The youngest bus driver at a Merseyside bus depot has spoken of his pride at following in his dad’s footsteps.
Ray Dobson, 19, from Netherton, passed his bus driving test at Arriva ten months ago. Speaking to the ECHO at Arriva’s bus depot in Bootle, he said he was delighted to be working with his dad Barry, who has been with Arriva for more than 20 years.
Ray said: “Arriva has always been in my life with my dad, and that’s a vision I’ve always wanted to follow. With him being a bus driver, that encouraged me to start and that’s why I’m here now.”
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His dad Barry, 57, qualified as a bus driver in 1996 and worked in various positions at Arriva until his current role as service delivery manager.
When asked about his son’s achievements, Barry said: “As Ray's father, I was extremely proud of Ray passing his car and bus test so quickly and both for the first time like me. Hopefully, he has a long career ahead of him serving the public of Merseyside.”
Ray has adapted to his new career well, recently winning employee of the month for helping an upset school child who got lost on the bus. He also helped find someone to look after a stray dog who he spotted wandering around Skelmersdale.
The social aspect is a key part of what Ray loves about the job. He said: “My favourite parts of the job are working with my colleagues and getting on the road to see old and new faces on the bus.”
Ray added: “I love the length of the routes and exploring new places too.”
Ray also advocated for more young people entering the trade, calling bus driving a “lifelong job”. According to review site Glassdoor, an Arriva bus driver in Liverpool earns around £24,960 on average.
He is delighted at Arriva’s new fleet of buses, which have replaced wing mirrors with screens inside the driver’s cabin, free WiFi and USB ports.
It has been a fast-paced journey for Ray, who has learnt to drive a car and a bus in the last two years. However, he argues that his path can be followed with enough dedication.
Ray said: “The bus driver training was very intense but very rewarding. But as long as you put your mind to it, anyone can be a bus driver.”
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