Reaseheath College has contracted a new fleet of coaches to transport students between its Nantwich campus and their homes across Cheshire and surrounding counties.
The network of 24 coach services will provide students with free home to college transport from September from as far away as the Wirral, Macclesfield, Stockport, Telford, Uttoxeter Shrewsbury, Craven Arms and Ruthin.
More than 1,500 students used college transport daily in the last academic year to access Reaseheath’s specialist facilities and education.
That includes apprentices and day release trainees from regional businesses as well as those on full-time diplomas and degrees.
The five-year contract to provide the coach services has been won by Harry Shaw, one of the UK’s leading, largest and privately-owned coach and travel business.
The “Executive” specification coaches are fitted with three-point seat belts, Traffilog vehicle tracking technology accessible to the college, and most are equipped with toilets, air conditioning, CCTV and USB charging points.
Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David said: “We have invested nearly £80 million into specialist technical resources and facilities so we can offer the highest quality education and training.
“By introducing free travel on high quality coaches we aim to make our superb campus as accessible and affordable as possible.
“We take our responsibilities and our duty of care to our students very seriously, and this includes ensuring that they have safe, reliable and comfortable transport between home and college.”
Reaseheath College was supported through the tender specification and procurement process by transportation planning consultants SCP.
Chris Blyth, director at Harry Shaw, said: “This partnership combines two organisations with compatible values, aspirations and principles to deliver a first class consolidated learning experience.
“We operate our own fleet of high specification coaches, so students can travel safely, in style and total comfort.”
(Pic: President of Reaseheath’s Student Association Rhianne Edisbury, coach driver Alison Barnes and Reaseheath Campus Supervisor Natalie Williams)
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