Stagecoach Manchester is celebrating 25 years of service to the wider conurbation with a bus that has received a commemorative livery featuring 30 of the operator’s longest serving members of staff.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 has photo collages of those employees, with all of those pictured having been with the company or its predecessor for a quarter of a century or more. The bus will be used mainly on routes in south Manchester throughout the remainder of 2021, the operator says.
Adds Managing Director Lee Wasnidge: “We have a proud history in Greater Manchester, and over the past 25 years our staff have helped millions of our customer to get to work, go to school, college and university, get their shopping, enjoy their leisure time and stay in touch with family and friends.
“Anniversaries are a great time to reflect and look back at what has been achieved. We know we could not have done any of it without our dedicated staff. So it is fitting to mark this anniversary by dedicating a bus to the staff who have shown such commitment, provided such great customer service and played an integral role in making Stagecoach Manchester the company it is today.”
Among the employees whose photos are on the bus are Driving Instructor Steve Bowe and driver Cornel ‘Junior’ Grant. Steve joined Stagecoach Manchester’s predecessor in 1979 and he served 22 years as a driver before moving to his current role. Junior joined in 1982 and works from Sharston depot. He also plays a key part in supporting fundraising for Stagecoach Manchester’s charity partners.