Staffordshire & South Cheshire

BUSES GET A ‘FRESHSTART EVERY DAY

Customers are now enjoying comfortable and more relaxed bus journeys thanks to a new, daily vehicle cleaning programme successfully introduced by First at its two depots in Chester and at Birkenhead. The new programme, part of a nationwide FirstGroup initiative, is named FreshStart

"We always listen to our customers and they consistently tell us how much more they enjoy their journey when the vehicle theyre travelling on is clean and tidy, " observed Ken Poole, managing director for Firsts bus services in Chester and Wirral. "Once the bus leaves the depot in the morning its very difficult for us to control how clean and tidy it remains, but our target has always been, and still remains, to have each bus ready and presentable at the start of each day. The new FreshStart programme introduces a carefully structured routine which we now use to ensure that overnight cleaning performance is closely managed.'

FreshStart covers both the inside and outside of the bus and defines a list of 21 prioritised cleaning tasks and 10 engineering tasks to be completed each night in order to prepare the vehicle for service turnout the following morning.

The general cleaning tasks include sweeping, delittering, dusting and polishing, window cleaning and mopping throughout (including stairs), while engineering tasks cover vehicle inspection, checking fluids and refuelling etc.

As part of FreshStart, on a monitored 28 day cycle, every bus is completely valeted inside and out.

"The programme gives us better control over the cleaning process and ensures consistency of depot turnout each morning,' Ken Poole said. "From comments weve already received from customers we know that the FreshStart is making a difference and the improvement in vehicle presentation was noted by the Vehicle Operators Support Agency (VOSA) during one of its recent inspection visits to our Chester depot.'
Drivers have equally been delighted with the results FreshStart has delivered as the drivers cab, his/her ‘office for the day, also gets the full FreshStart treatment.

To ensure that the FreshStart process is effectively managed and monitored a FreshStart ‘Champion has been appointed in each depot.

"FreshStart is further evidence of our ongoing commitment to customer comfort and safety,' concluded Ken Poole, "and now the programme is being progressively rolled out to all our other depots in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.'