TransLink needs 400 -500 new bus drivers EACH year!

[Anonymous]

You said buses are nearly empty. How the hell can they justify hiring more drivers. That is like Air Canada going on a hiring spree.

The facts as I know it: Prior to the pandemic; TransLink had embarked on a 10 year, near $10 Billion expansion plan. More buses, more often.



Hiring and training 400-500 more drivers each year.



Pandemic hit:  Training stop for 3 months; daily funding dried up; major cuts planned, announced 1492 lay offs to take effect May 18; But like ten days before the layoffs: Emergency funding was secured; no lay offs. Training resumed late June; internal posting looking for existing staff who want to switch to bus driving;  I guess most city routes are busy again; I'm out in the suburbs carrying next to no one. maybe 60-70 people total the entire day, used to be that number every round trip! There are 3333 Conventional drivers and about 500 shuttle drivers; Company is moving forward with adding more "Rapid Buses" on the busiest corridors; Scheduling has been tweaking the service; reducing service on some routes already. I guess they still need more driver trainees, whether for expansion and/or to attrition...



I still see many Help Wanted and Now Hiring signs around metro Vancouver; I guess we're doing better than many other regions...

Some bus routes here appear busy, but some buses look empty..



The C-Train is always busy during rush hour..



And, yes, I see a lot of help wanted signs too.....especially retail.

[Anonymous]

You said buses are nearly empty. How the hell can they justify hiring more drivers. That is like Air Canada going on a hiring spree.

The facts as I know it: Prior to the pandemic; TransLink had embarked on a 10 year, near $10 Billion expansion plan. More buses, more often.



Hiring and training 400-500 more drivers each year.



Pandemic hit:  Training stop for 3 months; daily funding dried up; major cuts planned, announced 1492 lay offs to take effect May 18; But like ten days before the layoffs: Emergency funding was secured; no lay offs. Training resumed late June; internal posting looking for existing staff who want to switch to bus driving;  I guess most city routes are busy again; I'm out in the suburbs carrying next to no one. maybe 60-70 people total the entire day, used to be that number every round trip! There are 3333 Conventional drivers and about 500 shuttle drivers; Company is moving forward with adding more "Rapid Buses" on the busiest corridors; Scheduling has been tweaking the service; reducing service on some routes already. I guess they still need more driver trainees, whether for expansion and/or to attrition...



I still see many Help Wanted and Now Hiring signs around metro Vancouver; I guess we're doing better than many other regions...

Good to see places that pay more than minimum wage and provide extended medical and a pension hiring.