IRU calls for candidates for the Eurochallenge Award 2009, rewarding innovative company strategies and best practices ensuring quality of services and accessibility in public transport.

Brussels – The International Road Transport Union today launched the call for candidates for its Eurochallenge Award 2009 on the theme: "Bus and coach – the green and safe travel choice for all: innovative company strategies and best practices to ensure quality of services and accessibility".

The IRU Eurochallenge Award promotes greater use of regular urban and interurban public transport by bus and coach in Europe, through high quality and cost-effective innovative projects. All European bus and coach companies active in regular urban or interurban public transport, be they public or privately owned, are invited to submit their candidature by 15 June 2009.

Graham Smith, Vice President of the IRU, said, “Apart from being safety and environment champions, European bus and coach companies ensure the sustainable mobility of people by being at the forefront of innovation in key areas, such as new services and partnerships with other transport modes, integrated and electronic ticketing schemes, implementation of customer and environmental care programmes, etc. With this award we aim at collecting and spreading excellence throughout the industry.”

Projects submitted should include company initiatives aimed at improving the attractiveness and the use of collective transport by bus and/or coach, such as:

·         network or service improvements;

·         creation of innovative new lines/services, including on board services;

·         information and marketing campaigns;

·         integrated ticketing systems, including electronic ticketing, SMS ticketing etc.;

·         implementation of quality, safety and/or security schemes;

·         implementation of environment care programmes;

·         implementation of customer care programmes, including for disabled and mobility impaired people.

Interested companies must submit candidate projects in English or French to the IRU Permanent Delegation to the EU by mail, fax: +32-2-743 25 99 or e-mail at  christina.grimme@iru.org, mentioning “IRU Eurochallenge 2009”) before 15 June 2009.

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Learn more about the Eurochallenge winner

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