Today is International Women’s Day and travel firm Stagecoach is highlighting the women who are part of its team.
It said more women were becoming bus drivers and engineers with Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, breaking into what has been a male-dominated industry.
Census statistics show that only 11 per cent of UK bus and coach drivers are women, despite evidence from insurers that women have fewer accidents and are less likely to commit motoring offences.
Stagecoach has been at the forefront of efforts to encourage women into the industry. In Cumbria and North Lancashire, it employs 67 women drivers, who make up a growing proportion of recruits, and 27 women in engineering roles.
Angela Bragg, 41, has been a driver at Lillyhall depot, near Workington, for three years. She previously worked in childcare and security.
“I wanted to do something else,” she said. “I enjoy driving and I’m good at customer service. My brother joined Stagecoach so I thought I’d give it a go.”
She hasn’t looked back and is proud to be the only female at Lillyhall accredited to deliver Certificate of Professional Competence training to other drivers.
She added: “It’s a great job and I don’t know why more women don’t take it up. Once you’re out of the depot, it’s like you’re in your personal office. You get to know the regular passengers. I can’t see myself doing anything else now.”
That view is echoed by Jade Ullyart, 31, who has been a driver at Carlisle for 10 years. She knew from the age of eight that she wanted to be a bus driver and now acts as a mentor to newly-qualified drivers. Like Angela, she is a Certificate of Professional Competence instructor.
“The job is what you make it,” she said. “You can do the same route every single day but it’s never the same. I definitely recommend it.”
Claire Hewson, 47, began as a driver 26 years ago and was recently promoted to assistant operations manager based at Carlisle bus station.
Carlisle born and bred, she’s had spells on secondment with Stagecoach in other parts of the country including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
She said: “I love my job and I’m not the only one. We have people who’ve been here 44 years. They wouldn’t stay if they didn’t love it.
“It’s a great life because you can make someone’s day. For some elderly passengers, the bus driver might be the only person they speak to. Having a word and a smile can make all the difference.”
Claire has an 11-year-old daughter but found it straightforward to juggle childcare with the job. Her partner also works shifts and they have been able to arrange work patterns to ensure one of them is at home when they need to be.
None of the women has encountered resentment or sexism from male colleagues. Claire said: “It’s like a big family. Everybody looks after each other.”
Tom Waterhouse, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, hopes more women will follow their lead.
He said: “I’m really proud of all of our staff but do understand the importance of attracting more women to our business.
“We like to think we’re ahead of the curve at Stagecoach but the industry as a whole still has some way to go in tackling the gender imbalance. Working in transport isn’t without its challenges but having great people like Angela, Jade and Claire as part of the team makes each challenge easier to overcome.”
