Photos: Claire Walters, outgoing Chief Executive of Bus Users UK in front of the named National Express bus; Pete Bond, Director of Integrated Transport Services, Transport for West Midlands and Claire Walters; Claire Walters and the team from Bus Users UK
Bus Users UK, the charity that champions the rights of passengers and campaigns for accessible transport, has marked the retirement of long-serving Chief Executive, Claire Walters, with a surprise tribute - a bus named in her honour.
The reveal came during an all-staff meeting and was organised by the teams at Bus Users UK, Transport for West Midlands and National Express, in recognition of Claire Walters’ tireless advocacy for passengers and support for the UK’s lifeline bus services.
Responding to the bus naming, Claire Walters paid tribute to her team: “Bus Users UK plays a vital role in improving services and accessibility, and ensuring passengers and local communities are at the heart of transport planning. Being part of that has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and working alongside such a highly dedicated team has been truly inspiring. Having a bus named after me is the icing on the cake of my challenging and immensely fulfilling 13 year bus journey!”
Chair of Bus Users UK, Jennie Martin MBE, speaking on behalf of the Board said: "It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Claire Walters and thank her for her unstinting efforts to secure the best, most accessible, most affordable bus services for people all around the UK. However it is with joy that we celebrate the transformation of Bus Users UK which she achieved during her 13 year tenure, leaving the charity a nationally respected voice for passengers and the best ADR service available to bus operators. Claire has a great relationship with the team at Bus Users UK which is no small commendation, and is a respected voice of authority throughout the bus sector. It is a cliché to say that we will not see her like again, but in this case, it is the truth."
Lydia Horbury, Bus Users UK Director for England who will be taking over as CEO from Claire Walters said: “Claire has been an exceptional leader and a passionate advocate for passengers. Her dedication, integrity and deep understanding of the challenges faced by bus users have shaped Bus Users UK into the respected organisation it is today. Claire leaves behind an incredible legacy and she will be sorely missed by colleagues, partners and the many people whose lives she has touched through her work. We wish her all the happiness she so richly deserves in her retirement.”
During Claire Walter’s tenure as Chief Executive, Bus Users UK has evolved from a small advocacy group into a nationally respected force in public transport policy and passenger representation. Under her leadership, the charity has built strong relationships across government, industry and communities, championing accessibility, inclusion and the passenger voice.
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