United Kingdom Bus Driver of the Year Final 2023: Blackpool on Sunday 3rd September 2023

Sunday 3rd September 2023, saw the Final of the United Kingdom Bus Driver of the Year (BDoY) enacted on the Middle Walk and North Promenade in Blackpool.

The top 116 bus drivers in the UK from a field of well over 112,000 professional bus driver arrived in Blackpool to demonstrate their skills performing a number of tests along the Middle Walk between North Pier and Gynn Square then, after safely crossing the Blackpool & Fleetwood Tramway they negotiated the only roundabout on Blackpool Promenade before heading south, stopping at two specially constructed bus stops, to reach North Pier and to safely cross the Promenade traffic stream as well as a second crossing of the tramway.

At the end of the afternoon, the outright winner was declared, as well as a number of runners up and top class drivers within each of the big companies.

Congratulations to Lee Grantham of National Express bus who outshone the remaining 115 candidates to pick, not only the United Kingdom Bus Driver of the Year title but a whole host of other cups and trophies and several cheques amounting to several thousand pounds - "Well done Lee, we saw what you had to do to reach the top."

But every single one of the competitors today must and should take absolute pride in being the top one thousandth of professional bus drivers in this country - a massive "well done" to you all.

The organisers and stewards who give of their time should be praised as well because, without them, the event could not take place.

Thanks go to Martin Shaplin of Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire for assisting in the making of this presentation and for allowing us to video him as he took part in the trials. Well done Martin for being the 50th best bus driver in the United Kingdom and achieving a 3% improvement in performance since last year.

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a Podbaba Transport presentation
3rd September 2023