Women bus drivers

[GusB]

When I started using buses regularly in the 1980s, I recall that there was only one woman driver working from my local depot. In the early 90s she was joined by another, but the new candidate didn't last very long. Even when I moved to Aberdeen to go to university there were only two that I can recall working for Grampian Transport at the time.

Of course, these days it's nothing out of the ordinary to see women driving buses, so this is probably more of a question for forum members over a certain age: when did you first see women driving buses in your area?

 

[Mgameing123]

When I started using buses regularly in the 1980s, I recall that there was only one woman driver working from my local depot. In the early 90s she was joined by another, but the new candidate didn't last very long. Even when I moved to Aberdeen to go to university there were only two that I can recall working for Grampian Transport at the time.

Of course, these days it's nothing out of the ordinary to see women driving buses, so this is probably more of a question for forum members over a certain age: when did you first see women driving buses in your area?

Since I was born.

 

[Wawanesa]

Some of the larger companies employed women drivers in WW1 and WW2 but they tended not to stay after the cessation of hostilities, partly due to union pressure. Small family operators certainly made use of women drivers. The wife of my local operator certainly drove from the 1930s to the 1970s. By the 1960s she had been joined by her daughter and daughter in law, and then by the wife of the senior driver. Generally they would do the short runs, schools etc which then gave them time for domestic duties or office work as well. As bus driving was much more of a physical job in those days, it was probably easier for them to handle the Bedfords favoured by independents.

 

[Gloster]

When I moved to the Isle of Wight in 2003 there were only two, or possibly three, female bus drivers. I would reckon that now around a third are female, possibly more because I think that they are preferred on some of the contract services, such as those for the children with learning difficulties, that used to be done by Wightbus. I don’t know if it is still true, but at one time it was said that some companies preferred females in some roles because they believed that they were less likely to strike. (N.b I am not saying that it is true, but I was told that it was a common opinion among certain types of manager.)

One oddity was that Glasgow Corporation used to have female tram drivers, but when the trams were withdrawn in 1962, out they went. Company policy was not to have female bus drivers, but the male tram drivers did get transferred.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

When I started using buses regularly in the 1980s, I recall that there was only one woman driver working from my local depot. In the early 90s she was joined by another, but the new candidate didn't last very long. Even when I moved to Aberdeen to go to university there were only two that I can recall working for Grampian Transport at the time.

Of course, these days it's nothing out of the ordinary to see women driving buses, so this is probably more of a question for forum members over a certain age: when did you first see women driving buses in your area?

My late father was a driver at a smallish depot and they didn't have women drivers until the mid-1990s. Even at the large depot in the neighbouring town, they only had a couple in the 1980s.

Perhaps not surprising as it was a much more physical job because of vehicle design (e.g. many vehicles didn't have power steering, and a healthy number of manual gearboxes with heavy clutches), as well as more fundamental changes in the job market and society generally.

 

[EYFanatic]

For as long as I have been breathing Yorkshire's fine air

EYMS used to have a few that were quite handy on the RMs that ran the 3/4 and the 56/56A/57 services. Otherwise, I recall hearing my dad go "Ooohhh... A lady driver - lets hope she don't strip gears" a few times when it was other services. I don't recall women drivers at Corporation, but they will have had some

 

[johnnychips]

There were two regulars at North Western‘s Glossop depot in the early 60s. I remember one was fined for leaving her indicator on for an excessive time between Glossop and Hayfield, as reported in the Glossop Chronicle.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Back in the 1970s I grew up in the county of Merioneth. My bus to Tywyn school was operated by Crosville for 1973 and 1974 but IIRC 1974 new school year the contract was won by a guy named Ron Bott. Our conveyance change from a luxury coach seated RELH to a noisy Bedford Vega or similar. Ron did some of the driving himself but a year later he took on a blonde woman from New Zealand. She did her best but I am embarrassed to admit that some of the fifth formers got the better of her once or twice, heckling her from the back of the bus. She had to pull over in tears on one occasion.

Living in South Staffs and working in Brum I see loads of female drivers, and the last time I caught a Chaserider bus I think the driver was the same person I saw at th Wythall Autumn do this year.

 

[GusB]

Since I was born.

I did state in the opening post that it was more of a question for older forumites!

Perhaps not surprising as it was a much more physical job because of vehicle design (e.g. many vehicles didn't have power steering, and a healthy number of manual gearboxes with heavy clutches), as well as more fundamental changes in the job market and society generally.

Yes, the physical nature of the job was probably a major factor. Having tried the clutch pedal on a Leopard with manual transmission, I can attest to the fact that a certain amount of physical strength was required!

There were two regulars at North Western‘s Glossop depot in the early 60s. I remember one was fined for leaving her indicator on for an excessive time between Glossop and Hayfield, as reported in the Glossop Chronicle.

That seems a bit harsh! I wonder if a man committing the same offence would have received the same fine, let alone having the details of his misdemeanour published in the local rag!

 

[Devon Sunset]

My local operator was Eastern Scottish and I can remember they had 3 lady drivers in the early 80’s, 1 at New Street, 1 at Bathgate and 1 at Dunbar. After deregulation and the influx of minibuses those numbers rose sharply with a large number progressing to full size buses.

