Northern Ireland Translink driver wins National Bus Driver of the Year and Environmental Innovation Award

Other high profile bus companies involved in the awards include Arriva, Stagecoach and the Go Group.

Ivan Cochrane, based in Banbridge, scooped the National Bus Driver of the Year.

Translink also won gold in the Environmental Innovation Award category for the Augmented Engineer project.

Translink also scooped two Bronze Awards, for Leroy Stewart of Short Strand in the National Bus Driver of the Year category, while Nicholas Jago of Metro was awarded Bronze in the Unsung Hero Category.

Translink’s General Manager, Bus Operations, David Curry said: I am delighted with our wins at the UK Bus Awards and I want to congratulate the individuals and teams involved for this great achievement.

“Ivan Cochrane, who was named National Bus Driver of the Year has worked as a Translink Bus Driver for 34 years, first based in Craigavon and now Banbridge where he has worked for the last 12 years.

"He is a great ambassador for Translink, a popular driver with passengers and colleagues alike and is well known for his friendly and welcoming approach.

"The UK Bus Awards judges were impressed with Ivan’s excellent timekeeping record and his dedication to the job.

“Translink also won a gold award in the Environmental Innovation Award category for the Augmented Engineer project.

"The technology allows Translink’s Technical Engineers to use remote technology to support the wider engineering team across NI, using a digital headset through which they have ability to get real-time assistance from a specialist, who can see what they see whilst being able to talk through the issue, saving engineers from having to travel often long distances to resolve issues.

“Judges at the UK Bus Awards praised Translink’s Augmented Engineer project, highlighting the obvious environmental benefits and the use of existing technology in an innovative way that could be used by other operators.

“Translink was a finalist in three other sections, with Foyle Street in the Top National Bus Depot category; Ben Gibson finalist in the Top National Driver and Translink’s Engineering Safety Improvement Programme in the Culture Change category.”

David Curry concluded: “It’s a very proud moment when the efforts of our drivers and teams are recognised among their peers at such prestigious and hotly contested awards.”