Bahrain Public Transport Company (BPTC) – a joint venture with National Express Group plc, has selected Freeway Fleet Systems to supply an IT system for managing the fleet.
The Freeway all-in-one system will be used to manage assets, maintenance, compliance, fuel and parts for the Bahrain Bus operation. Freeway will also be integrated with Navision accounting software and the Omnibus operations system to provide complete visibility to management and operations.
BPTC – or Bahrain Bus – runs 28 routes throughout Bahrain, serving more than a million passengers a month. It is a private joint venture between leading UK-based international transport provider National Express Group plc and Bahrain-based Ahmed Mansour Al Aali (AMA), the largest and longest-established contracting and construction group in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Bahrain Bus has responsibility for maintenance and upgrade of a fleet of more than 150 buses, related ticketing, destination and air-conditioning equipment as well as passenger terminal infrastructure. To manage the Company Asset Register, all Purchasing and Fleet and Fuel Management the company conducted a thorough procurement process.
‘We considered functionality, ease of use and cost,’ comments Hitesh Kotecha, Bahrain Bus IT Manager. “With Freeway, one of the key differentiators was ease of implementation and associated with that affordability. When we looked at all implementation needs and integration required it was clear that Freeway was a more immediate and cost-effective fit because it all works for a bus operator ‘out of the box’. The typical professional service fees for integration and the additional modules were just not required.”
Standard import templates have already been used to import Supplier Data, Fuel History, Parts History and Asset Register. Complimentary systems that Freeway is being integrated to include Navision Accounts and the Omnibus Passenger Transport Operations system.
Mark Herbert, Fleet Manager at Bahrain Bus has direct experience with Freeway, having installed the system in both London and Singapore, comments: “Bahrain Bus will be the third implementation of Freeway that I will be involved in. From the start it was clear that Freeway was designed with and for the bus industry and the system continually evolves to meet the needs of the industry. With the high level of support and service provided, Freeway ensures operators – wherever they are in the world – get the most from the software.”
