Bristol, Bath and the West

Local men shortlisted for national superstar final

Steven Legg and Ali Ghazghazi, who earlier this year won regional awards for being First Bus superstars, have now won places at the companys national finals, being held in Manchester on 11 September.

The Superstar Scheme, which is designed to encourage and reward excellent customer service, runs annually. In attending the national final, Steven and Ali will compete against other regional winners in a bid to be crowned First Bus ‘Superstar of the Year, with the first prize of a luxury holiday.

Steven, (43), who works as a bus driver in Bristol, was initially nominated as a First Bus Superstar in January following an incident in which he helped prevent the loss of a passengers handbag in an attempted street robbery.

Diane Chamberlain of Lawrence Weston nominated him, she says: "Back in January I was on the bus in Bedminster when I noticed someone trying to steal a ladys handbag on the street. I got off the bus to try and help the lady, and Steven assisted me. He called the incident through " alerting the authorities " but more than that, he held the bus until the matter was resolved. I think its rare in this day and age for people to get involved in things like this, but Steven did and he deserves recognition for that. Im delighted to hear that hes been short listed to attend the national final. Ill keep my fingers crossed for him.'

Talking about his nomination, Steven says: "Im excited about going to the final, but I already feel like a winner " I work with some great people, driving round a beautiful city, helping people get to where they need to be.'

David and Marion Wood from Chard in Somerset initially nominated Ali, (51), who works as a bus driver in Somerset, as a First Bus Superstar in January. David Wood says: "Ali is one of the regular drivers on the number 30 bus and hes always cheerful and polite. He greets all his passengers with a really broad smile and really is tuned into our needs. Some of the more elderly passengers cant always reach the stop button, but he always remembers where to stop so its not a problem. Hes a great ambassador for the company, never failing to give a smooth, comfortable, safe ride.'

Marion Woods adds: "We are pleased that Ali has been short listed to attend the final. We think its important to recognise and encourage good customer service, which is why we initially nominated him.'

Talking about his nomination, Ali says: "Im delighted to have been short listed for the final, it would be nice to win, but ultimately, I already feel like a winner " I work with some great people, driving round a beautiful part of the world, and helping people get to where they need to be.'

Justin Davies, Managing Director of First Bristol, said: "In the past year we have recognised a number of different people through our superstar scheme, and they are all great in their own way, but these two really stand out.

"Steven assisted a member of the public who, having intervened in an attempted street robbery, was trying to return a handbag to its rightful owner. Steven alerted the authorities to the incident and then held the bus so that the rightful owner and the good Samaritan " Diane " were able to continue their journey as they had initially planned. It was a high-pressure situation, but by working together he and Diane prevented the loss of another passengers handbag.

"Ali epitomises good customer service. Hes a regular face in the community, and its clear to see that hell do what ever he can to ensure that his passengers come first.'

Steven and Ali will attend the national final in Manchester on 11 September 2008.

To find out more about First Bus Superstar scheme log onto www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/superstars or call into a First Bus travel shop. Members of the public nominating First Bus employees can win a months free bus travel if their nomination is successful, and can help ensure that good customer service is recognised, rewarded and encouraged.



Notes to Editors
· For more information, to arrange interviews or photo opportunities, contact: Karen Baxter, PR Manager (South West & Wales), First Bus, on 07894 785155 or email: Karen.Baxter@firstgroup.com.
· First Bristol, Somerset & Avon carries around 55 million passengers each year on a network of more than 100 routes. It has depots in Bristol, Bath, Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil and Wells. As a company, First is committed to delivering a safe, reliable and punctual service for its customers. The company operates 750 vehicles and employs 2000 people.
· FirstGroup plc is the worlds leading transport company with revenues of over £5 billion a year. It employs over 135,000 staff throughout the UK and North America and transports more than 2.5 billion passengers a year.
· The Group is Britains largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries 3 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities.