Awards to recognise Queensland's top bus drivers

Do you have a favourite bus driver? Now is the time to nominate them for the 2021 Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the awards provided an opportunity to recognise the huge contribution bus drivers have made to keep Queenslanders moving for another year.

“Queensland’s bus drivers have done an exceptional job in connecting Queenslanders to work, study, essential services and each other during the pandemic,” Mr Bailey said.

“They have constantly adapted within a changing environment to keep customers safe, and for that each and every driver deserves to be recognised.

“The Bus Driver of the Year Awards seeks to celebrate those drivers who go above and beyond to deliver an exceptional experience."

Nominations are open and will be until 7 January 2022 for three award categories:

• South East Queensland urban bus drivers (covering Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands council areas)
• Regional bus drivers (QConnect drivers in regional centres outside of SEQ)
• School bus drivers (all school bus drivers in all cities and towns)

All nominations will be reviewed by a judging panel to determine three finalists in each category, which will then be put to a public vote to crown winners.

Winning drivers will be presented with a trophy and $1000 cash prize at the awards ceremony, held in partnership with the Queensland Bus Industry Council, on 9 April 2022.

Mr Bailey encouraged bus customers to take part in the celebration through a nomination.

“All drivers working on public passenger services in Queensland are eligible, so jump online and nominate your favourite driver,” he said.

“All drivers across the state work tirelessly and make countless sacrifices to ensure customers can safely and easily get to where they need to go every day.

“We want customers to get behind our bus drivers by nominating them and sharing stories of their favourite driver improving their journey.

“If you’re not sure of your driver’s name and you think they’re doing a great job, we’d encourage you to note the bus route number, the date and time, so the information can be passed on to TransLink and used to submit a nomination.”

Mr Bailey said more than 2500 nominations were received for the last bus driver awards in 2019.

“Our 2019 winners set an extremely high standard for other bus drivers to follow with their friendly customer service and strong driving standards every time they are behind the wheel,” he said.

“I’m sure the quality of candidates for this year’s awards will be just as high.”

Customers can nominate their favourite driver by visiting the TransLink website at translink.com.au.

ENDS

Media contact: Courtney Thompson - 0433 585 570