Mid Green occupationTransport and logistics
Passenger transport driver - Tram Driver
Driving buses, coaches or trams, making sure customers get where they're going safely and on time.
Summary
This occupation is found in the transport industry, in private, public and third sectors. There are both large and small organisations providing essential transport for the millions of people who travel on buses, coaches, and trams every day. There is a wide variety of services within this sector. For example: inner city buses, country wide coach travel, private hire for holiday travel, daily school transport and tram travel on differing networks. Traveling by passenger transport helps to clean up the air that we breathe by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. This industry connects people within their communities. Customers could be going to work, seeing friends and family, accessing education or healthcare, or going on holiday. This apprenticeship is a great opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and behaviours that play a vital role in providing a high quality, accessible and safe passenger transport service.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide excellent customer service by ensuring they can travel safely, on time and in comfort from the beginning to the end of their journey. Passenger transport drivers may work a variety of shifts or rotas, day and night, every day of the week. The duties they perform include preparing, carrying out, then completing the service in line with company procedures and legislative requirements. This is a safety critical role which involves applying route risk assessments and daily checks and ensuring potential hazards are avoided to prevent the delay or completion of planned journeys. Passenger transport drivers must drive vehicles in different traffic, situational and weather conditions on the network, no two days are the same.
For bus and coach drivers, a DVLA category D licence is a statutory requirement and must be passed before completing the apprenticeship. Bus and coach drivers must also achieve their Driver of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) which is an additional legal requirement. Once the CPC licence has been achieved a bus and coach driver must complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain the ability to drive buses and coaches professionally.
For tram drivers, a DVLA category B license is required and must be passed before completing the apprenticeship.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with customers in a clear, concise, and polite manner. In smaller organisations they may report to a direct line manager and work alongside internal colleagues within the depot. For larger organisations working on shift rotas, they may report to a shift operating controller and work as part of a larger team. There may be a requirement to work with other public services for example, liaising with the emergency services in the event of an accident or incident.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for safeguarding customers, employees, public, pedestrians, vehicle, and other road users at all times. Adhering to current passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) driving regulations, health and safety legislation, company policies and procedures. After a concentrated period of training at the start of the apprenticeship, the apprentice will predominately work independently with the ongoing support of the organisational mentor. Passenger transport drivers must meet targets, regulations and timescales whilst always maintaining professionalism. For example, complying with health and safety risk assessments. Ensuring that defensive driving is practised throughout every journey. Following drivers’ hours regulations, company guidelines and working time directives. This ensures road safety, fair competition and supports health and wellbeing of the driver.
Typical job titles include
- Bus driver | Coach driver | Tram driver
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
Associated regulations and legislation that impact the sector and its safe operation.
K2:
Associated company policy and procedure that impact the sector and its safe operation.
K3:
Methods to ensure safe working, risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work.
K4:
Company standards for health and safety and vehicle cleanliness and the processes for maintaining standards throughout the service.
K5:
Funding and financing arrangements of undertakings and the range of services available. For example, regulated service, private hire, charter hire and fare collection.
K6:
Customer's needs, rights and expectations.
K7:
Vehicle types, features, systems, equipment and new and evolving technologies.
K8:
Route hazards, and the different conditions and restrictions that may occur when driving.
K9:
Vehicle signage and legal lettering and where and why it should be displayed.
K10:
Principles of pre-service vehicle checks, tests and preparation.
K11:
Techniques to locate and access the vehicle.
K12:
The responsibilities and actions required of the driver to ensure delays are minimised.
K13:
Principles and techniques of defensive driving.
K14:
Principles and techniques for driving efficiently to maximise sustainability, environmental and economic benefits.
K15:
Destination displays: how to use them and impact on customers, drivers and operator.
K16:
Principles of and considerations for managing incidents and emergencies.
K17:
Principles and considerations for managing conflict and inappropriate behaviours.
K18:
Route planning: sourcing and interpreting information, timing, customer onboard services
K19:
Procedures for making scheduled stops.
K20:
Principles of collecting and protecting revenues.
K21:
Principles for monitoring and responding to instrumentation, signals and instructions.
K22:
Principles of assisting customers embark and disembark the vehicle.
K23:
End of duty process for signing off the vehicle, securing and immobilising.
K24:
Company's depot procedures for vehicle cleaning, washing and replenishing levels.
K25:
End of service reporting requirements.
K26:
The organisation's customer charter and company standards of customer service.
K27:
Data terms, types, and sources. For example: tachographs, data recording, ticketing equipment, contact technology.
K28:
Verbal and written communication techniques.
K29:
Principles of communicating with customers, using automated, verbal or other methods regarding delays and interruptions to the service and timing.
K30:
Principles of diagnosing vehicle faults and failures and rectifying issues within limits of own authority.
K31:
Principles and techniques for preparing and submit documents, reports and logs containing performance, incident and technical information.
K32:
Principles of safeguard lost property.
K34:
Principles of driving a tram.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0338: Passenger transport driver - bus and coach or tram - Tram Driver (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0338B
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £64,345 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 8231 Train and tram drivers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 8231/00 Train and tram drivers
S1:
Apply safe working practices and comply with current passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) driving regulations and legislation.
S2:
Comply with current company policies and procedures.
S3:
Locate and access the vehicle.
S4:
Conduct pre-service route planning.
S5:
Pre-service vehicle checks, tests and documentation.
S6:
Check and maintain cleanliness of the vehicle.
S7:
Drive the vehicle applying defensive driving techniques, with consideration of efficiency for sustainability, environmental and economic factors.
S8:
Follow procedures to maximise punctuality of service.
S9:
Communicate with customers using automated, verbal or other methods regarding delays and interruptions to the service and timing.
S10:
Uses destination displays and signage.
S11:
Communicates with colleagues, internal and external stakeholders to supports the general operation of services.
S12:
Provide assistance for customers to safely embark and disembark the vehicle
S13:
Manage customer queries and complaints.
S14:
Make scheduled stops on route.
S15:
Monitor and respond to instrumentation, signals and instructions.
S16:
Identify and diagnose vehicle faults and failures to rectify issues within limits of own authority.
S17:
Prepare and submit documents, reports and logs containing performance, incident and technical information.
S18:
Changeover the vehicle or take a vehicle out of service.
S19:
Pass the responsibility to the control of others.
S20:
Record task information (text or data) - paper based or electronic.
S21:
Identify, carry out and record industry related continuing professional development (CPD) activities.
S23:
Drive a tram.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0338: Passenger transport driver - bus and coach or tram - Tram Driver (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0338B
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £64,345 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 8231 Train and tram drivers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 8231/00 Train and tram drivers
B1:
Prioritise health, safety and wellbeing.
B2:
Considers the environment and sustainability.
B3:
Contributes to equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace.
B4:
Team-focus to meet work goals.
B5:
Prioritise customer needs.
B6:
Takes ownership of work, performance, and training, committing to organisational and self-improvement.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0338: Passenger transport driver - bus and coach or tram - Tram Driver (Level 2) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0338B
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £64,345 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 8231 Train and tram drivers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 8231/00 Train and tram drivers
