Most successful year so far for Coventry bus operator

[dutchman]

Scooping a clutch of awards and contracts has proved just the ticket for local bus operator Travel de Courcey – which has steered its business into its most successful year so far.


Bob Wildman (general manager) and Mike De Courcey

And bosses at the family-owned firm have vowed to continue on its road to success in 2012 with exciting plans for the future – with the company’s turnover expected to double to £10million by the next financial year.

In just one year, the company has enjoyed an impressive array of achievements including a wealth of award triumphs – both on a local and national scale.

And despite many firms tightening the purse strings to cope with the economic downturn, Travel de Courcey can boast huge investments in its services including a £1million venture to become the first UK operator to provide fast-charging electric vehicles.

“I would say we have probably had one of our most exciting years so far,” said managing director Mike de Courcey. “We have also secured the largest contract in the history of the company with National Express.”

Just four months ago, the firm won a multi-million pound deal to run 14 National Express inter-city coach services from Birmingham - the biggest single contract for the company.

It saw Travel de Courcey invest £5million in new vehicles and assets, and secured employment for 55 people including the creation of a dozen jobs.

The 14 new Volvo Caetano Levantes coaches, which were built to National Express specifications, are 48-seaters, with leather seats, air conditioning and state-of-the-art electronics.

Mike added: “We are delighted to have won such an important contract to supply coaches to National Express for transporting passengers between the Midlands, Manchester and London.

“It represents a new era for Travel de Courcey and involves us opening a new depot in Birmingham.”

Another investment for the firm has been the three battery-charged buses – currently being tested in Holland – which are being planned for Coventry’s Park and Ride, operating across various routes around the city centre.

At a cost of £290,000 each, the buses are due to arrive in the UK in the New Year – where they will be manufactured in Leeds before arriving on the city’s roads.

“This is the result of two years of planning,” added Mike. “If someone had told me that we would still be working on this venture today, I would have laughed. There have been a number of issues surrounding this project, but the more problems that came our way, the harder we fought to make it work.

“But we are now really looking forward to seeing the end result and it’s great, not just for the company, but also for Coventry which will be the first city to have these vehicles in the UK.”