73301 Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators

What this occupation covers

Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators drive buses and operate streetcars, subway trains and light rail transit vehicles to transport passengers on established routes. Bus drivers are employed by urban transit systems, school boards or transportation authorities and private transportation companies. Streetcar, subway and light rail transit operators are employed by urban transit systems.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 20 main duties for this code.

• Drive buses or streetcars to transport passengers along established routes to local destinations
• Drive buses to transport passengers and goods to intercity or long distance destinations
• Drive sightseeing tour buses to transport passengers locally or over long distances
• Drive buses equipped for wheelchair accessibility, and aid passengers in boarding
• Provide passengers with information on fares, schedules and stops
• Collect fares, issue and validate transfers, check bus passes and record transactions
• Conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections of vehicle
• Communicate with passengers, dispatchers or other drivers using two-way radio systems
• Report delays, mechanical problems and accidents
• May provide information on points of interest during sightseeing tours
• May load and unload passengers' luggage and express freight.
• Drive school buses to transport children between school and home or on excursions
• Ensure children's safety when boarding and leaving buses and crossing street while bus is stopped
• Maintain control of student activities during travel to prevent distractions or behaviours that could compromise safety
• May transport adults outside of school hours on chartered trips.
• Operate subway or rail transit vehicles as part of two-person crew
• Observe signals at crossings and arrival and departure points
• Operate controls to open and close transit vehicle doors
• Report delays, malfunctions and accidents to control unit
• Ensure passenger safety and welfare in emergencies, and direct passengers during evacuation procedures.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 3 of its 20 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72024 Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators

Excluded from this code

• Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators (See 72024 Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

articulated bus operator · bus driver · bus driver - special needs passengers · bus operator · bus operator - accessible services · charter bus driver · intercity bus driver · light rail transit operator · long distance bus driver · motor coach driver · public passenger transit driver · school bus driver · school bus driver - special needs passengers · shuttle bus driver · shuttle driver - auto dealership · shuttle driver - car rental company · shuttle operator · sightseeing bus driver · sightseeing tour driver · streetcar conductor · streetcar operator · subway train operator · tour bus operator · transit operator - transportation

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Up to three months of on-the-job training, including classroom instruction, is usually provided for all occupations in this unit group.
• A minimum of one year of safe driving experience is required.
• Bus drivers require a Class B, C, E or F driver's licence in Ontario, and a Class 2 driver's licence is required in all other provinces and the territories.
• An air brakes endorsement and first aid certificate may be required.
• Experience as a public transit bus driver is usually required for subway and light rail transit operators.