Women at the Wheel
Women at the Wheel
We've been doing lots of work to commemorate the 80th anniversary of our first female bus drivers in Bristol (March 1944). We want to show the significance of the changes that were made in our business 80 years ago when women began driving buses in Bristol for the first time and how we can continue to inspire change in the transport industry.
Although we have come a long way since the first female drivers started driving Bristol buses in 1944, still to this day only 10% (source: Women in Bus and Coach) of the people who work in the bus industry are women. For that reason, and many others, it is still incredibly important to mark International Women’s Day so that we can continue to build a more inclusive environment. Our aim at First Bus is to have a 20% female workforce by 2028.
To reach this goal, we need to break down outdated stereotypes of our industry and change the narrative around what it means to be a bus driver, an engineer or supervisory/ managerial staff along with the many other roles required to keep our business running.
Find out more below.
Bus design competition
The winner was Rosalyn Burroughs, who came up with a brilliant design celebrating women in the transport industry as well as our drivers here in Bristol. Follow Roslyn on Instagram or check our more of her work on her website.
Keep your eyes peeled for the bus on our Y1 and Y2 routes!
Honouring our History
After discovering some newspaper cuttings from 1944, when the first female bus drivers qualified in Bristol, we gathered together some of our current drivers to recreate the photograph. You can see the photos compared below or visit Sparks in Broadmead to see our window display!
Their Stories
We spoke to some of our colleagues to find out how they got into driving and why they love it!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth has been based at our Bath depot since 2020 but she has worked in the transport industry 
since 1997, passing her coach driving test when she was just 18 years old. Elizabeth loves the freedom of bus driving, not being attached to a desk and the flexibility of the job means she’s able to permanently work late shifts. She says, ‘Don’t let the size of the bus put you off, it’s not as big as it seems!”
Martine
Martine is based at our Lawrence Hill depot and is approaching a year with First Bus after many different jobs mainly around caring for people. Martine was working two jobs, but after her daughter suggested bus driving she put the application in and says it’s the best thing she’s ever done!
Sarah
Sarah is the Senior Marketing Manager for First Bus Wales & West. She has been in the business for 11 years and says ‘when I
started it felt like a very male-dominated industry to work in.’ But in the last decade she’s noticed a shift in the workforce. ‘It’s great to see lots of inspirational women in our business now and today’s pledge to reach 20% female by 2028 enforces our commitment to building a more equal workforce.’