Awards to recognise top drivers

Public transport users across the state can give an extraordinary driver an extraordinary thank you with nominations for the 2022 Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards now open.

The awards will again celebrate the huge contribution drivers have made to keeping Queenslanders moving, connected to work, study and essential services.

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 a $1000 cash prize.

“Queensland bus drivers have done an extraordinary job over the past 12 months and deserve to receive an extraordinary thank you,” Sally 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.

“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.”

All bus drivers working on public passenger services in Queensland are eligible, with nominations closing on Friday, January 6.

Award categories

There are three award categories for people to consider when nominating their favourite bus driver:

• 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.

More than 1200 nominations across the three categories were recorded last year and 6500 votes were submitted for the finalists.

Customers can nominate their favourite driver by visiting the Translink website: https://translink.com.au/