Stagecoach South named finalist for national award
Stagecoach South has been named a finalist in the Bus Operator of the Year category at the UK National Transport Awards, recognising its commitment to delivering reliable, sustainable and customer-focused bus services across Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
The recognition celebrates investment, innovation and community impact across Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex
The National Transport Awards celebrate the organisations and individuals driving improvements across the UK’s transport networks, with winners announced at the awards ceremony on 1 October 2026 at the Westminster Park Plaza in London.
The nomination recognises Stagecoach South’s investment in greener transport, service improvements, workforce development and community partnerships.
Over the past year, Stagecoach South has accelerated its transition to zero-emission transport, introducing 22 new electric double-deck buses across Surrey and the Blackwater Valley through an £11.6 million investment, with further funding secured for 11 electric buses on the Coastliner 700 route between Portsmouth and Chichester.
The operator has also delivered strong customer and operational results, with Service 500 surpassing one million passenger journeys since launch, Service 18 achieving 30% year-on-year growth, and customer satisfaction in Portsmouth reaching 91% for the third consecutive year.
Investment in people has also remained a priority, with the Driving Excellence programme supporting new and apprentice PCV drivers through mentoring and development, helping reduce voluntary staff attrition to 12.4%. Community initiatives with partners including Open Sight, Spark Community Hub and Worthing Transport Assembly have helped more people gain confidence in using public transport.
Stagecoach South and its local authority partners were also recognised nationally this year, winning the UK Bus Awards Partnership Award for the second consecutive year.
Marc Reddy, managing director at Stagecoach South, said: “Being named a finalist for Bus Operator of the Year is a fantastic achievement and reflects the dedication of our teams across Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. We are proud of the progress we have made through investment, innovation and strong partnerships, helping to deliver cleaner, more accessible and reliable bus services for our communities.”
The UK National Transport Awards are supported by the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland, Transport for Wales, Department for Infrastructure, Transport Focus, Intelligent Transport Systems UK and Urban Transport Group.