Directorate

FIRSTGROUP PLC
20 September 1999



                               FIRSTGROUP PLC

                                BOARD CHANGE


FirstGroup announces that Trevor Smallwood has decided to retire as Chairman
of the Group.  A search is in hand for a non-executive chairman and, pending
the appointment of a successor, the company's non-executive directors, Martin
Gilbert and Andrew Higginson, will alternate in chairing board meetings.

Trevor Smallwood said:

'After 33 years in the public transport industry I have decided that now is
the time to retire.  I leave the Group in excellent shape, particularly after
the recent successful acquisition of Ryder, and well positioned for an
exciting future. I wish my colleagues continued success.'

Enquiries:

FirstGroup plc                                         
Moir Lockhead, Group Chief Executive                   Tel: [phone]
Michael Mitchell, Director of Corporate Communications Tel: [phone]


Notes for editors

Trevor Smallwood OBE
He joined the bus industry in 1966 as a management trainee at Yorkshire
Traction. Before his appointment as Executive Chairman of FirstGroup, he was
Managing Director of Badgerline Group plc for nine years. In this capacity he
led the management and employee buyout of Badgerline from the National Bus
Company in 1986. Following a number of successful acquisitions including Ryder
Holdings and PMT Group, in June 1995 Badgerline merged with GRT Bus Group PLC
to form FirstBus plc. Since then, the Group has grown rapidly through the
acquisition of bus companies in Strathclyde, North Manchester, London and the
South East and has expanded into passenger rail transport through the
acquisition of Great Eastern and Great Western Holdings and has a majority
shareholding in Bristol International Airport. In 1998 the Group acquired a
stake in a joint venture partnership to operate bus services in Hong Kong.
Most recently, the Group has made its first acquisition in the US namely Ryder
Public Transportation Services, Inc. and Bruce Transportation Group.  In 1995
Trevor Smallwood was awarded the OBE for services to the passenger transport
industry and he is a past president of the Confederation of Passenger
Transport. He was recently appointed non-executive chairman of Weston Radio
Limited.


Martin Gilbert MA LLB CA
He is one of the founding directors and Chief Executive of Aberdeen Asset
Management PLC, who have assets under management in excess of £15bn. He was
appointed to the board of GRT Bus Group PLC at the time of the employee
buyout. He is a director of a number investment trusts and is a non-executive
director of Lombard International Assurance SA, Criterion Properties Plc,
Primary Health PLC and Scottish Medical PLC.

Andrew Higginson FCMA
He is the Finance Director of Tesco plc and was appointed to the board of
Badgerline Group plc before its flotation in 1993. He is currently Chairman of
the Economic Affairs Committee of the British Retail Consortium and a member
of the Hundred Group of Finance Directors.