15 November 2022

Blackpool Transport is celebrating after winning the coveted UK Bus Operator of the Year Award at the UK Bus Awards in London. The company was also named the winner of the Gold Award in the Top Shire Operator category before fending off competition from Diamond Bus North West and Hertfordshire-based operator Uno to win the top gong in the Grand-Prix competition that pits the winners of the Top City, Top Shire and Top Independent Operator Awards against one another.

Blackpool’s win followed a pause by the industry’s premier awards scheme over the last two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. People, projects and bus operators came together at Troxy, London to once again compete for the top awards across 22 categories at the scheme’s first in-person presentation ceremony held since 2019.

It was the perfect birthday present for Nottingham City Transport bus driver Jonathan Smallman. He took the gold in the Top National Bus Driver: The Chris Moyes Memorial Award category, marking the fourth time a bus driver from the council-owned bus company has won the gold at a UK Bus Awards ceremony.

In the capital, Go-Ahead London’s Koli Begum enthusiastically took to the stage to take gold in the Luke Rees-Pulley Award for Top London Bus Driver category and there was more good news for the London operator as its Putney garage received a gold in the London Bus Garage of the Year category.

Stagecoach is also celebrating after scooping seven of the top gold awards. Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire’s Barrow depot was named winner of the gold award for Top National Bus Depot, sponsored by Integrated Solutions, and Stagecoach East took the gold in the Supporting the Environment category, sponsored by CitySwift, for its ‘Big Switch Off’ campaign. Meanwhile, Lesley Hester of Stagecoach Manchester proved that not all heroes wear capes when she won the coveted gold in the Unsung Heroes category, sponsored by Backhouse Jones.

In the Young Manager category, Hayley Russell from FlixBus UK took the gold ahead of silver award winner Zachary McAskill from Stagecoach Manchester. The bronze in that category went to talented Stagecoach London engineer Ben Houghton.

Meanwhile, Jim Thorpe, managing director of Uno was the gold winner of the Leader of the Year award. In this category Stagecoach South East boss Joel Mitchell took the silver with the bronze award bagged by Samantha Teggart of Abellio London Bus.

Transdev also had some notable successes, taking golds in the Buses for Pleasure sponsored and Culture Change categories. The Harrogate-based firm also took silver awards in the Marketing, Partnering for Delivery and Supporting the Customer Experience categories.

Alan Millar, Chair of the UK Bus Awards, said: “After a tumultuous couple of years as a result of the pandemic, it’s fantastic to see the dedication, creativity and excellence of the UK bus industry have not diminished. We are particularly pleased to have celebrated the best in the business, from small, family-owned businesses to the very large multinational transport groups, including several who entered the scheme for the very first time.

“We’re honoured to have been able to recognise and celebrate the industry’s successes, achievements, innovations, dedication and sheer brilliance. All those celebrating today should feel proud that they have played their part in helping to deliver a first-class experience for bus passengers across the UK. From everyone at the UK Bus Awards, we would like to say a huge congratulations to everyone involved.”

There’s a full list of results here, and pictures from the ceremony here.

Notes to Editors:

• The winner of the UK Bus Operator of the Year was selected from the highest-scoring contestants of the Top City Operator, Top Independent Operator and Top Shire Operator Awards.
• The UK Bus Awards has been recognising, rewarding and inspiring since 1996.
• The Award for Services to the Bus Industry recognises a significant and sustained contribution to the success of the industry by an individual who has consistently gone beyond the call of normal duty to improve and promote the bus industry for its users or the wider community over a period of years. This award is made by the UKBA Management Committee which will assess the nominee’s length of service and record of achievement.
• The awards are independently judged by expert panels, ensuring integrity and transparency.
• The UK Bus Awards is committed to embracing and promoting innovation, inclusion and diversity within the bus industry.

For further information, please contact Andrew Garnett.

13 October 2022

The UK Bus Awards, the prestigious national award scheme, has announced its 2022 shortlist after another bumper year for entries.

After a pause over the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people, projects and bus operators will once again be competing for the top awards across 22 categories at an in-person presentation ceremony on 15 November at Troxy, London.

The judging process has included – once again – mystery travelling of the driver and operator finalists and face-to-face interviews with all of those shortlisted for the people awards.

