YOU can almost read what seven-year-old Carole Stevens wanted to be when she grew up as she sits in this Oxford bus.

The now 27-year-old has returned to the city as operations manager of Stagecoach, controlling the running of 120 buses, including 26 on the Oxford Tube service, with 320 staff reporting to her.

She said: “I can’t wait to drive an Oxford Tube coach and get involved. Stagecoach Oxford is one of the most advanced companies I’ve worked at.

“Not many companies have buses as modern as Oxford with smart card ticketing and cutting-edge multi-operator ticketing.

“I’m delighted to be back in Oxford.”

Mrs Stevens grew up in Carterton. Her father Richard Morgan was a secondary schoolteacher who worked at weekends and school holidays with Oxford open-top bus tour company Guide Friday, and he often used to take his daughter to work with him.

He put her in the driving seat – and from that moment she knew where she wanted to go in life.

She started her career in Oxford, gaining her bus driver’s licence aged 18 – which meant she became the youngest bus driver in the city. Now she is the youngest manager.

But her route to the top has taken her on a trip around the country, working as assistant operations manager in Manchester and Worthing, and operations manager in Merthyr Tydfil/Aberdare.

So keen is she on buses that she even had two at her wedding last year.

She was chauffered in a luxury Stagecoach Gold bus from the register office to the reception.

Stagecoach Oxford managing director Martin Sutton said: “It’s excellent to have Carole join the team.

“Her experience gained from around the country together with her determination and passion for the bus industry makes her a credit to the company.”

Stagecoach has invested heavily in new buses and technology, meaning it has one of the newest bus fleets in the country.

Most recently Stagecoach bought 11 high-specification double-deckers for its Gold S5 route from Bicester to Oxford. These include free Wi-Fi, high back leather seats and greener, more environmentally friendly engines.