Bus Operator

General Summary

Transit bus driver operates buses safely and reliably over an established route, adhering to apredetermined schedule in a safe, efficient, and courteous manner to allow passengers to board, travel, andalight at scheduled stops, over a fixed route or special charter or shuttle routes. Provides friendly and courteous service to all passengers by maintaining professional conduct following company policies and procedures.

Essential and Marginal Job Functions

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties that must be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide public transit services by safely operating a bus to pick up and deliver passengers over a fixed route following a specified schedule and under all weather, traffic, and passenger load conditions.
• Assist boarding and departing passengers with disabilities following ADA mandates, including the verbal announcing of route information and the operation of wheelchair lifts, ramps, and securing devices to board and discharge disabled passengers.
• Collect and report passenger fares and ridership accurately.
• Provide professional radio communications in transmitting information and provide accurate information as it relates to all delays, accidents, incidents, service interruptions, safety, or operational problems to the dispatcher/Supervisor as they occur, preparing written reports of events.
• Communicate courteously and appropriately with the public to provide information and deal calmly and efficiently with emergencies while maintaining safe and orderly service.
• Remove trash, prepare bus for pullout, and inspect vehicle for lost articles.
• Complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections according to procedure, noting mechanical failures and maintenance needs on the bus computer/MDT Unit.
• Record various categories of boarding passengers by manually operating the fare box keypad.
• Work variable shifts, and irregular hours, and is to be available for work on short notice in variable weather conditions and overtime as required to meet CC Regional Transportation Authority goals and objectives.
• Attend training sessions and meetings as required.
• Maintain professional image and conduct, including proper, well-maintained uniform, grooming, personal appearance, and hygiene.
• Establish & and maintain effective and professional working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Maintain an exemplary attendance record.
• Maintain and comply with local traffic regulations, CCRTA policies, procedures, and local, state, and federal government regulations.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding all CCRTA-related business information and personnel issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications include

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Traffic regulations and general familiarity with the city and surrounding areas.
• Work immediately before, during, or immediately after an emergency as required as part of the CCRTA’s Emergency Response Team to provide emergency services to the public during emergencies.
• Bilingual skills in Spanish are preferred.

Physical Requirements

Must possess good communication skills and can communicate verbally with passengers, dispatchers, and road supervisors, including the use of a two-way radio and PA system.

Must possess excellent or corrected vision to allow the operator to have the ability to read and comprehend written material. Must have good depth perception, peripheral vision, distance vision, and color perception as is required to drive a motorized vehicle. Must possess a full range of sense of hearing, including tone, pitch, and volume, when operating transit vehicles, using two‐way radio, and assisting passengers and the public.

Must have good manual dexterity to perform the basic functions of operating various keypads, including fare box, head sign, and camera system. Will be required to reach, grasp, and use multiple objects that include but are not limited to the steering wheel, door control, two-way radio, PA microphone, and wheelchair lift/ramp control.

Will be required to sit while operating the vehicle for approximately 90% of the workday. The remaining 10% of the day will require the operator to move both the internal and exterior perimeters of the bus. This will include the performance of a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle by walking around and through the vehicle.

Must possess the ability to push/pull tension of at least 90 pounds and the ability to bend, stoop, and kneel to assist passengers in boarding, securing mobility devices, and/or retrieving equipment. Will be required to twist at the knee and waist when operating the vehicle, performing vehicle inspections, and securing mobility devices. Will be required to reach forward, rearward, upward, and downward when operating vehicle, performing vehicle inspections, and securing mobility devices.

Working Conditions Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts. The employee is frequently exposed to assorted fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals, and exposure to vibrations. They may be exposed to outside weather conditions including wet and/or humid conditions, extreme cold, or extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but can on occasion be loud.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. It is the CCRTA’s business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental disabilities of qualified individuals, according to applicable state and federal law, and may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. To request reasonable accommodation regarding your application for employment or the performance of the essential functions of your job, please contact the Human Resources Department at (361) 903-3524.

Experience and Training Requirements

This position requires any equivalent combination of the following training, education, and experience that provides the individual with the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job.

Education

No minimum requirement.

Experience

Minimum one (1) year of general work experience to include driving experience and/or customer service experience.

License or Certificate

Must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Texas Driver's License Class A or B with passenger endorsement. Applicants without a valid CDL-Class A or B can begin the hiring process but must have, at least, a CDL Class B permit before starting training. The Texas Department of Public Safety requires individuals to pass all (4) written tests which consist of General Knowledge, Passenger Endorsement, Airbrake, and Pre-trip to obtain a CDL Class B Permit.

Other Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age. Must attain and retain Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) clearance. Any job offers and continued employment is contingent upon completing and passing a pre-employment job agility evaluation, Department of Transportation physical, drug and alcohol screen, and background investigation with not more than two moving violations or accidents in the past three years, no more than one DWI/DUI in a lifetime, and no DWI/DUI in the past five years.