For the fourth year in a row we have been shortlisted to receive a prestigious routeOne Award. Our award category is ‘Medium Coach Operator of the Year’ (16-50 vehicles) and is for the coach operator that provides excellence at every turn for it customers, its staff and for financial return.

The routeOne Awards are for those who have been judged as the best in the coach and bus industry. But it is equally an opportunity for everyone in the industry to celebrate its successes. The search for excellence started earlier this year when manufacturers, dealers and suppliers nominated potential winners. We have since submitted our entry and have already been judged by an expert panel. The winners will be announced at a gala presentation evening on the 31st October at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

More information on the shortlist can be found here.

Good luck to everyone involved.

Master John has arrived to celebrate our Golden Anniversary. It is a Van Hool TX16 Astron luxury integral coach and was supplied to us by Moseley (PCV) Ltd.

Powered by a DAF MX13 Euro 6 engine it complies with all the latest ultra low emission standards that are due to start in London and many other UK cities.

Interior features include leather seats with extendable head rests, USB points to each seat, WIFI, W/C, Fridge, Drinks facility, Bosch Professional Line Media entertainment system amongst many other features.

It boasts a special golden livery to celebrate our 50 years in business and it is a throwback to how the fleet used to look many years ago.

Liam & Eugene are the second and third to join the fleet in 2018 and takes our Irizar count to thirteen. They are both powered by the reliable DAF MX11 6 cylinder engine and meet Euro 6 emission standards. This makes them compliant with the ULEZ which is due to start in London next year.

The interiors have 53 luxury seats with seat back tray tables,  a WC and hot drinks machine.  For passenger comfort they have a climate controlled interior with black tinted windows. Passenger entertainment includes a full PA system and a DVD player with two screens.

The Irizar i6S is a coach for medium and long distance journeys and shares the aesthetic qualities of the Irizar i8.  Providing a sense of well-being at the start of each journey, and ensuring it lasts till the end, is the foundation of the Irizar i6s

On Tuesday our drivers took to the classroom again to complete another training session towards their driver CPC.

The day was split into two parts with the morning concentrating on driver safety and wellbeing. The subjects covered included health and safety, dealing with emergencies, legislation (including drivers hours and the working time directive), professional driver and company issues and the regulations for carriage of passengers.

After lunch the drivers got stuck into the afternoon session and concentrated on drugs and alcohol awareness. They also discussed physical/mental health and wellbeing.

At the end of the day our drivers were able to demonstrate an understanding of The Highway Code, insurance and accident reporting, road risk issues (including fatigue and mobile phones), the effects of alcohol and drugs on the body and driving capabilities and finally an understanding of the companies alcohol and drugs policy including testing methods.

Master Eamonn is the first addition to the fleet in 2018 and our third Irizar i6S. This coach has proved to be so popular that we have ordered another two and they are due to be delivered in April.

Powered by the DAF MX-11 engine it can churn out 369 bhp and still meet Euro 6 emission standards. This is very important as it will be able to enter the London Ultra Low Emission Zone  which is due to start in April 2019 with other cities to follow.

Interior features include 57 passenger seats covered in a dark material which gives a real smart cooperate feel. Each seat has its own armrest and tray table and passengers can remain comfortable thanks to the privacy glass and climate controlled interior. For passenger entertainment there is a DVD player with LCD screens located at the front and middle of the vehicle.

The Irizar i6S is a premium coach equally at home whether on long distance touring, corporate charter, or private hire.

As part of their ongoing driver CPC training, over thirty drivers have recently swapped coaches for the classroom.

The driver training focussed on customer care and some of the issues faced when taking on ‘the school run’. Coach drivers have to concentrate on the road, yet are usually the only adult in an otherwise unsupervised environment. This is partly why the school coach is often the scene of bullying. The coach driver is in a unique position. The students are not acting like they are being supervised and this gives a window into what is really going on. Everybody has a legal duty of care for children’s welfare – including the school, the local authority, the coach operator and the driver.

The training session highlighted the role of the school coach driver as a source of protection for young passengers who may be victims of bullying, neglect or abuse. It outlined the signs for drivers to look for that on their own may not appear to be of any significance, but if put together with other pieces of information, can help determine if a child or young person may be at risk.

The session also looked at protecting drivers on the school run, with advice on how to avoid being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour, and how drivers can protect themselves. Drivers also learned about the importance of working with outside agencies including schools.

Our coach drivers now have an all-round understanding of the different types of bullying and abuse and how, as coach drivers, they have a vital role in ensuring that any concerns they have, no matter how insignificant they are felt to be, must be reported to the relevant body or person.

Master Patrick is our fifth Irizar to join the fleet in 2017 and is the first of our i6s integrals. Powered by the reliable DAF MX11 6 cylinder engine it has all the power you need and meets Euro 6 emission standards.

The interior has 57 luxury seats with 3 point seatbelts and tray tables. For passenger comfort it has a climate controlled interior with black tinted windows. Passenger entertainment includes a full PA system and a DVD player with two screens.

The Irizar i6S is a coach for medium and long distance journeys and shares the aesthetic qualities of the Irizar i8.  Providing a sense of well-being at the start of each journey, and ensuring it lasts till the end, is the foundation of the Irizar i6s

Master William is the latest addition to the fleet. It was supplied by Irizar UK and is an i6 integral. It uses the award-winning DAF MX engine and gearbox from ZF and is an attractive and versatile coach.

At 10.8 metres it is slightly shorter than our other Irizar coaches but the interior has been designed to a high specification. Features include 30 leather seats, 3 tables with 3 point plug and USB sockets, DVD player with multiple screens, climate control and LED lights. At the rear of the coach facilities include a full servery complete with fridge, sink and microwave and a WC.

This coach would be ideal for any type of hire whether it be a European tour or a cooperate event when you really want to impress your clients. Travelling in it is a true pleasure.

We are very pleased to announce that at the recent routeone Awards our Director of Engineering, Paul Murdoch, beat off stiff competition to take home the award for Engineer of the Year.

The routeone Awards are for those who have been judged the best in the coach and bus industry and Paul is the only person to have been awarded this special accolade three times. Paul was nominated earlier this year and after making the shortlist of just five candidates, he faced a tough interview process from a panel of industry experts.

The judges said…

With these five candidates the judges are faced with engineers working in a range of differing operating conditions, yet the criteria are the same for all. This category is for the skilled engineer who clearly contributes to their small or medium-sized operator’s success. There can be no question that all the finalists are meeting the criteria, but our winner is yet again leading the way.”

From everyone here at Golden Boy Coaches we would like to thank Paul for all his hard work and who knows maybe a fourth award is in the pipeline?

Our newest addition to the fleet is Master James.  It is an EVM X-clusive and based on the award winning Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis.

Interior features include 16 executive leather seats with tray tables and USB charging points, a DVD player, panoramic glazing, panoramic glass roof, and a PA system. At the rear of the mini coach 7 passenger seats sit around two tables allowing you to have face to face meetings on the go.

This coach may only be small but it certainly has a big ‘wow’ factor.