Bus driver: features of the profession

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Since the advent of urban transport, the profession of a driver has been quite common, and even in our time it is extremely relevant. Despite the fact that other types of passenger transportation are now highly developed, which are in no way inferior to cars, and sometimes even better and more comfortable, it is very difficult to imagine this market of services without buses. The relevance of this work can be checked by simply looking at the ads of the nature "bus driver, vacancies in Moscow." The number of offers from employers that search engines will offer will only confirm that such a specialist will definitely not be left without a job.

Who is this

A specialist in this profession, first of all, transports passengers on regular flights. These can be local or long-distance routes, some companies even offer charter trips to, for example, take children on excursions or workers on corporate outdoor holidays.

In some cases, in addition to driving a vehicle, the bus driver is also required toselling tickets, providing advice to passengers, collecting fares and handling cargo. Most often, such employees are needed in private transport companies and municipal institutions. The employee is required to have a flexible approach to passengers, good driving skills, attentiveness and technical knowledge.

Responsibilities

There are two types of passenger transportation. The first corresponds to the previously announced route offered by the company, in the second case, where to go is ordered by the passenger himself. In our country, buses and minibuses are the main type of urban and intercity public transport. Intercity buses pass cities and the countryside, making stops at the places declared in the schedule. In addition to driving, the bus driver must sell tickets, help passengers, load and unload transported items if they are heavy and large.

If we are talking about transportation to order, then it is the customer who determines where, when and why the bus goes, and where exactly the stops will be made. Depending on the rules of the company and the needs of the customer, the duties of the driver may vary. The work schedule of these employees can be both fixed and irregular. The main thing is that, according to labor law, an employee can work no more than forty hours a week.

Job Requirements

Working as a bus driver in Moscow concerns not only the technical side of the process, but also serviceclients, and therefore, the applicant for the position requires not only good driving skills and knowledge of various devices, but also sociability. The driver must be well versed in the schedule of his route, the cost of the trip, where and when to make stops, as well as in other nuances associated with his flight.

Because the route must be carried out in strict accordance with the schedule, punctuality is required from the bus driver. Of course, severe weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances on the road can delay the flight, but without taking them into account, the bus must arrive at the stops on time, strictly following the announced schedule.

Important Skills

It is very important that the employee be careful, attentive and patient, because he has a serious responsibility, he must make the trip for passengers pleasant and safe. Applicants who are able to safely drive vehicles and at the same time save on fuel consumption are highly valued. Working as a bus driver requires that the employee has well-developed eyesight, he is observant, able to quickly and calmly respond to the external situation and instantly assess and analyze the situation.

It is very important that the worker has good stress resistance and physical he alth. This is a sedentary job, there is always a draft, so occupational diseases of the spine can occur. Plus, moral stress, different passengers, changing weather conditions and a clear schedule have onemployee constant moral pressure, which can also adversely affect his he alth.

Knowledge

Recently, bus driver vacancies include requirements for the need to know several foreign languages. In addition, the employee must have good technical knowledge, including all the equipment in the transport entrusted to him, and the ability to use it correctly in practice. Most often, employees are required to know and be able to fix minor bus breakdowns on their own. Since the technical aspect of buses is constantly evolving and improving, the specialist must constantly improve his skill level.

Education

To become a Mosgortrans bus driver, you need to get a special education. First you need to get a class D license. After that, you need to pass a basic exam in institutions of this professional direction of the second degree. You need to take courses in the direction of "Logistics with a focus on transportation of transport." In addition, there is a chance to get a certificate of the ability to drive a bus and arrange for on-the-job training.

Salary

Wages in Moscow for a bus driver are much higher than in small towns in our country, but at the same time, if you look at the general standard of living and infrastructure development, the average figures are almost the same. It all depends on what flights the employee works on, in which company, and what range of services he provides.

In addition to the basic rate, an employee can also receive additional income if his shifts fall at night, weekends or holidays. It is worth noting that in our country the majority of bus drivers are already of pre-retirement age, so very soon the relevance of this profession may become much higher than it is now. Therefore, transport companies are trying to attract as many young professionals as possible to study in this area.

Professions of the profession

Any job has its positive and negative sides, and only a person, choosing his future profession, can evaluate what is more important for him specifically. The main advantage of working as a driver is the opportunity to visit many places and communicate with a large number of different people. The second advantage is a large number of vacancies in the labor market, such a specialist will never be left without a job and will always be able to find a job.

Cons of the profession

Among the disadvantages of this job, for example, a school bus driver has a very big responsibility for the lives of his young passengers. Other than that, there is no career advancement in this area. There is no set work day. Regardless of the weather conditions, the employee must drive the transport or fix breakdowns. A lot of working time is spent waiting for passengers to get off and on the bus. The salary can depend on a lot of factors, but usually it is not very high.

Features

From the outside, the profession of a driver seems very simple, as if there were no important nuances and pitfalls in itcan't, but it really isn't. Only a person with significant driving experience will be able to drive in any weather in such a way that the safety of passengers is not affected, even if he is interfered with by other cars, or he is out of schedule.

An employee must not only obtain all the necessary certificates, without which he will not be able to perform his duties, but he must know the rules of the road, constantly confirm his level of qualification and follow changes in the legislation of the country. Workers in this area are required to have increased vigilance, endurance, patience. It is very important to respond quickly to stressful situations and prevent accidents.

Conclusion

At the moment, the relevance of the profession of a bus driver in the labor market is quite large, and according to forecasts, there may soon be a shortage of specialists in this field. Therefore, choosing this profession, there is no doubt that a good employee will not remain without work for sure. But it is very important to understand that this is not a very simple position. In addition to driving a vehicle, you also need to maintain the bus, use all its equipment and, if necessary, carry out repairs right on the track.

In addition to technical skills, do not forget that drivers are constantly working in the service sector, and they often have to communicate with a variety of people. And if some of them can be interesting, then the other half can beunpleasant. In addition, there are no career prospects in this profession, and the salary of a bus driver is high only in some large companies. Also, due to a sedentary workplace, constant drafts and moral stress, there is a chance of getting occupational diseases that mainly affect the spine, legs and vision. In this regard, before choosing the profession of a driver, you should seriously evaluate all its advantages and disadvantages, find out the features and understand whether this is really what you would like to do all your life.