Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus Accessibility and Communities Manager Victoria Garcia MBE (pictured, right) has been named a Women in Bus and Coach Ambassador.
She took up that position at the organisation’s parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on 1 December. That event drew senior members of the industry, MPs, peers and Women in Bus and Coach representatives for an afternoon dedicated to shaping the future of the coach, bus and community transport sectors.
The reception explored key themes for the industry including resilience, gender leadership, the evolution of coaching, the importance of community transport, and the continuing work needed to develop a more inclusive and representative workforce.
Ms Garcia has long spearheaded Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus’s efforts around accessibility for all to bus services and disability awareness. She is also a Department for Transport Disability Ambassador for Buses and Coaches and won the Special Award at the 2024 routeone Awards in recognition of her efforts.
She was awarded an MBE for Services to Disabled Transport in 2019, with then-Managing Director Martin Harris noting that her dedication and passion for her work “is widely recognised” around Brighton and Hove.
Speakers at the parliamentary reception included:
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- Louise Cheeseman OBE – Chair, Women in Bus and Coach
- Nalisha Fernandes – Metroline Finance Business Partner and Women in Bus and Coach Mentee Director
- Laura Hadzik – JMW Partner and Head of Commercial Road Transport, and Women in Bus and Coach Director
- Lord Peter Hendy of Richmond Hill – Department for Transport Minister of State
- Alex Mayer MP
- Lord Snape of Wednesbury
- Caroline Whitney – Community Transport Association England Director and Head of Membership Services.
Ms Cheeseman says that it “showed exactly what this sector is capable of when we come together with purpose.” She notes how attendees heard addresses from leaders, emerging voices and champions of inclusion “who are determined to build a workforce that truly reflects the communities we serve.”
On Ms Garcia’s appointment, Ms Cheeseman continues: “I am absolutely delighted that Victoria Garcia MBE has joined as our latest Women in Bus and Coach Ambassador.
“Her leadership, passion and commitment to accessibility are an inspiration to us all. Gender diversity is not a ‘nice to have’; it is essential for resilience, innovation and long-term success. I am incredibly proud of the progress we are making, and even more excited about what we will achieve next, together.”
