The profession in three words? Trustworthy, intense and vibrant

Without them, BUS2BUS – and all the new buses and innovative technologies – would literally not get off the ground. So it was only fitting to celebrate with a special Bus Drivers’ Day at the trade fair, all those who sit behind the wheel day in, day out, and to inspire an interest in this profession among those who are curious about it. A good 200 people from all over Germany – from Stuttgart to Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Saxony and northern Lower Saxony – had registered. “As organisers, we want to use this day to highlight your work, show our appreciation and roll out the green carpet for you today,” said Lisa Scholz, Product Manager at BUS2BUS. “Let us celebrate you.”

“Without you, Germany wouldn’t be mobile,” Jenny Zeller-Grothe, Director of Operations and Human Resources at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), called out to the bus drivers in her welcome address, praising them for delivering an “incredible performance” every day. For Carry Greiner, Managing Director of the private transport company LVL Jäger, which operates local public transport in the Ludwigsburg region, the profession even underpins our economy: “We ensure that our passengers from the villages can get to work in the city in the first place.” Bus drivers therefore deserve every bit of recognition. And there is a need for new recruits.

Amidst the utter chaos of the roads

For Carry Greiner, the profession can be summed up in three words: trusting, intense, lively. “Trusting, because our passengers trust the drivers; it can be intense amidst this utter chaos on the roads, and lively thanks to all the contact with the world out there and the passengers.” You can have a lot of fun with them, said social media star Michel Schwartz. The content creator and bus driver had a booth where he took plenty of selfies and accompanied his colleagues on tours of the exhibition.

At MAN, BYD, IVECO Bus, TAM-Europe and Sono Solar, for example, the bus drivers discussed topics directly affecting their daily work with company representatives, such as battery ranges, turning assistants, cameras instead of wing mirrors, digital cockpits and cybersecurity, and how solar panels on diesel-powered coaches help with vehicle ventilation.

Visitors to Bus Driver Day were able to walk around the buses, try out the driver’s seats, take test drives and check whether the horn worked. This is no small matter in a job that is becoming increasingly challenging: “Traffic is increasing, while passengers’ friendliness is declining,” said Marcel Willkommen. The 31-year-old has been a long-distance bus driver for Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe since 2019. Nevertheless, he enjoys the job: “Above all, the variety: driving a bus and also maintaining it.”

Something to talk about every day

Carina Matthes, a bus driver and bus influencer, couldn’t imagine doing this job at first: “I actually wanted to drive trams. As an introvert, that seemed to suit me better,” said the 29-year-old, who has been driving for Berlin’s BVG for eight years. But her training as a transport operations specialist focused on trams and buses. And that’s where her passion for buses took hold, a passion that now follows her even in her private life.

Carina Matthes is always there at BUS2BUS. “Driving buses has become my favourite job and has turned me into an extrovert,” she said. You experience the most amazing stories. “There isn’t a single day when you don’t have something to talk about in the evening.” Especially as a young bus driver, she receives a lot of positive feedback. Her trick for dealing with grumpy passengers: “Just give them a big smile as they get on. Then everything’s fine again.”

Don’t get annoyed

Wolfgang Gassmann had used his day off to travel from Hamburg to Bus Driver Day. “I just want to have a look around and see what’s new,” he said. Following a career change, he has been working as a bus driver for Hamburger Hochbahn for ten years. Traffic is getting heavier and more aggressive. “To get people through it all safely in our big vehicles, you need a thick skin and nerves of steel,” said Gassmann. His motto: “Don’t get annoyed.” That’s the best way to get ahead.