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MINIBUS PROFILE › WHITE’S OF ST ALBANS

44 | COACH & BUS WEEK MINIBUS | December 16, 2014 www.coachandbusweek.com

W hite’s of St Albans has gone through several distinct evolutions. It has been a mainstream family-owned coach and bus operator, a

specialist accessible minibus provider and now, under the stewardship of current proprietor Greg White, has been almost entirely moulded into a market-leading corporate transport specialist.

In the 1950s Roger White, Greg’s father, was a partner in a grocery business with two friends, the Lee brothers. The Lees decided that they wanted to start an electrical business which went on to supply lighting for film sets and their name became a common sight on the credits of British-made movies of the period. Supported by his wife Maureen, Roger decided to go his own way and bought a coach in 1960, building the business up into a seven to eight vehicle operation by the end of the decade.

Frustrated by difficulties finding reliable drivers, Roger wound his operation down in the late 1970s/early 1980s to just one coach that he drove himself. Greg recalled how his father felt it put him in control of service delivery and how he could make more money that way than with a larger fleet. In the mid-1980s Roger gave up coaching all together, focussing on property renovation instead, but in 1989 returned to the industry, buying a high-top wheelchair-accessible Ford Transit that he drove on a Hertfordshire County Council school contract.

Greg was a semi-professional footballer at

the time. When his father bought a second wheelchair-accessible Transit for another contract, he used to drive that for him. The business started to grow again, focussed on special needs transport and by the mid-1990s around half a dozen Transits were operated. There was also a Dodge that was christened the Brink’s-Mat because it looked like a bullion van. A 16-seater, it could be configured to accommodate up to four wheelchairs. Renault Masters were to be acquired as well.

No longer playing serious football, Greg was working in the business full-time and in the late

Determination and scrupulous attention to detail has helped Greg White transform White’s of St Albans into a market-leading mini and midi coach provider. Andy Izatt talks to him

Always refining and enhancing

This line up of frontline vehicles underlines the investment that has been made at White’s

044_050_CBW1168_Minibus Whites.indd 44 15/12/2014 11:44

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1990s, his father bought a 1993 18-seat Toyota Optimo for him to drive. “I loved the shape of it, but it had a horrible gearbox,” recalled Greg. “It had loads of punctures. We were successful with our contracts. They paid well and we had a good name with the council, but it was a chance to try and develop private hire.”

The fleet grew to around a dozen minibuses. White’s was an early user of eBay, which is indirectly how it came to own a rare CVE Omni. It was required for a contract where up to five wheelchair-bound passengers needed to be accommodated using webbing tie-down restraints, not just floor clamps. “What I liked about the Omni was that it didn’t have a wheelchair lift, just a ramp at the back,” recalled Greg. “It was another vehicle that I liked the shape of. It was different and it was reliable. We earned a lot of money using it.”

When acquired, the Omni wasn’t a PSV, but RTM of Markyate, contracted to undertake White’s maintenance at that time, brought it up to the required standard. Taking on work for BUPA care homes required something larger and a Mellor-bodied Iveco 59.12 24-seater that could also be reconfigured for eight wheelchairs was also acquired.

Some hard lessonsRoger had remained in charge of the business, but in 2002 died after a battle with cancer that had lasted several years. Maureen continued, and continues to provide support, but not only did Greg lose his father, he also had to deal with the consequences of a visit from VOSA, bringing home some of the hard realities of running a PSV operation. “We needed to start passing MOTs first time, we had a poor MOT pass rate,” he simply explained.

As well as having an O-licence, some of White’s vehicles come under taxi private hire licensing. In the current fleet that’s two Chassis

Developments Ford Transits, a LDV Maxus and a very low mileage beautifully-appointed Mercedes-Benz Viano. Greg has had his fair share of frustrations and problems with his local authority licensing department, so chose some time ago to have his vehicles registered with Three Rivers District Council based in Rickmansworth. It involves some administrative niceties, but he considers the advantages to far outweigh the minor inconvenience. He deplores the lack of common sense shown by some and the absence of a common private hire licensing standard.

A landmark acquisition for the business in 2005 was a new 16-seat Elite-converted Iveco Daily from Willenhall-based Holloway Commercials. The specification included forced air ventilation and blue night lights. It’s a vehicle that got White’s noticed and attracted additional private hire bookings.

The bedrock of the business continued to be special needs school transport for Hertfordshire County Council, so it was a real setback when a contract for two PSV minibuses was lost after 13 years continuous operation. “I was devastated at the time,” recalled Greg. “We were friends with everyone – with the school head and all our clients. We had readily taken on extra passengers without charging the local authority more. The school made a special presentation to me in assembly. One of the teachers had painted a beautiful picture of me with my parents, without doubt the nicest gesture I have ever received. I decided then that our future wasn’t going to depend on Hertfordshire County Council. There was no point spending a penny more than I had to on council vehicles.”

