Our 'Mr Fix It' is 50 not out!

His skills have ensured thousands of West Yorkshire people get to work, school or the shops over the years – and now our very own ‘Mr Fix It’ is celebrating half a century of keeping our buses on the road.

Robin Smith, from Denholme near Keighley, first walked into Keighley’s Suresnes Road depot as a apprentice engineer with our predecessors, West Yorkshire Road Car Company, back in 1974, having grown up with a fascination for all things mechanical.

Robin says

”My dad was a haulage contractor, so I grew up around heavy lorries, plus I was always a bus enthusiast, so there was never any doubt about what I wanted to do.

“Back in the mid-1970s, we had a lot of older buses which needed careful maintenance to keep them on the road. The first thing I did was an engine rebuild – I even remember the bus, number 2739, a Bristol engined Lodekka which was new in 1962.

“Those older buses were easier to work on, as they relied on much simpler engineering. The main issue was around getting parts, and the electrics were often a problem – it was a battle keeping some of them on the road!”

For the last 32 years, Robin has also served as a vehicle inspector, an important role for safety which involves close inspection of every bus in the depot at least once a month.

Our Operations Director Vitto Pizzuti says Robin’s experience is highly valued as we prepares for a new era of zero-emission electric buses.

Vitto says:

“We’re looking forward to introducing brand-new electric buses on our Shuttle route linking Keighley with Bradford next year. We’re very fortunate to have someone with half a century of knowledge in our workshops.”

And Robin is happy to remain in his favourite place – our bus depot workshops in Keighley.

Robin says: 

“The people here are marvellous and they keep me going. I don’t want to retire and sit in the garden watching the rain coming down – I want to carry on for as long as they’ll have me!”