BRTuk is launching a series of lunchtime Quality Bus Masterclasses, produced by Landor LINKS, with a wide variety of expert speakers covering topics that bus industry professionals will find interesting and 'of the moment'.

Register here

11th November: Buses people want to be seen on

Chair: James Freeman, current Chair, BRTuk and formerly Managing Director at First West of England

Speaker: Alex Hornby, CEO, Transdev Blazefield

Buses people want to be seen on

Transdev Blazefield’s aim is to ensure buses are a mode of choice not necessity. This means creating a user and non-user research led product that customers find easy and a pleasure to use.

Applying this vision has resulted in the creation of turn up and go networks, enhanced information & communications and persuading vehicle manufacturers to build bespoke, innovative and high quality bus designs that rival the comfort and space of the private car.

The results show the effort and investment is worthwhile: in Harrogate, a predominately wealthy town, 55% of people have access to a car but choose to use the bus, and 22% customer growth has been created amongst high car ownership and a doubling of local rail services.

Key to this is a company culture of continuous improvement, a passionate team of colleagues and local decision making.

About Alex

Alex Hornby is CEO at Transdev Blazefield, running over 550 buses alongside a team of 1,350 people across ten locations in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The company’s aim is to provide successful, well-marketed and customer-centric products using “buses that people want to be seen on”.
 
He started his career at the age of 15 doing work experience at his local bus depot before graduating in Transport Management at Aston University, where he gained his PCV driving licence whilst studying. He enjoyed time in managerial roles at Stagecoach and Go-Ahead in Kent, Manchester and Hampshire, before becoming Commercial Director at trentbarton in the East Midlands.
 
He has been with Transdev for the past six years, helping to grow the scale of the business and customer numbers through network enhancements, several key B2G and B2B contract gains and two significant acquisitions. Alex lives in Harrogate with his wife Rachel and son Jack – on the Harrogate Electrics 2B bus route.