Bus Drivers Seeing First Hand How Commuters Respond

One typical definition of a bus driver says that a person who drives a bus is responsible for navigating a public transportation vehicle along a designated route while keeping to a specific schedule. The driver responds to passengers' needs and collects tickets or cash fares. He is often asked to announce stops in advance so that riders uncertain of their whereabouts will know when to debark. He controls heating and lighting within the vehicle and follows local ordinances regarding traffic and vehicles. He informs his dispatcher when the bus he is driving is delayed by construction or other obstacles and also reports accidents. He has to inspect his assigned bus before he departs and conduct another check when he turns it in at the end of his shift.

But that’s just the cut-and-dried version of the job description. A bus driver takes responsibility for transporting people safely throughout the duration of their brief trips. He is a vital link for those who travel regularly to and from work, or hospitals and medical appointments, or family visits, and so on. He gets to know his regular passengers, often on a first-name basis. But he also carries strangers, unaware of their personal circumstances.

Maintaining a public transport system is just as vital to a community as its infrastructure of roads and bridges. People need paved streets within a community, city, or country, and they also need the vehicles to travel over them. With funding for buses subsidized by local taxes, election-time issues often result in debates between citizens who believe providing transportation is a must and others who feel that those who cannot afford their own transportation should walk, no matter how far.



Recent developments in our nation’s economic condition are bringing our attention to the importance of buses. People are considering whether automakers should change their focus from manufacturing fuel-guzzling, personal transportation vehicles like SUVs to efficient mass-transit options like buses, trains, and subways.

It’s clear from this that the bus driver who has been around for a long time will continue to rule the roads. Regardless of various ongoing debates in cities around the country, these vital transportation centers continue to function, and do business as usual. In many large urban areas, commuters have always responded keenly to transportation issues. Bus drivers see first-hand how commuters react to services offered by their transit agencies.

The Chicago Transit Authority, whose drivers operate both buses and trains, personalizes its service in a variety of ways. A couple of examples include the king-sized bus and the driver-cam system. The king-sized bus maximizes rider comfort, and use of driver cameras reduces losses and dangers for passengers. Another example is its popular Holiday Train, staffed by Santa and his elves. City-dwellers, whether they are riders or pedestrians, enjoy the sight of the six-car train decorated with holiday lights. The interiors of the cars feature ribbons and wreaths. One of the cars is a flatcar from which Santa, with his reindeers, waves to boarders. Elves pass out candy canes. This “bus” is scheduled along all of Chicago’s routes at one time or another each November and December.

Regardless of the time of year, Chicago’s commuters are a community of their own. There is a website for sharing commuter stories, about oddball characters riding the buses or other unusual incidents. There is even a mystery shopper program so that citizens can be paid to ride as secret evaluators of the transit system. Those looking for transportation jobs Chicago must have a high school diploma, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) including knowledge of air brakes, and two years of experience. They must also be at least 21 years of age and have good customer service skills!

While Chicago is the nation’s second-largest transit system with its buses traveling about quarter million miles per day, New Jersey operates the third largest transit agency in the country. Buses, rail, and light-trail transport connect various points throughout the state with each other and with New York and Philadelphia. It provides services to an area of over five thousand square miles! Applicants for transportation jobs nj must offer at least three years of experience, and their CDL has to be issued from New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania. The Penn Station New York 7th Avenue Concourse features art exhibits chronicling commuters’ many adventures. One kinetic sculpture features “travelogues” and entertains many commuters on the stops throughout their daily routines.

There is also a transit blog where you can subscribe to an RSS feed anytime the NJ transportation system is mentioned in the news, or you can read traveling blogs by several local favorites.

Whether you are interested in bus transportation jobs or in bus transit history, you can view additional articles and job listings at TransportationCrossing.com, a division of EmploymentCrossing.com. This is the place where experts have searched the Internet for all available openings in transportation including bus transportation and have placed them into one easy-to-search database. You can search by area or salary, you can search by the qualifications you have, or the perks you need. Even after you find your ideal job, you will want to maintain a professional relation with the staff at TransportationCrossing.com to add enrichment to your professional life. Visit TransportationCrossing.com today to see what jobs are available!