Go South West International Women’s Day Event with Macie Hitter

Go South West International Women’s Day Event with Macie Hitter

Just ahead of International Women’s Day, Go South West, part of Go-Ahead proudly hosted a special event celebrating women across the business. 
At the centre of this celebration was Macie Hitter, an 18-year-old racing driver from Norfolk who has recently been announced as Go-Ahead's Brand Ambassador. Macie represents the spirit behind the company’s “Driving Female Futures” initiative, which aims to challenge stereotypes and support the journey towards a more gender-balanced transport industry.

With ambitions to compete at the highest levels of motorsport, Macie is already demonstrating remarkable determination and resilience. Inspired by racing legends Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo, she is carving out her own path in competitive racing while encouraging young people to pursue their dream careers.

Macie’s appointment with Go-Ahead means she will take part in bus driver training, at Plymouth Citybus depot, following the same journey as the company’s new trainees. The initiative will give audiences the chance to see the view from the driver’s seat and offer insights as Macie explores the similarities between high-performance racing and professional driving.

On 5th March, Macie was introduced to the newly wrapped Wrightbus Electroliner and unveiled an F4 testing car, both sporting a Go-Ahead livery.

Guests at the event included women bus drivers from Plymouth and Cornwall, who shared their own inspiring stories about working in the industry and the paths that brought them there. Their experiences highlighted how transport careers are evolving and becoming increasingly more inclusive.

The second half of the day focused on the engineering side of the business, showcasing the company’s ongoing investment in technical skills and talent development. Go South West’s female engineers joined the discussions, demonstrating the wide range of career opportunities available within the transport sector.

The celebration also shone a spotlight on the success of the karting initiative at All Saints Academy, which has been supported by Plymouth Citybus since 2022. The programme has already helped several students progress into engineering-focused education pathways and has inspired similar initiatives in other schools.
Among those visiting were pupils from Quethiock Church of England School in Cornwall, who are now looking up to the All Saints kart team as role models as they begin work on their own pedal-kart design and build project. Go Cornwall Bus is supporting the students by demonstrating how the company designs bus routes, engineers vehicles, and develops branding on liveries, processes the pupils can mirror in their own project.
The event celebrated not only the achievements of those currently working in the transport sector but also the young people who may shape its future.

Go South West, which covers brands across the region including Plymouth Citybus, Go Cornwall Bus, Dartline and Truronian Coaches, would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the day’s success.

The company will continue highlighting the stories of women across its organisation to celebrate International Women’s Day and all eyes will soon be on Macie Hitter again as she takes to the bus driver training seat this spring.

Happy International Women’s Day.