JOBS offering a starting salary of more than £37,000 after mere weeks of training are up for grabs – though there are only a few days left to apply.
Transport for London has launched its first post-pandemic recruitment drive for new bus garage workers to cover the capital.
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Successful applicants to be bus station controllers could find themselves pocketing £37,222 a year after needing just nine weeks of introductory training.
This would rise to £38,789 after six months training and probation as well as a year in the job – significantly higher than the UK’s median wage of £31,461 for full-time workers.
The opportunities come in a year of repeated strikes by transport workers including train and bus drivers, as well as other public sector workers including teachers, doctors and nurses and civil servants.
TfL has now advertised 102 open roles – with one in four being apprenticeship positions – including posts across its 602-route bus network.
Candidates would have to show willingness to be flexible, however, as they could find themselves posted to any of the capital’s garages – from Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire to the north, Croydon to the south.
But the deadline for anyone interested is this Sunday, MyLondon reported.
Passenger numbers plunged during Covid-19 lockdowns on buses as well as the railways – and TfL imposed a new hire recruitment freeze other than for positions deemed critical.
But they are now looking to swell staff numbers.
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One of the new job ads says: “We are looking for friendly, reliable, helpful people with outgoing personalities and a genuine passion for delivering outstanding service and safety standards, to join us as a Bus Station Controller.
“We are looking for confident people who can quickly take in information about our services, become experts on their local working areas and promote a positive image at all times.
“You must also be prepared to work a shift pattern, in different weather conditions and spend time on your feet and outside.
“You will be the face of TfL at our bus stations, responsible for managing the operation of bus stations and interchanges.
“You will work without direct supervision, managing the flow of buses within the station and acting proactively to ensure the safety of customers and operator’s staff.
“You will advise customers on their journeys with real time information, whilst providing a welcoming presence throughout the station.”
It also asks for “experience of delivering excellent customer service in a busy environment”.
Life on the buses can be a challenging one behind the wheel, however, as one former London driver has previously revealed in TikTok videos outlining his experiences.
There was also a long-running dispute over pay involving London bus drivers working for the company Abellio, mainly affecting those in south and west London.
They were believed to be among the lowest paid in the capital, with their colleagues on Metroline in North and West London having settled on a 11% pay increase with a 10% increase on back pay.
But further strikes were called off in February after the union Unite agreed a deal, saying drivers with more than two years’ service would be paid £18 per hour – equivalent to an 18% pay hike.
Meanwhile, the average train driver salary has been estimated at £45,000, starting from £30,000 – though the RMT rail union and its leader Mick Lynch have vowed to continue strike action as they demand more than the Rail Delivery Group’s offer of a four per cent pay rise this year.
Fans travelling to the FA Cup final on June 3 between Manchester City and Manchester United face disruption from industrial action by transport union Aslef, as do racegoers heading to Epsom for the Derby.
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