 

[Cavendish1]

Roughly 1975, the first female driver appeared at what was then my local depot, Lancashire United at Atherton. I remember vividly her taking me to Liverpool one day on the trunk route 39, not a single passing Merdeyside PTE driver (militant back then) would acknowledge her in anyway. Even at 15, i thought that was totally wrong.

 

[Martin1988]

There was a female bus driver who worked at South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach for a good while and who at one point was the regular driver on the route that served my school. She was a really kind lady even if she did once tell me off for standing up whilst the bus was in motion. "Is there something wrong with your bottom? No? Then SIT ON IT!"

From what I understand that driver had previously worked for Badgerline and later on her son started working for SGBC too.

Sadly she passed away a few months ago. A great loss.

 

[YX73OUB]

When I was going to school two of my regular drivers were females - they'd both go on to become my boss as Operations / General Managers.

The former head of operations within my company started as a female bus driver (no comparison to any memes intended) in 1986 and is still an operations manager at our biggest depot.

 

[RT4038]

My late father was a driver at a smallish depot and they didn't have women drivers until the mid-1990s. Even at the large depot in the neighbouring town, they only had a couple in the 1980s.

Perhaps not surprising as it was a much more physical job because of vehicle design (e.g. many vehicles didn't have power steering, and a healthy number of manual gearboxes with heavy clutches), as well as more fundamental changes in the job market and society generally.

Yes - with the larger undertakings I would say mid 70s, but even then not many. With a few outlier individuals a few years before that. Proportionally still not that many now. Conversion to one man buses making Conductresses redundant, fluid flywheels and power steering, entrance to the cab via the main passenger door and change in society generally. Not that there weren't some hardy souls who happily worked Lodekkas! There was often opposition from the male driving staff (and from the conductresses, who feared that if one went driving they'd all be forced to!) and the early individuals tended to be popular already employed staff members who were supported and eager to have a go.

When I started work in the mid 70s the cohort of Conductresses who had joined during the war were coming up for retirement, and certainly were not interested in going driving!

 

[Whisky Papa]

There were two regulars at North Western‘s Glossop depot in the early 60s. I remember one was fined for leaving her indicator on for an excessive time between Glossop and Hayfield, as reported in the Glossop Chronicle.

Further west in North Western's empire, I can't recall any at Urmston in the late 60s / early 70s, although certainly plenty of conductresses.

At the time I started working for Greater Manchester Transport in 1980, there were reasonable numbers at Bolton and Stockport, but it seemed the Manchester / Salford garages were less represented. That said, there was an all female crew on the Princess Road night service rota at the time.

Bee Line Buzz Company certainly had a few, but maybe not as many as the recruitment of former retail staff might have led you to expect.

 

[Open top 80]

Anyone remember Betty Gray (Betty's bus) who use to drive from the Clitheroe Ribble depot

 

[Taunton]

In Edinburgh in the 1970s I think was a first such. Thought nothing of it, sat upstairs, and at a later stop with two schoolboys boarding heard, loudly from down below, "Jings, it's a woman".

The out of town large Scottish operators then were still run entirely with conductors, which seemed unusual by then, and a notable majority of these were women, appearing to be long serving, whereas on the remaining Edinburgh city buses with conductors they were almost unknown. We commented on this at the time.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Anyone remember Betty Gray (Betty's bus) who use to drive from the Clitheroe Ribble depot

Haha - reminds me indirectly of Vals coaches.
Often speculated whether it was because they operated "Chinese six" Bedford VALs or whether the owner / founder was named Val.
According to companies house Vals was dissolved in 2015

 

[ian1944]

As I've commented elsewhere, I was twice driven by Jennifer in the early 80s on the Transpeak Manchester-Nottingham, who worked from the Trent (ex NWRCC) Buxton garage. She was a skilful driver who clearly enjoyed her job, and had great passenger skills - once waiting without ado while an old chap with prostrate trouble nipped into a gents' adjacent to a stop.

 

[AlterEgo]

I am 39 and recall women bus drivers all my life, though they are much more common now than they used to be.

 

[Ballyheigue]

In Edinburgh in the 1970s I think was a first such. Thought nothing of it, sat upstairs, and at a later stop with two schoolboys boarding heard, loudly from down below, "Jings, it's a woman".

The out of town large Scottish operators then were still run entirely with conductors, which seemed unusual by then, and a notable majority of these were women, appearing to be long serving, whereas on the remaining Edinburgh city buses with conductors they were almost unknown. We commented on this at the time.

Slightly off topic, but does anybody remember Elvis driving buses in Leeds? He worked for Quickstep then First. He used to get a lot of stick lol, I remember someone shouting at him 'dead man driving'.

 

[High Dyke]

I did my driver training alongside a woman (Gill), a long time friend of mine. When we were training the instructor would bellow instructions at me from the back of the bus, but when Gill was driving he'd stand right behind her.

Over the year's there were a number of female drivers at my depot. My wife also followed in that same career path, though she's now working on the railway.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I am 39 and recall women bus drivers all my life, though they are much more common now than they used to be.

Whilst there were some in the 70s and early 80s, it was probably a combination of the introduction of minibuses (meant that operators spread the net further and some women might not have been so daunted), far fewer vehicles without power steering and heavy clutches, and general changes in society meant that by the late 1980s, women drivers were more commonplace.

As an aside, both the winners (London and UK) of driver of the year at the UK Bus Awards were women.