Our Awards

Stotts Coaches’ man is National Express Driver of the Year

RouteOne March 17, 2022

Stotts Coaches employee Joey Liversidge (pictured, centre) has been crowned National Express Coach Driver of the Year after an event at the Palmer Sport track in Bedford on Friday 11 March.

The event measures each participant’s skill and knowledge. It involves five tests in high-powered sports cars before a panel of judges decides on the winner. Joey was among 21 National Express coach drivers to take part out of 1,500 such approved staff across its network.

Individuals can only compete in the Coach Driver of the Year event if they have been awarded Driver Excellence recognition by National Express during the previous year. That scheme is the group’s means of highlighting drivers who have delivered “outstanding professional work in customer services, safety and driving skills throughout the year.”
Says Joey: “I felt like a winner just being here. Coming first and being named Driver of the Year was the icing on the cake.”

Adds National Express Service Delivery Director Ed Rickard (pictured, right): “This event is a great way of celebrating our drivers and their efforts and rewarding them with a different driving experience.
“Joey has really impressed us. Not only did he see off some tough competition on the track, but he does a tremendous job of representing National Express on the road with his colleagues and customers daily.”

Benchmark member crowned National Express Operator of the Year
Monday March 22, 2021

Stotts Coaches has been crowned National Express Operator of the Year for 2020.

The Huddersfield based family firm and a valued member of BUSK Benchmark, has been operating services on behalf of National Express for over 10 years, including routes connecting Bradford, Leeds and London. Stotts beat off stiff competition from more than thirty other businesses to receive the top recognition in a virtual ceremony held last month.

The Operator of the Year category is based on the company’s engineering and safety standards, operating performance and feedback from the customers they have carried. Consistently scoring over 95%, Stotts have been in the top ten operators every year for the last decade.

Director Carl Stott said, “We are extremely proud of this achievement, particularly given the challenges of 2020. We have an incredible team of people – the back office staff, cleaners, engineers and of course, drivers, who deliver an excellent service day in, day out. This award belongs to all of them.”

Chris Hardy, National Express UK Coach Managing Director said, “It was more important than ever to recognise achievement, despite it not being possible to hand out awards in person. We would not be National Express without our operators. Their professionalism and willingness to adapt in the last twelve months has really demonstrated that Stotts Coaches has been outstanding and I was pleased to be able to have the opportunity to recognise its efforts and celebrate it as a valued partner.”

Huddersfield Examiner 2014

E.Stott & Sons Ltd recently came away from the National Express Operator Awards with three awards, Best Small Operator, Best Fleet and the Sustained High Achievement Award.

The company has just secured a new 5 year contract with National Express to operate the 351 service which has enabled them to purchase two brand new vehicles.

Stotts will be cascading the current 2010 coaches on the route into their coach fleet which will enable them to offer their customers wheelchair accessible coaches for the first time.

Commenting on the contract, director Carl Stott, said “we have worked for National Express for nearly 10 years now and we are one of a select group of preferred operators and we were delighted that National Express gave us the opportunity to continue this service as it fits in well with our operations and to come away from the awards evening with three awards was the icing on the cake.

Huddersfield Examiner 2012

A coach operator based in Huddersfield has found the route to success. E Stott & Sons, based at Milnsbridge, won the trophy for Excellence in Minibus Operations at the Route One Operator Excellence Awards.

Directors Carl and Mark Stott received their prize at the award ceremony which was held during the Expo Coach Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The award recognised the company’s local bus service operation.

The company, which was a finalist in the Green Award at the Examiner Business Awards, was shortlisted for two awards at the NEC event – the Coach Operator Innovation Award and the Excellence in Minibus Operations. Director Carl Stott was also nominated for Coach Engineer of the Year.

The judges commented: “Our winner is a family-run company with more than 25 years’ experience. It is perhaps better known for its coach operation, which initially was the main attraction for the judges.
“However, they were soon drawn to the excellence of the minibus side of the business, which clearly demonstrates how successfully coach standards of operation can be applied to local bus services.”