People often comment that one of the best things about the Daffodil Line is the great service and friendly drivers. We thought you might like to know a bit more about one of our regulars, Mark Harber, so Becky had a chat with him on a recent trip from Ledbury to Newent.
RR: Can you tell us how you became a bus driver?
MH: I was a chef before in a local pub in Ledbury, then Covid hit, I then got a job in a factory, but my Father was a bus driver with Stagecoach for 30 years, so I went to them, and they trained me. It was three weeks training in Gloucester, they have a team training from the bus depot there. I then worked for Stagecoach for nine months, I did all the routes for them before moving to DRM.
RR: Weren’t you scared, taking out a bus, all the traffic, the narrow roads, the responsibility.
MH: No, I’m not frightened by it, you have to have the right personality, be calm, understanding, considerate, a lot of people can’t do it, they lose it and have to leave, their nerves can’t take it but I’m not nervous about it, in the blood I guess.
RR: What hours do you work?
MH: I get up about 6 and get home about 8, but I do overtime in the evening, at the depot in Bromyard, my choice. I also do overtime on my day’s off, I have a mortgage and a family.
RR: Is the bus an automatic, I wouldn’t fancy the traffic lights hill-start at Newent with a full bus?
MH: Oh yes, all the buses are automatic, you couldn’t do it with gears!
RR: What’s the best thing about the job?
MH: The people, meeting them, then job security, regular pay, When I’m out on the road I’m my own boss, making decisions.
RR: What’s the worst thing about the job?
MH: The kids (joke!), the people, some people get angry when the bus runs late and let you know, as if it’s my fault, but I don’t let it get to me. You have to have the right character for this job.
RR: Thank you Mark, we all love the work you do and are so grateful for the excellent driving and service.
Could you drive the Daffodil Line?
Thankfully, after many years of decline, rural bus services are slowly starting to increase again. Which means that we always need more drivers for the Daff and other local routes. Could you be one of them? As you’ve read, the job can be very rewarding for the right sort of person, If you think you have what it takes our bus operators DRM would love to hear from you, give them a call on 01885 483939 or email drm@drmbus.com for more information. DRM are happy to talk to experienced drivers and offer full training to people interested in starting a career in the industry.
