A total of 5,249 Stagecoach drivers - including 130 from South Wales - have been awarded Fleet Elite status and a special badge.

• 130 Stagecoach in South Wales employees achieve GreenRoad Fleet Elite status
• Advanced safety & telematics system continuously checks driving manoeuvres & helps improve fuel efficiency
• Continued investment in training and new technology to make bus services even safer

Stagecoach’s bus drivers are leading the way in a prestigious global performance measurement programme for the fifth consecutive year.

A total of 5,249 Stagecoach drivers - including 130 from South Wales - have been awarded Fleet Elite status and a special badge, under a comprehensive driving safety measurement programme managed by GreenRoad, whose safety & telematics system serves professional drivers in the UK, Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, America, Australia and New Zealand.

14 of Stagecoach South Wales Fleet Elite awardees have achieved the Gold badge and 45 have achieved the Master Fleet Elite status for maintaining the rating for four or more consecutive years.

More Stagecoach employees gained Fleet Elite status than any company in the worldwide scheme. Every year, Stagecoach invests millions of pounds in training for its professional team of drivers and in new technology to make its operations even safer.

Stagecoach has recently announced major investment in the GreenRoad system used by its drivers with the roll out of the country’s first new bridge alert technology.

GreenRoad’s safety technology is used across all of Stagecoach’s buses in England, Scotland and Wales and has proven to be extremely effective in helping drivers improve their skills. Using a simple traffic-light-like LED system on the dashboard, GreenRoad gives drivers instant feedback about their driving manoeuvres, encouraging smoother, safer, and more fuel-efficient driving.

To gain Fleet Elite status, drivers must achieve an average of five or fewer events, such as harsh braking or acceleration, per 10 hours of driving over a 350 hour minimum period across the entire calendar year.

Nigel Winter, Managing Director for Stagecoach in South Wales, said:

“We are very proud that our drivers are once again leading the way in this worldwide scheme, with more drivers than ever before being awarded Fleet Elite status.

“Everything we do begins with safety, and we are continuing to invest millions of pounds in training and new technology to make our bus services even safer. It’s great that this major investment continues to be reflected in the professional standards of our drivers.”

David Ripstein, GreenRoad’s President & CEO, said:

“Congratulations to Stagecoach’s 5,249 Stagecoach Fleet Elite honourees, an exceptional record that reflects Stagecoach’s unwavering focus on safety and environmental responsibility. We are proud to support Stagecoach – day-in and day-out - in pursuing passenger safety, comfort and convenience, and look forward to continued close cooperation and partnership.”

Information Source: Stagecoach South Wales