Leading Welsh bus and coach operator Adventure Travel is revving up its biggest ever recruitment drive, as a result of the ongoing professional driver shortage.
Following a steady increase in passenger numbers following the pandemic, more buses are now needed to transport customers who are returning to use public transport. Additional training buses are currently being prepared and extra driving instructors are being recruited.
Adventure Travel is one of the foremost transport providers in south Wales, operating many bus routes across the region with its fleet of over 150 vehicles, as well as more than 45 school buses and a number of privately hired coaches.
Since the easing of restrictions, passenger numbers have increased on the majority of all the operator’s routes with some routes even surpassing their pre-COVID 2019 figures. The company has also recently taken over operation of Route 14 and Route 24 in Swansea and instated the ‘Valley 2 Beach’ route 404 extension to Porthcawl as a permanent service, due to continued high demand. A number of bus routes in the Vale of Glamorgan area have also been retained at re-tender, along with the G1 service in North Cardiff.
These sustained successes have resulted in a wave of job opportunities opening up which Adventure Travel is now looking to fill, including drivers, cleaners and office administration roles. In a bid to attract appropriate candidates, the company is also offering paid on-the-job training for new trainee bus drivers, increased pay rates and other company benefits including flexible family-friendly rota patterns, a staff savings / loan scheme, progression possibilities, the ability to work part or full time, overtime options and free family bus passes.
Lauryn Tunnell, Recruitment Manager for Adventure Travel, said: “Following two years of ups and downs throughout the pandemic, we are now emerging on the other side and are seeing some bus routes recovering well whereas some others not so well. The overall picture is encouraging but we need new drivers and cleaners to ensure that we can keep up with demand.
“We have used the challenging pandemic period to re-energise as a company; consistently listening to passenger feedback and making improvements accordingly. With passengers now returning to public transport and several key contract wins for Adventure Travel, we are in a position where we need to expand our team as well as replacing agency workers who were employed during nationwide driver shortages with permanent employees.”
Openings within the company primarily include PCV drivers – which offers a significant joining bonus of £1,250 for new employees – and trainee positions which allow successful candidates to earn a wage while they learn, with a guaranteed job and increase in salary once all training is complete.
Speaking about the recruitment campaign, Lauryn said: “We’ve welcomed a diverse range of personnel recently, from all walks of life and career backgrounds, including factory workers, self-employed individuals and people who have previously worked in retail and care. No experience is necessary and we provide a dedicated training school with helpful mentors, offering free, unlimited in-house training which our trainee drivers can access as frequently as needed to ensure they have complete confidence behind the wheel and excel in all necessary assessments.
“New starters will also benefit from recent pay increases implemented across all three depots in Cardiff, Pontypridd, and Swansea, and can choose flexible rotas to best suit their situation including daytime shifts, early shifts or part time hours. We anticipate a further round of pay rises towards the end of 2022, to ensure that we remain competitive.
“This is an ideal opportunity for someone interested in joining a major employer in South Wales with expanding activities across the region. Whether experienced and looking for the next career step or improved prospects, or someone new to the industry seeking an exciting challenge and excellent career perks, Adventure Travel has a number of positions available.”
