Road safety comes out on top in bus driver survey, according to Volvo
Safety is the most important factor for bus and coach drivers, according to a survey carried out by Swedish manufacturer, Volvo.
The company spoke to 1,000 bus and coach drivers across Europe to learn what mattered most to them in their working environment, with road safety coming out as the top priority.
“Our customers’ ability to recruit efficient and capable drivers is a key factor in the success of their businesses,” said Niklas Orre, Vice President, Retail Segment, at Volvo Buses.
“Confident, competent drivers drive safely and economically and give passengers a positive experience. For this reason, drivers’ opinions play an incredibly important role in our ongoing development. This survey is one of the tools we use to gain an up-to-date understanding of how they regard their situation.” Oree added.
Volvo’s study suggests that most drivers enjoy their work with 85 per cent of those surveyed saying they would recommend their job to other people. A total of 44 per cent think that satisfied passengers are the best thing about the job, while 29 per cent put the driving itself in first place.
When answering which factors play the greatest role in their choice of employer, working hours, geographical working area, managers, colleagues and training opportunities were all deemed very important. However, the most important consideration of all is which bus they are assigned to drive, according to 67 per cent of the drivers who were surveyed. When asked about different characteristics of the vehicles, they put safety in first place, closely followed by maneuverability and visibility.
“The fact that drivers put road safety at the top of their list demonstrates their sense of responsibility and concern for passengers.” Oree concluded.