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Warrington wins top award
Page 44
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• First place in the national Bus Driver of the Year final held at the Road Transport Industry Training Board's MOTEC establishment at High Ercall last Sunday went to a driver from Warrington Corporation. The undertaking's men also walked away with the best team award.
It was the second year running that a Lancashire municipality had taken top honours in the competition. In 1972 St Helens won first, second and third places as well as the team trophy. This year second place went to Eastern Counties and third to Gelligaer.
But it was B. R. Rawes of Warrington who walked away with the top honours. Twenty-seven-year-old Mr Rawes had no difficulty beating the opposition in what was a nicely judged drive to victory. It was his first time at a final, though he had taken part in Warrington's eliminating competition last year.
This year there were three undertakings taking part for the first time. Eastern Counties, Merseyside PTE and Blackpool joined City of Oxford Motor services, Crosville, Leicester, Coventry, St Helens, Gelligaer, Cardiff, Warrington and West Monmouth Omnibus Board. This was the third national final and, as before, each operator ran its own eliminating competition to establish its team for the final.
Each year the competition grows a little larger — this time there were 48 competitors. It is perhaps a reflection on the state of staff turnover, however, that there are so few "regulars". This final, like last year's, was not attended by last year's winner of the competition. Thus continuity is a little lacking unlike the much larger Lorry Driver competition where established drivers can reliably be expected to be among the class winners.
This year contestants were faced by three manoeuvring tests together with a Highway Code exam and a defective vehicle to examine. Each contestant was allowed two minutes to find six faults on the vehicle. These included such items as a missing wiper arm, no road tax disc and a faulty emergency door buzzer.
Out on the manoeuvring section there were three tests which had been changed from previous years. Test one, which proved mOst difficult, was a reversing exercise, around a bollard into a box. With most competitors there were literally showers of bollards flying about. It seems that these days bus drivers do not have to spend much time in reverse. Perhaps that is just as well! The second test caused some trouble too. Using a double decker, contestants had to pull into the kerb then have an imaginary obstacle sited as close as possible but still leaving room to drive away. Lots of drivers seems to find it difficult to pull up parallel with the kerb.
The third test was much easier — though some still had difficulty. Moving forward, contestants had to drive as close as possible to a bollard without knocking it over. Success here brought plenty of vocal support from the small crowd sheltering from the icy breeze.
There was plenty of applause, too, when RTITB director-general, Eric Tindall, presented the silverware. There was some genuine surprise when Warrington's success was announced but good-natured applause soon took over.
AWARDS
First, Coventry Trophy and Texaco holiday voucher: B. R. Rawes, Warrington Second, Motor Transport Trophy: 1. Rogers, Eastern Counties.
Third, Pye Tdecommunkations Trophy: C Lewis, Gelligaer.
Best lady driver, Dunlop Trophy: Mrs C. 1. Ahmad, City of Oxford.
Best team, Institute of Advanced Motorists Trophy: Warrington.