While bus driving is a diverse job that many people with different backgrounds cherish, there are some pathways to becoming a driver that are more astonishing than others. Nic Jones is one of these stories. For the best part of 40 years, he has held executive positions at numerous companies, including as an ASX listed company CEO and most recently as the CEO of live music platform Moshcam.
When the funding his business needed fell through at the start of this year, he was faced with the difficult decision to step away from his business. Compounded by the passing of his father in the UK in January, Nic decided the best way to rebound was to go back to the dreams he first had as a five-year-old.
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“One of my earliest memories when I grew up in England was sitting with my mother on a bus into town and always wanting to sit behind the bus driver to see how he drove his double-decker bus,” Nic told ABC.
“I wasn’t interested in where we were going – I just wanted to watch the bus driver and eventually be like them.”
Earlier this year, that’s exactly what Nic did – getting his MR/HGV licence and applying to become a bus driver. In April, his dream became reality when he left the boardroom for the steering wheel as he hopped into buses for Keolis Downer along New South Wales’ Northern Beaches.
“I’ve always loved driving. After I completed my university studies in the UK I became a long distance lorry driver for a year until I decided I needed a ‘real job’. I worked in media for eight years then moved to Australia and worked in media and music,” Nic says.
“In corporate life for so many years, I always used to joke with my family on holidays that one day I would probably become a bus driver.”
The idea to turn to driving was to recapture his purpose in life and try something different. While there was always Uber driving as an option, he ultimately lent into the community-minded side of his personality by driving buses.
While he was nervous before his first day with Keolis Downer, over time it has become second nature.
“I got more and more pulled into it as I went – it was a huge challenge as driving a bus isn’t easy to do, but when you get better at it and the public are receptive to it, it makes it all much more enjoyable,” he says.
“The general public are, for the most part, delightful, and the challenge of driving these beasts around Sydney’s roads is wonderful.
“The drivers are also an incredibly close group, and the feeling of camaraderie is excellent. My biggest worry was that I wouldn’t find ‘my people’, but the past six months have been wonderful to develop a good feeling among my fellow brothers.”
Seeing the sights of the Northern Beaches, spending his days behind the wheel, Nic’s brain is already beginning to wonder if he can provide some value to Keolis Downer and the wider industry. It may mean this is only the first of many times we hear of Nic Jones in the bus sector.
“It’s a great industry to be part of, I love the feeling of helping people,” he says.
“Right now, I’m enjoying driving, but if opportunities ever did come up to help with the operations side of it all, then I’d certainly be interested in it. First though, I’ll focus on mastering driving a bus.”
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