The coach and bus industry has featured within the 2026 New Year’s Honours List, with two leaders of independent bus operators among several recipients that represent the sector and its wider footprint.
Blackpool Transport Managing Director and former Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) President Jane Cole (pictured, above) has been awarded an OBE, while Nottingham City Transport Managing Director and ALBUM Chair David Astill has received an MBE.
Both have been recognised for their services to public transport, with Ms Cole also commended for her services to the community in Blackpool.
National Express Regional Manager – Airports, Festivals and Events Fatima Benzbir gets an MBE for services to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester Vernon Everitt is a CBE for his outstanding contribution to public transport. Women in Transport President Jo Field gets an OBE for services to diversity and inclusion in transport, while Traffic Commissioner Richard Turfitt gets an OBE for services to road safety and justice.
Ms Cole – who is a board member of ALBUM – joined Blackpool Transport in 2014 and also serves as a non-executive director of the Road Operators Safety Council. She works closely with Women in Transport and is a strong advocate for more women in the bus industry, having been the first woman CPT President.
In addition for being credited for her work at Blackpool Transport, Ms Cole is a former President of the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Lancashire Business Board.
Speaking about her OBE, Ms Cole says: “I receive this honour with humility. This recognition belongs as much to the people who have inspired and supported me as it does to me. I am so grateful for having the opportunity to make a contribution to public transport and for the privilege of working with so many remarkable people.”
Mr Astill is a career busman, having joined the industry from university. After time with FirstGroup and its predecessors, he moved to Nottingham City Transport as Commercial Manager in 2007 and became Managing Director in 2021. In that elevation he succeeded Mark Fowles, who after retirement was himself awarded an OBE in 2022.
Besides his wider work with ALBUM, Mr Astill is heavily involved with CPT. Under his leadership, the municipal operator has continued to win awards and it remains recognised as one of the bus industry’s leading lights.
Commenting on his MBE, he says: “I am humbled and delighted to receive this honour from the King. I have spent my working career on the buses, starting at the age of 18, and I know only too well that a manager is only as good as the team they lead.
“I have been blessed with the support, advice and encouragement of some fantastic people over the years, both past and present, and I thank them all. This honour is s reflection on them as much as me. I am also very conscious that I would not have achieved my ambitions without the unwavering support of my wonderful family.”
Ms Benzbir has enjoyed a 20-year career with National Express, including previously managing scheduled operations at Victoria Coach Station in London. She now works at Gatwick Airport.
Described as a key highlight of her career was leadership of the demanding transport operation during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. Ms Benzbir headed a multi-agency programme to temporarily relocate Victoria Coach Station to Wembley Stadium, ensuring that hundreds of coach services continued to run smoothly.
Speaking about her recognition, Ms Benzbir says: “I am thrilled and humbled to receive an MBE from the King, and proud that my contributions to the coach transport industry have been recognised in such a prestigious way.
“More importantly, I want to thank all my brilliant colleagues at National Express. Delivering complex operations is always a team effort, and this award reflects the dedication, professionalism and commitment of colleagues and partners who work tirelessly to provide a brilliant service to passengers every day.”
Mr Everitt has brought a vast breadth of public transport experience to his role as Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester while also serving as Chair of Transport for Wales. Before those, he fulfilled senior leadership positions with Transport for London.
He has played a pivotal role of a wholesale and ongoing overhaul of public transport in Greater Manchester under the Bee Network, including the rollout of bus franchising, and advises Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on transport policy.
Mr Burnham notes that success of the Bee Network “is in a large part down to Vernon’s knowledge and commitment to public service” and that the work in Greater Manchester “has created a template for the transformation of public transport across England in the years to come.”
Adds Mr Everitt: “I want to thank the Mayor, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) for allowing me to be part of the Bee Network journey.
“While there is much still to do for the people and businesses of the region, real progress has been made thanks to the vision of local leaders and the hard work of TfGM and Manchester’s districts, transport workers, and industry partners. I look forward to working with them in the period ahead to complete the job.”
Ms Field has been a driving force behind the growth and impact of Women in Transport. She has been a board member since 2015 and was elected President in 2021, supporting over 1,800 members and a team of over 100 volunteers across nine UK regions.
She led influential research into gender perceptions of women working within transport, a task that led to the body establishing initiatives to improve gender balance. The group’s cross-party political engagement with parliamentarians also falls under her remit, where she built support to set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Transport.
Outside Women in Transport, Ms Field is the founder of JFG Communications, and prior to that she built and led Transport for London’s stakeholder engagement team.
Speaking about her OBE, she says: “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition. It reflects the incredible dedication of my colleagues at Women in Transport and JFG Communications who are working alongside me every day to champion diversity and inclusion in the transport industry.
“We’ve made significant progress in the last ten years but there is still more to do in a sector where less than one-third of the workforce are women. This recognition will help us elevate Women in Transport’s mission and provide a catalyst to create a more inclusive future for everyone in transport.”
