A bus driver from Aberdeen has swapped the driver’s seat for an office chair after changing lanes in his career with Stagecoach.
Ryan Craig, 32, from Westhill, joined Stagecoach four years ago as a bus driver, driving services 59 and 727 across Aberdeen.
Having enjoyed his time behind the wheel, Ryan became increasingly interested in what happens behind the scenes to keep a bus network running: from scheduling and commercial planning to understanding customer feedback.
That interest has now led to a new role within Stagecoach’s commercial team, based at the company’s Union Square headquarters in Aberdeen.
Ryan said: “I really enjoyed driving, but I became interested in how everything works behind the scenes: how duties are planned, how information is gathered and how we can use feedback from drivers and customers to improve what we do.
“I wanted to understand how we can optimise schedules and make the network as good as it can be for our customers.
“Driving gives you a really good insight into what customers experience every day, and I think that’s something I can bring into my new role. You want customers to have a good experience, but you also want to give them a professional service.”
Before joining Stagecoach, Ryan worked in retail before deciding to pursue a career in bus driving.
He said his time behind the wheel gave him valuable experience and some of the highlights have been the relationships he built with regular passengers.
“The driving, the views and getting out and about are all great, but a lot of it comes down to the customers,” he said.
“Some of the regular customers are really good and it’s great getting to know people. You want to represent the business as professionally as possible and give people a good experience when they travel with us.”
Ryan is now encouraging other Stagecoach colleagues to be open to new opportunities, even if they are not immediately obvious.
He added: “Don’t ever give up because you never know when an opportunity is going to arise.
“When you’ve been driving for a long time, you can become quite settled in your role and think, ‘these are my responsibilities and this is what I do’. But opportunities do come up.
“They might not happen as frequently as you’d like, but if you ask your manager and ask around, you never know what might be available.”
Ryan’s experience is one example of the opportunities available to people looking to develop their careers within the bus industry.
Ryan’s line manager, Wayne Malcolm, who has also progressed from an operational role into commercial work at Stagecoach, said colleagues should not be afraid to ask about opportunities.
He said: “You’ve got to ask the question. I was a driver, controller and allocator before I moved into commercial.
“I was in an interview with the Managing Director at the time and simply expressed an interest in joining the commercial team. The following week, I was working in the team.
“You don’t know what opportunities are there unless you ask.”
Ryan’s move highlights the range of career paths available within Stagecoach, where experience gained on the frontline can provide valuable insight for colleagues working across the wider business.
From driving buses and supporting customers to planning services and helping shape the network, the company offers opportunities for people to develop their skills and take their careers in new directions.
For Ryan, the move from the road to Union Square is a chance to build on four years of frontline experience while playing a different role in delivering the service for Aberdeen’s communities.