First up in our new speaker Q&A series is Chris McKeown, chief engineer at Go-Ahead London. Running 80+ electric buses across London (the UK’s biggest fleet of electric buses) has simply become ‘Business as usual’ for him and his team. He’ll be sharing their secrets for success in an opening day seminar at Coach & Bus UK (starting at 12 noon, on Wednesday 2 October).
How important is Coach & Bus UK to you and the industry?
Coach and Bus UK enables the unique opportunity to see all your major suppliers in just a couple of days. It’s a great opportunity to see what everyone has to offer.
What do you want visitors to take away from your session?
A demonstration that, so long as the upfront work of the correct infrastructure is put in place, the day-to-day operation of an electric fleet is nothing to be daunted by.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
There are many rewarding aspects to my job: from seeing apprentices develop, to every time our team pulls together and delivers on whatever challenges are thrown our way.
And the most challenging?
Finding and developing the right people to help stay ahead of the competition.
Looking ahead, what are the biggest opportunities for the coach & bus industry in the coming years?
I believe that the biggest opportunity for our industry is to positively influence everyone’s problem of improving air quality.
Can you give us an example of what your business is doing to be even more sustainable?
We are continuously evaluating systems, technology and maintenance to deliver a more efficient and reliable fleet. We use a combination of fluid analysis and telemetry data to maximise the performance of exhaust after treatment systems.
Who or what inspires you to be even better?
I am very competitive – so everyone and everything!
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
At a recent awards presentation, I heard someone say “never overlook the opportunity of a lifetime, but recognise the lifetime of the opportunity”. I thought that was very good advice.
See Chris at Coach & Bus UK
Electric Buses ‘Business as Usual’: 12 noon on Wednesday 2 October.