The Big Lemon just got BIGGER!

The Big Lemon just got bigger!

In a fantastic result, The Big Lemon has won almost all the bus routes being tendered by Brighton and Hove Council. This means as well as the 52, local residents will soon be able to catch a Big Lemon bus on routes 16, 47, 56, 57 and 66.

This is a great vote of confidence from the council and is the result of 10 years’ hard work by Tom Druitt and the team, the wonderful friendliness of our drivers, and the environmental and passenger-centred vision we put forward in our bid.

The new services are due to begin on 17th September and there is now a huge amount to do to get ready. We need to recruit lots of drivers and train them.  We need to get lots more buses, get them painted and equipped with everything from ticket machines to GPS equipment. We need to carve out lots more depot space.  And the rest.

The contract with the council is for four years, with an option for them to extend it for a further four years. So for the first time this gives us a significant guaranteed income stream for years into the future, which in turn puts us in a good position to think about expanding further.

As for the buses, we are naturally keen to ensure we extend our fleet of electric buses. Not only is this the right thing to do for the environment, our first two solar powered buses are now out on Route 52, and proving hugely popular with passengers. They are a great advert for bus travel generally.  They will be joined in due course by three brand new electric buses, funding for which is partly coming from the Department for Transport.

So great news, and a really exciting time for us. There is no doubt that the future is bright, the future is lemon.

 

Norman Baker, MD


Join the team!

Join the award winning Big Lemon team: winners of The Award for Best Place to Work in Brighton & Hove at the Brighton & Hove Business Awards in 2016.

We’re a small family-like business that has many employee benefits:

  • a workplace pension scheme
  • full uniform
  • staff bus pass valid on the whole city network
  • staff fund & social activities
  • free lunches
  • have a say on how the company is run
  • more tea that you could ever desire
  • relaxed family feel working environment
  • Transport Benevolent Fund membership

Salary: £11.10 per hour starting salary, rising to £11.50 after 3 months

Hours: 39 hour per week – overtime available

Please download a Driver Application Form and email it to us here.

Want to Invest in the UK’s greenest bus company?

More routes = more buses!  We are putting together an investment offer which we will launch in October and to get in touch if you want to be the first to hear about it!

The Big Lemon in Pictures…..

Follow us on Instagram (thebiglem0n) and tag us in your #thebiglemon adventures.  We love our customers and we’d love to see your smiling faces on our buses and coaches!

And last but not least we’re very proud to supporting and transporting Brighton & Hove Business Awards finalists to Stanmer House for the awards ceremony on 14th September.  Good luck everyone!

 

 

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