HCT Group

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.

In 2007, HCT employed 450 people at seven sites in London and West Yorkshire with turnover of £17m.

CT Plus
CT Plus is HCT Group's brand for bus transport services. CT Plus services include :


 * 'Red' bus routes in London:
 * London Buses route 153
 * London Buses route 388
 * London Buses route 212
 * London Buses route 385
 * London Buses route 394
 * London Buses route W5 (from 5 February 2011)
 * London Buses route W12
 * London Buses route W13
 * London Buses route 675

Bus type used for TfL services
 * Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m/Caetano Nimbus (HDC) for TfL route - 153
 * Scania OmniCity 10.6m (SD) for TfL route - 212
 * Dennis Trident 2 9.9m/East Lancs Lolyne (HTL) for TfL route - 388
 * Dennis Trident 2 9.9m/Plaxton President (HTP) for TFL route - 388 and 675.
 * Alexander Dennis Enviro400 9.9m/Optare Olympus for TfL routes - W13
 * Dennis Dart SLF9.4m/Caetano Slimbus (DCS) for TfL route - 394
 * Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart 9.4m (DAS) for TfL route - 394
 * Optare Solo (OS) for TfL route - W12
 * Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart/East Lancs Esteem (DE) for TfL route - W13
 * Dennis Dart SLF 9.4m/Alexander Dennis Pointer 2 (DPS) for TFL route - 385


 * London Service Permit route in east London:
 * Plus Bus route 812
 * Special needs education transport services in Waltham Forest
 * Social services transport in Kensington and Chelsea
 * AccessBus in Leeds
 * Yellow school bus services in West Yorkshire

CT Plus won a contract to operate a park and ride bus service in Hull in September 2009.

In the quarter ending June 2009, CT Plus ranked among other small London Buses operators with the following placings :
 * excess waiting time: second best
 * long gaps: second best
 * on-time: below average
 * early running: second worst
 * mileage operated: second best

Community transport services
HCT operates :
 * accessible minibuses for community and voluntary groups
 * 'Capital Call' a door-to-door service provided by Private hire vehicles for users with mobility difficulties
 * 'ScootAbility' mobility scooter home delivery service
 * 'PlusBus' bus service for those who have difficulty accessing mainstream transport
 * 'Door 2 Door' transport service provided by volunteers for Hackney residents
 * 'Integrated Transport Solutions' transport contract management service

Social enterprise and transport


The British government has promoted the delivery of public services by not for profit organisations (the third sector).

HCT Group's corporate strategy is to generate profits 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".

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."

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 [community transport] 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.

History


Hackney Community Transport was established in 1982 when 30 community groups in the London Borough of Hackney 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 loans 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 2010 CT Plus Yorkshire Will Take Over The Hull 701 Priory Park & Ride Route

Source

 * group website