Bus drivers have been in numerous travel jobs in this career. In fact, bus drivers transport passengers from one place to another, according to definite time schedules and specific routes. Intercity bus drivers drive from city to city collecting passengers, fares, and luggage. Local transit bus drivers take passengers from one place to another within a city. Some drivers cover special routes and transport special passengers, and may not have a rigid schedule or route to follow. Often aiding the disabled, these drivers work with dispatchers and individual requests.
The concept of the modern bus for a travel job vehicle was developed in the late nineteenth century after the introduction of the gasoline engine. The first bus service began around 1905 in New York, the Midwest, and on the West Coast. The first buses were trucks fitted with seats or automobiles lengthened for greater capacity. As roads were improved and better equipment became available, bus systems developed rapidly. They provided service to places that had never had public transportation and thus supplemented the service of the railroad lines. In the 1930s, the engine-in-rear type of bus was developed and shortly after, buses began to replace the streetcar systems that had been in use in the cities since the early part of the twentieth century.
Responsibilities of Bus Drivers
The intercity bus driver is in complete charge of the bus. Sometimes drivers take over an already loaded bus mid-route from other drivers. Drivers who start at the terminal, however, inspect the bus carefully before the trip, making sure safety equipment is intact as well as checking oil, gas, water, and tires. After picking up their report blanks, change, express and mail listings, and other necessary items, intercity bus drivers supervise the loading of baggage, pick up the passengers, and collect fares or tickets.
As part of their travel careers, drivers must operate the bus carefully, at speeds that will enable them to follow established time schedules and still keep within speed limits. On most runs there are designated stops to make along the route to pick up or discharge passengers, and regular stops for rest and meals. After all such stops, drivers must make certain that all the passengers have returned to the bus. At the final destination, the intercity driver supervises the unloading of passengers and baggage and then prepares reports on the mileage, fares, and time, as required by company rules and the authorized commission. If an accident or unusual delay occurs, the driver is required to make out a complete written report.
During most runs of the traveling jobs, the local transit driver makes regular stops every block or two, according to the route and time schedule. As passengers board the bus, the driver notes passes and discount cards, collect fares, tokens, tickets, or transfers, issues other transfers, and makes change. In most big cities, however, bus drivers do no make change so that the threat of armed robbery might be minimized. Passengers then deposit their exact fare or token in a tamper-resistant box, and the driver looks at the fare through a glass viewing window to make sure that the correct amount was paid. Newer, electronic fare boxes count the bills and coins deposited and display the total of each transaction. Drivers in many cities also check student or senior citizen identification cards to be certain that individuals qualify for discount fares.
Among other duties involved in travel employment, local transit drivers must answer questions concerning schedules, routes, transfer points, and street numbers. They must enforce the safety rules and regulations of their company and the city, like for instance, no smoking. At the end of the day, local transit drivers turn in trip sheets that include records of fares received, trips made, and any delay or accident in the course of their schedules. Bus drivers are also responsible for regulating heating, air conditioning, and lights on their buses.
To become qualified bus drivers engaging with travel agent jobs, new employees must successfully complete a training program lasting several weeks that combines both classroom and driving instruction. Before going on a run, they must pass a written examination on company rules, safety regulations, and record keeping as well as a final driving examination. Once all these examinations have been passed, the new drivers are placed on probation from thirty to ninety days, during which time they make regular runs under careful supervision. Then the new drivers are then placed on the ‘extra’ list for several months to several years until they achieve the necessary seniority to obtain a regular run. To most drivers, advancement means better assignments with higher earnings as their seniority increases. There are, however, limited promotional opportunities for experienced drivers, yet they may be promoted into dispatcher, supervisor, or terminal manager.
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