Bus driver of the year for Jim

School Bus Driver of the Year on Ballina run

Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, has celebrated its employees’ achievements in 2022 at the regional annual GEM (‘Go the Extra Mile’) Awards, which recognise excellent customer service, community impact, performance and forward-thinking.

Awards were issued in a number of different categories including Craftworker of the Year, Driver of the Year, Foreman of the Year and School Transport Team of the Year.

Bus Éireann’s Tipperary team was celebrated, with Eoin Quillinan named Craftworker of the Year in Thurles, while Jim Ryan from Thurles was named School Bus Driver of the Year in Ballina for the Western Region.

Eoin Quillinan was commended for his professionalism and forward-thinking at all times during the year. Jim Ryan was praised for his outstanding contribution to the community, working as a Bus Éireann school bus driver for the past twenty-three years.

“I am immensely proud of our team of committed and dedicated employees in the Western Region who ‘go the extra mile’ for our customers every day,” said Brian Connolly, Bus Éireann Senior Operations Manager, West. “I would especially like to recognise Eoin Quillinan who has been awarded specifically for his demonstration of Bus Éireann’s core values. We recognise his ongoing commitment to colleagues and customers alike.

“The GEM Awards celebrate the exceptional contributions of Bus Éireann employees for our passengers, our services and for their colleagues. I want to congratulate all of those who have won and who have been nominated for GEM Awards in 2022.’’

For Bus Éireann’s Western region, Tipperary nominees won two awards in total.

The Bus Éireann regional awards will take place across the country in October and the winners of each region will go forward to the National GEM awards on December 8 in Dublin.

According to a recent KPMG report, Bus Éireann employs 100 people who live in County Tipperary and transports 5,730 primary and post-primary students on school transport in Tipperary each school day.