We had the pleasure of chatting to four of the newest bus driver training graduates and of course we asked ‘why a bus driver?’ This is what they had to say…
“I love the outdoors and also like the idea of being part of people's every day and helping people go about their days” Robert (previously a pilot). Robert considers himself a well prepared and well researched person so there weren’t really any surprises during his training. Before going for the job Robert spent time riding around on buses chatting to bus drivers, talking to friends and acquaintances about working for TC to ensure the job was the right fit for him and he was the right fit for the job.
“I want to be the something to make peoples day a little bit easier and be a role model for other drivers. And I love driving, I find it calming!” Kylie (previously a nurse, midwife, and paramedic). From Kylie’s days of working as a paramedic the highlight was the driving around and never knowing what each day would have in store. She loves interacting with different people from all different walks of life.
“I’ve always wanted to drive big vehicles, so it was a great stable career choice, while still being able to work with people in the community.” Crystal (previously a disability worker). Crystal described the new adventure as “a holiday in her own city” and she can’t wait to see more of Canberra’s suburbs.
“I am a people person and really excited about chatting to different people in the community every day” Vijay (previously a security guard). Vijay is also excited about the flexibility the job will bring with an 8-month-old and a 6-year-old spending time with his family is a major priority as well as fitting in a game of cricket every Sunday.
Due to the ACT being in lockdown, training was a little different for these recently graduated bus drivers. There were a lot of Covid-19 protocols to follow such as masks being a must at all times, daily checks of exposure sites and daily COVID declarations, just to list a few. All four graduate’s credit their confidence to the trainers who worked non-stop at ensuring the drivers felt comfortable and safe “it was awesome, and I was improving every day and had one hundred percent confidence to be on my own on the road, I thought oh yes I can do it!”. Despite the hurdles our new recruits couldn’t be more excited to get out on the road and cruise the Canberra streets.
We hope you’ll have the pleasure of crossing paths with Kylie, Crystal, Vijay or Robert on your daily commute.
