At the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) annual conference on the Gold Coast over the weekend, Translink announced the winners of the 2023 Queensland Bus Driver of the Year awards.
The state’s three best bus drivers for 2023 have been crowned after distinguishing themselves through their outstanding service to the community.
The three awards handed out at the QBIC Gala Dinner and Awards Night on Saturday were South-East Queensland bus driver of the year, school bus driver of the year and regional bus driver of the year.
The winners were determined by a public vote on three finalists in three categories and more than 13,000 votes were counted. The finalists were selected by an expert judging panel from more than 1800 nominations.
Luluu Berns from Hornibrook Bus Lines (Clontarf) took home the South-East Queensland bus driver of the year award for her contributions behind the wheel.
With nearly two decades of driving experience, Berns has earnt the nickname ‘flower power’ by her passengers for her trademark flower accessories.
“Winning the award means a great deal to me, it makes me happy. I find being a bus driver so rewarding,” Berns says.
“To all of the bus drivers and everybody out there who voted for me, thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart.”
In the school bus driver of the year sector, Mark Nel from CDC Queensland (Yeppoon) won the award after nearly 50 years of experience as a driver.
Originally from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Nel settled in Australia after living in South Africa and Canada. He quickly developed a passion for driving buses and cherishes small gestures from his passengers, such as flowers or surprise birthday songs.
“To all the kids, I can’t thank them enough. To be nominated and to be selected out of 1,860 people, right down to this position, is unbelievable,” Nel says.
“I can’t wait to go back and tell my students that I’ve actually won!”
The final award for the night in the regional bus driver of the year gong went to John Christensen from Christensen’s Bus and Coach (Kilcoy).
Affectionately known as ‘Christo’, Christensen, alongside wife Lenore, has operated Christensen’s Bus and Coach for nearly half a century. His commitment to safety and customer service has been key and was nominated for playing a vital role in fostering the prosperity of his community.
“I feel blown away; the award means so much to me. It makes me feel more appreciated in the community,” Christensen says.
“The award means people will realise that we have great operators and a great service, and we appreciate all their support.”
Acting head of Translink Peter Milward says the awards are all about recognising the efforts, skill and professionalism of some of Queensland’s finest bus drivers.
“To stand out among a field of 1800 nominations is a fantastic achievement and each finalist and their operator should be immensely proud,” Milward says.
“Congratulations to the three winners and to all finalists. The honour of receiving a Queensland Bus Driver of the Year award is testament to the exceptional service and dedication provided to their passengers and community.”