The managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses is to retire.
Roger French, 58, is stepping down next March after 30 years at the company and 27 years in charge.
The number of people using the bus has grown significantly since Mr French moved to Brighton in 1982 with the number of journeys made by bus doubling in the past 20 years.
Mr French said: “After 30 years of being involved in running buses in Brighton and Hove, I have decided it’s now time to relax and enjoy my retirement.
“Of course, I shall miss working with all my fantastic colleagues in the bus company in Brighton and Hove as well as the many friends and colleagues I’ve worked with over the years.
“I’ve been very lucky to work with such a great bunch of people in a fantastic part of the country for so long and will always be grateful to everyone for the help and encouragement they have given me.
“It’s been a particular pleasure to be part of the Go-Ahead Group for the last 19 years.”
Mr French’s career in the bus industry began in 1970 when he was a student working during the summer holidays for London Transport.
He worked at the head office in central London and as a bus conductor in north London.
He joined the National Bus Company graduate management training scheme in Yorkshire with the West Riding and Yorkshire Woollen bus companies.
He then became a district traffic superintendent in Ashford with the East Kent company and area manager with South Wales Transport in Swansea.
In 1982 he came to Brighton and Hove to work as assistant traffic manager for the Southdown bus company, which became part of what is now Brighton and Hove Buses.
Mr French has been involved in running the buses in Brighton and Hove ever since.
He became manager of the new Brighton and Hove division of Southdown in preparation for deregulation and privatisation in 1985.
He was then involved in the management buyout of the newly reformed Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company in 1987 and its subsequent sale to the Go-Ahead Group in 1993.
Mr French oversaw the successful acquisition and merger of the Brighton Transport company in 1997 and the purchase and integration of Stagecoach’s Lewes-based operations in 2005.
