At the Depot

Passing your test is the start, not the finish

Once you've passed your PCV test and completed your London-specific training, you'll be released to your depot (or "garage"). This is where the job becomes real — new colleagues, new routes, and real passengers. The first few months are a structured settling-in phase: you'll be supported, but you'll also be watched closely.

Every operator does things slightly differently, but the shape is broadly the same everywhere: depot induction, mentoring, route learning, and probation.

Your first days at the garage

Your first day at the depot is usually an induction rather than a driving duty. Expect to be shown around and introduced to how the garage runs, typically covering:

• Where and how to sign on and sign off — and how strictly sign-on times are enforced
• The duty board / allocation office, how duties are published, and how to read your rota
• Duty cards and running boards: sign-on times, relief points, meal breaks and finishing points
• Defect reporting, the walkaround check, and how to report an accident or incident
• Lockers, the canteen and rest areas, notice boards, and who to speak to when something goes wrong
• Holiday booking, payslips, sickness reporting and the garage's own procedures

Driver mentoring

Most operators pair new drivers with an experienced mentor, buddy driver or driver assessor for their first duties in service. The format varies — some ride with you for a set number of duties, others check in at points through your first weeks — but the aim is the same: to bridge the gap between passing a test and running a real London service.

A good mentor will help you with the things training can't fully prepare you for:

• Running to time and managing headways without taking risks
• Handling passengers — fare disputes, buggies and wheelchairs, and conflict
• Using iBus in service, working with Control, and handling curtailments and diversions
• Changeovers at relief points and taking over a bus mid-route
• The unwritten rules of the garage and the route

Use this time well. Ask questions, take notes, and be honest about what you're finding difficult — mentors would much rather fix it now than read about it in an incident report later.

Route learning

You won't be expected to drive a route you've never seen. Before driving a route in service you'll be given route-learning time — usually paid — either riding the route, driving it in a training vehicle, or accompanied by a mentor. Depending on the garage, you may learn a handful of routes at first and pick up more as you go.

What to learn for each route

• The full line of route in both directions, including every stop
• Stands and terminus arrangements, and where to wait time
• Common curtailment points and turning points
• Garage runs — getting to and from the route "out of service"
• Pinch points: low bridges, tight turns, width restrictions and narrow streets
• Relief points, and where crew changeovers happen
• Known trouble spots — busy schools, markets, or stops with frequent issues

Duties, rotas and shift patterns

Work is organised into duties (a single shift, with set start, break and finish points) arranged into a rota, so your pattern typically changes week to week through earlies, middles and lates. New drivers often start on a spare or cover rota, filling in wherever there's a gap — which is a good way to learn routes quickly, even if it's less predictable.

Over time — and as you gain seniority — you may be able to move onto a rota line or route that suits you better. Some garages also allow duty swaps and rest-day working, subject to the rules on driving hours.

The probationary period

New drivers almost always start on a probationary period — commonly around six months, though this varies between operators. During probation your employment can be ended more easily, so it pays to get it right from day one.

What's typically monitored

• Attendance and punctuality — sickness, lateness, and missed sign-ons ("lost duties") are taken very seriously
• Accidents and incidents — especially blameworthy collisions
• Customer complaints and conduct towards passengers
• Driving standards — including CCTV, iBus data and, at many operators, driving-style telematics
• Following procedures — walkaround checks, defect reporting, mobile phone rules and uniform standards

You'll usually have review meetings during probation. Most drivers pass without issue; where there are concerns, probation may be extended, with extra support or retraining — or, in more serious cases, employment ended.

Most operators also expect you to complete your City & Guilds Level 2 qualification within your first year, so keep on top of the coursework alongside your duties.

Tips for your first months

• Never be late to sign on. Leave margin for traffic and transport problems — it's one of the fastest ways to fail probation.
• Safety before schedule. Running late is recoverable; a collision isn't. Control would always rather have you late than in an incident.
• Report everything. If something happens, report it promptly and honestly. Unreported incidents are treated far more seriously than reported ones.
• Stay calm with passengers. You won't win an argument from the cab. De-escalate and call Control when needed.
• Look after yourself. Shift work is tiring — sleep, food and hydration matter more than you'd think.
• Lean on experienced colleagues. Almost every problem you'll face has been faced before. Ask on the forum too.