Prior to founding DH Team in 2006, I worked as a coach driver, and it was this background that led me to a change of career. Year after year, coach drivers are laid off in the winter and I wanted to develop a solution that was more flexible and prosperous in the industry. Therefore, we created DH Team as a specialist coach and bus driver hire recruitment company and have grown rapidly ever since. Going from driver to managing director was a steep learning curve and I had to develop a lot of skills quickly. I was forced to speak with the traffic commissioners and the employment lawyers to gain a proper understanding about how to run a business of this nature, and we went head-to-head with these people to ensure we are running things correctly. My greatest saying when taking on new staff is: “Don’t tell me how to run my business, show me”. Core purposes Currently, we have around 250 contracted drivers on our books and have placed 2,062 people into full-time employment during our 15 years of trading. We are proud of this achievement and feel it really underpins what we are all about – putting hardworking men and women into good jobs. As a specialist in our field, we have proven to bus and coach operators that it is easier for them to hire drivers than to employ them on a full-time basis. Believe it or not, COVID-19 puts us in a position where more businesses will look to us, rather than hiring their own staff, as we take on the responsibility of paying the drivers’ wages and providing them with job security. Over the years, we have been involved in several different prestigious events and provided coach drivers for the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and both state visits by Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Increasingly, we do a lot of VIP work in London and supply drivers to work at numerous important social occasions. Best Driver Recruitment Company 2022 Our flexibility is one of our primary strengths and we have drivers hired out for the day, the week, the season and even the year. The people that work for us are happy and we have proven that if run the right way, an agency can offer long-term employment. Some of our drivers have been with us for more than 11 years now and while we are technically an agency, we can offer genuine long-term employment. We run all of our own payroll and have brought the entire operation in-house, another example of how we are continuing to go the extra mile. Changing how employment works As we adapt to a post-pandemic world, we are offering our own bounce-back scheme for operators that hire our drivers. This way, if they agree to contracts for between 12 and 25 weeks, we give the operator £10 per person per week back. If we are providing 50 drivers to Transport for London or Arriva, for example, that works out over a year at £25,000. We want to shake this reputation that some agencies have developed and show how beneficial working with a well-run agency like DH Team can be for bus and coach operators. We offer our drivers the opportunity to become IR35-accredited, which provides them with the same status as an employed driver. The mixture of work we can offer gives our drivers an excellent variety, while can guarantee competitive or above average wage, holiday pay, flexible time off, and HMRC-compliant payroll. Next steps The next step for our business is to become a training provider of choice for people coming into the industry. I am currently looking to apply for grants so that I can help bring more people into the industry, with the offer of a role at DH Team for at least 12 months after they complete their training. I want people that are willing to learn the industry inside out, but I also want to hold onto people, rather than see them move on elsewhere. I often speak with operators about why they should continue to work with us rather than taking our drivers on full-time, as we can continue to offer training and keep them up-todate using our expertise. Whilst working with our agency, the drivers remain motivated, and from there are offered a varied and secure career. We specialise in coach and bus drivers and as such, our employees are better-qualified and highly skilled. All our drivers are DBS checked, have all the necessary qualifications and are eligible to drive the specific vehicle in question. I drove for several years myself and as a result, I understand what drivers and operators need and want to complete a job successfully. Company: DH Team Ltd Contact: Del Haggerty Email: hello@dhteam.uk Website: dhteam.uk Feb22243
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