The NSW transport minister and the Bus Industry Taskforce chair were among the attendees at Busways’ Ryde depot as the campaign was launched
As part of the NSW government’s latest driver recruitment advertising campaign, Busways hosted NSW transport minister Jo Haylen at its Ryde depot.
Haylen was joined by Bus Industry Taskforce chair John Lee, with both agreeing that bus driver recruitment is crucially important to the bus and coach industry as workforce shortages impact service delivery across Sydney.
Lee says operators are doing everything possible to recruit drivers and applauds all operators, including Busways, on the way they professionally train new drivers.
Haylen says the NSW government’s advertising campaign “is about getting the word out there and focusing on the areas of biggest need. [It] will hit the TVs, the radios and social media to get the word out there that we need more bus drivers”.
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Haylen learnt firsthand about the experiences of becoming a bus driver from two of Busways’ new recruits, John and Elnora, and observed the operator’s comprehensive recruitment and training process with Busways driver training manager James George and Ryde Depot Manager Steve Bakous.
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“Our frontline people are the backbone keeping the community connected and we’d like to thank all our drivers and depot teams who’ve been working so hard to keep as much running as possible during this driver drought,” Busways Chief Operating Officer Chris Wolf says.
Having recruited more than 70 drivers in the last six months, Busways will continue its efforts to bolster its driving workforce. Busways is currently offering sign on bonuses of up to $6,000 depending on experience for new Ryde and Willoughby Depot drivers.
“Safety is always the number one priority and I’ve met some bus drivers this morning that have been through their training and that feel confident,” Haylen says.
Haylen announced a new bus driver recruitment advertising campaign by the NSW government.
Bus Industry Taskforce chair John Lee commented on the multifaceted nature bus driver training, saying “there is classroom work, one-on-one work with the driver trainer and the trainee, and post driver training out on the roads, familiarising the driver with the different routes”.
“I really applaud all the bus operators, including Busways and the way in which they are professionally training our drivers,” Lee says.
“Bus driver recruitment is a crucially important for our industry, with workforce shortages impacting service delivery across Sydney.”