Edinburgh transport operators have secured a hat-trick of major accolades at the 23rd National Transport Awards in London.
Lothian Buses was named Bus Operator of the Year, while Edinburgh Trams secured Tram Operator of the Year during the ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge last night.
The chief executive of Lothian Group, Sarah Boyd, was also recognised as Woman of the Year at the event, which drew hundreds of guests from across the UK transport sector.
The triple success placed the Scottish capital at the centre of the industry event, which celebrates the performance of transport operators, authorities and frontline staff.
The awards ceremony featured a keynote address by the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP, and was hosted by broadcaster Rob Rinder.
The Secretary of State for Transport said: “The National Transport Awards is one of the highlights of the year for the UK transport industry, and I’d like to congratulate all of the winners and nominees, who are representative of the extraordinary work of the sector in communities up and down the country.
“This work has never been more important, and I am incredibly grateful for the efforts of everyone in the sector to meet the challenge of building an integrated transport system that is safe, reliable, and works for the people we serve.”
The recognition for Edinburgh’s transport network was accompanied by further successes for other Scottish operators throughout the evening.
Pentland Ferries was named Ferry Operator of the Year while national rail operator ScotRail was highly commended in the Rail Operator of the Year category, a title ultimately won by Transport for Wales.
The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, known as HITRANS, was highly commended for the John Prescott Regional Transport Authority of the Year award.
Scottish transport staff were also recognised in the individual categories.
Pummy Hadebe, a driver for McGill’s Bus Group, shared the Frontline Employee of the Year award after helping a passenger deliver a baby on board her bus.
She shared the award with Metroline’s Shabir Hassan, who transported an injured passenger to hospital following an incident on his service.
Sarah Boyd’s Woman of the Year award was presented in partnership with the Women in Transport organisation and sponsored by Snapper Services.
Beyond Scotland, Transport for Greater Manchester secured two titles, winning the John Prescott Regional Transport Authority of the Year for its work on the Bee Network and Outstanding Contribution to Net Zero.
Transport for Wales also secured a double victory, adding the Best Practice in Diversity, Inclusivity and Accessibility award to its Rail Operator title.
East Midlands Airport was named Airport of the Year, while Grant Palmer’s Jo Service secured the Best Bus Service award.
The judging panel for the awards was chaired by Anthony Smith, former chief executive of Transport Focus.
The panel included Ruth Cadbury MP, chair of the Commons Transport Committee, and Stephen Fidler, director for local transport and inclusion at the Department for Transport.
Other judges included Jo Field, chair of Women in Transport, Max Sugarman, chief executive of ITS UK, Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, and Jason Prince, director of the Urban Transport Group.
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