HE’S SEEN trolley buses and On The Buses, he’s been a fitter’s mate and helped avoid a serious accident.
And it’s all in a day’s work for Reading Buses’ longest-serving employee.
Earley-based Roger Tuggey has been a fixture at the bus company, which runs services in Wokingham borough as well as in Reading, ever since the then teenager poked his head round the door of the old Mill Lane bus depot looking for some work.
Now 65, and with no intention of retiring just yet, Roger has seen many changes to the bus industry in that time.
At a special presentation held for him on Tuesday, he recalled his early days as a fitter’s mate when the Reading Buses depot was located in Mill Lane.
He recalls cycling past the depot, thinking to himself, “I would love to work there”. He dropped in to see if there was a vacancy. He was interviewed for the role of fitter’s mate and offered the job on the spot.
In those early days, Reading still had trolley buses and Roger remembers attending a puncture breakdown on the main 17 route. He was given the task of pulling the trolley bus frog (the wire switches) down at a junction to avoid a derailment.
“For me, that was a highlight,” said Roger who, after the demise of the trolley buses, went on to work on more mainstream bus types.
And one of the buses he worked on was an AEC Regent 3 double decker bus.
To surprise him on Tuesday, his colleagues organised for the bus to be brought to the Great Knollys Street depot so he could be reunited with the vehicle in which he passed his test when he was 23.
Roger, now 65, has fond memories of the vehicle, particularly changing gears.
He has worked on numerous vehicle types right up to the present day’s state-of-the-art technology and the significant changes that have transformed the industry in recent times.
But Roger, who became a semi-skilled fitter, wouldn’t change his career for any other and has no immediate plans to retire.
He said: “I work three days a week and in addition to my allotment I actively preserve vehicles as a hobby.”
He is a member of the Thames Valley Omnibus Trust and twice a week does mechanical, bodywork and painting jobs on Western National vehicles. He recently took part in a three-day, 550-mile journey over routes where the Royal Blue coaches operated.
He is married, has two step daughters and a grandson and lives in Earley.
Reading Buses head of engineering John Bickerton paid tribute to the loyal employee.
In a statement he said: “What an amazing achievement. The whole engineering workshop, plus others, turned out to celebrate this milestone with him.
“At Reading Buses we are extremely lucky to have a great blend of long-term employees as well as new starters. It’s testament to the company, and the people who work here, that people such as Roger can happily stay on throughout massive changes in the industry.
“Well done, Roger.”
