A driver from Cambridgeshire operator, Stagecoach East, has come out on top, amongst all women, in a prestigious national competition, testing bus drivers’ skills and knowledge.
Wendy Searle, from Cambridge Depot, was the highest placed female driver at the annual Bus Driver of the Year (BDoY) 2025 competition, in Blackpool.
Darren Roe, Managing Director at Stagecoach East said: “I am incredibly proud of Wendy’s performance. The competition is always fierce, so to come out on top is an incredible achievement, and testimony to Wendy’s ability and hard work.”
The BDoY is the ultimate test of skill, precision, and professionalism for bus drivers nationwide. The event sees competitors tackle a challenging two-mile route along the north promenade in Blackpool, designed to assess their driving ability, speed and distance judgement, and overall roadcraft.
Wendy took part in the competition alongside Duncan Dunnett, also from Stagecoach East. To even reach the final, drivers must have demonstrated outstanding skill, safety, and customer service, earning their place through rigorous local competitions and assessments.
The news comes just days after Stagecoach revealed its outstanding record for reliability. The operator routinely records the actual number of miles that it runs, and where it cannot run them because of factors such as congestion, diversions, or driver illness. It has found that, over the past 12 months, it ran 99.1% of the miles it was timetabled to run.
— Local buses provide a great value, and reliable, way to get about. To plan your journey, buy before you board and track your bus, you can download the Stagecoach Bus App from https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/stagecoachbusapp