He's been going a fare while - taxi boss hailed for helping students
A taxi boss has been hailed for his work in supporting students for nearly 35 years.
Robbie Bruce has been helping overseas students at Concord College with travel arrangements for nearly three and a half decades now.
He launched Bruce's Executive Travel in 1987 when, in the only company car, he used to collect and drop off students from the Acton Burnell-based college and its summer schools to Heathrow Airport.
“I remember when Concord used to have around 200 students and very few phones. Students would queue to use the one pay phone in the common room.
“Apart from my office phone I would often stop off at Pitchford, near Concord, to use the local pay phone to see if more calls had come through whilst I was out driving.
“Often parents would ring the college or my home from the likes of Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur to organise travel arrangements for their sons and daughters – sometimes on a very crackly line.”
As Bruce’s Executive Travel has expanded, Mr Bruce has been taxiing students and staff to Shrewsbury and Telford as well as further afield to school events, marketing trips and embassies.
The business has helped with assisted check-ins at airports and catered for various travel or special needs. Most recently, the business has provided vast airport support and transfers for students.
Most of these transfers involve unaccompanied minors who have travelled from amber and red-listed countries.
Concord’s vice principal (academic) Tom Lawrence said: “Robbie is very well known, not only for his supreme service, but also for his admirable nature and the care he has devoted to all who use his tax service.
“We would like to thank him for his unwavering, safe, reliable service to the college and for all he has given in the past 34 years. He is a part of the Concord community.”
