Long-serving MD of bus company steps down

Nottingham City Transport’s managing director, Mark Fowles, has retired after 27 years of service.

A web streamed retirement presentation took place, with colleagues from across NCT, representatives from NCT’s shareholders Nottingham City Council and Transdev, along with friends from suppliers and trade bodies – including CPT and ALBUM – and Mark’s family watching.

Fowles was presented with a number of retirement gifts from his colleagues at NCT and friends from across the bus industry and its suppliers.

From NCT, he received a hamper which contained 27 bottles of alcohol to represent the 27 years he has been at the company, a bus themed cake, a commemorative framed photo of him collecting his Services to the Bus Industry Award at the UK Bus Awards in 2019 and his Long Service Certificate.

Fowles joined the erstwhile National Bus Company’s senior management training scheme 1984, and held various operational roles including Manager of Sheffield & District.

He joined NCT as deputy MD in June 1994. His initial remit was to ensure NCT participated in the operation of the proposed light rail system for Greater Nottingham. In 2001, Fowles took over as MD of Nottingham City Transport and following the successful bid, also assumed the role of chairman of the Arrow Consortium which re-introduced trams to Nottingham in March 2004

Fowles said: “It has been a great privilege and honour to serve as managing director of Nottingham City Transport. I am proud of the company’s achievements during my twenty years as MD, which has turned NCT in to an award winning, pioneering bus company that is highly regarded locally and nationally. I’d like to thank employees, past and present, along with friends throughout the bus industry for their support. I will always treasure my time at NCT.”