Stagecoach has appointed a new managing director for its bus operations in the West of England.

Chris Hanson, currently operations director of Stagecoach West, will begin his new role on June 1.

His responsibility includes working closely with local stakeholders across Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Swindon, and Wiltshire.

He will also prioritise employee engagement among the company's 1,300 staff across nine depots.

Mr Hanson joined Stagecoach in 2023 from First Bus.

Starting his career as a bus driver, he has held several senior leadership roles.

Since joining Stagecoach, he has implemented a new training structure to ensure the company recruits the right calibre of drivers and provides a training experience ensuring drivers provide the best service to customers across the region.

Mr Hanson said: "I’m really pleased to be taking on the role of MD and am looking forward to working closer with my senior leadership team to keep us moving forward with our ambitions.

"Communication is a key factor to leading the management teams to continue to always look for the best we can provide to our customers and challenging ourselves to always look to improve.”

Sam Greer chief operating officer at Stagecoach, said: "We’re delighted that our customers, stakeholders and employees in the West can continue to benefit from Chris’ deep understanding of the bus industry.

“We believe that thriving bus services have a critical role to play in local communities and the economy, so we look forward to seeing Chris’s people-first approach support a successful and vibrant local community."