Woman in Salisbury encouraged to try bus driving
Bus company Salisbury Reds are holding an event today (23 May) at Britford Park and Ride aiming to encourage woman to become bus drivers
Woman in Salisbury are being encouraged to try bus driving with a special event at Britford Park and Ride today (23 May).
Salisbury Reds are inviting anyone interested to come along until 2pm today and have a go at driving a bus in an off-road environment.
The local bus company say women are far too under-represented in the industry .
“Across the UK, women are still vastly under-represented in this field - and we want to encourage more of them to consider working within the bus industry as a driver,” said Salisbury Reds head of communications, Nikki Honer.
“We often hear from women that they don’t feel they could drive a bus. We know this is not the case. If they can drive a car, we will teach them the rest. With the right training, it’s far easier than many might think.
“Our friendly training instructors will be on-hand all day during the event, introducing and familiarising participants with our buses - including some from our new electric fleet - before giving them a spin around the Britford Park and Ride site.
“The event will also provide a great chance for those interested in joining us to find out more about what’s involved. Plus, they will get to meet many of the fantastic women who already work here and find out what they love about the job. Those with a customer service or retail background will be particularly welcome because we value this kind of experience as highly as driving skills.
“This might also be an opportunity for women who feel they have more time to focus on a new career - for example if their children are older.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming lots of potential Salisbury Reds team members on 23 May. And registering a place is easy through a link from our website.
"Of course, aside from this particular event, we’re accepting applications from anyone - male, female or non-binary - for full-time or part-time bus drivers. All we ask is that you have a car driving license and an enthusiasm and aptitude for the role. We’ll do the rest."
The women’s event takes place between 10am and 2pm today (23 May) at Britford Park and Ride.