Trainee Bus Driver

Arriva Kent & Surrey Limited; Gillingham; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to Arriva Village

Employee Assistance Programme

Free bus travel for you and your house

Arriva Workplace Pension

Career progression opportunities

Long service awards

20 days holiday plus bank holidays

Job summary

Arriva Kent & Surrey Limited is hiring a Bus Driver at our Gillingham depot. You will be the front-line ambassador, greeting customers, providing journey information and supporting accessibility needs. The role combines driving with a strong focus on people and service.

Starting pay includes per-hour rates with progression after training. A full training programme to gain your PCV license is provided, plus ongoing mentoring, overtime options, and pension benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven customer service experience is required.
• Ability to pass an English comprehension test.
• Friendly, patient and approachable manner.
• Confidence communicating with a wide range of customers.
• Calm, polite and professional in challenging situations.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings and weekends.
• Aged 18 or over.
• UK driving license held for at least 6 months.
• No more than 6 penalty points.
• Ability to pass a drug and alcohol test.

Responsibilities

• Greet customers warmly and professionally.
• Answer questions and provide journey information.
• Support passengers with additional needs.
• Handle situations calmly and empathetically.
• Create a positive experience, even when things don’t go to plan.

Skills

Customer service experience

Communication skills

English comprehension

Job description

£12.71 – £17.87 per hour Start your bus driving career with Arriva at our Gillingham depot, where customer service comes first, and people are at the heart of everything we do. This is much more than a driving role. As a Bus Driver, you’ll be a front-line ambassador for Arriva, supporting customers throughout their journeys and helping them feel safe, welcome, and valued. From assisting elderly passengers, reassuring nervous travellers, helping parents and children, to supporting customers with accessibility needs — your people skills will be just as important as your driving. If you have previous customer service experience (for example in retail, hospitality, care, or any customer-facing role) and enjoy helping others, this could be the perfect career change.

Why customer service matters in this role

• Greet customers warmly and professionally
• Answer questions and provide journey information
• Support passengers with additional needs
• Handle situations calmly and empathetically
• Create a positive experience, even when things don’t go to plan

Bus Drivers are one of the most thanked jobs in the UK — and that’s because of the human connection you build with your customers.

Pay Rate

• £12.71 – £17.87 per hour
• During training (first 4–6 weeks): £12.71 per hour
• After training: Up to 9 months’ service: £12.71 per hour
• 9+ months’ service: £16.85 per hour | Overtime & Weekend: £17.87 per hour

What’s in it for you?

• Fully paid training to gain your PCV license — no previous bus driving experience needed
• Arriva Training School with expert instructors
• Ongoing mentoring and support once you’re out on the road
• Overtime opportunities, including bank holidays, paid at premium rates
• Ongoing CPC training
• Career development opportunities into management, training, or specialist driving roles
• Working for an inclusive, community-focused company where looking after customers is a shared responsibility

Hours of work

• Rotating shift pattern: 5 days out of 7
• Shifts published 6–8 weeks in advance
• Morning shifts from 04:00
• Afternoon shifts from 12:00
• Evening shifts from 18:00
• Fixed shifts are not available
• Overtime available

What we’re looking for

• Aged 18 or over
• UK driving license held for at least 6 months
• No more than 6 penalty points
• Ability to pass a drug and alcohol test
• Ability to pass an English comprehension test
• Proven customer service experience is required
• A friendly, patient, and approachable manner
• Confidence communicating with a wide range of customers
• The ability to stay calm, polite, and professional in challenging situations
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends

Benefits

• Access to the Arriva Village — discounts and offers
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free bus travel for you and your household
• Arriva Workplace Pension
• Fantastic career progression opportunities
• Long service awards
• 20 days holiday plus bank holidays

At Arriva, we value diversity, inclusion, and the unique experiences our people bring. By putting customers first, we create better journeys, stronger communities, and a workplace where everyone belongs.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike‑sharing systems, on‑demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.