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| PRESS RELEASE (13 May 2009) |
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| Bulwell bus driver takes annual award |
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A BUS driver from Bulwell in Nottingham who “finds time for a friendly word with just about everyone” has been named Driver of the Year by trentbarton.
Barry Allitt, who has been with the company for a little more than two years, took the accolade at a gala awards night at Derby’s Pride Park hosted by magician Paul Daniels.
Mystery travellers who judge the award – which wins the radcliffe lines driver a £1,000 holiday and an extra day off every year with pay – described 36-year-old Barry as a “superb driver who made every customer feel valued and welcome, but still managed to provide a relaxing, really smooth and punctual ride”.
Each month, the drivers at trentbarton are rated on their presentation and appearance, attitude to passengers, customer care and courtesy. The finalists are made up of the monthly winners.
This is the seventh year of the company’s ‘Driver of the Year – Really Good Service’ awards. It’s the third time that a male driver has won the annual title out of 900 trentbarton drivers.
In second place was Ilkeston’s Eric Leverton who is one of the industry’s longest serving drivers with well over 30 years of service. He takes the wheel on trentbarton service 27 between his home town and Kimberley.
Highly commended was last year’s runner-up Jayne Phillips, from Huthwaite, who works from the Sutton bus depot. She drives on the nines service between Derby and Mansfield and has been with the company since 2002.
The company also made three ‘Outstanding Achievement’ awards for customer service above and beyond the call of duty.
The winner was Dave Walker, of Draycott, who works at the Derby bus depot.
He kept an eye on one of his passengers who it turned out had fallen in town. When her condition worsened, he called an ambulance – and even telephoned later the same day to check she was alright.
Runner-up was David Claydon, of Skegby, who works at the Sutton bus depot.
When he witnessed a car crash, he called the emergency services, helped frightened children out of both cars, and even directed the traffic until the police and ambulance crew arrived.
Highly commended was David Morley, of Radford, who works at the Brodmarsh bus depot in Nottingham.
When he saw people were stranded in Beeston late at night after a bus broke down, he gave up his break and took them all home.
The Broadmarsh bus depot received the company’s ‘Depot of the Year’ award which is judged on really good customer service right down to the fewest customer complaints and all of the mystery traveler scores combined. The award is sponsored by Belmont International, a respected name in the bus industry thanks to their work as independent insurance brokers and financial services.
Jeff Counsell, the new managing director of trentbarton, said: “This is a celebration of everything that we do to delight our customers. Everyone here is a winner.
“All of our finalists are true champions whose dedication and meticulous customer care are typical of the whole trentbarton team. No one underestimates how difficult a bus driver’s job is in terms of running to a timetable in completely unpredictable traffic – while at the same time exercising their discretion to assist their customers.” |
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