Metro’s bus service welcomes recruits amid driver shortage crisis

Despite southern Tasmania getting slammed with bus cancellations, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel as fresh recruits prepare to take on their routes. HOW TO APPLY >>

Trainee bus operator Suraj Shrestha at Metro in Moonah Picture: Linda Higginson

Despite southern Tasmania getting slammed with bus cancellations, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel with the next bunch of recruits coming through.

Suraj Shrestha is coming into his third week of training and will join 26 other drivers who graduate at the end of March.

The six-week paid training course features both in-class and road training.

“It’s been really great,” Mr Shrestha said, “I’m getting much better, in two weeks I’ve been seeing my own improvements.”

Originally from Nepal, Mr Shrestha came to Tasmania four years ago to study and apply for a visa. He started working casually as a sanitiser during Covid for Mona, then was employed by Metro and saw the bus driving opportunity.

Driver educator Krishan Kant, Training Bus Operator Suraj Shrestha, Bus Operator Amit Sagar and Driver educator, Dean Collins at Metro. Picture: Linda Higginson

“I’m very excited, living here as someone from a foreign country, I needed a full-time job.”

Mr Shrestha was trained under Dean Collins who was extremely pleased with the progress he had made since day one saying “he’s come a long way.”

Mr Collins said bus driving is an exciting opportunity for people who like driving, have patience, and have good customer service skills.

“You can do a trip where you’re taking people out to Mona, or going up to the Women’s factory, or Cascade Brewery.”

Mr Shrestha will soon join Amit Sagar who moved from India in 2015 and has been a fully-fledged Metro driver for the past three months.

“I love the job,” he said, “You don’t know where your shift is going. You know time flies like anything, rather than sitting in a cube or sitting working on a computer.”

Mr Sagar said he takes enormous pride in providing great customer service, saying it’s all the little things in the job that make it really rewarding.

“You know, there is an old person getting on the bus and you put the bus on the kerb and lower it down so they can get up easily and they appreciate you.”

Trainee bus operator Suraj Shrestha and driver educator, Krishan Kant at Metro in Moonah Picture: Linda Higginson

Metro Trainer Krishan Kant who has learned six languages and can communicate with trainees from all over the world, said Mr Sagar was one of the best students he’s ever had.

Amid the period of bus cancellations in the south following staff shortages, Mr Kant has been taking up shifts so that no school services were affected.

“Our first priority is to cover all the school kids,” he said, “Even though I’m training today, I still went to cover a school run.”

Metro CEO Katie Cooper. Picture: Linda Higginson

Metro’s CEO Katie Cooper said she was “really excited,” to have some new drivers coming through.

With 25,000 vacancies in the transport industry across Australia, Ms Cooper said Metro was “absolutely feeling the effects.”

Ms Cooper said the service is looking at how they can better retain and support staff, and look at what long-term options there are with visas and licencing to secure employees in a competitive labour market.

Ms Cooper said she expects to see significant improvements in the south with a dozen drivers just graduating and almost 30 to finish in late March.

How to get behind the wheel

Metro are currently seeking a number of bus drivers to join their fleet, and they’re looking for “engaging, customer-focused people like you to help us deliver safe, reliable and welcoming transport services across Hobart”.

You have to have a good driving history, with the capacity to learn to safely and reliably drive a heavy passenger vehicle across a seven-day roster.

You’ll need to complete a National Police Check from Tasmania Police, hold (or are able to obtain) a working with vulnerable people card, have a current full Australian driver’s licence and have full working rights in Australia. You’ll also need to pass a pre-employment physical assessment, including a drug and alcohol test and obtain a Public Passenger Vehicle licence.

There are some perks, including paid and comprehensive training, eight weeks of annual leave a year, free Metro bus travel and employee parking and opportunities for career growth and up-skilling.

Metro welcomes applications from all community groups and backgrounds and encourages people to apply if you meet the criteria, no matter age or gender.

Apply here.