Transaction in Own Shares

9 August 2004

                                FirstGroup plc                                 

              Buyback of 200,000 ordinary shares for cancellation              

FirstGroup plc announces that on 9 August 2004 it purchased for cancellation
200,000 ordinary shares of 5p each at an average price of 281.4223p per share.

There are now 399,351,321 ordinary shares in issue.