First Bus brings new procurement chief on board

Transport operator First Bus has appointed a new head of procurement following the retirement of Dave Farrar after more than three decades’ service.

Tim Noble said he has inherited 'an excellent team' at First Bus

The Aberdeen-based firm, owned by FirstGroup, said Tim Noble joins from IT infrastructure and services group SCC, having previously spent five years as head of procurement at rival Arriva.

In his new role, Noble will be responsible for defining the procurement strategy at First Bus, which runs a fleet of 6,300 vehicles carrying about 1.7 million passengers a day in the UK.

“I’ve inherited an excellent team, with a great reputation and a really strong track record of achievement,” Noble said.

“I’m looking forward to working with colleagues, partners and suppliers to deliver the best possible products and services to help support our local teams and grow our business.”

Earlier this month, FirstGroup said commercial passenger revenues at its UK bus operations grew by more than 2 per cent in the first half of its financial year.