Employment Opportunities
Winnipeg Transit is accepting Bus Operator Applications.
Looking for an excellent, long term career opportunity that pays over $45,000/year? Consider becoming a bus operator with Winnipeg Transit! Call 311 and speak to one of our recruitment representatives today. For out of town inquiries call our Toll Free number at 1-877-311-4974.
The Benefits:
- Earn over $45,000/year
- Starting salary is $17.48 an hour
- Fully paid 6 week training program
- Guaranteed full time hours
- Excellent benefits
- 3 WEEKS VACATION AFTER 1 YEAR
The Qualifications:
- Valid class 5 driver’s licence and a Driver Safety Rating of 0 or better
- Minimum Grade 10 education
- No bus driving experience necessary
The Bus Operator selection process includes:
- Public relations test
- Written test
- Driving aptitude test
- Current driver’s abstract
- Competency based interview
- Successful completion of past and present employer reference checks
- Criminal record check
- Medical examination, which includes drug & alcohol testing
For information on employment with Winnipeg Transit, call 311, anytime day or night.
The City of Winnipeg is an Employment Equity Employer.
Application Forms
Click the following links for bus operator job application forms.
Bus Operator Application Form.pdf
Application forms can also be viewed, downloaded and printed right here. You will need Adobe’s free Acrobat Viewer (available here) to view and print these files, which are in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Applications are also available at the following locations:
Winnipeg Transit
B-414 Osborne
R3L 2A1
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Monday – Friday
Millennium Library
Graham & Donald
Transit Info Booth
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday – Friday
City Hall
Human Resources
510 Main St
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Monday – Friday
Note that these applications cannot be returned by mail or email. Although you can print and fill out these application forms, you must present them in person at Winnipeg Transit’s B-414 Osborne office. Make sure you have a photocopy of your driver’s licence with you, as this will be needed when you hand in your application.
If you have further employment questions you can phone 311, anytime day or night.
Overview of the Bus operator Position
Although there are many rewards to being a Transit operator, there are also many challenges. Some of these challenges are due to the seniority-based system that determines an operator’s hours of work, vacation time and days off. Other challenges are due to the nature of the job itself. These challenges can impact the operator’s personal and family life. Following is a description of what the new operator may expect:
- Winnipeg Transit operates 7 days a week, 365 days a year. New operators are required to work weekends and holidays, and days off may not be consecutive or consistent.
- Though there are buses on the road 24 hours a day, the majority of shifts take place between 5 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. New operators work both day and night shifts, at times changing from one to the other with little notice.
- Daily work assignments are between 7.5 and 8.5 hours long and are often split shifts that consist of two or three pieces of work, taking more than 12 hours to complete.
- The new operator can expect to be placed on what is known as the spare board. In this position, work assignments can change daily, hourly and, at times, on very short notice. Each operator is guaranteed to work 75 hours biweekly, subject to certain conditions.
- Each new operator receives three weeks vacation after the first year, however, the choice of when they are taken is limited by seniority.
- Weather conditions, construction, traffic, difficult passengers and following a set schedule can create daily challenges.
- Operators work under limited supervision.
In addition to the challenges, there are significant rewards to being a Transit operator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much can I expect to earn while in training?
A: You will receive an hourly rate of $13.22 while training.
Q: Once I have completed training, what is the starting hourly rate for Bus Operators?
A: The starting hourly rate for Bus Operators is $17.48 for the first 12 months.
Q: What is the maximum hourly rate I can expect to earn as a Bus Operator?
A: Following 4 years of service the maximum hourly rate is currently $24.38.
Q: How long is the training program?
A: The training program consists of 32 days of training; 11 days classroom training, 13 days of in-vehicle training, and 8 days of route training.
