National Express Coventry has honoured four recently retired drivers who clocked up nearly 200 years of service by naming buses after them.
“Legends of Coventry” Amrik Singh, Mohinder Cheema, Kuldip Dhuffer and Mohammed Din were all invited to an event with the bus operator’s management team to celebrate their dedication.
They were then taken outside where the surprise was unveiled: Their names on plaques on four Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse sky-blue single-decker buses which are now running in service in the city.
Starting their careers with National Express Coventry in the 1960s and ‘70s, when the company was known as Coventry Corporation, they have between them given a total 194 years of excellent service to the people of Coventry.
- Mr Cheema: started in 1966 and his 53 years’ service is celebrated on fleet number 2149
- Mr Singh: started in 1967 and his 52 years’ service is marked on 2148
- Mr Dhuffer: started in 1973 and his 46 years’ service is honoured on 2150
- Mr Din: Started in 1976 and his 43 years’ service is celebrated on fleet number 2147.
Matt King, Operations Manager at National Express Coventry, says: “We are delighted to have been able to mark such an incredible achievement for all four drivers by naming a bus after each of them.
“We will all dearly miss them, but everybody at the garage would like to wish Mr Cheema, Mr Singh, Mr Dhuffer and Mr Din a very happy retirement. They’re true gentlemen and legends of Coventry garage and it really is thoroughly deserved.”