Safeguard Cracks Open The Bubbly As It Launches Its New Sunday Service

Published on: 11 Jan, 2016
Updated on: 11 Jan, 2016

Safeguard Coaches launched its new Sunday service from the town centre to the Royal Surrey County Hospital via Guildford Park, plus other extra journeys and reduced weekly and monthy fares, at an event on Friday (January 9).

Pictured at the launch, from left, Safeguard’s managing director Andrew Halliday, Dray Court resident Joyce Steer, MP Anne Milton and the Mayor of Guildford, Nikki Nelson-Smith.

Andrew Halliday, Safeguard’s managing director, told The Guildford Dragon NEWS: “We currently carry 800,00 passengers a year and we aim to raise that to one million.”

Guildford MP Anne Milton; the mayor, Nikki Nelson-Smith; councillors; supportors and friends of the bus company attended the launch outside Dray Court sheltered housing with some of the residents invited too. They all toasted Safeguard with a glass of bubbly.

Raising a glass to Safeguard Coaches.

In a speech, Mr Halliday outlined the changes Safeguard has introduced: that include the new Sunday service, the first on that route for 28 years; Park Barn to benefit from six buses every hour on Sundays compared to the previous three; additional weekday peak-time journeys, along with earlier journeys, particularly on Sundays.

The firm, which recently won Gold and Bronze at the UK Bus Awards, is reducing the price of weekly and monthly tickets bought online to as little as £10. Child and short journey fares will also be reduced, with a new 10-trip saver ticket launched.

Clutching one of his firm’s precious awards, Mr Halliday spoke about traffic congention in Guildford and said Safeguard hopes to play its part by encouraging more people to travel by bus. He acknowledged that some people will, of course, still want to use their cars, or cannot travel by bus, but their journeys will in turn be helped by those who do use buses.

Anne Milton MP at the launch event.

MP Anne Milton thanked family owned Safeguard Coaches for its service to the people of Guildford.

The new Sunday service (that came into effect on January 10) was, in part, initiated by some residents of Dray Court who had noted the lack of buses through Guildford Park on Sundays.

One of the residents, Joyce Steer, who has lived there for eight years said: “Dray Court is a wonderful place and we are all looked after very well. We will benefit from the new bus service. It will be lovely to use the buses, especially to get out and about when summer’s here.”

A number of people ‘behind the scenes’ got the idea ‘moving’, one of them being alderman Bernard Parke. The Dragon knows he is very modest about the role he played, saying it was just a small one. And we respect his modesty.

In a letter to the Dragon, Mr Parke writes: “I was privileged to attend the launch of the new Safeguard service which will allow Guildfordians greater freedom of travel.

“In the past, many residents, especially those who are advanced in years, have found it difficult to visit friends and relatives who have unfortunately had to go into hospital. This new service will also help relieve the financial pressure and trauma of parking in the hospital car park.

“Safeguard Coaches has served us here for 90 years. It has survived by listening to the needs of the people it has served and has acted accordingly. By doing so it has gone from strength to strength – a lesson many should learn from.”

Click here for Safeguard Coaches’ website and details of all its services.

Safeguard’s beautifully restored 44-seater 1950s heritage bus was on diplay at the launch. You won’t see it on the new route, but it can be hired for weddings or other special occasions!

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