HCT Group
Encyclopedia
HCT Group, owner of bus operator CT Plus, is a social enterprise
providing transport services and community services in London
and Yorkshire
. It was founded in 1982 as Hackney Community Transport in the London Borough
of Hackney
to provide transport services for local voluntary organisations, charities and community groups. HCT Group is registered in England and Wales
as a company limited by guarantee
(and has therefore no shareholders). The company is also a registered charity
.
The HCT Group started in 1982 and now has a turnover in excess of £28 million and employs over 700 people. In June 2011 it reinvested 37% of annual profits into local community services, its best performance to date. It's chief executive, Dai Powell, joined the social enterprise as a bus cleaner.
, 385, 388,394
, W5, W12, W13, LSP route 812 and school route 675. This depot is shared with Arriva London
.
operators with the following placings:
July 2009 results:
September 2010 results:
services supported by the Learning and Skills Council
and the London Development Agency
. The courses include bus driver
training, particularly for women; social care and management
.
has stated that he wants more social enterprises running public services as part of his "Big Society
".
HCT Group provides transport options for people who are unable to use mainstream
public transport because of age, sickness, disability
or poverty
. It also provides driver training programmes with the aim of reducing unemployment.
Charitable legal website Get Legal described HCT's corporate structure
as allowing HCT Group to "separate the risks associated with its business in different limited liability
vehicle
s. The social mission of each of those vehicles is protected (either through charitable status or through being CIC
s) which sends a clear message to the public that the organisation is a social enterprise.
HCT says it aims to "demonstrate and promote the social enterprise business model
as a highly effective and socially responsible mechanism", and that it maintains environmental
, health and safety and social policies
, and regularly measures its performance against these. Profit is seen by company CEO Dai Powell as enabling its social goals: "You have to be an enterprise first, because if you don’t make a profit, you can’t fulfil that social mission.". HCTs commercial services allowed it to invest 18 per cent of its annual profits into non-commercial community transport in 2007/08. Its mission was to increase this to 30 per cent in the subsequent five years.
HCT only competes for contracts that have high levels of accessibility
and quality in the specification. "HCT sees the provision of high-quality public services
as a goal in itself...and actively seeks user input into the design and delivery of all its services". The CEO claims "we don’t provide poor services for poor people – the quality has to be there”. HCT recruits volunteers to train people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities to use public transport independently.
West Yorkshire Metro noted that a community transport provider "...spends its surpluses on transport services in the community which are not commissioned from public bodies" but that "Commissioning from the sector can however carry risks...organisations can lack capability and professionalism and be over reliant on individuals leading to instability".
HCT Group is no more immune to labour relations problems than any other bus operator. The Socialist Worker
described HCT as "no friend of workers" and its workers as "some of the lowest paid drivers in London".
HCT Group prefers social enterprises and co-ops as business partner
s and supplier
s.
formed a pool of six vehicles with a grant from Hackney Borough Council to provide low cost van
and minibus
hire for local community groups and a door to door
alternative to public transport
for people with disabilities. The company's services were staffed by volunteers, but over the next decade a small group of paid staff built up to assist the volunteer workforce.
HCT gained a contract in 2001 from Transport for London
to operate London Buses route 153 under the brand
CT Plus, working from the Ash Grove Bus Garage
. The following year, they moved headquarters to Ash Grove, sharing the site with Arriva
. Contracts to operate routes 388 and 394
followed in 2003. The 388 was a new bus route from Hackney Wick to Mansion House (subsequently extended to Blackfriars and again to Embankment).
HCT Group received loan
s from London Rebuilding Society to finance its entry to the bus industry.
In 2004 HCT was contracted by EduAction to deliver 500 local special needs
children to school and back each day for London Borough of Waltham Forest
from a new depot in Leyton
.
In March 2006 HCT expanded outside London to run eight yellow
My bus school transport routes in and around Wakefield
for West Yorkshire Metro, a further seven runs added in September and three more in September 2007.
In July 2006 HCT merged with Lambeth and Southwark Community Transport.
