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Top marks for award-winning school bus driver

Wednesday 5 July 2017

Coach driver Peter Oakley is the smiling face of The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) for pupils who board his school bus bright and early each day.

Now Peter’s dedication to the job has been highly commended by the UK Coach Awards, their first ever accolade in the newly introduced category of Top UK Education Services Driver.

Peter passed his PCV test in 2004 and has been driving coaches ever since. In 2015 he joined GSAL Transport Ltd which, as well as providing the daily school service for GSAL, offers affordable transport for other local schools and organisations.

In addition to his driving responsibilities, Peter helps out in all aspects of the business, planning routes to meet the needs of families, and managing the ticketing and registration system.

Shirley Jeffs of GSAL Transport, who nominated Peter for the award, said: “Peter is a dependable and committed member of the team, both at the wheel and behind the scenes. He has an impeccable driving record and is highly respected by customers, colleagues and the management team.

“His extensive knowledge and approachable manner make him an excellent mentor when new drivers join the team, and we feel this award confirms the star qualities we see in him.”

Such is Peter’s dedication to the role that he had to decline the invitation to the UK Coach Awards ceremony in Manchester – because he was booked for a driving job. Instead, GSAL principal Sue Woodroofe stepped in to present his award at a meeting of the GSAL Transport team in school.

Sue said: “As a driver you are someone parents and pupils trust and I only ever hear wonderful reports from parents about the care and attention you give to their children. This award is truly well deserved.”

UK Coach Awards director Chris Cheek said: “We were delighted that Peter got the credit he deserved this year. Doing a good job as a driver of buses and coaches for education services requires a special set of skills, and we believe very strongly that these should be recognised and rewarded.”

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