Top UK Express Coach Driver
Winner, Gold Award
Gavin Francis - Oxford Tube
This award is presented to the coach driver who works wholly or mainly on scheduled express service duties who has best demonstrated excellent performance from the customer perspective in the 12 month period to the end of September 2016.
To win the title of Top UK Express Coach Driver, entrants need to go that bit further to provide the customer’s ideal: a driver who is friendly, helpful, conscientious and mindful of passengers’ comfort and well-being – in short, a true professional and worthy ambassador for the industry.
Gavin Francis works for Stagecoach in Oxfordshire on its popular Oxford Tube express service. His personal interest in public transport and passion for the industry is reflected in his ability to mentor others and assist in the training of new drivers. Gavin is very thorough, often a perfectionist, and so suits the role of a mentor, passing these skills onto new recruits. When the company bought new coaches, Gavin was one of two drivers who trained the entire Oxford Tube team in how to operate the new fleet. In his spare time, Gavin is a keen photographer, with many of his pictures of coaches and buses being used in industry magazines.
Our mystery traveller commented that Gavin was very friendly and engaging, and was particularly patient and reassuring to a nervous passenger that wanted to be sure that he hadn't missed his stop.