A fresh focusOver the years Greg has got to know Danny McGee (now of EVM) and Alan White (now of Minis to Midis), two leading industry figures. While he might not always agree with them, he has the utmost respect for both and always listens carefully to what they have to say. Both Danny and Alan’s willingness to supply the bespoke vehicles Greg wants, enabled him to find a new focus for White’s, taking it to the leading position it’s in today in the corporate travel market.

The mould-breaking vehicle that started that process was the Mercedes-Benz Vario-based coachbuilt Esker Riada GT – now the UNVI GTR. While working for Esker, Alan had talked about selling Greg a Mercedes-Benz Vario Esker Riada 815, but tipped him off that something special was on the way and when Greg first saw the Riada GT he felt there had never been a more beautifully-designed midi coach, an opinion he still holds. “I was blown away by it,” he recalled. “I paid £103,600 for my first in 2008. I sold it four and half years later for £70,000. That says it all. It’s got the wow factor.”

The 29-seater was specially registered with

Greg White has clearly focussed his business on the corporate market in recent years




appropriate G1WSA and it is a re�lection of how Greg has developed his business that he now owns most of the registration numbers up to G11WSA as his frontline �leet has developed. In 2008 around 90% of White’s work was local authority contracts, 10% private hire. Now it’s the other way round with last of the local authority school contracts expiring next July. Greg won’t be retendering. “The red tape coupled with the low pro�it margins mean you need to run a hundred vehicles to make it pay,” he said.

Refocusing the business started with revising the website and developing relationships with respected established London operators such as Wings Luxury Travel of Uxbridge and specialist chauffeur hire companies. As Greg expected, his Riada GT didn’t do a lot of work in its �irst year, but that started to change as his reputation for delivering reliability and quality service became more widely recognised. The number of bookings started to build.

Securing a staff transport contract for a Hat�ield company justi�ied investment in an Esker 16-seat Sprinter 515 conversion. That work lasted several years and the vehicle was later sold to the same operator that was to later buy the Riada GT, AC Travel of Hampshire.

A four-year-old 22-seat Esker Riada-bodied

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 616 was acquired from MCH Coaches, Uxbridge. Painted white, Greg had it re-sprayed silver, the livery he was establishing for his frontline vehicles. To help reinforce the corporate feel, �leet livery is no longer carried. There’s just a discreet ‘W’ on the rear.

Duo�lex re-trimmed the Sprinter 616’s moquette-covered seats in leather. It’s still in the �leet, has a regular contract and is still smart enough to provide backup to more

modern vehicles. “It can’t do top end work now, but it’s still good for an all-day hire in London,” said Greg. “It has been excellent. It’s a shame that Mercedes-Benz stopped making the six-tonne Sprinter.”

A 58-plate Optare Soroco was acquired through Alan in 2009. A 19-seater with a smaller boot, Greg had it down seated to 16 with two tables for better legroom. Again the seats were re-trimmed in leather by Duo�lex. It was replaced in early 2012 by a Mercedes-

The second of two EVM X-Clusive 11-seat conversions is on a Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Inside the Euro 6 Sprinter EVM X-Clusive 11-seat showing the spacious nature of the interior


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Benz Sprinter UNVI Vega GT conversion bought outright without finance from Alan. That had 16 Politecnica Grand Rally seats and remains in the fleet.

A rare vehicle acquired in 2011 was a short wheelbase Riada GT Mercedes-Benz Vario, one of two stock vehicles built the previous year. Again it came from Alan and had 16 big Fainsa America VIP seats. A pair of wooden tables have been replaced with Corian units, the colour of which co-ordinates particularly well with the rest of the interior. “It was an absolute bargain,” recalled Greg about the vehicle’s purchase. “It was painted silver, just as I would have wanted it. It had the wow factor and we’re lucky to have it.”

Later the same year Greg took delivery of a new example of the successor to the Riada GT, an UNVI GTR based on a Mercedes-Benz Vario 818. It was the last to be built as a 29-seater. The Politecnica Relax GTV seats were fitted with ‘all heights’ free flow seat belt guiders, centre armrests and were attractively trimmed in black and grey virtual leather incorporating the UNVI

logo. Grey suede covered the sidewalls and there were grey full draw curtains.

By early 2012 the frontline fleet had grown to six – the original Esker Riada GT and newly delivered UNIVI GTR, the short wheelbase Riada GT, the UNVI Vega GT, Esker 16-seat Sprinter 515 conversion and the Riada-bodied Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 616. The council contract fleet still accounted for around another dozen vehicles.

