Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, has celebrated its employees’ success in 2021 at the annual GEM (‘Go the Extra Mile’ ) Awards which recognise excellent customer service, community impact, performance and forward-thinking.
Bus Éireann’s 260-strong Galway team was celebrated, with Noel Finnerty being recognised with the School Bus Driver of the Year Award for the Western region and Bus Éireann’s Galway AVL team winning the Team of the Year for the Western region.
Noel Finnerty was recognised for his 23 years working as a school bus driver in Galway, his father before him also driving the school bus. Noel has been serving on the same route to Loughrea Post Primary School/Kilchreest National School for over two decades. Noel is recognised for his tremendous warmth to students, parents and his Bus Éireann colleagues and for his willingness to go the extra mile, including putting salt down on his own route during periods of winter frost.
Bus Éireann’s Galway AVL team were awarded Team of the Year for the Western region because of their ongoing commitment to great customer service and their operation of the Galway city bus service, which facilitated over 5.6 million passenger journeys in 2019.
In congratulating the winners, Stephen Kent, Bus Éireann Chief Executive Officer said 2021 has been a landmark year for Bus Éireann and that he is proud of their team of dedicated employees all across Ireland who ‘go the extra mile’ for customers.
‘’I would especially like to recognise Noel and the AVL team in Galway, who have been awarded specifically for their demonstration of Bus Éireann’s core values. Noel for his dedication to the students he helps bring to and from school each day and the Galway AVL team for their commitment to excellent customer service for our passengers in Galway,” he said.
According to a recent KPMG report, Bus Éireann contributes €17 million to the Galway economy, employing 260 people who live in County Galway, facilitating over 5.6 million passenger journeys on the Galway city bus service in 2019 and transporting 9,000 students on school transport in Galway each school day.
