Congratulations to Metroline’s Engineering Director Mr. Ian Foster who was elected to the General Council of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) in April.
The IRTE is one of the most respected names in the field of UK transport and is recognised as the impartial voice of the industry. As an independent body, the IRTE provides accreditation as well as support and guidance to transport engineers and technicians and believes in promoting best practice and safety whilst increasing the overall standard of vehicle repair.
Ian believes that bus and coach engineering is significantly under-represented in the wider engineering world which underpinned his motivation for election to the Council. He started his own engineering journey in 1977 at Acton Technical College and today is responsible for a fleet of 1700 vehicles, including procurement, Health and Safety controls, facilities management and technical and training planning at one of London’s leading bus operators.
“Ultimately, I really want to make a contribution to an industry that has provided me with a living for the past 40 years,” says Ian, “I am committed to raising the profile of bus and coach engineering, especially with schools and apprenticeship programmes, and through initiatives such as Metroline’s new Centre for Skills and Development I want to help promote the development of future engineers.”
