Kathryn Pulham will present the prizes at the 2026 Bus Driver of the Year (BDoY) National Final in Blackpool on Sunday 6 September as organisers continue to encourage entries to the prestigious competition.
Mrs Pulham is President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport and a former director of Pulhams Coaches, which is now owned by the Go-Ahead Group. She remains an adviser to Go-Ahead and also chairs the coach subgroup of Women in Bus and Coach.
As well as holding a category D license, Mrs Pulham has over 17 years’ experience in the industry. She is now Director of BluClarity, which she founded to support operators with compliance and certification matters, and serves as Chair of Headspace, which is a mental health charity that works to create meaningful support systems for young people.
Bus Driver of the Year Chairman Joe Mackie has welcomed Mrs Pulham’s agreement to present the prizes in 2026. “We are particularly pleased to welcome Kathryn at a time when the bus industry is putting increasing emphasis on recruiting women,” he says.
Mr Mackie adds that while entries for this year’s BDoY National Final are progressing well, more are always welcome. In 2025, a field of 100 representatives of large groups, municipals and smaller operators put themselves to the test on the Fylde coast.
“We are particularly keen to have more entries from all sectors of the industry as the National Final is a fantastic place for operators of all sizes to showcase their drivers’ skills and especially their commitment to excellent customer service,” he continues.
In 2025, First Bus North and West Yorkshire man Michael Leech claimed the top trophy as Bus Driver of the Year. The competition sees drivers’ skills in a variety of areas evaluated, with strict marking used to measure their performance. It has become a longstanding marker of high standards in the bus sector.
