Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has celebrated the outstanding contributions of its colleagues at its 2026 Excellence Awards, held on Sunday 1 March 2026.
The event recognised the dedication and professionalism of the team members who ensure Nottingham City Transport continues to deliver a high-quality service to the people of Nottingham. A particular point of pride was seeing last year’s Driver of the Year, Zohra Rani, go on to be crowned Top National Bus Driver at the UK Bus Awards in November 2025 – a testament to the high standards upheld across NCT.
The past year has also marked a major milestone for NCT’s fleet. The rollout of 62 electric single deck buses has now been completed, meaning the company’s entire city single deck fleet is fully electric and plans are now in place to introduce the first electric double deck buses.
The most prestigious award, Driver of the Year, was presented to Paul Davies, marking the 14th Driver of the Year in the award’s history. To be considered, drivers must demonstrate excellent attendance, punctuality, no blameworthy accidents, no live disciplinary awards, and no upheld customer complaints. Drivers who met these stringent criteria were then mystery assessed multiple times in January. Paul achieved an impressive 92% score, with the assessor noting their conscientious approach, exemplary assistance to a passenger in a wheelchair, smooth braking, and a comfortable, well-planned journey throughout.
Paul drives the Uni 34 line, a key route and often the first point of contact for new students arriving in the city. He joined the rota after his own son went to university and takes pride in serving the route, enjoying the energy and enthusiasm of the students and helping them get to where they need to go across the city.
On receiving the award, Paul said:
“It was a nice surprise and I’m very proud. Hearing the mystery traveller feedback really makes you realise you’re doing a good job. Especially with external challenges like the Derby Road roadworks or previous Maid Marian Way roundabout works, it’s great to get positive feedback — we’re all just trying to do our best.”
Six bus drivers received Customer Commendation Awards for going above and beyond for passengers. Andrew Lamb, Colin Cooper, Daniel Lane, Liam Dundon, Nathan Bramford and Tara Robinson were recognised for their quick thinking, professionalism, and compassion in supporting passengers, including emergency situations.
Martin Greenwood, a Multi Skilled Maintenance Engineer in the Building and Facilities Team, received the Rising Star Award. In a short time, Martin has made a huge impact across the depots, tackling a wide variety of maintenance jobs with skills, efficiency, and positivity, and consistently demonstrating a commitment to quality.
Engineer of the Year was awarded to Linda Lee, who received a number of nominations and was described as the most reliable and thorough bus cleaner in the team. Despite changes to work patterns and other challenges, Linda consistently delivers exceptionally high standards of deep cleaning across the fleet.
Project of the Year was awarded to the team behind the delivery of the ALBUM Conference 2025. The ALBUM Conference is a national bus industry event, hosted by operator members on a rotational basis, and 2025 marked NCT’s turn to host. The three-day event brought together operators, suppliers, sponsors, and speakers who included the East Midlands Mayor, providing insights, innovation showcases, and opportunities to shape the future of the bus sector. The conference was a sell-out and widely regarded as one of the best ALBUM Conferences ever.
The Made a Difference Award, presented by Unite, was given to Andy Newton in recognition of his work raising awareness of prostate cancer within NCT and fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK. Thanks to his efforts, colleagues have been encouraged to get tested, and he has raised £1,260 for the charity.
The Unsung Hero Award was presented to Nicola Barnes, Marketing Manager, in recognition of her dedication, commitment and wide-ranging contributions over the past 12 months – including organising the Excellence Awards, the ALBUM Conference, overseeing a student campaign that beat budget expectations and relocating NCT’s Travel Centre into modern premises.
David Astill, NCT Managing Director, said,
“Nottingham City Transport is held in high regard and carries some of the most satisfied bus passengers in the country, well above the national average. NCT can only do that thanks to the dedication and commitment of its team and our Excellence Awards once again celebrate those members of the team who make significant contributions to our success. I offer my personal congratulations to all the winners and finalists this year”.
NCT will be showcasing the winners on its social media platforms over the coming weeks and months.
The Excellence Awards celebrated the colleagues whose dedication, professionalism, and commitment ensure NCT continues to deliver exceptional service to the people of Nottingham.
Posted on 05 March 2026