On 1 October 2006 HCT began to operate the AccessBus service in Leeds
and in 2008, merged with Leeds Alternative Travel.
HCT took over the W13 red bus service previously run by Arriva
between Leytonstone bus station and Woodford Wells
on 10 March 2007.
In March 2009, HCT Group published its first Impact Report
In February 2010 CT Plus Yorkshire took over The Hull 701 Priory Park & Ride route, with the aim of investing any surplus from its park-and-ride operation to expand a local community transport service and to set up training for long-term unemployed people in Hull.
In February 2010, HCT Group raised £5m via a “social loan”.
By 2010 HCT had grown by over a hundredfold since 1993 – from a turnover of £202k to a turnover of £23.3m in 2009/10.
In May 2010, HCT celebrated the award of two further red London Buses
routes
s from providing commercial transport services, then to use these profits to provide community transport services for people unable to use mainstream transport. The two modes, public transport
and special need transport, are fully integrated under their model: "the investment in responsive community transport services is made possible by running the commercial activity well". The Financial Times
reported in 2010 that turnover
had "grown by about 25 per cent a year for the past eight years and is expected to top £20m in the year to March 31, 2010, when profits will be around £1m.". HCT's rapid growth is achieved by merging with smaller community transport organisations.
HCT Group CEO Dai Powell, in an article explaining the group's strategy, said the business aims to double in size every five or so years for the foreseeable future, seeing scale as ...crucial. The better we do commercially, the more we can do for the communities we serve as a social enterprise. The strategy is maximising the good that we do... to be as bold as a commercial firm, but to the benefit of our communities, not to the owners of capital
. It also has the advantage of keeping our social mission absolutely central to our approach. Powell contrasted this approach to that of many third sector organisations where risk
is to be mitigated at worst and eliminated at best. This is simply hopeless for rapid growth. He describes the process as ...so much more rewarding than spending your days "maximising shareholder value
", whatever that means.
Social enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
providing transport services and community services in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. It was founded in 1982 as Hackney Community Transport in the London Borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
to provide transport services for local voluntary organisations, charities and community groups. HCT Group is registered in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
as a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
(and has therefore no shareholders). The company is also a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
.
The HCT Group started in 1982 and now has a turnover in excess of £28 million and employs over 700 people. In June 2011 it reinvested 37% of annual profits into local community services, its best performance to date. It's chief executive, Dai Powell, joined the social enterprise as a bus cleaner.
London Buses services
- CT Plus operates 'red' bus routes in London for London BusesLondon BusesLondon Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
:
Ash Grove (HK)
This is CT Plus' only London depot, which operates routes 153, 212London Buses route 212
London Buses route 212 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to CT Plus.-History:...
, 385, 388,394
London Buses route 394
London Buses route 394 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to CT Plus.-History:...
, W5, W12, W13, LSP route 812 and school route 675. This depot is shared with Arriva London
Arriva London
Arriva London is a division of Arriva which operates bus services in London, UK. It is made up of many previous bus operators including previously independent Grey Green...
.
History
CT Plus have successfully gained the contract for route 309 and from 3 March 2012, they will be operating it from this garage.Bus types used
- Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Caetano NimbusCaetano NimbusThe Caetano Nimbus was a bus body built by Salvador Caetano in Waterlooville, Hampshire, England, between 1999 and 2007. It was constructed exclusively on the Dennis Dart SLF....
(HDC) for route 153 - Scania OmniCityScania OmniCityThe Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
10.6m (SD) for route 212 - Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
9.9m / East Lancs LolyneEast Lancs LolyneThe East Lancs Lolyne is a type of double-decker bus body built by East Lancashire Coachbuilders. It is the double-deck version of the Spryte. It continued the long line of 'misspelt' names which continued until the Scania OmniDekka. It was built on the Dennis Trident 2 chassis.Later on in its life...
(HTL) for route 388 - Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
9.9m / Plaxton PresidentPlaxton PresidentThe Plaxton President was a double-decker bus body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan, England and branded as a Plaxton product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under...
