http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15164425.Ex_transport_minister_joins_Big_Lemon_Bus/
FORMER transport minister Norman Baker has joined The Big Lemon Bus to help bring environmentally-friendly public transport to the whole country.
The former Liberal Democrat MP has been named managing director of the Brighton-based bus firm founded by Green city councillor Tom Druitt in 2006.
Mr Druitt said the former Lewes MP would bring huge experience and extensive industry contacts to the role, freeing him up to establish similar community schemes around the country.
The company has a long-term ambition of bringing affordable, zero emission public transport to every community in the country by 2030.
Mr Baker was Lewes MP from 1997 to 2015, served as transport minister from 2010 to 2013 and was named Bus Users UK chairman six months after losing his seat.
Mr Druitt said: “Norman is clearly a very capable person with a huge amount of experience in the industry.
“We advertised the role and he applied for it. We wanted to have a rigorous recruitment process and it was very clear he was the right person for the job.
“He brings extensive contacts in the industry that will really help get the message out to people anywhere in the country.
“Norman was very clear that he didn’t want a role doing after-dinner speeches, he wanted to get stuck in and run the service day to day. It’s a very hands on role.”
The company is planning to go electric with a solar powered charging point at their Whitehawk depot thanks to a successful £25,000 crowdfunding campaign.
The charging point will be installed in the next three weeks and up and running at the end of next month.
One of the Big Lemon’s famous cooking oil fuelled buses has already been converted to electric with a second completed this month.
The buses are also being fitted out with wi-fi, usb charging points and more comfortable seating.
Mr Druitt said he was pleased that “peer pressure” had led to rival firm Brighton and Hove Buses trialling an electric vehicle this week.
He said the company would now look to set up new depots outside of the city with strong interest from Bristol, Totnes, Hertfordshire and Southampton.
Mr Druitt said: “I have been juggling two parts of the role over the last few years, balancing the day-to-day running of the organisation and the business development side in finding new technology and people to work with.
“This recruitment process was really to find the right person to take on management of the operation in Brighton and Hove so I can focus on building connections and getting the message out there.”
FORMER transport minister Norman Baker has joined The Big Lemon Bus to help bring environmentally-friendly public transport to the whole country.
The former Liberal Democrat MP has been named managing director of the Brighton-based bus firm founded by Green city councillor Tom Druitt in 2006.
Mr Druitt said the former Lewes MP would bring huge experience and extensive industry contacts to the role, freeing him up to establish similar community schemes around the country.
The company has a long-term ambition of bringing affordable, zero emission public transport to every community in the country by 2030.
Mr Baker was Lewes MP from 1997 to 2015, served as transport minister from 2010 to 2013 and was named Bus Users UK chairman six months after losing his seat.
Mr Druitt said: “Norman is clearly a very capable person with a huge amount of experience in the industry.
“We advertised the role and he applied for it. We wanted to have a rigorous recruitment process and it was very clear he was the right person for the job.
“He brings extensive contacts in the industry that will really help get the message out to people anywhere in the country.
“Norman was very clear that he didn’t want a role doing after-dinner speeches, he wanted to get stuck in and run the service day to day. It’s a very hands on role.”
The company is planning to go electric with a solar powered charging point at their Whitehawk depot thanks to a successful £25,000 crowdfunding campaign.
The charging point will be installed in the next three weeks and up and running at the end of next month.
One of the Big Lemon’s famous cooking oil fuelled buses has already been converted to electric with a second completed this month.
The buses are also being fitted out with wi-fi, usb charging points and more comfortable seating.
Mr Druitt said he was pleased that “peer pressure” had led to rival firm Brighton and Hove Buses trialling an electric vehicle this week.
He said the company would now look to set up new depots outside of the city with strong interest from Bristol, Totnes, Hertfordshire and Southampton.
Mr Druitt said: “I have been juggling two parts of the role over the last few years, balancing the day-to-day running of the organisation and the business development side in finding new technology and people to work with.
“This recruitment process was really to find the right person to take on management of the operation in Brighton and Hove so I can focus on building connections and getting the message out there.”
