National Express West Midlands man Lee Grantham (pictured) was crowned UK Bus Driver of the Year 2023 at the scheme’s National Final in Blackpool on Sunday 3 September. He rose from a 30th place finish in 2022 to narrowly edge this year’s runner-up Gary Black of Lothian Buses. A further Lothian representative in Thomas Gilhooley of East Coast Buses rounded off the top three.
In addition to the headline silverware, Mr Grantham, 35, took home £4,100 in prize money. He also claimed the Coventry Trophy, donated by Coventry Road Accident Prevention Council; the Road Operators’ Safety Council Award; the Unite Trophy; the John Boxall Medallion; the National Express Trophy; and the Giles Fearnley shield for best competitor from a depot in England. Mr Grantham works out of the operator’s Acocks Green base.
Runner-up Mr Black additionally claimed the ALBUM Trophy as highest placed competitor from an ALBUM member; and the Joe Mackie Shield for best competitor from a depot in Scotland. The Donald Macdonald Memorial Shield for best competitor from a depot in Wales was won by Michael McDonnell of First Cymru.
Awards were presented by First Bus Chief Operating Officer Andrew Jarvis. In addition to Mr Jarvis and BDoY Chair Mr Mackie, present on the stage were former Traffic Commissioner (TC) Chris Heaps and serving TC for North West England Gerallt Evans.
Mr Heaps will soon stand down from his involvement in BDoY, but Mr Evans will continue to ensure that the TC craft is represented among the organisers. “It is important that Traffic Commissioners are involved with events and see the industry at is best and the contribution made by drivers,” says Mr Evans.
The organisers had already reported a large crop of entries for the 2023 BDoY competition. Over 110 drivers took part on the Fylde coast, with the day in question blessed by fine weather throughout as tests were undertaken on the Blackpool seafront. 400 people had attended the previous evening’s gala dinner.
The overall list of winners is as follows:
Bus Driver of the Year 2023: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
Runner-up: Gary Black, Lothian Buses
Third place: Thomas Gilhooley, East Coast Buses
Fourth place: Andy Evered, First West of England
Fifth place: Raj Viswanathan, Go-Ahead London.
Best theory test result: Ian Field, Stagecoach East Scotland
Best competitor from a depot in England: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
Best competitor from a depot in Scotland: Gary Black, Lothian Buses
Best competitor from a depot in Wales: Michael McDonnell, First Cymru
Highest placed competitor from an ALBUM member: Gary Black, Lothian Buses
Highest placed competitor from a Road Operators’ Safety Council member: Raj Viswanathan, Go-Ahead London.
Highest placed competitor from a London operator: Raj Viswanathan, Go-Ahead London
Second-highest placed competitor from a London operator: Muhammad Harun, Go-Ahead London
Highest placed First Bus competitor: Andy Evered, First West of England
Second-highest placed First Bus competitor: David Nairn, First North and West Yorkshire
Highest placed Go-Ahead competitor: Raj Viswanathan, Go-Ahead London
Second-highest placed Go-Ahead competitor: Muhammad Harun, Go-Ahead London
Highest placed McGill’s Group competitor: Steven Craig, McGill’s Scotland West
Second-highest McGill’s Group competitor: John Black, Xplore Dundee
Highest placed National Express competitor: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
Second-highest placed National Express competitor: Liam Manuell, National Express West Midlands
Highest placed RATP Dev competitor: Bhim Raj Rai, RATP Dev Transit London
Second-highest placed RATP Dev competitor: Harsh Shah, RATP Dev Transit London
Highest placed Stagecoach competitor: Robert Lysaght, Stagecoach Manchester
Second-highest placed Stagecoach competitor: Anthony Unsworth, Stagecoach Manchester.
The Coventry Trophy: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
The John Boxall Medallion: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
The Road Operators’ Safety Council Award: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands
The Unite Trophy: Lee Grantham, National Express West Midlands.
Buses from multiple operators were used in the tests, with the Bryan Constable Award made in three categories to recognise the best-presented examples of those.
In that for vehicles less than one year old, a Constellation branded Wrightbus StreetDeck from the First Potteries fleet won.
For those between one and five years old, a Scania Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City from the First East Anglia Excel fleet (pictured, above) got the nod; and for those over five years old, a Mercedes-Benz Citaro dating from 2014 with McGill’s Scotland East.
Trophies will be retained by winners until the next year’s final. It will be held on Sunday 1 September, once again at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool.