Alan Millar, Chair of the UK Bus Awards, said: “This shortlist of finalists represents the skills and talents of the industry. They range from small, family-owned businesses through to the very large multinational transport groups, including several entering for the first time. It’s pleasing to see our first in-person awards ceremony since 2019 will once again recognise and reward excellence across the board to find the very best in the business.

“There will be some tough competition too. We have been challenged by the sheer strength and creativity of the entries, especially within the people categories, all of which our independent team of judges reported as outstanding.

“We can’t wait to bring the industry together once again to celebrate its successes, achievements, innovations, dedication and sheer brilliance.”

Tickets for the ceremony are available now at www.ukbusawards.org.uk.

The full shortlist can be found here.

Notes to Editors:

• The winner of the Services to the Industry and the prestigious UK Bus Operator of the Year sponsored by Gallagher and QBE Insurance will be announced at the awards ceremony at Troxy, London on 15^th November, 2022.
• The winner of the UK Bus Operator of the Year will be selected from the highest-scoring contestants of the Top City Operator, Top Independent Operator and Top Shire Operator Awards.The UK Bus Awards has been recognising, rewarding and inspiring since 1996.
• The Award for Services to the Bus Industry recognises a significant and sustained contribution to the success of the industry by an individual who has consistently gone beyond the call of normal duty to improve and promote the bus industry for its users or the wider community over a period of years. This award is made by the UKBA Management Committee which will assess the nominee’s length of service and record of achievement.
• The awards are independently judged by expert panels, ensuring integrity and transparency.
• The UK Bus Awards is committed to embracing and promoting innovation, inclusion and diversity within the bus industry.

For further information, please contact Andrew Garnett using the contact form here.

15 August 2022

Judging is underway in this year’s UK Bus Awards across all categories in the 2022 competition.

Panels of industry experts are examining the entries and making their judgement, and for some categories, selected entrants are invited for interview as part of the judging process. Some other categories are being subject to our band of msytery travellers who will be ensuring that what is being delivered on the ground matches what the entry claimed. 

While all this is going on, the list of Finalists will be announced online in the first half of Ocober, but the winners won’t be known until the presentation ceremony at Troxy in London on Tuesday 15th November. 

1 August 2022

Entries for this year’s competion have now closed for all except the two London categories, which close on 26th August.

We’re processing all the entries and will be contacting all the entrants to aknowledge receipt of the entry and asking for any further information if needed.

Following feedback from entrants and judges in the 2021 competition, we’re running the easy entry system again this year for all 23 categories. There is a mixture of new and returning categoires that cover the full range of skills required to plan, promote and deliver high quality bus services to customers.

4 June 2022

UK Bus Awards organisers have paid tribute to the late Barry Moore, who served as the organisation’s first chair. Barry, retired MD of Ipswich Buses, died suddenly at home on 17 May.

He worked with the UK Bus Awards (originally the Bus Industry Awards) for 18 years, serving as its first chair from its foundation in 1995 until 2004, and then as Minutes Secretary to the Management Committee for a further nine years, stepping down in December 2013.

Born in Bournemouth and originally trained as a research chemist, Barry joined the bus industry in the traffic office at Leicester City Transport, before being selected for the Municipal Passenger Transport Association Training Scheme, ultimately returning to Leicester and holding a variety of posts, before being promoted to Traffic Superintendent.

In 1974, he moved to Plymouth as Deputy General Manager, before moving to Ipswich as General Manager five years later. At deregulation in 1986 he was appointed as managing director of the new arm’s length company. He took early retirement in 1995, later becoming a Suffolk County Councillor for four years, also doing research work for a local MP and acting as a campaigner for pressure group Transport 2000 (now Campaign for Better Transport).

Chris Cheek, UK Bus Awards director, who worked with Barry throughout his time with the awards, commented, “Barry was highly instrumental in the early success of the awards, and was a great personal support to me and other members of the team. After such a distinguished career, he was held in high regard throughout the industry, and his calm demeanour, gentle sense of humour and deep knowledge of the business were invaluable.”

“He will be sorely missed,” he added, “and we all send our deepest condolences to his wife Muriel and his family.”

ENDS

Barry Moore on duty as Bus Industry Awards chair in Golden Jubilee year, 2002.