A dream come true for seven- year-old bus fan thanks to Oxford Bus Company

A seven-year-old bus enthusiast had the experience of a lifetime when he was given a special hands-on tour of Oxford Bus Company’s depot.

Vincent Aitken-Rogers, from Abingdon, has autism and ADHD and has been fascinated with buses since he was a toddler. Vincent enjoys studying bus routes, travelling on buses and is an avid collector of timetables.  

His parents Daniel and Dani initially posted an appeal on social media seeking a copy of the Thames Travel 41 bus timetable, as it was the only one missing from Vincent’s impressive collection.

And to their delight Oxford Bus Company arranged for the youngster to experience a surprise visit of the Cowley based depot, after the BBC spotted the social media post and contacted the operator.

Vincent was treated to a behind the scenes tour of the control room, engineering department and yard, and even sat behind the wheel and printed tickets for passengers on a bus bearing his name on the destination display.

Vincent’s mother Dani, said: “Vincent’s love of buses started at the age of three when I used to travel to nursery with him on the bus.

“One day, he wouldn’t stop talking about them and would ask his father to tell him all the buses he saw on the way to work.

“He started noticing the routes different buses would take and had an ambition to ride every bus in Oxford.

“Vincent’s reaction when we told him he would be touring the depot was priceless, he was so excited and said it would ‘make his entire life’!

“The tour was a lovely experience that our family will cherish forever and we would like to thank Oxford Bus Company for making it happen.”

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: "It was a pleasure for our team to welcome Vincent and his family and it was uplifting to see his genuine passion for buses.

“Vincent’s story really resonated with us and as a community spirited business we were happy to give back and hopefully we further inspired him. We’re pleased the family enjoyed the visit and we’re sure he would be an excellent bus driver or engineer for us one day!”

Oxford Bus Group consists of Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, City Sightseeing Oxford and Pulhams Coaches and operates in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire and parts of Berkshire and Hertfordshire. It is owned by parent company the Go-Ahead group.