Bus driver/operator roles
Brisbane City Council has one of the largest bus fleets in Australia. We provide public bus services to serve Brisbane residents and visitors, as well as school bus services, and services for special events and charters.
Our dedicated and professional team of bus drivers/operators transport customers safely across our city and work within a supportive team that is dedicated to making sure that every customer journey matters.
How to apply to become a bus driver/operator
If you are interested in a becoming a bus driver/operator at Brisbane City Council apply to our current advertisement.
A career as a Brisbane City Council bus driver/operator may also open doors to applying for other roles in Council.
Benefits for Council bus drivers/operators
Council offers:
- paid on-the-job training with ongoing support (no previous bus driving experience is necessary), including training in customer service, safe bus handling and procedures
- uniforms
- a rewarding career with flexibility, including flexible hours with varied shift types
- Temporary full-time and part-time options and casual options with 23% casual loading
- competitive pay with applicable penalty rates and allowances
- weekly pay cycle for the hours you have worked
- 10.5% superannuation contribution and opportunity to make your own voluntary contributions
- opportunities for career progression.
Find out more benefits of working at Council.
A day in the life of a bus driver/operator
A day in the life of a bus driver/operator include:
- delivering the best customer service as part of a world class mass transit system for Brisbane
- you will work autonomously, and you will be responsible for your bus and its passengers
- you are instrumental in moving the people of Brisbane safely to their destination.
Video - Meet Jules, a Brisbane City Council bus driver
Video transcript
Hi, I’m Jules. I’m a bus operator with Brisbane City Council. I really enjoy driving, but I’d never driven a bus before starting with Council. Council provided all the training, and I was surprised at how easily I was able to pick it up. Being a bus operator suits me because the shifts are varied. There are full-time and casual options, and you can also do split shifts. The best part of the job is helping customers.I enjoy helping people get to where they need to go, but also the friendships I’ve made at the depot over the years. Brisbane is my office, and I think I have the best view.
Employment options
Casual employment
Council recruits casual bus drivers/operators on an hourly basis and pays for hours worked. Work is scheduled according to business needs. Most casual work is rostered in the morning and afternoon peak periods from Monday to Friday. Casual bus drivers/operators also perform charter work and special events.
Full-time and part-time traineeships
Council offers full-time and part-time traineeships for bus drivers/operators. Trainees are employed on a temporary full-time (38-hour week minimum) or part-time basis with guaranteed hours for the duration of the traineeship and will complete a Certificate III in Driving Operations. Traineeships are on a full-time basis over two years but can be completed sooner depending on transport experience. There is also an opportunity to work overtime as available.
Bus driver/operator trainees will be offered a permanent position on completion of the traineeships, subject to meeting performance standards.
Full-time or part-time trainees are rostered normal driving shifts for the duration of the traineeship and are eligible to earn allowance, penalty and overtime based on the shifts that are rostered.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible to apply for a bus driver/operator, you must:
- have work rights status in Australia
- have held an Australian 'C' class car licence for at least three years
- be able to obtain a current driver authorisation ('G' class) from Queensland Government
- be able to obtain a HR licence from the Queensland Department of Transport
- have a good driving history (i.e. not more than six demerit points accumuulated in the past three years, or had a suspended licence or good behaviours period in the last four years, excluding State Penalty Enforcement Registry suspensions)
- be available full time Monday to Friday whilst completing the bus driver/operator induction program.
Training
Council is committed to training and developing its bus drivers/operators to become capable, confident, and customer-focused in their roles. All bus drivers/operators participate in a comprehensive induction program.
The induction program runs Monday to Friday between 6am-4pm (you won't work more than eight hours per day). To successfully pass the induction program, attendance is compulsory.
After successful completion of the classroom component of the induction course, you complete depot-specific on-the-job training. As part of this training, you undergo small group route training for your depot, followed by one-on-one mentor (buddy) training.
Your training course will cover:
- bus familiarisation
- customer service
- job-specific training
- licence training (for inductees who do not hold a current heavy rigid vehicle licence)
- on-the-job training including route training (conducted in small groups), one-on-one mentor (buddy) driving
- safety policies and procedures.
More information
For more information, email our Brisbane City Council Bus Driver/Operator Recruitment Team.