Trainee – Bus Driver
Elle Halliwell
Name: Murray Balfour
Age: 61
Official job title: Trainee bus driver
Q. What got you interested in becoming a bus driver?
A. Two things I like – people and driving.
Q. Describe a typical day at work.
A. On the job, every day may vary. I work at Waverley depot operating bus services in the eastern suburbs, from Bondi to the city.
I prepare myself for work ensuring I have the correct attitude. Customer service is an important part of my job so I make sure I have an attitude of gratitude.
Q. What training did you need to become a qualified bus driver?
A. State Transit provides all the training required.
I already had a heavy rigid licence, so I did not have to undertake the RTA assessment to obtain the required medium rigid licence.
I did, however, complete my Certificate III in Transport and Distribution (Road Transport) and State Transit’s in-house driver training.
Q. What are the pros and cons of your job?
A. The best part of my job is definitely the people.
It is great to be able to make someone’s day when they hop on the bus. I also set out each day to make my job fun.
Being a trainee operator, I am not on a permanent roster. I am looking forward to completing my traineeship so that I can be placed on a permanent roster.
Q. Is driving a bus in the city as difficult as people think?
A. Peak time can be difficult as there are often impatient drivers on the road. I was fortunate to have a bus operator trainer who was excellent in teaching defensive driving skills, which have been a great benefit to me out on the road.
Q. What skills and personality traits are necessary for a bus driver?
Q. Is knowledge of mechanics important?
A. To a limited degree. You certainly have to be able to describe to the bus radio room what has happened to the bus if there is a mechanical problem.
Q. What can a bus driver expect to be paid?
A. During a bus operator traineeship, you can expect to earn $19.16 per hour, which will increase to $20.60 per hour in the second year of your traineeship. This base rate can also be enhanced through such things as shift allowances and penalties.
