Arriva has marked the career of a man who it believes could be, at the age of 81, the oldest bus driver in Britain.
Merfyn Williams has worked for 60 years at the operator’s St Helens depot, where his colleagues celebrated that milestone last week.
Known as “Taffy” due to being born across the Welsh border in Colwyn Bay, he moved to Merseyside in 1966.
That was also the year in which Mr Williams started out as a bus conductor, at the suggestion of his mother-in-law, who worked in that job.
“There were no back doors on buses then; they were back-loaders, so it was freezing,” he recalls. “The driver was the only warm person on the bus. I used to wear a really heavy coat in the winter.”
He has driven every route in St Helens and says: “I know the town like the back of my hand.” He adds: “I used to drive the buses that took kids to school and many of those kids have their own kids now.”
Mr Williams now works three days per week transporting Arriva staff between the St Helens garage and smaller depots.
With no plans to retire, he says: “I get to chat to colleagues and hear all the gossip. Don’t tell anyone, but I love it.”
That said, he admits not all the changes over the six decades have been for the better. “There used to be a lot more buses on the road and I really hope we go back to that again,” he says. “I think passengers have changed since COVID. They can be a bit less friendly towards bus drivers and that’s a shame.”
To those starting out in the bus driver role, his advice is: “Don’t rush. Take your time. I know there is a lot of pressure on time nowadays but it’s important to always drive safely. It’s not worth taking a mirror off a bus in a rush.”
Mr Williams thought about retiring 20 years ago but then saw the advertisement for his current shuttle driver role. He says: “I thought, why not? And I intend to hang on for as long as I can.”
Lisa Sloan, sites manager for St Helens, says: “Taff is an absolute one-off. In six decades, he’s become part of the fabric of St Helens depot. He brings a smile to the face of every colleague he meets and frankly, we’d be lost without him.
“We think Taff could well be the oldest bus driver in Britain, but more importantly, he’s one of the best. We’re really proud of him.”