(HTP) for route 388 and 675. - Alexander Dennis Enviro400 9.9m / Darwen OlympusOptare OlympusThe Optare Olympus is a double-decker bus built by Optare...
(EO) for routes W13 - Dennis Dart SLF9.4m / Caetano SlimbusCaetano NimbusThe Caetano Nimbus was a bus body built by Salvador Caetano in Waterlooville, Hampshire, England, between 1999 and 2007. It was constructed exclusively on the Dennis Dart SLF....
(DCS) for route 394 - Alexander Dennis Enviro200DartAlexander Dennis Enviro200DartThe Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart is a midibus manufactured by Alexander Dennis for the British market as the successor of the Dart SLF chassis and Pointer body.-Design:...
9.4m (DAS) for route 394 - Optare SoloOptare SoloThe Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
7.8m (OS) for route W12 - Optare SoloOptare SoloThe Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
8.8m (OS) for route W5. - Alexander Dennis Enviro200DartAlexander Dennis Enviro200DartThe Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart is a midibus manufactured by Alexander Dennis for the British market as the successor of the Dart SLF chassis and Pointer body.-Design:...
10.2m / East Lancs Esteem (DE) for route W13 - Dennis Dart SLF 9.4m / Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (DPS) for route 385
- Bluebird Tucana / Volkswagen TransporterVolkswagen TransporterThe Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its fifth generation, refers to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide....
for LSP route 812 - Optare SoloOptare SoloThe Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
to be introduced on route 309 from February 2012.
Other (non London Buses) London services
- Special needs education transport services in Waltham Forest
- CoachCoach (vehicle)A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
and bus hire - Waltham Forest - Social services transport in Kensington and ChelseaRoyal Borough of Kensington and ChelseaThe Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
- Day Center & Special Educational Needs Transport in London Borough of LambethLondon Borough of LambethThe London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
- Special Educational Needs Transport in London Borough of SouthwarkLondon Borough of SouthwarkThe London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
Quality
CT Plus ranked among other small London BusesLondon Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
operators with the following placings:
July 2009 results:
- excess waiting time: second best
- long gaps: second best
- on-time: below average
- early running: second worst
- mileage operated: second best
September 2010 results:
- excess waiting time: second best
- long gaps: second-equal best
- on-time: second-worst
- early running: second worst
- mileage operated: second best
Outside London
- AccessBus in LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
- 'My bus' yellowSchool bus yellowSchool bus yellow is a color which was especially formulated for use on School buses in North America in 1939. The color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow and was originally called National School Bus Chrome. The pigment used for this color was, for...
-painted school busSchool busA school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es in West YorkshireWest YorkshireWest Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
for West Yorkshire Metro - Park and ridePark and ridePark and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
bus service in HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... - Brislington Park and Ride service in Bristol will be operated by CT Plus from 4 September 2011.
Community transport services
HCT operates:- accessible minibusMinibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es for community and voluntary groups - 'Capital Call' a door-to-door service provided by Private hire vehicles for users with mobility difficulties
- 'ScootAbility' mobility scooterMobility scooterA mobility scooter is a mobility aid equivalent to a wheelchair but configured like a motorscooter. It is often referred to as a power-operated vehicle/scooter or electric scooter as well.-Description:...
home delivery service - 'PlusBus' bus service for those who have difficulty accessing mainstream transport
- 'Door 2 Door' transport service provided by volunteers for HackneyLondon Borough of HackneyThe London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
residents - 'Integrated Transport Solutions' transport contract managementContract managementContract management or contract administration is the management of contracts made with customers, vendors, partners, or employees. Contract management includes negotiating the terms and conditions in contracts and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions, as well as documenting and...
service - 'YourCar' a door-to-door service for registered users with mobility difficulties in the London Boroughs of LambethLondon Borough of LambethThe London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
and SouthwarkLondon Borough of SouthwarkThe London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
Education and training
HCT provides educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
services supported by the Learning and Skills Council
Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
and the London Development Agency
London Development Agency
The London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency for Greater London, England. It is a functional body of the Greater London Authority...
