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PUBLIC TRANSPORT chiefs are celebrating after being shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious Bus Industry Awards 2004. Nexus, the people behind the Tyne and Wear Metro, Shields Ferry and local public transport interchanges twice made the shortlist, which was announced yesterday (Tuesday). Known as “the Bus Oscars”, the awards bring together the cream of the UK bus industry with the aim of recognising and rewarding public transport schemes that provide real passenger benefits. Nexus was shortlisted in two categories: Innovation and the Infrastructure Award. Innovation Nexus and its partners were shortlisted for their “North East of England Real Time Information & Priority System.” Dubbed “Partnership in Practice”, the North East of England Real Time Information and Priority System is forthcoming single real time information system covering North East England. Nexus’ partners in the scheme are Go North East, Arriva, the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit, Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council and bus operator Stagecoach. Judges in the category used the following criteria to arrive at the shortlist:
The technical merit of the design innovation
The objectives of the innovation
The extent to which those objectives have been or are being met
The effect of the innovation on ONE of:
the overall image of the bus product
the accessibility of the bus product
the environmental impact of the bus
The deliverability of the innovation on an industry-wide basis (this would include the practicality and affordability of the idea).
The degree of partnership with other interested bodies, including local authorities Infrastructure Award The Four Lane Ends public transport interchange in North Tyneside was shortlisted by the judges. Schemes in the category can consist of bus priority measures, bus stations, route infrastructure work or a mixture of all three. The judges were looking in particular for schemes that provide positive benefits, have good design, meets operators’ requirements, and are of high quality. Four Lane Ends underwent a full refurbishment that effectively transformed a basic bus and Metro interchange into a landmark building providing a step-change in the quality of passenger facilities. The interchange fulfils many purposes, catering for Metro, buses, cycles, taxis, pedestrians and park and ride users. Passengers now benefit from a high quality, safe environment that is vital to encourage a multi-modal approach to travel. Responding to the announcement, Nexus’ Development Director Bernard Garner said: “These awards really are the pinnacle of bus industry accolades and to be shortlisted at all is a coup in itself, but to be shortlisted in two categories is absolutely marvellous. “We’ll be up against some very stiff competition at the finals in November but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed. “But whether we win or lose is not really the point. What matters is that passengers using Four Lane Ends, and indeed passengers throughout Tyne and Wear and beyond have benefited.” The finalists now go forward to the second round of the competition, and Award winners will be announced at a luncheon ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane on 18 November, in an event hosted by BBC Newsnight’s Stephanie Flanders.
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