The Queensland state government has announced that its latest funding package will boost the wages of bus drivers across the state in a bid to ease cost-of-living pressures on drivers and attract new workers.
While Translink isn’t the direct employer of bus drivers, the government funding package will help delivery partners to improve the conditions for drivers.
The package will lift bus driver wages to a parity of $35 per hour over the coming years, focusing on the amount drivers are paid by realigning wage rates across Translink-contracted delivery partners.
The funding is eligible for drivers in South-East Queensland and regional urban regions who work for Translink-contracted operators.
“Higher bus driver wages can help attract skilled professionals to the industry and retain the excellent drivers we already have, resulting in improved service quality, ultimately benefiting residents and businesses,” Queensland transport and main roads minister Bart Mellish says.
“Bus drivers are essential frontline workers who provide crucial public transport services and they helped keep public transport running through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“By improving their wages, the government is acknowledging the importance of bus drivers and shows a commitment to supporting the role these services play in connecting communities.
“The Queensland government knows the impacts cost of living pressures are having throughout the state and if there is an opportunity for us to help ease those pressures for bus drivers, then we will take that opportunity.”
This funding follows the government’s move to improve driver conditions by installing safety barriers and introducing more network officers across the state.
“Kinetic welcomes this funding towards better wages for bus drivers and will move to pass on increases as quickly as possible,” Kinetic executive general manager of South-East Queensland and north Queensland Martin Hall says.
“It is recognition of the important work bus drivers do every day and will support both recruitment and retention of highly skilled drivers in the industry. This is particularly important as we continue to diversify our workforce and grow the number of women in the industry.
“It is also an important investment in public transport by the Queensland government as we move towards the 2032 Olympic Games.
“As our cities grow and become more densely populated, we need to continue to encourage people to use public transport and this is a direct investment in a more sustainable future.”
Funding will be released on the condition that operators uphold the highest workplace health and safety standards, a commitment to genuine consultation on workplace matters, committing to holding tri-partite forums to engage the workforce and a commitment to workers accessing representation.
Translink will work with its individual delivery partners to distribute the funding.
“This is excellent news not only for the bus drivers delivering the service, but also for the users of public transport who have felt the impacts of driver shortages,” Transport Workers Union (TWU) Queensland director of organising Josh Millroy says.
“Our members have been fighting to have their voices heard and we are extremely proud that the Queensland government has listened and is now putting solutions into action.
“This is a much needed pay boost that will be welcomed by bus drivers and will improve the sustainability of the public transport network into the future.”