International Women's Day 2024

On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the committed and inspiring women shaping our organisation. At Brighton & Hove Buses, we sat down with women across the business to explore their motivations, joys in the transport industry, and advice for women considering joining.

Our drivers, Claire and Debra, share their thoughts and insights on women in the transport industry and how important it is to inspire inclusivity in the workplace.

What first got you interested in working in the transport industry? 

I was driving to work one day, and I saw an advertisement on the back of a double-decker bus advertising for drivers and I thought, why not give it a go? And I went into work that day, applied, and here I am! 

Now you're here, what do you like most about working in the transport industry? 

I love seeing all the passengers every day, being out on the road and enjoying my time, and seeing my colleagues. But the passengers make it good fun. 

What advice would you give to women thinking about joining the transport industry?  

To do it and not to be frightened of it. You have all the support that you need from your instructors and everyone is really encouraging. I'd encourage anyone to come and do it. 

And why is inclusion important to you?  

It's important that women are taking on new roles and trying new things, and it adds a new diversity in the workplace. I think that's important. I just think women should come and do it and I think we should be pushing boundaries and encouraging the younger generation, the younger women to come through and try new things and not have a stigma on jobs anymore, and that we can have a go. Why not try it?

What first got you interested in working in transport? 

I've always wanted to be a bus driver, but my parents wouldn't have it. So I did nursing. But I was unhappy and wanted to change. I said to my husband that I wanted to be a bus driver and he told me to go for it. And I did. 

Now you’re here, what do you like most about it? 

Everything. The staff, the customers, being out, and making the customers happy, I love it. It's great. 

What advice would you give to women considering a career in transport? 

Go for it. If it's what you want, and you've always wanted to do it. Take your dreams and make them true. You won't be sorry. And the staff here are amazing. Management are amazing. They will look after you. 

This place is like my family. Not that I haven’t already got one, but I've got two now and they're great. And anything you want to know, they'll answer. Anything you don't understand, they’ll translate it for you. Absolutely brilliant. You couldn’t ask for a better company. 

And on a day-to-day basis, what do you love most about your job?  

Every day is different, you see different people every day. You'll see unhappy people, but you can just be nice to them. Smile, say good morning when they leave, say have a nice day. It makes their day better and it cheers them up. They absolutely love it. 

What does inclusion mean to you, in terms of getting more women into the industry?

I think it would be good. Half and half, why not? If you know it’s what you want to do. I think it's an industry that's changing. There are lots of women here and they're great. They'll all speak to you and tell you all the things that they've done. They've been here years. It would be nice if every bus driver could be noticed, and every bus driver gets recognised. 

And is there anything else you'd like to add? 

There are not enough people writing in to say how we're doing, and what their bus driver was like, and their experience on the buses. This means so much to the us. The company can help if you're not happy and help change things so we have happy customers instead of unhappy customers. We don't want unhappy customers; we want happy customers. And I think writing in would be great.

If you would like to apply to become a bus driver, we offer an average salary of £35,000 which includes 6 months of free training and employee benefits! Apply now and join an ever-growing community of women bus drivers right here at Brighton & Hove Buses