Enhanced Driver Safety Following Readygroup Acquisition

Following the acquisition of Readygroup by the Coach Travel Group (CTG), the business has undertaken a major transformation to enhance driver training, safety standards, and customer service across its London and Southeast operations. 

To lead the change on driver training, CTG London and Southeast appointed Simon Le Mar as Head of Training with the responsibility for Readybus Coaches, Turbo Style Coaches, CTG Stansted, Stewarts Coaches Horseman’s Coaches and the more recent acquisition The Kings Ferry Dover. Since stepping into the role, Simon has implemented a series of initiatives designed to professionalise driver development and operational standards across all depots. 

Recent progress includes the introduction of a new drug and alcohol programme with random testing, the rollout of an automated licence checking system through Licence Link and the delivery of First Aid at Work training to all operational staff. Simon has also introduced improved incident and handover reporting procedures and refreshed key training modules such as drivers’ hours and vehicle walkaround checks to ensure our Driver Induction program is up to date. 

A key milestone has been the establishment of Woodley as a dedicated training centre, now fully operational with classrooms and facilities for inductions, remedial sessions, theory training and CPC delivery. Alongside this, a digital training platform has been created to manage training records and compliance tracking across all depots. 

“Over the past few months, we’ve made great progress in building a structured, consistent approach to training across the region,” said Simon Le Mar, Head of Training for London and the Southeast. “I also spent valuable time getting to know my team, and without their efforts and support this would have been far more challenging. They’ve all been welcoming and very supportive, and together we’re creating a stronger, safer and more professional driving culture.” 

Looking ahead, Simon and his team are focused on launching a fully operational Training School by January 2026, ready to take candidates through their full licence journey. They will also continue refreshing outdated materials, developing comprehensive training records for every driver, and expanding training capacity to meet CTG’s growth. 

These developments mark an important step in Coach Travel Group’s ongoing commitment to investing in people, quality and service excellence across all its brands.