Refining the propositionEver careful to listen to customers and passengers, Greg constantly strives to refine and enhance what he offers. A strong message was that people want more space. As a consequence, the 29-seat UNVI GTR can be down seated to 21 with four tables and when he turned to Alan for another GTR at the end of 2012, it was specified with just 22 Politecnica Trans Europa Express seats that are 500mm wide.

“If I wanted to do more top work I needed to make people more comfortable,” Greg explained. “I asked Alan if I could have a

two plus one seating configuration with an offset aisle and he went ahead and did it. I’m really happy with it.” A refinement Greg will incorporate in a similar layout in the future is that the double seats will have a consul between them, just to give passengers that little extra space and make it possible to see between the seats.

The 16 seat VIP GT and the 22-seat GTR have proved particularly popular for private jet transfers, whether its crew or passengers. Greg was delighted when he overheard one air hostess saying: “Someone has finally bought a vehicle that reflects what we need.”

Sufficiently encouraged, he talked to Danny McGee in early 2013 about supplying a Sprinter 516 automatic conversion with 11 seats in a one by one configuration. The result was a stunning EVM X-Clusive conversion with a three-piece glass roof and colour co-ordinated beige interior with 500mm-wide Brusa Extend VIP recliners in leather. Chocolate coloured piping and wood effect flooring under the seats adds an extra touch of refinement to a vehicle that aims to replicate the ambiance of those private aircraft.

Yes, beige shows marks, but Greg pointed out that if necessary, a seat can always be recovered. What he has learnt is that it’s worth offering those little extra refinements. Customers notice and appreciate them, and that’s what helps to distinguish his vehicles from the competition.

The 11-seater was an instant success. When he had another Euro 6 example built by EVM this year, it had an additional feature – an ‘ambulance’ air suspension fitted to the rear axle. It softens the ride in a vehicle that with just 11 seats is that little bit lighter loaded than the norm even with a full complement of passengers. “The air suspension cost £2,500 more, but it has been worth every penny,” said Greg. “It’s amazing the difference it has made. That’s far more important than having a bigger engine, for example.”

Extended seat options“As soon as I had one 11-seater, I needed another,” said Greg. “Now I’ve asked Danny to build me a 10-seater in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 316. It will have four Brusa seats across the back, then three, then two and one next to the driver. I should have it by April. It will cost £30,000 less than an 11-seater. We work for three or four agencies in London that organise tours for visiting extended families and it will be ideal for them. Groups of six and seven will be fine in it. The Viano can’t accommodate the luggage.”

The 10-seater is not the only new vehicle on order. Also expected in April is a 10.8m DAF-powered Irizar i6 integral that will have 38 leather seats, a rear floor mounted toilet, Corian servery, coffee machine, large fridge and WiFi. Greg was greatly impressed by the Ellisons Travel of St Helens vehicle displayed at Euro

A rare vehicle is Greg’s short wheelbase Riada GT Mercedes-Benz Vario 16-seater

Greg has replaced the tables in the short wheelbase Riada GT with Corian units

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Bus Expo and has found people at Irizar UK, particularly Steve O’Neill straightforward to deal with.

Always looking to offer new options, Greg took delivery of a 37-seat Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Atego-based UNVI Touring GT just before Euro Bus Expo where it was displayed by the Spanish bodybuilder. Licensed as a 41-seater, capacity has been reduced to accommodate a mid-floor mounted servery finished in Corian and installed by AD Coach Systems.

“A couple of the Chauffeur companies I deal with kept asking whether I had anything bigger than 29 seats,” said Greg. “They were getting numerous enquiries for 30-35 seats so I had a look at the market to see what was available. Both Alan and Danny said that the 15-tonne Atego was an established product and the UNVI Touring had been successful.

“I have a close working relationship with Ellisons so I took advice from them as well. That’s why I had four Corian-finished tables made and the Touring GT can be down seated to 29 with them installed. When it’s configured that way, I think the interior looks a little like a mini Neoplan Starliner. The Corian finish looks a million dollars. I also wanted Brusa seats, so we have Create 120s with the side-shift mechanism so passengers can have a little extra room. Durabrite alloys on the four visible wheels add that little extra to the exterior look. The Touring GT is as busy as any of my other vehicles.

“Although I use Wrightsure, I do shop around for insurance and finance,” he continued. “It’s important to do that as people can take advantage. I don’t expect the best deal, but I do expect to be treated fairly just as I like to be fair with my customers. I’ve made best use of the investment allowances that the government has made available when buying vehicles. That gives me back 20% that I can set against our tax bill. Yes, I have to pay back 20% when I sell the vehicle, but paying back 20% of say £80,000 is less than saving 20% of £230,000.”

Aware that the allowance will be massively reduced next year, Greg has plans to acquire another vehicle although he’s not made a decision yet on what it will be. What he’s looking for is something with 15 to 18 VIP seats in a two by one configuration and with a servery and toilet at the rear. It’s to replace the highly regarded short wheelbase Riada GT. “I don’t want it looking like a full-size coach,” he said. “I want something that looks like a mini coach, but people still say wow when they see it.”

