Role: Ulsterbus Driver
Company: Ulsterbus
Track Record:
ME AND MY JOB
Denise Farrell
ULSTERBUS DRIVER
What does your job entail?
I’m a Translink bus driver based in Newtownhamilton, where I deliver school transport and normal timetabled bus services in the Newry and Armagh areas. The job is very customer-focused; everyday I deal with people of all ages and from all walks of life.
I handle ticket sales and many cus-tomer enquiries — which can be any-thing from bus service times to what sort of ticket someone should buy. So, it’s important I am up-to-date on serv-ice developments and the range of tickets available. Safety is another very important part of this job and I per-form important safety checks on the buses before I drive them.
Is it 9-5?
It’s definitely not a 9–5 role. My job in-volves shift work which I share with four other drivers in Newtownhamilton and I would normally deliver school runs in the morning and then again in the after-noons. This flexible work pattern lets me get other things done during the day. It’s also great to work in the area where I live and I see many familiar faces on my journeys.
How did you get into this line of work?
I actually saw an advert in the newspa-per for one of Translink’s ‘Have a Go Days’ to recruit more female bus drivers. I knew a few friends who said it was a great job so I went along to find out more. I was given the opportunity to drive a bus with an experienced instruc-tor, find out about employee benefits and career progression so I applied for a position and, almost six years later, I am very glad that I did!
Outline your career to date?
Prior to this post I worked for a few years in the hospitality industry, which helped develop my customer service skills and they’ve definitely come in handy for this position. I then started driving buses part-time during school terms before moving to a full-time driver position. The job’s flexibility really suited me with a young family at home.
Tell us about your qualifications/training.
To be a bus driver, I took part in a six-week training course with Translink bus driv-ing instructors. It was a bit nerve-wrack-ing at first as I’d never driven anything larger than my car! The instructors put my mind at ease and before you know it you’re driving a big bus through the streets. All the buses I drive are very modern and kitted out with power-steer-ing and comfortable seating which makes everything more enjoyable.
What qualities are required for your job — personal and professional?
You should be friendly, approachable and enjoy getting out and about meeting all different types of people. You need to be able to provide excellent customer care, be safety conscious and remain pro-fessional and reliable at all times. Bus driver applicants must be aged 21 and
over, have a full car driving license with a minimum of two years driving experi-ence. You then get the full training need-ed for a PCV license to drive a bus. You need to be able to work independently too, as you’re on the road for long periods.
What are the biggest chal-lenges and rewards of work?
There might still be a general misconcep-tion that bus driving is only for men but this is far from the truth! Some women might be daunted by the prospect of handling such a large vehicle but I was surprised to find out it’s not as difficult
as I thought it would be.
It’s a big responsibility to drive a bus and look after all your passengers — you need to keep alert at all times out on the roads and have excellent road safety awareness. You are also obviously on your own while driving but there’s so much contact with passengers that you never feel lonely and it’s very easy to contact the local inspectors if you ever need any assistance.
It’s extremely rewarding when people go out of their way to thank you for doing a ‘great job’ — you really feel you are an important part of the community, provid-ing a real life-line for many people. There’s also a real team spirit in our depot and everyone is very supportive of each other — I’ve made some good friends.
Exciting opportunities also come up and many drivers get involved in deliver-ing the transport plans for high profile events such as this year’s World Police and Fire Games and the Olympics last year.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy hitting the gym a few times a week — it’s a great way to unwind, especially after you’ve been sitting
down and driving all week! I also enjoy spending time with my family, shop-ping and catching up with friends.
Who has inspired you most in your life?
My mum — for her positive outlook and perseverance. She’s been a huge support throughout my life and really got be-hind me when I decided to go for this job.