February 2016 saw Linburg and Miki Travel strengthen their two-year old working relationship, with the signing of a new Contract calling for two of Linburgs Van Hool tour-coaches to be allocated to Miki’s UK Incoming Tourist Services for the 2016 season.

Linburg Director, John Hadaway commented “Miki Travel is world-renowned for it’s vast portfolio of travel products. Founded in 1967, it now has travel products in 173 Countries, all supported from 41 Miki Travel offices worldwide. Having worked with Miki for two years, I am delighted that they have recognised the commitment and experience of our drivers and management team as well as the quality of our Van Hool coach fleet. This has given them the confidence to entrust more of their business with Linburg, for which I am hugely grateful”.

As part of Linburg’s drive to meet demand from new and existing customers for it’s professional coach hire services, during 2015 it asked the Industry Regulator, the Traffic Commissioner, to give consideration to increasing the total number of vehicles that it was permitted to operate by around 20%.

The Traffic Commissioners staff requested and looked in great detail at information relating to all aspects of Linburg’s operation including vehicle & driver scheduling, vehicle engineering and the Company’s financial strength, before granting the application in full. Linburg General Manager, Sarah Hollis commented “It’s very pleasing indeed to see that the Traffic Commissioner and their staff look in such depth at such applications in order to ensure they only grant those where the Operators meet their very high standards. We’re very grateful to them for the time that they have spent on this. We’re looking forward to using the additional capacity to meet increased demand for our services in 2016 and beyond”.

Linburg Coach Hire has been greatly saddened by the news of the death of coach driver Robert Denton on Sunday 17 January 2016 after a long and brave fight with lung disease that he first contracted whilst working as a Croupier in Sun City in the 1970’s.

Known to Linburg Director, John Hadaway, since they met as employees of Carnell Tours in 1986, Robert’s intelligence, wicked sense of humour, exceptional abilities as a driver and navigator throughout Europe and as a “people-person”, made him extremely popular with clients, passengers and employers, as well as very many women who he met on his travels.

In this Season of Goodwill, it is the turn of Tripod the Cat, the three-legged Head of Pest Control based at Linburg’s Derby depot, to choose the charities to which Linburg make their Christmas donations.

Tripod has worked for Linburg for a number of years, having hopped-in one day in search of work. “We discussed the possibilities and negotiated Contract Terms over a bowl of Tuna & Prawn” recalled Linburg Director, John Hadaway. Tripod has never looked back, initially taking on a part-time pest control role and working his way up to be Head of Pest Control of the entire Company. “He’s a real team player” John continued, “He literally lives at work and always has his paw on the pulse of what’s going on. He’s become the right-hand man – or perhaps I should say the left-paw cat – of Jamie Launder, the Operations Manager in Derby. They’re almost inseparable. In fact, when the depot suffered a small fire recently, everyone was evacuated but when Jamie realised that Tripod was unaccounted for, without giving a thought for the correct procedure, Jamie went straight back into the building to ensure his three-pawed pal was safe. They’re a proper team but I do wish Tripod wouldn’t insist on coming to work every day dressed in the colours of his favourite football team…”

Tripod purred “Not every cat is lucky enough to have a job like mine, so we’re going to give a little support to Cats Protection. I’ve lost a leg and I found it difficult for a while, so I want us to show our support and appreciation for the many soldiers and former-soldiers who have given so much for our Nation. We’re going to give a little support to Style for Soldiers and to Help for Heroes”.
Here are links to Tripod’s chosen charities:

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/
https://www.emmawillis.com/style-for-soldiers/
http://www.cats.org.uk/

To meet demand from Travel-Trade clients who need to transport large groups in luxury over long distances, Linburg has further extended the range of coaches available for hire from both it’s Derby and Sheffield depots by adding a luxury double-decker option.

