The team recently discovered that Journey Makers, Suraj Randiv and Chinthaka Jayasinghe both represented Sri Lanka, and Waddington Mwayenga represented Zimbabwe in the international cricket arena – facing off against Australian cricketing greats such as Shane Warne and Steve Waugh.
Ian Craig, Managing Director, Transdev Melbourne said, “We have a huge diversity of professional backgrounds among our than 1200 bus drivers. Next time you get on the bus you may be driven by a former cricketer, a former pastry chef, or a former social worker just to name a few examples.
“Despite the diversity of backgrounds, our drivers share a united passion for customer service and ensuring we continue to provide Victorians with a safe, reliable and comfortable journey.”
Randiv and Mwayenga were recruited via Transdev’s Journey Maker Academy, an initiative developed to help people from outside the transport industry to become a bus driver.
The program is particularly targeted people with car licences and strong customer service backgrounds who are supported in gaining a heavy vehicle licence required to drive a bus.
Since 2018, Transdev Melbourne has recruited 200 bus drivers via its Journey Maker Academy program.
Transdev also offers dedicated recruitment programs for experienced bus and truck drivers. Jayasinghe was recruited through the bus to bus program which helps experienced bus drivers transition into a new role via tailored training program which includes driving evaluation and tailored training in customer service. In 2020, Transdev recruited a number of experienced drivers from the tourism industry due to the impact of COVID-19.
While playing cricket and driving a bus may seem worlds apart, the drivers say they draw on traits such as patience, teamwork and discipline developed during their professional sporting careers in their current bus driving roles as they help Victorians get to where they need to go.
While wearing masks during COVID-19 has helped conceal their notoriety some avid cricket fans still have managed to recognise Randiv and Jayasinghe.