Special Projects
There will be times when you're organisation will be working on special projects and they invariably take up more time and energy than the team can handle themselves.
Often these projects will require new or additional skills to successfully complete them.
Events
Every year the country hosts events, from international sporting tournaments and concerts to community galas and shows. They might be one off events or hardy annuals.
You might be organising transport on behalf of the event, bidding to win contracts to provide dedicated transport or simply looking for a commercial tie up with your existing network.
From Beer Festivals to Edinburgh Festival and from the Children's Gala to the Gala Opening Night we can advise and support you through the process. With experience of numerous festivals, championships and local events we can help it all run smoothly.
Infrastructure
Whether you are making development plans for a new town or planning for a new bus station it is vital that you get some operational experience to sense check the plans before the first sod is cut.
If you're an operator you need to have an informed voice when plans are being drawn up that will impact your operation. You also need to be on the front foot as and when funding becomes available for public transport infrastructure projects. Bus lanes, park & rides, interchanges and even bus stop design all impact your operations.
Having experience of the public transport input for the construction of the Queensferry Crossing and many small and mid range projects we can help advise you when you need it.
AV | EV Fleet
Autonomous vehicles are in the early stages of any potential roll out and there's not a lot of experience to call on.
From an operator's perspective there is a lot to consider in terms of training, operation, insurance and licensing. Luckily as Dunfermline was based for the first scheduled autonomous bus service (2023-2025) we can help you through the process.
Electric vehicles are much more common on our roads, but there is still a lot to learn when setting out on the process of electrifying your fleet.
You might be bidding for funding support and considering the impact on your scheduling and planning process. Having been through initial electrifications projects we can help you along the road.
M&A | Franchising
As part of your business plans you might be considering a takeover, opening a new depot site or indeed a new company.
Alternatively you might be restructuring to reduce the number of operating centres and merge depots.
Franchising may have been a success and you're about to take over from an incumbent operator.
With projects of this scale you need experienced help who can turn their hand to business planning, restructuring, recruiting and short term management roles until your long term team is in place.
Speak to us about your requirements.
Case Study #15
An Event to Remember
We worked closely with Transport Scotland to bid, plan and specify transport provision for spectators at a biennial international golfing tournament at Gleneagles.
This involved interurban park & ride services to this rural location. Bringing vehicle and driving resources together from several operating companies, staff for boarding passengers, ensuring welfare provisions for staff on site and providing point of contact within the Joint Operational Control room.
Some 90,000 spectators attended the event and, despite some blustery winds that tested the golfers and the bus drivers, the event was a success as was the transport provision.
All the partners reflected on a job well done afterwards.
Case Study #16
Look No Hands
In 2018 a technology supplier approached an operator about joining a consortium bidding to Innovate UK for a trial to introduce the first regular scheduled bus service to be operated by Autonomous Vehicles. The consortium included the bus builder, Transport Scotland and academic research institutions.
Having led the operator element of the bid and subsequently having overseen the project and the service it really was at the cutting edge of technology.
As a Level 4 AV a driver was legally required behind the wheel and as such the training and recruitment process for such a specialised project was key, as were the wider safety considerations.
After several years development the service commenced in May 2023 and was covered extensively by media around the world, with images of the driver letting go of the steering wheel as the bus drove itself across the iconic Forth Road Bridge beaming into homes across the UK and USA.
The trial wound down in early 2025 but the learnings from an operators perspective are exceptionally useful for any operator or public body considering trialing services in the future.
