A Career in the Bus and Coach Industry
The bus industry is dominated by a number of large companies whereas the coach
industry comprises a large number of small and micro-businesses. The sector
includes scheduled intercity, urban and suburban bus, coach and tram services,
non-scheduled and charter bus and coach services. It also includes the operation of
terminal facilities and coach day trips and longer holiday tours.
There are around 220,000 people employed in the bus and coach industry. It is
predicted that there will be a need to recruit around 30,000 drivers a year over the
next few years as drivers are currently an ‘ageing workforce’.
The bus and coach industry offer a number career opportunities from driving jobs to
customer services, operations and engineering support. This profile focuses
primarily on driving jobs but also looks at progression into operational or customer
service roles.
The Work
Bus and coach drivers, or passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) drivers as they are also
known, are required to undergo training to gain their PCV (also known as a Category D
licence). The training takes approximately six weeks and involves a theory and
practical test as well as a medical examination. On successful completion of the
training PCV drivers undertake company-specific induction training, which focuses on
customer service, operating equipment and dealing with health and safety issues.
Safety is a crucial part of the job as drivers are responsible for the safety of
their passengers.
Bus drivers tend to work locally and follow a set route with a series of stops.
Coach drivers tend to do longer journeys across the UK and/or overseas. There are
regulations governing weekly maximum driving hours for bus drivers, which state drivers
can work up to 48 hours a week, including evenings and weekends, from 6am to midnight
on local services. For coach drivers the limit is 56 hours' driving a week, with
a maximum of 90 hours over any two weeks. If you take holiday tours, you could be
away from home for several days at a time.
The Skills
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Full clean driving licence
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Excellent driving skills, knowledge of traffic regulations and an understanding
of health and safety requirements
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Numeracy ability – will be required to deal with money/fares
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Literacy skills – to read traffic signs, follow instructions, routes and
timetables
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Good customer service and clear communication skills and an assertive but polite
approach to difficult passengers
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Good geographical knowledge – local, national or international depending on
the role
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Good health – a full medical is part of the recruitment and training
process
Entry Requirements
You don’t need any specific academic qualifications to become a bus or coach
driver, although employers will expect basic levels of literacy and numeracy.
To be a bus or coach driver you need a PCV licence and to be eligible to start the
training you must already hold a full EU driving licence and be aged 18 or over (though
some companies require drivers to be 21).
Alternatively, it may be possible to start as a volunteer driver, working for a
community transport organisation, which you could combine with another job, for example
as a care assistant. To work for a non-profit-making community organisation, you need
to have held a full EU driving licence for two years and be aged at least 21.
There are apprenticeship opportunities in the bus and coach industry, so it is worth
visiting the Apprenticeship websites to see what is available (there are separate sites
for each of the four nations):
An EU Directive requires new PCV drivers to gain a Certificate of Professional
Competence (CPC) also known as the Driver CPC as well as the PCV licence.
Many companies give entrants PCV and Driver CPC training while paying them a trainee
wage. Trainees must pass a full medical test to make sure that they have good enough
eyesight and are fit to drive a large vehicle. It is also possible to train for the PCV
licence and Driver CPC independently though most people will train as part of a
company-funded scheme.
Salary and Career Development
Trainee and new drivers usually earn £12-14,000 per year, whilst experienced
drivers will earn in the range £15-20,000 and specialist tour coach drivers can
earn around £25,000 per year. Basic pay can be increased with overtime and
shift payments.
As you progress in your career, you could move into operational or customer service
roles such as service controller or inspector, depot manager or you could become a PCV
instructor, teaching the next cohort of bus and coach drivers. There are also
opportunities for self-employment as a freelancer or to set up your own business.
Employers
You can find job opportunities
with companies running local bus services, those with long distance operations or
holiday tour companies in the UK or overseas. Jobs for both trainees and drivers
with licences may be advertised in the local press, by employment agencies and on the
websites of bus companies.
Some eighty per cent of
employment in the bus industry is represented by six main companies – Arriva,
First Group, Go-Ahead Group, National Express Group, Stagecoach Group and
Transdev. The coach sector meanwhile has a large number of small or
micro-employers. In addition, there may be opportunity with local authorities
running community or school transport services.
Contacts
There are a number of relevant professional bodies and trade associations: