The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has published information showing that bus and coach drivers across the UK have typically received pay rises of almost 30% over the last three years.
Increases in weekly earnings for both bus and coach drivers (including overtime) sat at 29.4% between 2021 and 2024, outstripping the typical increase of 21.6% for the general UK population during the same time period.
The cause for the average pay increases, according to CPT, has been an overall driver shortage, which has resulted in a push up in wages for drivers of all types including scheduled bus services and long-distance, chartered and local coach services.
The increase, according to the Office for National Statistics, is above that of other shift workers, including police workers, who have seen pay rises of 9.7%, as well as wage growth for heavy goods vehicle drivers, who have experienced pay rises of 21% between 2021 and 2024.
According to the CPT’s Cost Monitor, which analyses bus operators’ finances, rising wages have now contributed to a 17% increase in the per-kilometre cost of operating a us over the course of the last two years.
Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the CPT, said:Driving a bus or a coach is a vital job. These are the people who get us to work, to school or into town every day and they play a crucial role in keeping communities connected.
Bus companies across the country value their drivers and appreciate the hard work they do in keeping Britain moving, rain or shine. But pay awards need to be affordable and sustainable in the very challenging economic environment.
