We are delighted to announce that entries for Lothian’s Bus Driver of the Year 2026 competition are now open!

This year’s event will take place on Wednesday 6 May at the Royal Highland Centre (Ingliston) and is set to be our biggest and best event yet.

All members of our driving teams who have held a PCV license for at least 12 months and demonstrate the skills, ability, and a proactive, can-do attitude are welcome to enter. To be eligible to take part in the event, you must have the following:

• A clean driving licence
• No blame-worthy accidents (since August 2025)
• An excellent customer service record
• No continuous absences from work for any period exceeding fourteen weeks (since August 2025)
• Worked at least three full shifts per week
• Been employed as a PCV driver for at least one year
• Availability to attend the National Finals in Blackpool on 6 September

Winners at our event receive a cash prize and a trophy, while the Overall Winner also earns the prestigious title of Lothian’s Driver of the Year. The top three finishers will be invited to represent the company at the National Finals in Blackpool this September.

In recent years, we have enjoyed a strong history in the competition with East Coast Buses’ Thomas Gilhooley being named UK Bus Driver of the Year in 2024, along with Gary Black (Central) and John O’Hara (Longstone) both finishing in the top ten in recent years.

Put your skills to the test to see if you are the ‘best of the best’ and show the rest of the UK the amazing professional driving abilities across our teams at Lothian.

Apply online by filling in our digital application form below. You can also pick up an application form from your garage desk and hand it in to your Garage Manager.

The deadline to apply to this year’s competition is Saturday 28 February.

Good luck to everyone entering to become Lothian’s Bus Driver of the Year 2026!