Hero McGill's Driver Pummy Hadebe wins UK Transport Award after delivering baby on bus

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McGill’s bus driver who helped safely deliver a baby on board her bus has been honoured with a major UK transport award.

Pummy Hadebe was named Frontline Employee / Community Champion of the Year at the UK National Transport Awards in London last night (1 October), recognising her remarkable response to an emergency on board McGill’s Service 23.

What began as a routine journey on Saturday 29 November 2025 took an extraordinary turn shortly after a couple boarded Pummy’s bus at Nelson Street intending to travel to hospital.

After hearing concerning noises from the rear of the bus, Pummy immediately stopped to investigate and discovered that the woman was in significant pain.

She contacted McGill’s traffic control and the ambulance service, quickly realising the passenger was in labour and the baby was about to arrive.

Remaining calm throughout, Pummy helped deliver the baby on board the bus before placing the newborn on the mother’s tummy and using a towel from her own bag to keep the baby warm until paramedics arrived.

Mother and baby were subsequently taken to hospital and confirmed to be in good health.

Pummy said: “I’m absolutely delighted and a little overwhelmed to have received this award.

“When it happened, I wasn’t thinking about doing anything special. I could see that the mother needed help and I just concentrated on keeping her calm, listening to the ambulance service and doing whatever I could until the paramedics arrived.

“The moment we heard the baby cry was something I will never forget. More than anything, I was just relieved to know that mum and baby were safe.

“To receive an award for something that happened during an ordinary working day is very special.”

Pummy had already received national recognition in Scotland, having been Highly Commended at the Scottish Transport Awards earlier this year.

Colin Napier, Group Service Delivery Director at McGill’s Buses, said: “Everyone at McGill’s is immensely proud of Pummy and it is fantastic to see her actions recognised at UK level.

“Bus drivers encounter an enormous range of situations during their working day, but very few could ever expect to find themselves helping to deliver a baby. Pummy showed tremendous composure, compassion and presence of mind when her passengers needed her most.

“What makes this award particularly fitting is that Pummy’s first instinct has always been to play down what she did. She simply saw people who needed her help and stepped forward. That says

a great deal about her character and the care our frontline colleagues show towards the communities they serve.

“Winning a UK National Transport Award is a tremendous achievement and Pummy should be extremely proud.”

The UK National Transport Awards celebrate excellence across the transport industry and bring together operators and organisations from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.