Albert, known as “Fonty” to his many friends at The Harrogate Bus Company, is one of the town’s most familiar faces as the friendly source of bus times and directions at the bus station’s information hub.
It’s a second proud milestone for Albert, who also celebrated his 70th birthday a few weeks ago.
Chief executive of The Harrogate Bus Company Alex Hornby surprised Albert with a special award to thank him for his service.
Alex said: “Buses come and go, but Albert has remained a constant source of help and advice for thousands of our customers here in Harrogate.
“He sums up everything we strive to be – friendly, helpful and always ready to go the extra mile to help make travelling by bus a pleasure.”
In his half century on the buses in Harrogate, Albert has built up a wealth of knowledge of the town and its bus routes, helping locals and visitors alike to get the best from their bus service.
He’s also become a reassuring presence for passengers at the heart of Harrogate’s busy bus station, where hundreds of journeys begin and end every day.
The Harrogate Bus Company’s General Manager Keith Roebuck said: “Albert is more than just a friendly face – he’s a human library of information about Harrogate’s public transport.
“Albert started with our predecessors at the West Yorkshire Road Car Company as a bus driver in 1967, working his way up to become supervisor before taking up his current role in charge of our bus station information hub, which is the first point of call for passengers looking for bus times and ticket information.
“Albert’s also a popular figure with our team, and it’s a pleasure to celebrate his amazing achievement of 50 years on the buses in Harrogate.”