First Bus hails 30th birthday alongside public transport enthusiast Francis Bourgeois
- First Bus celebrates 30th birthday with professional trainspotter and content creator Francis Bourgeois as he reveals love for the bus
- Francis kicked off the celebrations at the birthplace of First Bus in Aberdeen, where he demonstrated his love of public transport, learned to drive an electric bus, and explored a selection of heritage buses
- As the company reflects on three decades of growth and putting its people first, First Bus looks ahead to becoming a more equitable, accessible, and sustainable business
30th April 2025, London, UK - First Bus, one of the UK’s leading bus operators, today kicks off its celebrations for 30 years by partnering with famed trainspotter and content creator, Francis Bourgeois. Francis recently took a trip to the company’s birthplace in Aberdeen, where he was able to embrace his love and passion for public transport, diving into the world of buses. On his tour of Aberdeen, Francis learned how to drive a brand-new electric bus alongside taking a tour of a selection of heritage buses that contribute to the brand’s history.
First Bus, first formed in 1995, has undergone significant expansion throughout its 30-year history, and now operates over 1.5 million journeys per day across the UK. However, three decades of significant development is not set to slow down the company’s plans for the future. Just last year, the company announced a major milestone in its business transformation journey through its relaunch, featuring a new, modern logo and further cementing its commitment to its customers and its people.
Looking ahead, First Bus has already committed over £300m to transitioning towards a zero-emission bus fleet by its 40th birthday in 2035. It also has concrete plans to build an inclusive and engaged workforce, and has become an accredited Real Living Wage employer, in addition to digitally transforming the travel experience to increase accessibility and ease for customers.
Janette Bell, Managing Director, First Bus, says: “Since its inception, First Bus has been driven by its goal of bringing people together and connecting communities. Buses don’t just move a nation, they bring a nation together, every day. Over the past 30 years, the business has seen unprecedented transformation and growth, and it’s a point of pride that we’ve thrived to meet the needs of our passengers and our people throughout.
Even in the past five years alone, we’ve gone from initiating major milestones like launching our first electric bus in 2020, to now operating with over 1100 in our fleet. It’s amazing to be able to reflect on everything that's happened since 1995, while also looking forward to what’s to come.”
Speaking on his enthusiasm for buses, Francis Bourgeois commented: “I know I’m known for the railway, but my enthusiasm for public transport extends to other forms too, like buses. I was thrilled when First Bus invited me to celebrate its 30th birthday at the Aberdeen depot. Seeing how much buses have evolved in the last three decades is incredible, not only the transition to electric vehicles but also learning about the impact buses have on society. Perhaps in another career, I could have been a bus driver…maybe I will become a bus driver!”
For more information, check out the campaign landing page www.firstbus.co.uk/birthday
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About First Bus
At First Bus, we’re on a mission to grow bus usage – so we’ll get behind initiatives that move people out of cars and onto the bus.
We’re one of the UK’s largest bus operators, delivering more than 1.5 million passenger journeys a day. Our local bus services serve more than 25% of the population of Great Britain and over half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
We are a leading operator in the majority of our local areas, including major urban centres such as Glasgow, Bristol and Leeds.
We have proudly launched our First Bus London operation and now operate 83 routes in west and central London from 10 garages serving 180 million passengers annually.
The combined operation now manages a fleet of over 5,750 buses across the UK.
Transforming our business for the better, we’re putting our people and customers at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we’re the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, cementing our position as an employer of choice in the sector.
First Bus is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 and already has over 1100 zero emissions buses in operation.
We’re passionate about giving back to the communities we serve, which is why we’re helping local businesses to progress their decarbonisation journeys – giving them access to our charging hubs while our buses are on the road.
We also operate, Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company, Lakeside, Ensignbus, Anderson Travel - and the Aircoach network and Matthews in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup plc.
Find more information here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/