. The courses include bus driver
Bus driver
A bus driver, bus operator or omnibus driver is a person who drives buses professionally. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus stations or stops. They often drop off and pick up passengers on a predetermined route schedule. In British English a different term, coach drivers, is...
training, particularly for women; social care and management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
.
Social enterprise and transport
The British government has promoted the delivery of public services by not for profit organisations (the third sector). British prime minister David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
has stated that he wants more social enterprises running public services as part of his "Big Society
Big Society
The Big Society was the flagship policy idea of the 2010 UK Conservative Party general election manifesto. It now forms part of the legislative programme of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement. The aim is "to create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building...
".
HCT Group provides transport options for people who are unable to use mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
public transport because of age, sickness, disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
or poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. It also provides driver training programmes with the aim of reducing unemployment.
Charitable legal website Get Legal described HCT's corporate structure
Corporate structure
Corporate structure consists of various departments that contribute to the company's overall mission and goals. The Marketing Department is considered by some business professionals as the most important entity in the corporate structure. Without this department, sales or new customers can not be...
as allowing HCT Group to "separate the risks associated with its business in different limited liability
Limited liability
Limited liability is a concept where by a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership with limited liability. If a company with limited liability is sued, then the plaintiffs are suing the company, not its...
vehicle
Legal personality
Legal personality is the characteristic of a non-human entity regarded by law to have the status of a person....
s. The social mission of each of those vehicles is protected (either through charitable status or through being CIC
Community interest company
A community interest company is a new type of company introduced by the United Kingdom government in 2005 under the Companies Act 2004, designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good...
s) which sends a clear message to the public that the organisation is a social enterprise.
HCT says it aims to "demonstrate and promote the social enterprise business model
Business model
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value...
as a highly effective and socially responsible mechanism", and that it maintains environmental
Environmental policy
Environmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
, health and safety and social policies
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
, and regularly measures its performance against these. Profit is seen by company CEO Dai Powell as enabling its social goals: "You have to be an enterprise first, because if you don’t make a profit, you can’t fulfil that social mission.". HCTs commercial services allowed it to invest 18 per cent of its annual profits into non-commercial community transport in 2007/08. Its mission was to increase this to 30 per cent in the subsequent five years.
HCT only competes for contracts that have high levels of accessibility
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
and quality in the specification. "HCT sees the provision of high-quality public services
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
as a goal in itself...and actively seeks user input into the design and delivery of all its services". The CEO claims "we don’t provide poor services for poor people – the quality has to be there”. HCT recruits volunteers to train people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities to use public transport independently.
West Yorkshire Metro noted that a community transport provider "...spends its surpluses on transport services in the community which are not commissioned from public bodies" but that "Commissioning from the sector can however carry risks...organisations can lack capability and professionalism and be over reliant on individuals leading to instability".
HCT Group is no more immune to labour relations problems than any other bus operator. The Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
described HCT as "no friend of workers" and its workers as "some of the lowest paid drivers in London".
HCT Group prefers social enterprises and co-ops as business partner
Business partner
Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...
s and supplier
Supplier
Supplier may refer to:*Manufacturer, uses tools and labor to make things for sale*Processor , converts a product from one form to another*Packager , encloses products for distribution, storage, sale, and use...
s.
History
Hackney Community Transport was established in 1982 when 30 community groups in the London Borough of HackneyLondon Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
formed a pool of six vehicles with a grant from Hackney Borough Council to provide low cost van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
and minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
hire for local community groups and a door to door
Door to Door
Door To Door is the sixth studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released in 1987. The album was the band's last studio album before their 1988 disbanding....
alternative to public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
for people with disabilities. The company's services were staffed by volunteers, but over the next decade a small group of paid staff built up to assist the volunteer workforce.
HCT gained a contract in 2001 from Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
to operate London Buses route 153 under the brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
CT Plus, working from the Ash Grove Bus Garage
Ash Grove Bus Garage
Ash Grove Bus Garage is a bus garage in Hackney, east London. It is located on the A107 Mare Street, where it crosses the Regent's Canal. The depot is occupied by two companies, CT Plus and Arriva London, and holds around 30 buses. Opened in 1981 by London Buses, it was closed in 1991 following the...
