\u00a0 \u00a0 In an interview with The Times<\/em> before Christmas<\/a>, Claire Miles said she was keen to collaborate with local authorities, regardless of their chosen regulatory model. <\/p>\n This shift in stance is likely to be welcomed by some Stagecoach managers who have privately indicated that the group\u2019s aggressive position during the adoption of bus franchising in Greater Manchester damaged the group\u2019s credibility with key stakeholders. <\/p>\n Miles confirmed the company\u2019s commitment to working with local authorities, stating: \u201cNo matter what the local authority\u2019s view is on how they want their bus services to be run \u2013 whether that\u2019s through franchising, like is happening here in Manchester \u2013 we will work with it.<\/p>\n The reality is that we need to do what\u2019s right for customers. And if franchising is the right answer for that, we\u2019ll get on board with franchising<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019ve been a lot of statements made in the past about where we want to operate and how. The reality is that we need to do what\u2019s right for customers. And if franchising is the right answer for that, we\u2019ll get on board with franchising.\u201d<\/p>\n Miles\u2019s pragmatic approach is likely to align with the preferences of German infrastructure fund DWS, which acquired Stagecoach last year. It seems logical that DWS would be inclined towards the steady financial returns that the franchising model could offer bus operators.<\/p>\n Miles also said she was keen to cast aside Stagecoach\u2019s \u201ccultural and political baggage\u201d. Much of that is linked to Souter\u2019s controversial decision to donate \u00a31m to a campaign in 2000 that opposed the abolition of laws in Scotland that prohibited \u201cintentionally promoting homosexuality\u201d. As recently as 2019, pressure from gay rights campaigners forced the Turner Prize to end a sponsorship deal with Stagecoach South East a day after it was announced. <\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 Following the takeover of the Perth-based group by DWS, Souter and Gloag sold their remaining shares in Stagecoach. <\/p>\n Miles told The Times<\/em>, in what the newspaper described as the \u201cclearest message of our conversation\u201d, that she wants to \u201cdraw a line under Stagecoach\u2019s participation in culture wars under Souter and Gloag\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are nowhere near the business,\u201d Miles claimed. \u201cThey had a massive impact on the business reputation and created a legacy for us. <\/p>\n I am absolutely determined, going forward, that we will show up as a different type of company. Non-political. Non-judgemental<\/p>\n \u201cI am absolutely determined, going forward, that we will show up as a different type of company. Non-political. Non-judgemental. Embracing openness and diversity. All of that is really important to me and that is how I will run the business.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked wether she had spoken to Souter or Gloag since joining Stagecoach nearly three months ago, her curt response was an emphatic, \u201cno\u201d. <\/p>\n \u00a0 DON\u2019T MISS OUT \u2013 GET YOUR COPY! \u2013\u00a0click here to subscribe!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The post Stagecoach pledges new ways of working<\/a> first appeared on Passenger Transport<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u200b\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Claire Miles has indicated a new approach to bus franchising and wants to turn the page on \u2018cultural and political baggage\u2019 of Souter years \u00a0Claire Miles is keen to cast aside Stagecoach\u2019s \u201ccultural and political baggage\u201d \u00a0 The recently appointed chief executive of Stagecoach has expressed regret over the group\u2019s confrontational approach to bus franchising in the past and indicated…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camcab"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/camcab.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Claire Miles is keen to cast aside Stagecoach\u2019s \u201ccultural and political baggage\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe recently appointed chief executive of Stagecoach has expressed regret over the group\u2019s confrontational approach to bus franchising in the past and indicated a lack of interest in meeting the group\u2019s co-founders, Sir Brian Souter and Ann Gloag.<\/p>\n
GUT\u2019s Cardiff to Edinburgh services could use Class 222s<\/em><\/p>\n
\nMeanwhile, last year Souter publicly condemned late-term abortions, likening them to the biblical slaughter of the innocents by King Herod. Gloag is also no stranger to controversy. Last year she faced accusations of people trafficking, a charge she has strongly disputed.<\/p>\n
This article appears in the latest issue of\u00a0Passenger Transport<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n