Nottingham City Transport Managing Director Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

David Astill, the Managing Director of Nottingham City Transport, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to the bus industry this week at the Quality Bus Conference in Manchester.

The Bus Centre of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges an individual’s exceptional contribution to the bus sector in England over a number of years. 

David received the accolade from Leon Daniels OBE, the President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

A career bus-man, David’s interest and passion for buses started at childhood, joining the bus industry immediately after graduating from the University of Westminster in the 1980s.

After holding several senior positions for FirstGroup, David joined Nottingham City Transport as Commercial Manager in 2007; its Board as Commercial and Operations Director in 2018 and took the helm as Managing Director in April 2021, seeing NCT through the turbulent times of COVID recovery, the ‘great resignation’ and super-high inflation.

David doesn’t keep his expertise within NCT. He shares his knowledge and passion across the industry through his active participation and board membership of ALBUM, regional Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Chair and sitting on the Bus Commission.

On winning his award, David Astill said, “Having recently accumulated 41 years since I first started working on the buses, I was surprised but delighted to be recognised with this Lifetime Achievement Award. Of course, I haven’t achieved anything in my career without the support and hard work of those I have worked with in this wonderful industry and for that I am so grateful. The fact that I was nominated for this award by the board of the Greater Nottingham Enhanced Bus Partnership is testament to the esteem in which the company I am fortunate and proud to lead, Nottingham City Transport, is held by the local community and our key stakeholders”

Jon Parker independently chairs the Nottingham Bus Partnership and sits on the Department for Transport ‘Bus Centre of Excellence’ Advisory Board. 

Jon nominated David for the Lifetime Achievement Award and said, “I’ve seen first-hand that David is an exceptional leader and ambassador for bus excellence in Nottingham.  When I considered nominating David for the award, I reached out to many of the Nottingham bus stakeholders who were unanimous in their support for his nomination, which is testament to the highest regard that the bus industry has for David.  He is a very worthy winner”.

Cllr Graham Chapman, NCT Chair said, “Nottingham City Transport is one of the best bus companies in the UK. It hasn't happened by accident but by a dedicated workforce and excellent management. David has played a major role in that management for over 15 years and richly deserves the award”.