BIC handed out its annual bus industry awards at its National Conference this week
The passionate pursuit of careers in the bus industry were showcased this week with the selection of the individual winners in the 2022 Bus Industry Confederation Awards.
Jessica Kane, a third generation team member at Kane’s Buses, was awarded the Achiever Award, sponsored by Sura Australian Bus and Coach.
Kane’s grandparent’s Lynette Marie Kane and John Leo started their business in Henty more than 50 years ago. Her father Dennis and his brothers Patrick and Peter now run it, and Jessica, who recently completed a Master of Commerce degree, is the Administration Manager.
Now in her mid-20s, Jessica is credited with integrating complex technical systems into the family business which her nominators said had moved the business “to the next level and beyond the old pen and paper systems”.
Kane told the crowd at the conference that she while she had grown up around the bus industry, the real reason she had decided to become part of it was because of her dad, Dennis.
“I’m proud to be a young female in this industry,” Kane says. “We’re very much under-represented. It’s a great industry to be a part of”.
Other Achiever Award nominees included: Kylie Pert of Brisbane Minibus Charter; Ben Doolan of Australian Transit Group; Stuart Locke of Seymour Coaches; Fiona Gregory of Gregory Omnibuses; Grant Hickey of Grant Hickey Mechanics; and Mark McKenzie of Transdev Queensland.
The 2022 Supplier Award, sponsored by the Bus Industry Confederation, went to Kevin Fielding of Hino Bus.
Fielding has spent his life working in the industry, starting out as an apprentice mechanic in Mt Gambier, South Australian in 1966.
He’s been at Hino since 1998 and is well known among the bus fraternity having actively participating in numerous state associations and seminars over the years and supported the Bus Industry Confederation, BusNSW, BusVIC, BusTAS, BusSA and QBIC.
RELATED ARTICLE: BIC Conference kicks off in Brisbane
Accepting his award on the day, Fielding thanked the industry for their support.
Businsure was the other entity nominated in the 2022 Supplier Award category.
 |
|
Hino’s Kevin Fielding with the Supplier of the Year award
|
The 2022 Safety Award, sponsored by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, garnered two entrants – Metro Tasmania and Transdev NSW, with Transdev NSW taking the win on the day.
Transdev NSW recently reported an 80 per cent reduction in lost time injuries, a 69 per cent reduction in lost time injury frequency rate, 57 per cent reduction in assaults o drivers and a HVIS pass rate of 99.89 per cent in 2021.
The 2022 Environment and Innovation Award, sponsored by the Bus Industry Confederation, attracted six nominees – Murray’s Coaches, Busways, Bus Stop Sales and Service, CDC Queensland, Electomotive and Kinetic.
The Award for 2022 went to Busways – a 2021 Australian Business Awards winner with environmental certification and credentials stretching back to June 2016.
Key innovations from Busways was noted on the day, including the trial of one of the first electric buses in regional NSW, the trial of the first fully automated shuttle bus in Australia, the implementation of an On Demand bus service in Western Sydney providing first and last mile transport for more than 350,000 passengers and the digital transformation of 20 of its depots to become Smart Depots.
The last award announced on the day was the Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by the Bus Industry Confederation, which went to Trevor O’Brien of Scania Bus and Power Systems.
O’Brien has been working with Scania for more than 40 years, having joined the company in 1982 after two years with Cummins training as an apprentice diesel technician.
His nomination noted his active involvement in the Supplier Council for BIC, and the launch of electric-hybrid Scania buses, starting at McHarry’s in Geelong, Victoria.
“Trevor is recognised by his peers as having made significant contributions to the industry including being responsible for driving changes in the way the industry approached emissions, safety and technology, pressing ahead with innovation to bring new systems and features to bus operators in the public and private operator markets,” his nomination said.
Other nominees in this category included: Shane Dewsbury, Tassielink Transit; Tony Hopkins, CDC Queensland; and Peter Dwyer from Piper Alderman.
Aside from the adulation of their peers, the winners this year received a certificate, a hand-crafted blown glass vessel, presented as a trophy, by Queensland glass artist Joanna Bone, and a handmade Ferdinand’s Fraq Husque bowl made from recycled macadamia nut shells by Queensland designer Marc Harrison.
The Awards were held on day two of the three-day 2022 BIC National Conference: Moving People > Navigating Change, held at the Sofitel in Brisbane from November 14 to 16.