AN ENTERPRISE between a North-East bus company and a transport scheme has earned a regional award for improvements made to services in the area.

Arriva North-East and the Tees Valley Bus Network Improvements scheme (TVBNI) earned the Transport Team of the Year award at the inaugural North of England Transport Awards.

Judges voted the partnership as the best in its category that featured entries from local authorities and public and private transport organisations based across the North.

Nick Knox, Arriva North-East’s area managing director, said: “It’s an amazing feeling to be recognised for all the hard work the local authorities and Arriva have put into the region.

“Striving to provide a good quality of service is in our DNA, and our employees work tirelessly to ensure this happens on a daily basis.”

A five-year agreement between Arriva and the TVBNI pledged to improve bus services and onboard facilities for the region’s public transport users.

Arriva also created a policy to match funding into the bus network which has led to multi-million pound investments into passenger facilities, vehicles, fares and ticketing systems.

Councillor Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “In addition to the partnership of the year award, driver Alex Smith from Arriva’s Middlesbrough depot was also highly commended in the Frontline Employee of the Year category.

“The Tees Valley Bus Network Improvement Project has delivered a more punctual and reliable bus service as well as modern state-of-the-art buses.”

The awards took place during a ceremony in Manchester on Wednesday, December 7.