An Oxford Bus Company driver turned control duty manager says no two days are the same when serving the county’s passengers – 25 years after her first day on the job.
Helena Soanes, known by her colleagues as ‘H’, joined the company in 1997 as a bus driver and later worked as a ticket seller and rota operator before joining the control room seven years ago.
Now, 'H', from Bampton, West Oxfordshire, is encouraging others to consider working in the bus industry.
Her role requires constant communication with the team of bus drivers and engineers, as well as with external partners such as police and local authorities to ensure customers enjoy a reliable service.
Ms Soanes said: "It’s a quick-thinking job where you have to be able to work well under pressure, solve problems and communicate effectively.
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"People can spend their lives obsessing over the quickest and most efficient way to get from A to B, and that’s essentially what we’re doing in the control room.
"Planning to have enough drivers on shift to deliver our services while ensuring our services operate in the smoothest way possible despite the traffic congestion are our key objectives.
She added: "Some days are more challenging than others and you never know what you’re going to face when starting your shift.
"A driver could radio through an issue on the A34 for example, which we will investigate using our satellite and navigation tools to develop a plan that will cause the minimum disruption to our buses and customers.
"Our work in the control is helping to minimise inconvenience so people can continue with their day."
Oxford Bus Company is actively recruiting bus drivers to serve its routes in and around Oxfordshire.
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Full training is provided and drivers earn £500 per week on average.
Ms Soanes said: "I could never have imagined 25 years ago when starting as a bus driver that I’d still be working for the company today.
"The best control room workers know their patch inside out. Quickly understanding roads where you can and cannot redirect buses is important and a big reason why I continue to work as a driver where possible as part of my voluntary overtime hours."
Oxford Bus Company managing director Phil Southall said: "There are a wide variety of career opportunities in the bus industry and H’s journey is a fantastic example of how fulfilling working at Oxford Bus Company is.
"We are currently recruiting drivers and would encourage people to find out more via our website."
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