Bus Driver or Train Driver

[notadriver]

Spot on with everything there

Agreed spot on. Does anyone here drive both buses and trains on a regular basis?

 

[TOCDriver]

Agreed spot on. Does anyone here drive both buses and trains on a regular basis?

No, but I still drive class 1 HGV's from time-to-time when helping out at my mothers business when needed, AND if I can spare the time. Drove HGV's regularly for Sainsbury's before I went on the Iron road and I don't miss it one bit let me tell you.

 

[SWTH]

If bus drivers feel they should be paid more, take it up with the union or apply for a job on the railway.

Yes, because its easy to just switch to a rail industry job. I mean, it's not like the industry has hundreds (or even thousands) of people chasing each vacancy. Oh, hang on a minute...

As for the unions in the bus industry, they're an absolute waste of time and money. No bite, little in the way of bark and only interested in helping if it helps to keep them comfortable and off doing real work.

I do agree though that the two roles aren't directly comparable, just as driving a 158 on the Cambrian can't be compared to flying a 747 to New York.

 

[notadriver]

Yes, because its easy to just switch to a rail industry job. I mean, it's not like the industry has hundreds (or even thousands) of people chasing each vacancy. Oh, hang on a minute...

I hope you don't mind me making a few points. The first is most people entering the railway want to be a driver. There are other jobs within the railway such as cleaners, customer service assistants, platform staff, ticket office and so on.

Secondly I'm sure bus companies are quite fussy about who they train up to be bus drivers and I bet a train driver with no experience driving a large road vehicle would have as much difficulty of getting a job as a trainee bus driver as the next person. When I first started training for my bus driver job I had a not-so-nice instructor who told me I would never pass the test and be a bus driver and I should stick to what I know .... A bit like a horrible teacher at school.

 

[SWTH]

I'm applying for everything possible from cleaner upwards.

Bus companies aren't particularly bothered who they take on - the bus industry has a high staff turnover (especially drivers) - and so long as they get someone - anyone - who can pass the test, then chances are they'll be employed. Sadly I know of several drivers who really shouldn't be in the job, be it on safety, customer service or ability grounds. But so long as they turn up and take the bus out, they'll keep finding work as a PSV driver.