About NCT

Nottingham City Transport (NCT) is the biggest transport operator in Nottingham, with 280 buses providing a comprehensive network of services across the city, 7 days a week.

We are an award winning bus company and are the only operator to have won UK Bus Operator of the Year a record breaking six times!

Our recent awards include:

  • Top National Bus Driver 2025, Zohra Rani, UK Bus Awards
  • UK Bus Operator of the Year 2024, UK Bus Awards
  • Large Operator of the Year 2024, Route One
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for David Astill, Managing Director 2024
  • Recruitment and Retention Award winner 2023

We carry the most satisfied bus users in England with an overall satisfaction rating of 94% in the independent Transport Focus Satisfaction Survey (2025).

Our fleet is one of the greenest in the country, with 51% fuelled by bio-gas, 22% powered by electricity and only 27% by diesel. Our diesel buses meet the strictest emission standards. 

All NCT buses are tracked by satellite, feeding live bus departure information to thousands of bus stops across the network as well as being available on our website and NCTX Buses app. Keeping up with technological advances, USB charging points are now on most of the fleet too.

Easyrider smart cards, contactless Tap & Go and payment through the NCTX Buses app offer the best value way to travel around Nottingham.

NCT In Numbers:

Some interesting facts and figures about NCT:

  • We’ve been UK Bus Operator the Year six times (the only operator who has been!) – 2004, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2024
  • Passenger Satisfaction on our buses is the highest in England - 94% in the independent Transport Focus 2025 survey
  • Our drivers have won the Top National Driver Award five times - 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2025
  • NCT is the 5th biggest private employer in Greater Nottingham – the top 4 are all multi-national organisations
  • Passenger trips per year: 42.9 million (2025/6)
  • Bus journeys scheduled to run every week: 31,570 – about 1.6 million a year
  • Longest route - Pathfinder 90 to Newark at 26 miles end to end
  • Number of drivers: around 800
  • Kilometres operated per week: 300,000 a week
  • Number of buses operated: 280
  • Number of electric buses: 62 with 19 electric double decks on order for 2026 delivery
  • Percentage of buses that meet the most stringent Euro VI emission standards: 100%
  • Percentage of accessible buses: 100%
  • Percentage of buses with audio announcements: 100%
  • Percentage of buses with USB charging: 82%
  • Number of routes operated: 72

Who Owns NCT?

NCT was ‘privatised’ in 1986 and Nottingham City Council held 100% equity of the company until 2000, when Transdev PLC the UK arm of the French multi national transport operator acquired an effective 18% stake in the company.

Mission Statement:

Providing those we serve with a safe, reliable, value for money, integrated, public transport network which has the least impact on our environment.