Michael Leech of First Bus North & West Yorkshire is the winner of the 57th Bus Driver of the Year National Final.

The conclusion of the competition took place on Sunday 14 September and saw Michael take home the BDoY Trophy and £4,100 prize money. Aged 46, he is a regular at the finals and this year competed against 100 others who represented 27 different operating companies. He has been a driver based at Skircoat depot Halifax for 25 years and is allocated to local bus routes. Clearly overcome with the enormity of his success and struggling to put into words his feelings he shared the limelight with his wife and daughter and nevertheless agreed to an interview with ITV This Morning.

John Sheehy, Chief Executive of The Transport Benevolent Fund, presented the awards at a ceremony in The Imperial Hotel where 300 supporters and family joined the competitors to hear the results.

Runner-up by a margin of just six points, Nick Perry of Go North East won the BDoY Trophy and £3,000.

In third place was Maciej Herman of McGill’s Bus Group, while fourth place went to Simon Vincent of Plymouth City Bus. Fifth place driver David Nairn represented further success for First Bus North & West Yorkshire.

THE BDOY NATIONAL FINAL 2025 – RESULTS

• First place – Michael Leech, First Bus North & West Yorkshire:
• Second place – Nick Perry, Go North East
• Third place – Maciej Herman, McGill’s Bus Group
• Fourth place – Simon Vincent, Plymouth City Bus
• Fifth place – David Nairn, First Bus North & West Yorkshire
• Highest-placed competitor from a depot in Wales – Mark Baxter, First Cymru Buses
• Hightest-placed competitor from a depot in Scotland – Maciej Herman
• Highest-placed competitor from a depot in England – Michael Leech
• Best Theory Test Result – Gavin Justice, McGill’s Bus Group
• Highest-placed competitor from a company in membership of The Road Operators’ Safety Council – Nick Perry, Go North East
• Highest-placed Stagecoach competitor – Aleksei Solovjov, Stagecoach East Scotland
• Highest-placed National Express competitor – Lee Grantham, West Midlands Travel
• Highest-placed McGill’s competitor – Maciej Herman, McGill’s Bus Group
• Highest-placed London Buses competitor – Michael Rowley, Go Ahead London
• Highest-placed Go-Ahead competitor – Nick Perry, Go North East
• Highest-placed FirstBus competitor – Michael Leech, First Bus North & West Yorkshire
• Second highest-placed Stagecoach competitor – Phil Royle, Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire
• Second highest-placed National Express competitor – Christopher Godridge, West Midlands Travel
• Second highest-placed McGill’s competitor – Gavin Justice, McGill’s Bus Group
• Second highest-placed London Buses competitor – Michael Rowley, Go Ahead London
• Second highest-placed Go-Ahead competitor – Simon Vincent, Plymouth City Bus
• Second highest-placed FirstBus competitor – David Nairn, First Bus North & West Yorkshire
• Third highest-placed MGill’s competitor – Michael Morrison, McGill’s Bus Group
• Best-presented buses in use at the National Final:
• The Bryan Constable Award:

1. Newly-delivered or up to two-years old – Go North West SK73 CTU
2. Two to five years old – Lothian Buses SJ70 HNH
3. Over five years old – Blackpool Transport SN67 WZJ

Annual trophies will be held and displayed by the successful finalist or sponsorship company until the National Final in 2026. All winners will also receive an award to keep, on which their name will be displayed.