Minibus of the Year launched

A new Minibus of the Year award has been announced by European International Bus & Coach of the Year Awards. The new accolade was made possible by an agreement with IFEMA, the organisation running the International Bus and Coach Trade Fair (FIAA) to be held on 23 to 26 May at the Feria de Madrid. The winning vehicle will be announced at the opening ceremony of the FIAA. To select the winner, the jury will first put the competitors through a demanding series of tests, with the support and assistance of the FIAA.

Miguel Sáez, Director of the magazine Autobuses & Autocares and Spanish member of the international jury, plus the team behind that publication, will be responsible for organising the tests and ensuring that all runs smoothly. The trials, which will take place over several days, will include tests on a real circuit viewed from both the driver’s and passengers’ perspective. The impressions and data obtained will then be evaluated by the members of the jury, who will vote to decide the winning vehicle. The competitors will take part at the express invitation of the jury. The FIAA turns the IFEMA exhibition halls in Madrid into a meeting place for various companies involved in passenger transport and the supply industry.

The jury of the International Bus & Coach of the Year was created in 1989 with 12 journalists specialising in bus and coach reporting from 12 European countries. The jury is currently made up of road transport magazines from 22 European countries, including Bus and Coach Buyer. Editor in Chief, Stuart Jones, was President of the awards board until stepping down from the position last year.