Transdev salutes Captain Tom

Transdev’s The Keighley Bus Company has named a bus in honour of Captain Tom Moore.

The Keighley-born fundraiser has raised over £27m for NHS Charities Together at the time of writing by walking over a hundred lengths of his garden in Bedfordshire. Additionally, his charity single version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” performed as a duet with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir has hit number one on the iTunes download chart.

And now, the 99-year-old war veteran’s proud Yorkshire roots are to be celebrated with a bus named in his honour. The vehicle bears the words: “A Big Thank You To Captain Tom – A Keighley Legend.”

The Keighley Bus Company’s CEO, Alex Hornby, said: “Like everyone in the country we are truly amazed by Captain Tom’s remarkable fundraising efforts for NHS charities, and as he is a proud Yorkshireman raised in Keighley, we feel it’s entirely appropriate for us to express our thanks to him by naming our bus in his hometown.

“All of our team in Keighley share our pride in serving the town where this inspirational man was raised, and he absolutely deserves all our thanks for everything he’s done – and continues to do – for our National Health Service.

“The rear of our special bus also features a very special illustration of Captain Tom completing his fundraising walk, created as an affectionate salute to this exceptional Yorkshireman by Yorkshire Post cartoonist Graeme Bandeira.

“Captain Tom’s bus will be seen in his home county of Yorkshire on our local bus routes throughout the Keighley area, as we continue to provide vital transport links for key workers and those needing to access essential services throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s our way of saying thank you to this remarkable man for raising so much money for our NHS, and just as importantly, lifting the spirits of our nation.”