This month, a Stagecoach employee is celebrating a successful 25 years in the transport industry after working his way up from bus cleaner to operations director.

Rob Jones, who works across Stagecoach’s Liverpool and Wirral depots, is now celebrating his silver anniversary in the sector as operations director for Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire.

From a young age, Rob’s dream job was to become a bus driver. He said:

“I knew from early on that I wanted to get behind the wheel. When I was three or four, I remember seeing them on the road and thinking it was the job for me.

“When I turned 15, I found a job at a local bus depot. I would work at the weekends, cleaning and washing buses and coaches. As soon as I turned 18, I practiced and passed my bus driving test.”

As operations director for Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, Rob is now responsible for over 400 buses and 967 drivers from across Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire. He is also in charge of 55 operational staff in each of the local depots.

Part of Rob’s responsibility is to oversee millions of passenger trips every month. Since the start of 2015, there has been over 35 million passengers on the buses in the Merseyside & South Lancashire region alone.

An illustrious career for Rob includes highlights such as being awarded the Young Manager of the Year at the National Bus Awards in 2008 and playing a significant role in the success of the London Olympics in 2012. Throughout the Summer Games, Rob took the responsibility of athlete depot manager, making sure all athletes got to their venues on time.

He said:

“It was a high pressure job, you’re right in the fray of things. Getting the athletes from their village to the various venues across London was a challenge, but in the end it was very rewarding.

Rob now works across all five Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire bus depots. Speaking about his future in the bus industry, Rob said:

“I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s an exciting industry to be involved in. I love my job and the people I work with.”

Outside of work, Rob spends his time focusing on his other passion; football. Being based across the UK, he’s been to games across the country:

“I’ve been based in Preston and Scotland as well as Chester, Liverpool and London. From Preston North End to Kilmarnock and Rangers, I’ve travelled the length of country to see teams play. I even watched Real Madrid and Barcelona play!”

Managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, Elisabeth Tasker, said:

“To have a career with as many highlights as Rob by the age of 40 shows you how much of an asset he is to the team. He has played a significant part of our success in recent years and I’m glad to have him on board.

“Rob’s story shows you what is possible in the transport industry and the career path you can lead. There’s no barriers to stop you from progressing and no limit to what you can achieve.”