So you’ve passed your driving test, you’ve been on the road for a while in your own car and you think you know all there is to know about driving*. Now you’re looking for a challenge – maybe something a bit bigger?

You look around and the first thing you see is an articulated truck*. Now that might be interesting – then you remember the time you tried to back your dad’s caravan up the drive and flattened all the garden gnomes when the caravan took off across the lawn. Maybe a trailer isn’t a good idea.

You turn a corner and the Army Recruitment team* is putting on a display. The centerpiece is a huge tank and you’re ready to sign up on the spot. Just in time you remember all the early rises and square-bashing you’ll have to do before you get to sit in that magnificent metal monster and you drop the pen and run away.

Still shocked by your close brush with discipline, you step off the pavement. There is a screech of brakes. A horn blares. You turn round to find the local service bus inches from your face. “That’s it,” you cry, “I’ll learn to drive a bus!”

The Basics

Driving a bus is no more difficult than driving a car*. You have to remember that a bus is much longer, wider and higher** than the vehicles you are used to and the steered wheels are usually behind the driving seat so you will have to make allowances for these factors. You also have to be aware that you could be driving a vehicle weighing up to 17 tons and that takes a lot of stopping. You have to learn to read the road ahead so you don’t get caught out. Having been a car driver you already know that a bus is a vehicle that MUST be overtaken at all costs.

Getting the Licence*

In the UK, there are two main ways you can learn to drive a bus: -

• Go to an HGV/PCV driving school, give them a huge wad of cash and they will give you an intensive driving course over a week and then and put you through your test.

• Get a job with your local bus company and they will give you the necessary instruction.

Both methods have advantages and drawbacks. The driving school bus will probably about 20 years old and be as driver-friendly as a pack of hyenas. It is likely to have a manual gearshift with selectors so worn that finding any gear at all is a major achievement. If you pass your test on this and obtain a “Full” licence you can then drive any type of bus. The cost of a course, including test, is around £800. Once you have passed your test you are free to work for any bus company you choose*.

Your local bus company will also give you an intensive driving course and put you through your test. Since you are an employee, they will pay you wages while you are training. However, your contract of employment will probably state that, if you resign within the year, you will be liable for the cost of your training. Most large bus companies use vehicles with automatic gearboxes on service work and if you get your licence on an automatic you aren’t allowed to drive a manual so choice of future employment can be limited.

Prior to sitting your bus driving test (and at set times throughout you driving career) you must have a Medical examination to ensure you are medically fit to drive a bus*.

So now you've passed the medical, you've got the licence and somebody has been desperate enough to employ you. It's time to get out on the road and face your ever-loving public.

Good Luck!