Llew Jones, a family-run bus and coach operator based in North Wales, has invested in vehicle CCTV telematics solutions to drive efficiencies across its operation while ensuring better protection for both passengers and drivers.
In doing so it has consulted with its long-standing fleet camera and telematics partner for over 10 years, Centrad, which has a strong track record in delivering innovative safety and fleet management solutions to the bus and coach sector.
Following the expiry of their initial vehicle GPS tracking contract with their previous supplier, Llew Jones enlisted the help of Centrad, which had already supplied standalone camera systems. With Centrad’s assistance the North Wales coach operator was able to upgrade its existing hardware to feature live functionality into their camera systems, combining cameras and tracking into one seamless solution.
By upgrading the existing hardware to include real-time viewing, GPS tracking, video playback and download, Centrad delivered an enhanced, cost-effective solution that has allowed Llew Jones to strengthen its commitment to passenger safety, protect its drivers, and improve accountability on the road.
As passenger safety becomes an ever-growing priority within the coach industry, the role of advanced camera systems has become indispensable to operators to ensure the protection of passengers, drivers, and other road users.
Through Centrad’s live solutions, Llew Jones is able to track boarding and disembarking of each passenger and allows for immediate access to video evidence in the event of incidents, helping to resolve disputes quickly and efficiently.
James Hadley, Business Manager at Llew Jones commented: “The emergence of stricter safeguarding measures in recent years, particularly for passengers who are young, vulnerable, or elderly, has rightly placed greater expectations on coach operators to prioritise safety and ensure the well-being of these individuals at every stage of their journey from the moment they step foot on a coach to the moment they step off.”
“In the event of a rare incident involving our vehicles, drivers, or passengers, we now have the advantage of accessing footage in real-time that serves as an impartial and accurate eyewitness. This capability has been invaluable, preventing situations where, without this evidence, we might have been unfairly held liable for claims that would have potentially cost us tens of thousands of pounds.
“This was especially problematic with traditional DVR systems, as if an incident occurred involving one our touring coaches in Europe, this would result in lengthy delays in retrieving the
necessary footage – sometimes extending into the weeks – however the ability to access footage instantly allows us to expedite the claims process significantly, saving on time, stress and cost.”
James continued: “The fact that we were able to upgrade existing hardware without having to rip everything out and start again was a significant draw to us opting to move over to add 4G to our camera systems. This allowed for live viewing, including the benefit of vehicle tracking. Not only are we benefitting from cutting edge technology, but we are actually saving money by adopting it.”
Underpinning this is Centrad’s cutting-edge fleet management platform, Centrad Live, which Llew Jones utilises to monitor its fleet with full live, remote access to video footage.
Llew Jones, which has over 50 years’ experience in the industry, adopted Centrad Live as it not only needed a solution that enabled users to live stream camera footage directly from the vehicle but also provided the ability to remotely access and download historic video footage through 4G connectivity if required.
With the company operating a fleet of around 45 vehicles delivering services such as home-to-school transport, local service routes, private hire, and comprehensive UK and European tour operations, the need for a solution that was able to monitor its fleet in real time with GPS tracking was similarly crucial as it enabled the business to see where their vehicles were at anytime, anywhere.
Alongside this, Centrad Live’s health check function which monitors key aspects of a vehicle’s performance and condition in real-time was particularly crucial in this regard. With Llew Jones previously relying on staff to report issues, or on manual checks during routine services and inspections, any irregularities or issues are automatically detected and trigger instant notifications, allowing the team to address problems promptly – reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns ensures the fleet remains operational with minimal disruption.
“The ability to track and monitor our fleet in real time through a single dashboard means we always know where our vehicles are at any given time”, James added.
“Previously, accessing video footage was a time-consuming process. We would have to wait for a vehicle to return to our site, where someone would need to be present to manually remove the hard drive, replace it with a new one, and then download and review the footage – a process that could potentially take weeks if the vehicle in question was away on tour. Now we have Centrad Live, we can access video footage instantly on demand, ensuring incidents are resolved faster and manage our fleet more efficiently.
“This level of visibility gives us total peace of mind as we know that if a delay or incident arises, we can act quickly to resolve it, minimising disruption for passengers and our operation. In many ways it’s become crucial to the day-to-day running of our fleet. Credit has to go out to Centrad as they have become an indispensable partner over the past 10 years and have gone above and beyond to understanding our requirements and delivering on them. They very much fit into our ethos here at Llew Jones by providing that quality service without losing the personal touch, which is one of the core factors behind our relationship spanning for so long.”
