New bus driver recruits to boost services - First West Yorkshire

Almost one in 10 bus driver positions were vacant in 2022, according to the Confederation of Passenger Transport

The operations director of a bus company has described the last year as the "hardest" of his career as the firm fought to recruit and retain drivers.

Tom Bridge, of First West Yorkshire, said the "struggle to deliver" had "kept many of us awake at night".

Almost one in 10 bus driver positions were vacant in 2022, according to the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

Mr Bridge said he hoped a recruitment drive, buoyed by better pay and conditions, would help boost services.

He said bus companies nationally had found retaining drivers difficult due to the high demand for HGV drivers and the financial incentives being offered towards the end of 2021.

"The last year has probably been the hardest in my career, the way we have struggled to deliver has kept many of us awake at night," he said.

Tom Bridge said reliability and recruitment issues had kept him awake at night

He said the firm now had about 1,700 of the 1,800 it needed and hoped changes, including greater flexibility and part-time options, would make the job more attractive for young people and women.

"I think we've done an awful lot to improve the attractiveness of our offering," he said.

Mr Bridge said in addition to improved pay and terms and conditions the changes to attract staff included greater flexibility and part-time options.

"I am confident in another six months time hopefully we will be back to normal," he said.

New recruits

Michael McGee is among First's new recruits

Oliver Butterfield and Michael McGee, both 18, have just completed their training with First.

"You get to meet new people everyday, it is nice to have that responsibility for getting them where they want to be," said Mr Butterfield.

For Mr McGee it was the chance to "get out and about" every day that attracted him.

"I didn't like being stuck in an office or a classroom all day," he said.

Though as Mr McGee explained his age can be an issue for some of his passengers.

"If I had a pound for every time someone asked to see my licence of birth certificate I would be a millionaire."

Oliver Butterfield said he enjoys driving and meeting new people everyday

West Yorkshire's mayor Tracy Brabin - who has campaigned for bus improvements - told BBC Radio Leeds she had also invested in helping bus companies improve recruitment.

"The route to success programme has been really good, 120 more drivers that we have paid for out of our adult education programme," she said.

She also said she had made it clear to bus companies that they could get more drivers by opening up shift patterns to people with caring responsibilities, especially women.