Calls for London bus driver pay deal for London 2012 Olympics

The Unite union working on behalf of the London bus drivers is calling for a pay deal for their drivers ahead of the forthcoming 2012 London Olympics.

Rail workers have agreed a pay deal ahead of the Olympics, which will be hosted in London next year, and the Tube workers are also said to be in talks for a similar package for staff working during the Games. Now the union is calling for a similar deal to be put forward for bus drivers who will be transporting an estimated extra 1 million passengers during the Olympics.

Network Rail workers have agreed a deal of a pay increase of 10% over the course of 2 years and also 10,000 staff will receive a one-off £500 rise ahead of the London Olympics. The Unite Union is calling for the 28,000 bus drivers in the capital to receive some kind of deal similar to that of the rail workers to compensate for the extra workload they’ll have to undertake during the London Games.

As well as public transport organisations, private transport companies are also gearing up for a busy 2012. Coach Hire operator, Coach Broker, has reported a huge surge in bookings for coach and minibus travel in the capital for the London 2012 Games. The coach hire provider has taken bookings from both spectators travelling to the Olympics, and is also in talks with a number of Olympic authorities from different countries to provide coach travel for athletes and delegates.

If you’ve got your ticket to the London 2012 Olympics, book your travel now by getting in touch with the UK’s leading coach hire provider, Coach Broker, to receive the very best deal.

FirstGroup win contract to supply coaches for London 2012 Olympics

Transport provider FirstGroup has won the prestigious contract, worth an estimated £20 million, to supply bus and coach services for spectators during the 2010 London Olympics.

The Aberdeen-based company is said to have beaten off competition from 77 other firms to become the preferred bidder for the contract. Other companies reported to have made it to the shortlist to win the deal were Stagecoach, National Express, and Go-Ahead.

FirstGroup will be responsible for orchestrating a complex transport system during the games which will involve almost 1,000 coaches and buses. The vehicles will do shuttle-runs from designated points around and outside the city into the main Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. They will also be in charge of providing park and ride facilities which will be sited around the M25.

As well as providing transport to the main Olympic stadium, FirstGroup will also lay on buses and coaches to transport spectators to Weymouth in Dorset, and Portland in Somerset where the sailing events are due to take place.

The nationwide operator currently runs some 9,000 buses and 4 different rail franchises in the UK and employs a 26,500 strong workforce. It is understood that FirstGroup’s experience in providing transport for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was influential in their success in securing the Olympic contract. The exact details of the deal are still in the process of being finalised.