The 55th Bus Driver of the Year National Final held in Blackpool on Sunday 3 September was won by a National Express Bus driver at his second attempt. 35 year old Lee Grantham won the BDoY Trophy and a total of £4,100 prize money. Lee has been a driver based at the operator’s Acocks Green depot for over 16 years and is allocated to routes in Solihull. Having come 30th in his first National Final in 2022, he was visibly overcome with emotion, saying: “I am simply lost for words.”
Andrew Jarvis, First Bus Chief Operating Officer, presented the awards at a ceremony in the Imperial Hotel, where 300 supporters and family joined the competitors to hear the results. Mr Jarvis commended the high standards of driving on display and used his own 30-year career experience to illustrate the progression that can be achieved in the bus industry.
Runner-up was Gary Black from Lothian Buses, winning the BDoY Trophy and £2,600. In third place was Thomas Gillhooley of Lothian Buses’ East Coast Buses subsidiary who took home the BDoY Trophy and £1,000. Fourth place went to Andy Evered of First Wales & West, while Raj Viswanathan of Go Ahead London was fifth.
See next week’s issue for the full list of winners along with images from the event.