Linburg General Manager, Sarah Hollis officially launched the new service this week. “In between Travel-Trade commitments, we hope to be able to offer the luxury double-deck coach option to our many Private Hire customers. We’ve continued our standardisation on Van Hool coaches, as the quality, reliability and safety standards are second to none. With up to 79 reclining seats, air-conditioning, on-board WC/washroom, hot & cold drinks facility, double-glazing and central-heating, this is a great way for large groups to travel over long-distances. It also means that we can now also offer DDA-compliant wheelchair access too!” commented Sarah at the Official Launch.

If you’d like to enquire about the possibility of hiring the Linburg luxury double-deck service for your group, contact the Coach Hire Team at sales@linburg.co.uk

August saw Linburg’s Sheffield Operation undergo the most rigorous audit of its staff training, vehicle maintenance, operations and safety systems it has ever encountered in the company’s history.

Industry-renowned and highly respected specialist Compliance Auditors, Lloyd Morgan, went through the entire operation with a “fine-tooth comb”, scrutinising staff training, drivers’ hours of work, rostering, vehicle engineering plus record-keeping and system. In fact they put Linburg “through the ringer” in every aspect of their operation.

As part of the one-year agreement, Linburg have signed up to be Derby’s official Roadrider provider for the upcoming campaign.

They will also sponsor Derby’s ‘team line-up’ on matchdays, as well as advertising their company to customers through the internal and external digital screens at the iPro Stadium.

Their brand will also be featured on Roadrider tickets and also in the matchday programme, The Ram.

Sunday 12 July 2015 will see Linburg Coach Hire lend a little support to Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield and it’s “Run in the Park” for the third consecutive year.

Linburg Director, John Hadaway said “Sadly cancer touches the lives of so many of us these days so I’m really pleased that here at Linburg Coach Hire we will be providing a complementary Shuttle Bus Service for runners taking part in Weston Park Hospital’s Cancer Charity ‘Run in the Park’ which is being held on July 12. It’s what we do; It’s what we’re good at, so we had no hesitation in making this offer and we will continue to do so for as many years as we are needed and are able to do so. John went on to say “I know from personal experience what the amazing people at Weston Park do and I know they’re incredibly good at it. I will forever be in their debt, so perhaps our Shuttle Buses will in their way take a tiny, tiny step towards settling that debt and so aid the Hospital in caring for others.”

Here’s a useful link if you want to get involved: Weston Park Hospital – Cancer Charity

The fourth VDL-powered Van Hool coach to join the Linburg coach hire fleet in recent months is this TX15 Alicron. Destined to carry passengers of Linburg’s Private Hire & Travel-Trade customers, in common with it’s sister vehicles it features air-cushioned suspension, 49 comfortable Van Hool reclining seats, double-glazing, multi-screen DVD, full climate-control including Sutrak air-conditioning, hot and cold drinks facilities and on-board washroom.

Asiya Khanom of Linburg’s Coach Hire Department commented “Before committing to the Van Hool product, the Company did consider cheaper alternatives, but I’m pleased to say that they opted for the highest quality product once again. This maintains our standardisation on VDL/Van Hool coaches. I’m so pleased as I know that both our passengers and our drivers deserve the very best environment in which to travel. Business is understandably brisk, but we still have availability for coach hire this year, so I look forward to hearing from customers, both old and new, so that I can assist them with their travel arrangements”.

With a fleet of coaches and buses operating across Britain and Europe from various depots, Linburg’s unfailing drive for excellence in its vehicle maintenance and engineering functions has led it to invest in the “Truckfile” Fleet Management IT System, a web-based system that keeps drivers, Operations and Engineering Departments updated in real-time about vehicle maintenance status. Maintenance Systems, planning and records are visible on-line to all key personnel, with drivers and technicians able to update vehicle status from any location, no matter how remote and no matter what hour of the day or night, so long as there is wifi available.

“I have worked with various Systems but this one is incredible” was the judgement of Linburg Fleet Engineer, Mark Paulson. “The time invested in set-up and the cost of hardware is significant, but I have no doubt that our drivers and most of all, our passengers are very definitely worth it. There is no better way of planning and controlling the Vehicle Maintenance” Mark added.

https://www.truckfile.co.uk/