Bus Driver - Bus Drivers in The United Kingdom

Bus Drivers in The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom drivers must have passed the Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) practical driving and theory test. People with more than three penalty points on their normal driving licence are not allowed to become bus drivers. People with certain medical conditions are excluded from becoming bus drivers. Some of these conditions include Migraine (if it affects vision), Alcoholism and Epilepsy.

Traditionally, before the introduction of one-man buses on many city routes, the bus driver had no contact with the passengers, the tickets being sold by a bus conductor. Now many buses are fitted with closed-circuit television in an attempt to protect drivers from an increasing number of attacks which has resulted in a recruitment crisis in some British cities.

Bus drivers often come to the role from previous careers. Of course some bus drivers go on to do other things, Matt Monro for instance, whilst actor Robert Carlyle learned to drive a bus and successfully passed the test for his role as a bus driver in the film "Carla's Song".