Bus Driver Job Description Example

Bus Driver Job Description Example

What Does a Bus Driver Do?

The bus driver is responsible mainly to transport passengers between designated bus stops or places. These places or bus stops may be within same city (intra-city), or between different cities (inter-city).

Vehicles or cars are indispensable and part of human existence. They are as important as the clothes we wear and the food we eat.

However, not everyone can afford the luxury of having a personal car. So, a greater number of the people rely on public transport – buses and taxis – for going about their daily businesses.

In the absence of a bus conductor, the driver may also be responsible for opening the vehicle door for passengers to enter and alight.

Apart from conveying passengers to their locations and opening the door, the driver’s role may also include collecting bus fares from passengers.

The bus driver is also responsible for maintaining the vehicle that he/she drives.

He/she is to carry out routine checks on the vehicle and perform simple maintenance tasks like changing the oil, refueling the bus, changing the batteries, and checking and repairing some minor faults.

It is also part of the work description of the bus driver to carry out routine checks on the vehicle and identify any electrical or mechanical fault.

He/she also carries out maintenance and minor repairs on the vehicle and calls the attention of a technician if the problem is a major one.

He is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the bus is always kept neat and tidy. So, he either washes the bus regularly or takes it to a car wash shop.

Some buses also carry luggage. Therefore, it is part of the duties of the driver to ensure that passengers’ luggage are properly and safely kept in the boot.

He/she also ensures that the luggage is safely unloaded at bus stops.

In performing his/her duties and responsibilities, the bus driver is expected to be professional and to always obey all traffic rules.

He/she must have adequate driving skills and be properly licensed to drive his/her class of vehicle.

Bus Driver Job Description Example

Being behind the wheel does not make one a professional driver. Professional driver are those whose duty is to convey people and goods safely to different locations.

Some drivers hold the vehicle on behalf of the owner whereas others drive their own buses on a commercial basis.

Highlighted below are major duties, tasks, and responsibilities that make up the job description for most bus drivers:

• Open the vehicle door for passengers to enter and alight
• Collects transport fares from passengers
• Determine the transport fare for each passenger, depending on distance, regulation and other factors
• Ensure passengers feel safe and secure
• Ensure passengers’ luggage is safely loaded and unloaded
• Answer passengers’ inquiries as intelligently as possible
• Ensure timely conveyance of passengers to their destination
• Ensure that vehicles are kept neat and tidy at all times by washing both the interior and exterior parts of the vehicle
• Carry out routine checks on vehicles
• Identify electrical and mechanical faults and report to the employer or technicians
• Carry out maintenance on vehicles, like changing the batteries, changing engine oil when necessary, and refueling the bus
• Read map and check weather and traffic reports to determine the best time to travel, and the best route to take
• Keep all documents and receipts of the vehicle and maintenance services secure
• Maintain a travel log to record locations travelled to, travel time, and work hours
• Keep accurate record of daily revenues and expenses
• Ask for direction when plying an unfamiliar route
• Pay tolls and other necessary vehicle levies.

Bus Driver Resume Preparation

When preparing a resume for the role of a bus driver, the sections you will need to complete include the job experience section, which presents the duties and responsibilities of the position that you have previously held or are currently performing.

To make this section as powerful as it can be, the sample bus driver job description shown above has the right information you can employ in making it. See help here in writing a resume if you need one.

Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities –for Bus Driver Role

However, whether you are driving your own vehicle or holding the bus on behalf of a client, there are certain qualities and skills, or traits you need to have to succeed on the job, here are the major ones:

• Trained and Skilled: A bus driver must be well trained. In addition, he should be a skilled driver and must be licensed to drive the class of vehicle that he is operating
• He/ she must have adequate knowledge of traffic laws and adhere strictly to them
• Stamina and Multitasking Skills: The work of bus driving often involves loading and unloading of luggage, and frequent opening of doors. Therefore, the driver must be physically fit. In addition, he/she must be able to multitask
• Patience: As a bus driver you must be patient and calm in dealing with situations like irate passengers and traffic congestion
• Must be able to drive for a long period of time
• Safety Consciousness: He/she must be a person who values lives and must think about the safety of his/her passengers and other road users. This will make him/her to drive carefully
• He must be focused, confident, and observant while driving
• Possess effective communication and team play skills, as well as the ability to adhere to instructions.

Bus Driver Skills for Resume

The bus driver skills and qualities stated above can be adapted in the making of the skills section of the resume for the position.

The skills section highlights relevant skills and qualities you have developed that will enable you to perform the job of a bus driver excellently well.