IRTE names best bus fleet technicians 21 July 2014

The bus industry's top technicians were named late last week (17 July 2014) at the IRTE Skills Challenge 2014 winners' presentation, held in the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.

For the third year running, a team from Arriva scooped the competition's top honour, with the IRTE Award for Outstanding Achievement going to team-mates Keval Rayatt, Colin Harris and Tom Hubbard.

As well as winning toolboxes from Teng Tools, the three received a year's free membership of the IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) and its umbrella body the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE).

Harris, who has been on the winning Arriva team for the past three years, says: "There were some very good guys taking part this year and the competition was very stiff, so it was a real surprise to win. It definitely shows the calibre of Arriva engineers."

For the first time this year the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) ran one of the Skills Challenge tests, with mechanical competitors completing part of a replica PSV annual test.

Adam Geddes, from Preston Bus, earned the top scoring DVSA Inspection Technician award, with Metroline's Jon Marriage taking the award for top apprentice.

Other top scoring technicians came from Abellio, FirstGroup, Metroline and Tower Transit.

"We at DVSA are pleased to support the bus industry in demonstrating their professionalism and commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safe operation," states Alex Fiddes, chief operating officer testing & enforcement at DVSA.

"This was clearly demonstrated by the high calibre of competitors in this year's IRTE Skills Challenge. We are pleased to have been involved and we look forward to supporting the competition in future."

"It's really good to see apprentices and technicians rewarded for being the best at what they do," agrees Sir Moir Lockhead OBE, SOE Patron and former chief executive of FirstGroup.

"I'm convinced that standards now are much higher than when I was doing my apprenticeship and pathway to IRTE membership, and my congratulations go to all the winners of IRTE Skills Challenge 2014."

The top scoring technicians and apprentices received prizes from Teng Tools, as well as a day of training with DVSA.

The UK bus industry's only competition for technical excellence, the IRTE Skills Challenge comprises a series of bodywork, electrical and mechanical tasks that give technicians and apprentices the opportunity to demonstrate their skills at a national level.

Testing for the competition was devised by Allison Transmission, Bridgestone, Knorr-Bremse, Shell Lubricants, and event host S&B Automotive Academy.

Buses and equipment were donated for the Skills Challenge by supporters Abellio, MAN and Mercedes-Benz.

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Author
Brian Tinham

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