Transdev's Tim takes on the nation's top engineers!

We call them our magnificent seven – and our top team of engineering talent has risen to the ultimate challenge on the national stage.

The Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) celebrates Britain’s best in bus and coach engineering with its annual Bus and Coach Skills Challenge, giving everyone from apprentices to experienced technicians the chance to shine.

2024 is the 12th year the IRTE has staged the challenge, and our Transdev team competed alongside the industry’s finest in Bristol this June.

The results are now in – and York’s Engineering Supervisor Tim Bowman secured the runner-up spot against tough competition in the Mechanical Technician category.

Our Operations Director Vitto Pizzuti says: “I’m very proud of Tim and all our team for taking on this Skills Challenge. Together they’ve shown we can compete with the best at a time when our workshops are moving towards electric buses, including this year at our Harrogate and Keighley depots.

“Over the years since the IRTE launched its Skills Challenge, over 650 technicians from major national bus groups have joined leading regional operators including ourselves, to put themselves to the test. It’s five days of intense competition and every one of our team performed well.”

Representing Transdev Blazefield as a two-man team were Keighley-based Engineering Supervisor Zach Loker and Bodybuilding Engineer Mason Beanland.

Three of our experienced engineers also entered individually in the Mechanical Challenge – Harrogate’s John Knox, Bradford-based Joni Ruston and York’s Tim Bowman – while two of our company’s rising stars, Blackburn’s Matt Glass and York’s Drew Fleming, competed in the Apprentice Challenge.