Tightly run operationGreg runs the business pretty much on his own, although his mother Maureen takes calls at her home and he hopes that next year, wife Danielle will take on some of the administration, to allow Greg to be a frontline driver in peak season. The frontline fleet now numbers nine in a 16-vehicle operation. While he has no interest

in continuing to work for the local authority, he does have four private school contracts and would like to slightly develop that side of the business.

In recent years all White’s maintenance requirements have been fulfilled by GB Fleet Maintenance, the standalone business run by Paul Murdoch and associated with Golden Boy of Hoddesdon. “For all the hassle and inconvenience of getting there (Hoddesdon is several junctions on the M25 away from St Albans), I wouldn’t swop it for anything,” said Greg. “They’re flawless. They answer the phone on Sundays and that’s priceless. The paperwork is impeccable. Unless it’s something like a bulb needing changing when we use a garage in London Colney, they do everything.”

“I’m good at paperwork and figures, not mechanical things, but I’m really particular about paintwork. Any scuffs and they’re straight to the painters. The wheels have Dura-Brite or Euroliners trims so I don’t tolerate any kerbing.

“My staff are paid significantly more than drivers elsewhere,” he explained. “They have to be better. We turn away plenty of work because of the size of the fleet. It could be bigger, but it’s impossible getting the right people. Punctuality is everything so they’re paid by the hour. I guarantee them a certain amount of hours each week. I know my people are great because I ask clients and the Blue Badge guides that we use what they think. If I could have 20 more of them that would be amazing but they are very hard to find!”

This Mercedes-Benz Atego-based UNVI Touring GT was delivered just before Euro Bus Expo

A mid-floor mounted servery in the Touring GT has reduced seating capacity to 37




While in exceptional circumstances they go further afield, Greg likes to keep his vehicles local and in London. “I don’t want to do long distance work,” he said. “That’s when things go wrong.” He related the story of a pick up at Gatwick Airport that was due to take place at 1630hrs on a Friday.

“His vehicle left St Albans at 1130hrs. By 1500hrs it had only got as far as the M3 junction on the M25 motorway. He knew the client well and a solution was found, but White’s is no longer prepared to do Gatwick runs during the daytime week because traffic conditions are so unpredictable.

“I had a driver that took seven hours getting to Manchester on a Friday,” he added. “In the end I had to leave him there for a full weekend so he could do the return on Sunday. Sometimes it’s just better not to do the job. There’s always someone else who can do it. Being able to provide late availability is a key aspect of this business. I have a pool of people I can draw on if I need to.”

Challenges and opportunitiesGreg is the first to acknowledge the challenges of operating in London. “I’m a cyclist myself, but cyclists in London are a joke,” he said. “They try overtaking on the inside when I’m indicating that I’m turning left and then moan about it

when they almost get crushed. They ride in a ridiculous manner.

“Coach parking in London is a disgrace. Where are drivers supposed to take tacho breaks? With a warden you have half a chance to maybe get 10 minutes grace, but not with a camera. You don’t even get 30 seconds. I fight every one of the tickets we get and there’s only one that I’ve

not managed to have overturned. What annoys me is that the councils issuing them have nothing to lose. It costs them nothing. If they had to compensate us if they’re rescinded, they wouldn’t do it. I just want to say, let’s go straight to appeal.

“Our drivers must be punctual, but our passengers don’t always appear just when we want them to. Sometimes we have to wait for three or four minutes. There’s no grace or

understanding out there. “I’m not going to put all my eggs in one basket,”

he concluded. “I’ve got 20-30 really good clients – half a dozen fantastic ones. I’m careful where I spend my money. We have our own internal system for bookings and administration. We very rarely make mistakes. There isn’t GPS in the vehicles. Maybe it’s something that I should consider, but I can always phone a driver if I need to know where he or she is. That all means my overheads are kept low.

“When I drove that first Riada GT home from Esker at Worksop I had butterflies in my stomach. It was that much of a head turner. I’ve never had that sensation again.

“Our turnover has doubled since 2009 and profit is greatly increased. Our reputation means we can charge more, but I can only do that with the right vehicles and staff. It’s all about the overall package we offer. Buying the Irizar underlines that as a business we don’t want to stand still.

“Having a family focuses you. I want my children to have the better things in life and my wife and I have nice holidays, but there is a price. Vehicles have to be kept on the road and sometimes I need to go to GB Fleet Maintenance at midnight to collect one. On Christmas Day I’ll be driving an airport transfer, at double the normal cost of course!” n

‘We’ve made best use of the vehicle investment allowances that the government has made available’

The UNVI Vega GT Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that replaced an Optare Soroco in 2012


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