Harry Shaw wins £9.5m college contract
Coventry-based Harry Shaw has won a contract worth around £9.5m over five years. Comprising of 24 coach services, it will see the operator transport students to and from Reaseheath College in the outskirts of Nantwich, Cheshire.
The network of free home to college transport will start in September. The routes will link students to the education facility from the Wirral, Macclesfield, Stockport, Telford, Uttoxeter, Shrewsbury, Craven Arms and Ruthin. The “Executive” specification coaches are fitted with Traffilog vehicle tracking technology accessible to the college and most are equipped with toilets, air conditioning, CCTV and USB charging points.
Coaches to be used on the services include: Scanias, Mercedes-Benz Tourismos and Volvos (with either Plaxton Paragon and Caetano Levante bodywork). With the exception of the Volvos, all coaches are four years old or newer.
Over 1,500 students used college transport daily in the last academic year to access Reaseheath’s specialist facilities and education.
Reaseheath College was supported through the tender specification and procurement process by transportation planning consultants SCP.
Director at Harry Shaw, Chris Blyth, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Reaseheath College. This partnership combines two organisations with compatible values, aspirations and principles to deliver a first class consolidated learning experience. We operate our own fleet of high specification coaches, so students can travel safely, in style and total comfort.”
Reaseheath Principal, Meredydd David, said: “We have invested nearly £80m into specialist technical resources and facilities so we can offer the highest quality education and training. By introducing free travel on high-quality coaches we aim to make our superb campus as accessible and affordable as possible. We take our responsibilities and our duty of care to our students very seriously, and this includes ensuring they have safe, reliable and comfortable transport between home and college.”