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| Driver marks 50 years on the buses | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Amarjit Singh joined Reading Buses in 1975 when he was 22 years old | Amarjit Singh joined Reading Buses in 1975 when he was 22 years old |
| A bus driver has been reflecting on his career as part of celebrations for 50 years of service. | A bus driver has been reflecting on his career as part of celebrations for 50 years of service. |
| Amarjit Singh joined Reading Buses in 1975, when he was 22 years old, on a starting wage of 75p per hour. | Amarjit Singh joined Reading Buses in 1975, when he was 22 years old, on a starting wage of 75p per hour. |
| Chief executive Robert Williams thanked and congratulated him, adding that they were "honoured" he was still working for the firm. | Chief executive Robert Williams thanked and congratulated him, adding that they were "honoured" he was still working for the firm. |
| Looking back on how the industry has changed, Mr Singh said he had always liked interacting with customers. | Looking back on how the industry has changed, Mr Singh said he had always liked interacting with customers. |
| Reading Buses paid tribute to the long-serving bus driver and released a statement about his career. | Reading Buses paid tribute to the long-serving bus driver and released a statement about his career. |
| Mr Singh first joined the firm as a conductor as he was originally considered too young to drive a bus. | Mr Singh first joined the firm as a conductor as he was originally considered too young to drive a bus. |
| After three years in the role he starting driving, explaining the buses in the 1950s and 60s were "heavy to drive" and had "clunky" gears. | After three years in the role he starting driving, explaining the buses in the 1950s and 60s were "heavy to drive" and had "clunky" gears. |
| "Buses are definitely better now, easier to drive and much safer for everyone," he said. | "Buses are definitely better now, easier to drive and much safer for everyone," he said. |
| "If you broke down you were expected to find a public phone to alert the inspectors - although if you didn't appear after a while, they would send the emergency engineer to find out what had happened." | "If you broke down you were expected to find a public phone to alert the inspectors - although if you didn't appear after a while, they would send the emergency engineer to find out what had happened." |
| The Reading Buses team said they were "honoured" Mr Singh had worked for them for 50 years | The Reading Buses team said they were "honoured" Mr Singh had worked for them for 50 years |
| Mr Singh said conductor-specific roles started to come to an end in the 1980s and drivers were expected to issue their own tickets. | Mr Singh said conductor-specific roles started to come to an end in the 1980s and drivers were expected to issue their own tickets. |
| He added: "I actually enjoyed issuing tickets as well as driving, I liked interacting with customers. I don't think others were so keen though." | He added: "I actually enjoyed issuing tickets as well as driving, I liked interacting with customers. I don't think others were so keen though." |
| Mr Singh also worked as a school bus driver, and said the best piece of career advice he was ever given was to "leave your worries at work and go home happy". | Mr Singh also worked as a school bus driver, and said the best piece of career advice he was ever given was to "leave your worries at work and go home happy". |
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| Do you have a story BBC Berkshire should cover? | Do you have a story BBC Berkshire should cover? |
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