Driving a bus could be right up your street!

With bus driving now part of everyday life in Britain's favourite soap, leading bus operator Arriva has set up stall to encourage more women to take to the wheel.

Coronation Street's newly married Claire Peacock has recently chosen bus driving as her new career. Set with new specs and a willingness to learn, she's found the job of her dreams at the end of her street.

The Street's story reflects a growing trend in women opting for a career in bus driving. In the past, driving buses has been a particularly male orientated domain, with few women even considering that it could provide them with opportunities.

Jenifer Digby, Arriva's UK Bus HR executive, said:

Driving a 40 foot, 10-ton bus can be a little intimidating at first, but most people are surprised at just how easy they are to manoeuvre. Buses have changed radically over the years, now with power steering, CCTV and benefiting from the latest technology.

Bus driving is an exciting career and we welcome applications from anyone who shows an aptitude for driving, is good with people, and who really wants to make it their career. Despite popular opinion, good bus driving is not about the size and strength of a person, but their aptitude and attitude.

Changes in society and how families cope with everyday life have led to a change in attitudes towards bus driving. Most women who become bus drivers enjoy a career with a difference, reports Arriva. Mobile, sociable and skills-based, the job is fast becoming a career of choice for many people.

Jenifer Digby said:

Our drivers come from a host of different backgrounds. We have mums returning to work, former bank managers, musicians and accountants who want a more mobile and sociable job which is still skills-based and rewarding.

Arriva offers both part and full-time jobs, providing opportunities for people who have to juggle family and work time.

Bus driving positions are available for car licence holders – all training is delivered by Arriva through a comprehensive driver training programme and its unique customer-focused NVQ programme.

Newly recruited trainee drivers go through around four weeks of classroom and driving training, before they are allocated to a particular depot. They then have around two week's route learning, to familiarise them with their set of routes.

Arriva bus drivers benefit from attractive rates of pay, generous holiday entitlement, pension and sick pay schemes, good working conditions, free bus travel, sports and social clubs, a smart uniform and excellent prospects for promotion.

Did you know?

• Buses and coaches account for 46 billion passenger kilometres each year.
• The bus and coach industry directly employs 161,000 people.
• Buses, coaches and trains are seven times safer than cars, in terms of fatalities per passenger kilometre.
• Bus use is highest amongst 17 to 20-year-olds which reflects the high proportion of students in this age range. However, high rates of bus use are also apparent in the 21-29 and over 70s age ranges.
• Bus use by women is about 40 per cent higher than that by males irrespective of age group.
• The main purpose of bus trips is shopping, then commuting and business, then leisure. For those aged over 60, shopping accounts for 53 per cent of trips and for children, education accounts for 55 per cent of trips.

Arriva UK Bus facts and figures

• Arriva is one of the UK's largest bus operators, with over 6,000 buses. It is the biggest operator in London, providing nearly 20 per cent of the capital's bus services. Arriva employs more than 30,000 people across eight different European countries.
• Outside London, Arriva's local bus services operate in major urban areas like Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, Glasgow and Newcastle. There is a strong presence in the Midlands and Home Counties, with a mix of interurban trunk routes and market town urban networks. Arriva buses also provide important links in rural areas like North Wales.
• Arriva is the only major bus company to have all its timetables on the website alongside many route and network maps.