On the road to success with our winning teams!

They have varied roles with us across the North of England, but they have one thing in common – they’re all winners!

We are sharing the winning stories behind those awarded our Pride of the North Cup and Transdev Honours over the last six months, to turn the spotlight on our otherwise unsung heroes – the people who go further to keep thousands of customers on the move every day.

Both prizes are awarded each month – the Pride of the North Cup goes to the driver who receives the most positive feedback from customers for smooth and safe travels, while the companion Transdev Honours awards recognise amazing work by the bus firm’s support teams, including cleaners, travel shop staff and engineers.

Transdev Operations Director Vitto Pizzuti said: “We decided to relaunch our Pride of the North Cup at the start of this year to salute our drivers who receive the most positive feedback from customers. Drivers at all 10 of our depots across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester now have a chance to win each month.

“And it’s not just about recognising our drivers. We couldn’t make it happen for our customers without the amazing work of our support teams – so we make sure they also get the recognition they deserve through our Transdev Honours awards.”

Transdev’s Pride of the North Cup Yorkshire and North West winners are:

April: Team Pennine driver David Bradbury has earned plenty of positive customer feedback, while also achieving Greenroad Elite status for his smooth and safe driving, as measured by the company’s built-in telematics monitoring system. Despite a recent family bereavement, David regularly works overtime and always has a smile to welcome his customers on board.

May: Rochdale-based Rosso driver Shehjad Patel was nominated by a grateful customer for his kind actions when he spotted an elderly gentleman walking towards the next bus stop. Realising the man would have missed his bus, Shehjad picked him up on the spot – a move which the nominating customer says, “showed immense kindness and courtesy”.

June: Team Pennine driver Tracey Marshall worked with Transport for Greater Manchester customer research surveyor Lee Walker to support an elderly customer with emphysema and COPD when her bus was delayed on police instruction following an incident in the King Cross area of Halifax.

July: York and Country driver Syd Lee is a relative newcomer, having joined the Rawcliffe depot team in York in April, but his managers say his helpful and caring approach to his work has already made him a firm favourite. Syd is always ready to help keep the buses on the move and his customers happy, no matter what time of day or night it is or what shift he is on.

Winners of the monthly Transdev Honours prize are:

April: Payroll officer Gail Stead is based our company's head office, where managers say she is always ready to help with no issue too big or complex to resolve. Gail ensures any payroll issues are resolved efficiently, with questions answered in a swift and professional manner. Her manager describes her as “a breath of fresh air!”

May: One of the most well-known faces at Blackburn Bus Station, Customer Service Supervisor Anna Mastrobuoni has an endlessly varied and often challenging role, thinking on her feet to respond quickly to unfolding events in this busy Lancashire bus terminal. Anna is efficient, friendly and popular with colleagues and customers alike.

June: Rochdale depot engineer Duncan Bower put safety first when he arrived on the scene of a breakdown in the centre lane of a dual carriageway near Oldham. Quick-thinking Duncan used his engineering van to close the inside lane to traffic, and quickly moved those on the bus to safety on a roadside embankment to await onward travel – actions which won him warm praise from a customer on board the bus that day.

July: Engineer at Flyer’s depot near Bradford, Joni Ruston, has made a big impact on the workshop since his arrival earlier this year. Joni’s manager says he frequently goes above and beyond, including returning to work after his shift ends, to get the vehicle he’s working on safely repaired and back on the road – only pausing to wait for parts!

Customers can nominate any driver they feel has gone the extra mile to give them an amazing journey by emailing: [email protected].