Red light for Go-Ahead
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• Tyneside bus company GoAhead Northern, which hit the headlines last week over fears of 350 job losses, has received another blow with the termination of its non-emergency ambulance service contract for the Northern Regional Health Authority.
The health authority says the termination which comes after just a year, "implies no criticism at all of Go-Ahead Northern". The service, which was expected to run for three years, was due for an annual review in June. Go-Ahead Northern will be invited to submit a tender for the new contract. "We want to offer an improved value-for-money service to the people of Tyne and Wear," says a spokesman for the health authority. She added that Go-Ahead Northern had introduced an unscheduled price increase during its running of the service "which we had not budgeted for".
Go-Ahead Northern managing director Martin Ballinger said he was "gobsmacked" by the ending of the contract. He agreed that budget considera tions might be behind the revision "but we're certainly not making a fortune on it and I can't really see that our rates fall."
The contract is serviced by 19 minibuses, mainly secondhand, and 40 staff who have been specially trained in firstaid and how to handle outpatients "who are mainly frail and elderly".
Ballinger says he and the staff are "pretty confident" of winning the new contract: "The health authority has told us they have been satisified with our service and even Kenneth Clark has praised us." 0 Go-Ahead Northern is hoping to encourage visitors to the Gateshead National Garden Festival to leave their cars at home by providing a range of shuttle services and a free travel offer.
It has teamed up with Busways, Northumbria and United to offer inclusive tickets to the festival and free travel from any part of the North-East, North of Durham and Easington. Passengers from South of Durham have to pay a 21.50 supplement.