Many of us who have been in the sector for a long time have grown up with the clearly outlined requirement from day one for a coach or bus driver to report for work in a uniform of pale shirt, tie, smart trousers, and dark shoes.
Operators vary greatly in terms of how rigidly they enforce uniform compliance, while some have opted for no uniform requirement at all, permitting their representatives to drive their vehicles in a variety of leisurewear items.
For other businesses, implementing rigid uniform standards has been a matter of personal pride, with the driver needing to look as presentable as the vehicle they operate. In some cases, it has been a contractual requirement to secure private tenders.
Many years ago, when I operated the odd National Express shift, I remember being impressed with the high quality of the uniform provided. But I equally remember being very pleased about the dark pinstripe shirts, which were much better at disguising the odd scuff mark than the plain white shirts provided by so many operators.
Granted, a crisp, neatly ironed shirt is incredibly smart when it is fresh and neat, but there are problems:
- A coach driver – especially on express work – will spend a portion of their day climbing in and out of luggage lockers, picking up inevitable scuff marks from doors, ceilings, etc. Not to mention, they will potentially get wet on several occasions in a shift as they hop in and out of their coach
- Not every driver puts as much effort into their personal appearance as some of their colleagues. Arguably, a badly presented white shirt looks much worse than a clean and tidy polo shirt
- For some people, a shirt quickly becomes untucked, often looking immediately unkept when one half is tucked in, and the other is not.
All this leads onto the widespread uniform review that so many operators are going through currently.
It very much depends on what you have grown up with or what you think represents a high-quality image and, I believe, your generation to some extent, as to whether you like or despite the move away from shirts and ties.
There is, however, no escaping the fact that more and more operators are choosing to allow drivers – particularly of local bus services – to wear a more relaxed style of uniform.
A recent poll of drivers at one operator revealed a strong preference for more comfortable, easier to maintain uniform. Smart cargo trousers with a smart, logo-finished polo shirt and a company issued breathable jacket can look tidy and professional. Granted, they will never have the ultimate smartness of a shirt and tie, but how relevant really is it for bus drivers to wear ties to work in 2024?
With staff retention in mind – and the need for drivers to feel comfortable at work while also not having to iron shirts each morning – perhaps the era of the crisp white shirt and neat work tie is increasingly behind us for bus drivers, in favour or more employee-friendly uniforms.
One thing is for certain. There will definitely be operators that believe strongly in supporting either side of the discussion, as with most elements of business presentation, which always tends to divide opinion and generate passionate debate.
