Tour Bus Driver

Big Bus Tours LTD London United Kingdom Driving
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Company Description

Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, fuelling the spirit of adventure in 21 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey 27 years’ ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has swiftly expanded to a global fleet of over 400 hundred open-top buses, turning 5 million tourists into explorers, every year. Big Bus Tours operates in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Istanbul, Miami, Muscat, Rome, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Darwin, Sydney, Vienna, Washington DC, Dublin and Singapore, with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations, with complimentary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to make Big Bus Tours the number 1 thing to do in each world-famous city. In 2016, Merlin Entertainments PLC became a shareholder, offering a natural synergy with Big Bus Tours and Merlin attractions and experiences around the world. With entertaining guides and commentary and knowledge of the latest events in each city, the Big Bus City Crew leaves every passenger with a story to tell.

Position

Overall Purpose

The primary responsibility for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of passengers during bus tours. A Tour Bus driver should be patient and level headed in order to deal directly with Customer and members of the public – transporting passengers around our routes.

Key Areas of Accountability and Responsibility

Driving

  • Pick up and set down customers at our licenced bus stops and ensure the safety and well-being of passengers whilst on Tour or when they board and alight a bus.
  • Comply with all road and safety regulations and ensue these are followed; report any traffic violations immediately.
  • Comply with the traffic laws and company regulations regarding the use of mobile phones, smoking in company vehicles and the use of prohibited equipment (such as games consoles) whilst on duty.
  • Follow company procedures in the event of breakdowns, accidents or emergencies; in the event of an accident, assure that medical emergency procedures are followed; complete a written accident report, this must be completed and handed back to the Traffic Manager before the end of that days duty

Bus checks

  • Carry out walk-around checks on the bus and complete a Driver Defect Report, any faults found must be reported to an appropriate person for rectification
  • Ensure that the vehicle is clean and tidy before starting service and that the bus has a sufficient stock of brochures, headphones and poncho’s on board to complete a Tour.
  • Ensure the cab area of the bus is kept in a safe and tidy condition at all times.
  • Check that the communication device (e.g. two-way radio, language system) is in proper working order before each trip. The radio must be used in a professional manner for the purpose of conveying information to the AVL or seeking advice from a Point Controller
  • Ensure that the language system and microphone are in working order before each trip.
  • Check the vehicle for lost property and hand any items found to the point controller.

Customer Service

  • Provide a high standard of customer service: treat customers, colleagues (and anyone else you come in to contact with whilst representing the company) in a courteous and professional manner, be alert, careful, considerate and helpful at all times.
  • Use ramps as required allowing access/egress to the vehicle by disadvantaged (disabled/elderly) or mobility impaired customers.
  • Assist with ensuring that groups of adult/child ratios are maintained on the bus.
  • Give customers on the bus any information that may help them during their journey. Examples would be telling customers the best stop for their destination, road closures & diversions

Miscellaneous

  • Understand and comply with rules governing driving hours and rest periods for PCV drivers (Domestic and EC Rules) and the Working Time Directive.
  • Keep up to date with road closures, diversions or special events that affect the service. This is done by reading notices, newsletters, attending briefings, listening to the on-bus radio.
  • Report all safety, security, driving and customer service incidents to the line manager as soon as possible.
  • Perform other duties and tasks as assigned.

Requirements

Knowledge

  • Must demonstrate an understanding of written and spoken speak English in order to communicate effectively with customers and colleagues; be able to read and comprehend health and safety information, company rules and regulations provided in the Employee Handbook, Operational and other information placed on noticeboards.
  • Must have the ability to work effectively with people regardless of any protected characteristics; age, gender, race ethnicity etc. (further information contained within the company employee handbook).

Skills

  • Must have the ability to work effectively and competently without close supervision

Experience/Qualifications

  • Must hold a valid PCV licence and have no more than 3 penalty points (Licences are checked through an external agency)
  • Must have completed the current CPC training and hold a valid Driver Qualification Card

Other information

Working Hours and Conditions

Operational times 07:00-22:00 depending on seasonal adjustments

Driving Requirements

Driving Licence

You must hold a full United Kingdom (European Communities Model) driving licence, or European equivalent, valid for the group/category of the vehicle to be driven, which you must submit to the company for inspection before driving a company vehicle. Driving licences must be carried at all times and must be available for inspection at any time whilst on duty.

In order for the company to comply with its legal obligations all drivers will be required to complete a GBG Advanced Check mandate giving permission to the company to confirm driving licence details with those details held at DVLA.

Any matter which might affect your eligibility or fitness to drive, or which may invalidate our motor vehicle insurance cover, must be reported without delay to the company. These will include penalty points, endorsements, suspension, disqualification from driving, actions/prosecutions pending, or any health conditions or treatment which might affect your fitness to drive.

Failure to provide your driving licence at the company’s request, without a valid reason, may result in disciplinary action being taken against you.

In the event that you lose your driving licence or are unable to drive for some other reason (e.g. refusal of insurance), you must make your line manager or HR aware of such circumstances immediately they arise.

Any medical condition, including taking prescribed drugs to address a medical condition, which may have an effect on your ability to drive, must be reported to management, stating the condition and drugs prescribed. We reserve the right to inform the DVLA of any such illness that may affect your licence.

Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)

All drivers must comply with the CPC and provide their Driver’s Qualification Card when requested.

Driving Hours

Our scheduled tour buses operate under British domestic drivers’ hours’ legislation. It is the responsibility of the post holder to have knowledge of and adhere to these rules.