He’s the man whose skills have ensured thousands of West Yorkshire people get to work, school or the shops – and now The Keighley Bus Company’s own ‘Mr Fix It’ is celebrating half a century of keeping buses on the road.
66 year old Robin Smith, from Denholme near Keighley, first walked into Keighley’s Suresnes Road depot as a newly-hired apprentice engineer with the old West Yorkshire Road Car Company back in 1974, having grown up with a fascination for all things mechanical.
For the last 32 years, Robin has also served as a vehicle inspector, an important role for safety which involves close inspection of every bus in the depot at least once a month.
My dad was a haulage contractor, so I grew up around heavy lorries, plus I was always a bus enthusiast, so there was never any doubt about what I wanted to do and I knew what to expect.
Back in the mid-1970s, we had a lot of older buses which needed careful maintenance to keep them on the road. The first thing I did was an engine rebuild – I even remember the bus, number 2739, a Bristol engined Lodekka which had been with the company since 1962.
Those older buses were easier to work on, as they relied on much simpler engineering. The main issue was around getting parts, while the electrics were often a problem – it was a battle keeping some of them on the road!
I’m not looking for perfection, but I am there to make sure every bus is legally compliant and above all, safe.
Robin Smith, Engineer
Parent firm Transdev’s Operations Director Vitto Pizzuti says Robin’s experience is highly valued as the company prepares for a new era of zero-emission electric buses.
We’re looking forward to introducing a fleet of brand-new electric buses on our popular Shuttle route linking Keighley with Bradford next year – and while the technology on them is certainly different to what we have now, Robin’s experience is very important to us as we approach that change.
Thousands of our customers down the years have enjoyed safe journeys on our buses thanks to Robin’s skill and keen eye for detail. We’re very fortunate to have someone with half a century of knowledge in our workshops.
Vitto Pizzuti, Transdev Blazefield Operations Director
Those early Nationals came fitted with low profile tyres. We couldn’t get replacements and when we tried fitting normal tyres, they wouldn’t fit inside the wheel arches.
The technology has changed a lot, with everything we do recorded electronically, while the buses themselves rely on computerised maintenance, but the people here are marvellous and they keep me going.
I don’t want to retire and sit in the garden watching the rain coming down – I want to carry on for as long as they’ll have me!
Robin Smith, Engineer
