Why are there so few female bus drivers

[Maisier]

Thinking about a career change and I am considering becoming a bus driver. It's a male dominated job and I am wondering if I am missing something here that really puts women off doing the job. Does anyone have any insight as to why there are so few female bus drivers?

I am late 40s, single, adult children. I imagine the shift patterns and weekend work could be off putting for women with younger children but I have no family commitments. I won't mind doing early and late shifts. I probably wouldn't want to do Nightshift but there are very very few night busses in my area so I am hoping that won't be a major issue.

Already have paid off my mortgage and have a decent amount saved for retirement so not really concerned about earning potential.

My DH is a coach driver. He refuses to do busto driving for regular public transit routes as he knows so many drivers that have been hurt/threatened/had terrible passengers that have caused agate to the bus. Honestly, Itake not AC easy job on certain routes. Bricks being thrown, fires being started, physical abuse etc. most buses claim to have cafes but often they aren't even turned on, never mind maintained. He works for a private coach company, doing school and college runs, trips, armed forces, sports matches and cruise tours. He loves it but it's not great pay. He gets £15 for driving. But if he's sitting around for 4 hours doing nothing it's minimum wage. Unsociable hours/overtime are £18 ph. His days are long. He's out the house at 5-5.30 and doesn't get home until 6 pm. He spends 3-5 hours a day sitting around between jobs most days but this works for him as he can nap/explore the local shops/read/play his travel guitar etc.

It could be ok - the only thing that sprung to mind was this article about a female driver, but hopefully bus companies are a bit better now.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/17/manchester-bus-driver-dismissed-for-being-too-short-given-job-back-after-appeal this]

I think it probably depends on where you live.

I live on a Kent coast in a small town and we have several female bus drivers and taxi drivers. One of the ladies who drives the buses has a daughter who became a bus driver too.

I assume it is because the journeys that they make are through reasonably safe areas where people are generally friendly.

I would not drive a bus in London where I used to live, but if I was not such a terrible driver I would happily do it in my current location.

Chatting to various bus drivers both male and female it sounds as though it is safety and lack of on the day flexibility.

I suppose it's like any male dominated job, changes take a long time to become the norm. How big is the city you live in? We have lots of female bus drivers, but I'm in a big city. I've noticed there are a lot more female couriers and grocery delivery drivers now than there was 10 years ago.

I’m in Cornwall and a huge proportion of our bus drivers are women!

I see lots of female bus drivers when I'm in West Yorkshire (I don't really use the buses when I'm in other places).

Have you considered getting an HGV License and being a lorry driver? It's not all long distance trucker jobs. We have a female bin lorry driver in my town.

I see quite a few in my city

As you might guess from my user name, I used to drive buses for a living, I did 20 years on local service.

Threats and abuse common, zero support from the companies, buses dropping to bits, boiling hot in the summer freezing cold in the winter, UK driving hours regulations insane ( 5 1/2 hours without a break).

I left when I was spat on for the third time in a year and the company did nothing.

There is a reason they are always short of drivers.

I presume just it being traditionally male and also the constant public exposure and some rude members of the public to deal with who may be ruder to a woman. Context- in a Yorkshire town 15 years ago you would maybe see 1 woman driver out of 15. Now in a different Yorkshire town I see maybe 1 in 5 are women. It has increased noticeably. I don't envy bus drivers and think it is a hard job. Probably not paid enough for the work either. Least most of them have automatics/electric now for easier driving.

id like to be a bus/coach driver and at 58 i can still be able to go for my pcv and get a job driving buses or coaches and id like to see more female bus/coach drivers,also id love to date a female bus/coach driver but there dosent seem to be any single/divorced female bus drivers out there in the uk looking for love,a partner