LONG-serving staff from Keighley Bus Company have been recognised at a glittering awards night.

Seventeen employees received accolades at a Celebration of Service event staged by the company's parent firm, Transdev.

Amongst those honoured was Shabir Ahmed, duty manager at Keighley Bus Company, who has clocked up 45 years’ service.

The celebratory dinner – held in the Howard Suite at Headingley Stadium, Leeds – saw 48 Transdev staff, from across Yorkshire and the north-west, receive recognition.

Their combined service totalled 1,450 years.

Also in attendance at the presentation evening – the first to be held since 2019 due to the pandemic – were family, friends and colleagues.

Transdev's chief executive officer, Alex Hornby, said: "The inspiring stories of amazing customer service provided by Shabir and all of our Celebration of Service award winners are humbling for me to hear.

"This celebration evening is our way of saying 'thank you' to them for all they have done and continue to do for our customers. As a growing business, we benefit greatly from their professionalism and experience.

"Their knowledge built up over decades provides a guiding example to the newer members of our teams, whilst ensuring we have a secure foundation on which to build for the years ahead."

Each of the Keighley Bus Company Celebration of Service award winners had reached a milestone in their career with the firm – 25, 30, 35 or 45 years.

The long-service celebration comes as Transdev continues to recruit new drivers at its ten operating centres across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Full details of vacancies can be found at transdevbus.co.uk/work-for-us.

Meanwhile, Transdev has been shortlisted in five categories of the UK Bus Awards.

It is a finalist in the sections for Supporting the Customer Experience, Culture Change, Marketing, Partnering for Delivery and Buses For Pleasure.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 15.

Mr Hornby said: "I’m delighted that our talented people will take their place amongst the nation’s best at these prestigious awards, which recognise the innovation and pride in our teams as they deliver amazing customer service.

"We continue to respond positively to the challenging times we are all going through, with our customers at the heart of our mission to create buses people are proud to be seen on."

UK Bus Awards chair Alan Millar said judges had described the standard of entries this year as "outstanding".