4 January, 2023
2022 Bus Driver of the Year Awards Nominations open
NOMINATIONS for the 2022 Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards close this Friday (December 6) and Translink is encouraging public transport users to “give an extraordinary driver and extraordinary thank you”.
The fourth iteration of the awards will again celebrate the huge contribution drivers have made to keeping Queenslanders moving, connected to work, study and essential services.
All bus drivers working on public passenger services in Queensland are eligible, with nominations closing on Friday, January 6 2023 for three award categories:
• South East Queensland bus drivers (covering Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands council areas);
• Regional bus drivers (drivers in regional centres outside of SEQ and long-distance bus drivers);
• School bus drivers (all Queensland school bus drivers in all cities and towns)
All nominations will be reviewed by a judging panel to determine three finalists in each category, which will then be put to a public vote to crown winners.
To encourage public transport users to nominate a bus driver, Translink will offer people the chance to win one of 10, $100 gift cards. The giveaway will be offered during the nomination period only.
The shortlisting of finalists will begin in January 2023 before the public can vote on the finalists from March 2023.
Head of Translink Sally Stannard said the winners would be announced at the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) annual conference and dinner in Cairns on April 14 2023, with the winning drivers to be presented with a trophy and $1000 cash prize.
“Queensland bus drivers have done an extraordinary job over the past 12 months and deserve to receive an extraordinary thank you,” Ms Stannard said.
“Bus drivers are the face of the bus network, they’re vital to running the network and that’s why we want to thank those who have gone above and beyond.
“All drivers across the state work tirelessly and make countless sacrifices to ensure customers can safely and easily get to where they need to go every day.
“By nominating, you can make such a positive impact in their life. We would love for customers to support Queensland bus drivers by submitting a nomination and supporting their favourite driver.
“This is year we have included long-distance bus drivers as they too play an integral role in providing transport for Queenslanders and deserved to be recognised.”
Ms Stannard said more than 1200 nominations across the three categories were recorded last year and 6500 votes were submitted for the finalists.
“Our 2021 winners set an extremely high standard for other Queensland bus drivers to follow with their friendly customer service and strong driving standards every time they are behind the wheel,” she said.
“We are sure the quality of candidates for this year’s awards will be just as high.
“If you’re not sure of your driver’s name and you think they’re doing a great job, we would encourage you to note the bus route number, the date and time, so the information can be passed on to Translink and used to submit a nomination.”
Customers can nominate their favourite driver by visiting the Translink website.
2022 Bus Driver of the Year Awards schedule:
• January 6 2023 – Nominations close
• January 2023 – Shortlisting of the finalists starts
• March 2023 – Voting on the finalists opens
• March 2023 – Voting on the finalists closes
• April 2023 – Announcement of the winners at the QBIC Annual Conference and Dinner in Cairns
Bus Driver of the Year Awards fast facts:
• The 2022 awards will be the fourth iteration (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022)
• More than 1200 nominations were received across three categories last year
• More than 6500 votes were cast on the finalists last year
