McGill’s Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Roberts, has received a special lifetime achievement award recognising his outstanding contribution to transport in Scotland.
The Scottish Transport Awards were held at the Marriott Hotel Glasgow on Thursday 20 June to celebrate excellence in transport and reward innovation for transport initiatives in Scotland.
The Lifetime Contribution to Transport Award was awarded to Ralph in recognition of his career in the bus industry which spans more than four decades. As CEO he has led McGill’s for 14 years where he is responsible for running one of Scotland’s largest zero emission bus fleets and leading a workforce of 1500 employees. Prior to this role, Ralph held various leadership positions at Arriva.
Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s, expressed his gratitude: “It is humbling to be recognised in this way and I have only been able to achieve what I have because of the fabulous teams I have had around me over the years and the support I have enjoyed from above.
“As I move into the autumn of my career, I am happy to see a younger generation, with an abundance of energy, pick up the challenge of steering the business day to day.
“However, I will remain heavily involved in the existential battle against business confiscation that is otherwise known as the £400m per annum bus franchising effort by SPT.
“Public transport has a bright future in Scotland and I am glad to have played a part in that”.
The Scottish Transport Awards are supported by the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, Network Rail, Scotland’s Railway, The Railway Industry Association and CPT Scotland. Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, was the keynote speaker during the evening.
McGill’s employee Mohammad Ramzan, Xplore Dundee driver, was also named Frontline Employee of the Year at the awards ceremony, recognising his 46-year-long service as a bus driver.
Mohammad – who joined Tayside Passenger Transport in 1978 – is one of Scotland’s longest-serving bus drivers and continues to work on a part-time basis. Known as Uncle Ramzan to his colleagues, he was commended for his warm personality, sense of humour and dedication in serving the people of Dundee.
The award comes at a time when the company, owned by Scottish businessmen Sandy and James Easdale, has challenged Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) over its plans to nationalise bus services. The company has warned that franchising could cost taxpayers almost £400m a year and believe that SPT are ‘grossly misleading’ the public and parliament over the controversial plans.
The success of McGill’s at the Scottish Transport Awards reaffirms the company’s position as a leading provider of public transportation and recognises the efforts of the company’s dedicated team.
