Students from the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol are driving buses to earn a five-figure salary to try and help pay off debts. Jonas Nkala, 22, is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Bristol, studying for a business and law degree and his days involve catching up on his uni work at his bus depot and even arriving to lectures in his Stagecoach uniform.
He is part of a growing number of students, The Times reports, working as bus drivers and helping to fill what has become a national shortage, with almost one in 10 positions being vacant. Jonas works between 38 and 60 hours a week and, since the beginning of the tax year, has earned £23,000 in the past nine months.
He said that many of his peers were more than happy to live off of their maintenance grants alone and did not understand how he found the time to work and study. He said: "A lot of them don't know what hard graft is."
Read more: Pipe Lane by Bristol Beacon and O2 Academy to close for most of January
Another student, 22-year-old Dren Ahmeti, who is in his third year of studies towards a degree in politics and international relations at UWE, earned £18,000 in a year with First Bus and said it only took him three weeks to gain the qualifications he needed for the job. He knows of 15 other students who have taken on the job and he said that, though initially his parents were worried it would distract him from his studies, they have since been 'won over'.
Dren is now interested in working in management within the transport sector and is considering joining a training scheme at First Bus after graduation. He was part of a team driving rail replacement buses between Bristol Parkway and Temple Meads stations during the festive period and said: "If all goes wring at university, whatever I do I've got this job as a bus driver - that's guaranteed."
A third student, Callum Pringle, 20, managed to secure his qualifications at the age of 18 - so young that his manager even had to check with insurers that he would be accepted. He says that when his peers recognise him driving the bus, they'll often ask him to show them his licence. He says his weekly pay of £320 gives him financial independence while he studies aerospace engineering at UWE.
He said: "Some of my best friends from our depot are three times my age. I get on better with some people at work than some people I spent five years with at secondary school.”
First Bus began recruiting students at Freshers' Week in the autumn, with managing director for the West of England Doug Claringbold describing the initiative as 'appealing to their social and environmental values, serving the community and providing less-polluting transport'. He added it was "one of the most-thanked" professions, which made it rewarding and, with a basic hourly pay of £13.75 (rising at weekends), is higher than that of bar work.
Reports suggest that there has been an increase in the number of vacancies for bus drivers over several years. In Bristol alone, First Bus has cut almost 1,500 city services until at least April 2 last year because of the shortages. Mr Claringbold said: "I don’t need a full-time commitment but if they can do 20 hours a week they can cover weekends.
"I probably lost 150 drivers to HGVs last year and would ideally hire another 200 drivers.” He went on to say that it costs around £3,000 to train a new driver who must sign a bond to commit to work for a set period of typically two years, or repay costs on a sliding scale. He added that it usually takes around six weeks to pass the test, which includes the right to drive a double-decker bus.
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “I have repeatedly said we need new and fresh thinking when it comes to fixing the number one challenge for buses right now - the severe bus driver shortage. In the west of England, we’re around 200 drivers short.
"Students can be part of the solution. I’ve been very impressed by those I’ve met already combining driving and studying, and I think we can go further.
"So as part of the big bus driver recruitment campaign I’m running, we are specifically targeting the west of England’s large student population as well as other groups who might not traditionally consider driving a bus. I’m determined to get more bus drivers recruited and trained up to help fix the cancellations and delays we are all experiencing on the buses.
"So my message to students is instead of pulling pints or waiting tables, why not become a bus driver? You can combine this with your studies, and will become a real community hero too!”
Read next:
