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Question about Bus Drivers
FIFA1966
Posts: 1,101 Forum Member
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1. Am I correct in assuming that I need a PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) licence to be a bus driver?
2. Do bus drivers use a sat-nav or do they have what is referred to as in the taxi industry as The Knowledge?
3. Is it easy being a bus driver?
2. Do bus drivers use a sat-nav or do they have what is referred to as in the taxi industry as The Knowledge?
3. Is it easy being a bus driver?
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I'm not a bus driver, but I've been a passenger on many buses in the past and I'd say neither is necessary!!
A child could memorise virtually any bus route
Good luck if this is your chosen career path.. from what I've heard it's not a bad job and can earn you 20k a year!
2. Most routes are simple enough not to require sat nav. The only bus drivers you see with sat nav are usually coach drivers who don't drive a fixed route, but you'd be expected to memorise a particular route (or at least have it written down to follow)
3. Depends what your line of work is, where you live, and how much you want to earn.
2) You'll have your route(s) and will be taken over them on a few runs with a manager before you're let loose. When diversions happen etc control will be in contact through rasio or mobile if your somewhere without coverage to advise of the alternate route. It's nowhere near like doing the Knowledge
3) Depends. Where do you live? I know ex-drivers in London who really couldn't take the stress - and those who've been doing it decades and enjoy it on the whole (though it can of course be stress - just driving in a large city can be
It must be driven for non commercial purposes, so you cannot charge for journeys except to cover out of pocket expenses.
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/driving-passenger-carrying-vehicles-pcv-on-a-car-driving-licence
To drive for a commercial company requires a full PCV license.
Coach drivers may indeed use satnavs, but general commercial bus drivers don't. They learn their routes in advance, and usually accompany other drivers on the route(s) they are to drive a few times. It's also common to see training buses driving around with drivers learning new routes, but no passengers on board.
I know one guy who's a bus driver, he loves his job and it's decent pay. He does sometimes have a good moan about obnoxious passengers, and has even been threatened a few times too. But he says by far the worst routes are those that collect the schoolkids, he hates doing those runs.
Problem is the op is going for bus driving not fitting windows 😀 most of the larger bus companies will train you, but you do have to stay with that company for a certain period of time. If you leave in that time you may have to pay for the cost of the training.
Don't forget, there is now the requirement of holding a CPC card now on top of your PCV license.
You have to jump through hoopes to become a professional driver these days, not withstanding the fact the transport industry is the most heavily regulated industry in the UK. Laws change literally every year. But all the best in your chosen career. ☺
Looking back it was not a bad decent paid job but very stressful and in the end I just became "burnt out".
Keeping to timetables,dealing with the public and other road users in heavy traffic,driving 8/10 hours a day,working antisocial shifts,working weekends and bank holidays finally took its toll and I found myself a less stressful job working in an office!
I can confirm this too. Exactly how I felt.
I even tried it again 12 years ago with Stagecoach. Wow. I hated every minute of the 6 months I was there. It was even worse than my first time on the buses.
In my view, they justify their salary far more than Tube drivers, who do little more than switch on and off, and close the doors. A moments lapse of concentration by a bus driver could be disastrous.
And they don't whinge as much either.
As a bus driver, I can give you any advice.
1. Yes you do - you will need a category D entitlement and the Drivers' CPC
2. No, you will do route learning and that will be it; it's then up to you to remember. You do get a duty card with timing points on which can help.
3. Not really. It can be quite stressful.
As Dan say's...........also,
If you passed your driving test before 1997 driver's will have 'grandfather rights' with 101 restriction. This entitles you to drive a 16 seater for yourself, local authority or a charity but not for hire/reward. You can however drive a 9 seater minibus (taxi) for hire and reward and if it is a big 16 seater just take 7 seats out to make it into a 9 seater. If anyone wants to drive a 16 seater minibus for an employer (taking staff to/from work) they need to pass a minibus test ( about £1,200), CPC and get a digi card.
Not to mention Blakey!.
Wow, five weeks! I had nine days training to get my PCV licence, also before sitting at the controls of a bus for the first time I hadn't actually driven a vehicle of any description for eight years, but I thought it best not to mention this to Stagecoach
By the way he went back to driving a lorry.
:cool: That is very impressive and a good tip for anyone. ;-):)