. The following year, they moved headquarters to Ash Grove, sharing the site with Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
. Contracts to operate routes 388 and 394
London Buses route 394
London Buses route 394 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to CT Plus.-History:...
followed in 2003. The 388 was a new bus route from Hackney Wick to Mansion House (subsequently extended to Blackfriars and again to Embankment).
HCT Group received loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s from London Rebuilding Society to finance its entry to the bus industry.
In 2004 HCT was contracted by EduAction to deliver 500 local special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
children to school and back each day for London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...
from a new depot in Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
.
In March 2006 HCT expanded outside London to run eight yellow
School bus yellow
School bus yellow is a color which was especially formulated for use on School buses in North America in 1939. The color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow and was originally called National School Bus Chrome. The pigment used for this color was, for...
My bus school transport routes in and around Wakefield
City of Wakefield
The City of Wakefield is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. Wakefield is the district's administrative centre. The district includes the "Five Towns" of Normanton, Pontefract, Featherstone, Castleford and Knottingley. Other...
for West Yorkshire Metro, a further seven runs added in September and three more in September 2007.
In July 2006 HCT merged with Lambeth and Southwark Community Transport.
On 1 October 2006 HCT began to operate the AccessBus service in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and in 2008, merged with Leeds Alternative Travel.
HCT took over the W13 red bus service previously run by Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
between Leytonstone bus station and Woodford Wells
Woodford Wells
Woodford Wells is an old hamlet now part of the northern suburbs of London, England in the district of Woodford, about north of Woodford Green and on the edge of Epping Forest. The name is first shown on a map in 1805, and refers to mineral water wells...
on 10 March 2007.
In March 2009, HCT Group published its first Impact Report
In February 2010 CT Plus Yorkshire took over The Hull 701 Priory Park & Ride route, with the aim of investing any surplus from its park-and-ride operation to expand a local community transport service and to set up training for long-term unemployed people in Hull.
In February 2010, HCT Group raised £5m via a “social loan”.
By 2010 HCT had grown by over a hundredfold since 1993 – from a turnover of £202k to a turnover of £23.3m in 2009/10.
In May 2010, HCT celebrated the award of two further red London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
routes
Corporate strategy
HCT Group's corporate strategy is to generate profitProfit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
s from providing commercial transport services, then to use these profits to provide community transport services for people unable to use mainstream transport. The two modes, public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
and special need transport, are fully integrated under their model: "the investment in responsive community transport services is made possible by running the commercial activity well". The Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
reported in 2010 that turnover
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
had "grown by about 25 per cent a year for the past eight years and is expected to top £20m in the year to March 31, 2010, when profits will be around £1m.". HCT's rapid growth is achieved by merging with smaller community transport organisations.
HCT Group CEO Dai Powell, in an article explaining the group's strategy, said the business aims to double in size every five or so years for the foreseeable future, seeing scale as ...crucial. The better we do commercially, the more we can do for the communities we serve as a social enterprise. The strategy is maximising the good that we do... to be as bold as a commercial firm, but to the benefit of our communities, not to the owners of capital
Capital (economics)
In economics, capital, capital goods, or real capital refers to already-produced durable goods used in production of goods or services. The capital goods are not significantly consumed, though they may depreciate in the production process...
. It also has the advantage of keeping our social mission absolutely central to our approach. Powell contrasted this approach to that of many third sector organisations where risk
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
is to be mitigated at worst and eliminated at best. This is simply hopeless for rapid growth. He describes the process as ...so much more rewarding than spending your days "maximising shareholder value
Shareholder value
Shareholder value is a business term, sometimes phrased as shareholder value maximization or as the shareholder value model, which implies that the ultimate measure of a company's success is the extent to which it enriches shareholders...
", whatever that means.
External links
- www.hctgroup.org HCT Group website
- London Bus Routes Zenfolio
- www.lascot.com Lambeth & Southwark Community Transport website