TRAINEE bus drivers will be taking extra care on their driving lessons: they’ll be doing so in a brand-new vehicle.
Reading Buses has announced it has expanded its driving training fleet, with the introduction of a new single decker bus.
This will help new team members get to grips with handling large vehicles on the streets of Reading, Wokingham, and West Berkshire.
The company has brought in the bus as it seeks to recruit new drivers, particularly for its Newbury & District arm.
For a limited period, the firm will be offering qualified PCV drivers a joining bonus totalling £3,000 as part of a new recruitment campaign to meet growing demand.
And paid training is available to those needing to upgrade their driving licence, provided by the award-winning Reading Buses Academy team.
“With our award-winning training academy now supporting employees joining Reading Buses, Newbury & District and Thames Valley Buses, we felt that the time was right to expand the size of our training fleet,” Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams said.
“The extra bus will help us out as we look for friendly, caring and confident people who are passionate about customer service to join our amazing team as bus drivers across the Thames Valley.
“Later in the year we are planning to unveil bio-methane fuelled training buses, which may be another national first.”
He added: “For those who are interested in a change of career, full details and how to apply to be a bus driver can be found on our website www.reading-buses.co.uk”, he added.