Transaction in Own Shares

12 February 2004

                                FirstGroup plc                                 

              Buyback of 450,000 ordinary shares for cancellation              

FirstGroup plc announces that on 12 February 2004 it purchased for cancellation
450,000 ordinary shares of 5p each at an average price of 257.8142p per share.

Since FirstGroup plc started to buyback its ordinary shares on 7 June 2002 it
has repurchased for cancellation a total of 16,629,626 ordinary shares. There
are now 404,201,321 ordinary shares in issue.