Nottingham City Transport (NCT) is celebrating outstanding success at the UK Bus Awards 2025, after Zohra Rani was crowned Top National Bus Driver at a ceremony on 25 November 2025 at Troxy in London.
NCT’s achievements didn’t stop there, with Engineering Shift Supervisor Daniel Sanderson also receiving the Silver Award in the prestigious Unsung Hero category.
Zohra, who joined NCT in January 2018, becomes the company’s fifth Top National Bus Driver — following previous winners Les Roome (2014), Aaron Johnson (2018), Jatinder Kumar (2019) and Jonathan Smallman (2022). The Top National Bus Driver Award, sponsored this year by Passenger Transport, brings together the verdict of bus passengers, employers and the all-important mystery travellers to recognise and reward drivers who make a difference to their customers.
Zohra operates across the network on a wide range of routes, interacting with thousands of passengers every week. She is NCT’s most commended driver, regularly praised for her warm, friendly manner and her ability to put customers at ease. Zohra was also named Driver of the Year at the NCT Excellence Awards 2025, and she hopes her achievements will inspire more women to consider careers in transport.
Celebrating her national win, Zohra said: “I have no words — I can’t express how happy and proud I feel. I will continue doing my very best to deliver excellent customer service and bring happiness to the customers I meet on my journeys. I’d like to dedicate this award to my late father, Abdul Malik, who always encouraged me to follow my ambitions. In my background, being a woman driver was not the norm, but he gave me the confidence to pursue the career I wanted.”
Silver Award for NCT’s Unsung Hero – Daniel Sanderson
NCT is also celebrating success in the engineering team, as Engineering Shift Supervisor Daniel Sanderson received the Silver Award in the Unsung Hero category.
Danny oversees evening and night shifts at NCT’s depot — often the busiest periods for engineering activity. A qualified First Aider and Mental Health First Aider, he is respected for his calm leadership, supportive nature and unwavering professionalism. His dedication ensures buses are prepared for service each day, and his colleagues value his willingness to help, guide and support them.
On his achievement, Daniel said: “I’m very humbled to have won the silver award. It’s great to receive recognition for the hard work myself and the team have put in.”
David Astill, NCT Managing Director said, “On behalf of the entire team at NCT I congratulate Zohra and Danny on their wonderful achievements. We know they are two of the highest performing people both in our Company and the wider bus industry. Their success at the UK Bus Awards confirms their status and we are all very proud of them.“
Alan Millar, Chairman of the UK Bus Awards, said: “Every year, the UK Bus Awards remind us that this industry is built on people – people with skill, ability and a determination to make a difference. Our 2025 winners and finalists showcase the power of innovation, collaboration and community. Their achievements inspire the whole sector, and we’re proud to celebrate them.”
These awards are a fantastic recognition of the talent, dedication and professionalism of NCT colleagues, both on the frontline and behind the scenes. Zohra and Daniel’s achievements highlight the commitment of the entire team to delivering safe, reliable, and friendly bus services for the people of Nottingham every day.
