Yellow Buses, which operates a fleet of 140 buses and 18 National Express coaches as part of multinational passenger transport group RATP Dev, needed a more comprehensive system offering improved cost control and fully integrated mobile working. The operator also required a system to manage a wide range of assets, with better performance analysis and reporting capabilities.
The Freeway system will be used to manage the maintenance of not just vehicles but also workshop equipment.The software automates paperwork and administration tasks to boost efficiency and reduce costs, as well as improving working practices and providing useful performance analytics and reports.
Phil Pannell, service delivery director at Yellow Buses, had previously implemented Freeway’s software at a major London bus operator.“Having had three years of experience with Freeway elsewhere, I was able to compare it with the system Yellow Buses already had. It became clear very quickly that Freeway was much more comprehensive and could be used to underpin some major improvements in the management of the fleet and assets generally,” explained Pannell.
“Freeway’s solution was particularly appealing as we can undertake many tasks on mobile devices. The mobile working is not just for engineering but also for management tasks, and, for example, we can authorise purchasing requests on a mobile. In addition, the Freeway analytics and reporting is very comprehensive and handles the requirements for DVSA Earned Recognition, which is something we want to get involved in.”
According to Patrick Tandy, managing director of Freeway, Pannell has pioneered auto-reporting – a feature that is now built into every Freeway system. Engineers complete inspections and raise job cards using smartphones or tablets, and the central Freeway system is automatically updated in real time; as is job closure.
“Freeway has been developed hand-in-hand with fleet managers. Together with other users, Phil has helped develop the system to meet the needs of bus and coach operators across the UK.We are looking forward to helping Phil and his team improve fleet maintenance operations at Yellow Buses,” commented Tandy.