Now It's Your Turn
routeONE magazine|8 March 2017 - Issue 680

After almost four decades husband and wife team Alan and Celia Phillips are stepping aside to make room for the second generation.

Mike Morgan 
Now It's Your Turn

It was an emotional yet happy occasion last Friday (3 March) when Bewdley-based Phillips International Travel held the launch and naming of its latest coach. However, it was an event that took on greater significance, signalling a new era with confirmation that management of the 37-year-old Worcestershire operator has transferred to the second generation.

Staged at the impressive local authority owned Wyre Forest Hose in Kidderminster, the launch was for invited guests. Civic dignitaries were joined by long-standing customers, suppliers, and members of the trade press who gathered in the Council Chamber prior to being introduced to the latest member of the fleet.

No stranger to new

Phillips International is no stranger to new coaches, having switched 20 years ago from a strategy of steady fleet expansion with secondhand purchases, to a policy of acquiring one new coach every five years. It simultaneously slimmed down its operation to concentrate on its own tours and excursions, using a single full-size coach plus one minibus used for feeders.

It was a move that co-founder Alan Phillips readily accepts was a turning point in the firm’s fortunes, though it required Alan and Celia to commit to the bulk of the driving duties.

Although the latest vehicle, a Plaxton Elite-bodied Volvo B11R powered by a 430bhp engine coupled to an I-shift gearbox, continues that policy, its arrival follows a significant change in circumstances.

Bu hikaye routeONE magazine dergisinin 8 March 2017 - Issue 680 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye routeONE magazine dergisinin 8 March 2017 - Issue 680 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

ROUTEONE MAGAZINE DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Vehicle Parts and Accessories
routeONE magazine

Vehicle Parts and Accessories

Replacement parts will always be necessary, even for the most well maintained fleet.Consider investing in aftermarket accessories to reap the long-term benefits.

time-read
5 dak  |
8 March 2017 - Issue 680
Decker Is Cooking on Biogas as a First
routeONE magazine

Decker Is Cooking on Biogas as a First

Interest in biogas-fuelled buses has grown recently thanks to Scania and ADL’s partnership to develop the Enviro400 CBG. The first are with Reading Buses and we find out how they perform.

time-read
7 dak  |
8 March 2017 - Issue 680
Elite: One Coach That Satisfies Two Tasks
routeONE magazine

Elite: One Coach That Satisfies Two Tasks

Tim Deakin drives the first restyled Plaxton’s Elite of which Acklams Coaches took the first one to enter service.

time-read
7 dak  |
15 March 2017 - Issue 681
Real Life on Real City Buses
routeONE magazine

Real Life on Real City Buses

What’s it really like for everyday wheelchair users on buses? We make an undercover visit to Norwich to find out

time-read
5 dak  |
1 March 2017 - Issue 679
Get Your Ship in Shape
routeONE magazine

Get Your Ship in Shape

A change to the Ogden tables means that insurance premiums are rising by at least 10-15%. What can you do to protect yourself?

time-read
5 dak  |
15 March 2017 - Issue 681
Volvo Still Leader of the Pack
routeONE magazine

Volvo Still Leader of the Pack

Many small operators know the feeling of excitement that comes with the arrival of a new coach. With the 17-plate now here, one of the first to enter service is continuing a Staffordshire firm’s relationship with Volvo, its favoured supplier

time-read
4 dak  |
1 March 2017 - Issue 679
Now It's Your Turn
routeONE magazine

Now It's Your Turn

After almost four decades husband and wife team Alan and Celia Phillips are stepping aside to make room for the second generation.

time-read
4 dak  |
8 March 2017 - Issue 680