Bus Driver VS Bus operator

[MRChiCity]

Question, how come School Districts and School bus companies call them bus drivers, and CTA, Pace, and other transit agencies call them bus operators? Thanks. 

[Busjack]

8 hours ago, MRChiCity said:

Question, how come School Districts and School bus companies call them bus drivers, and CTA, Pace, and other transit agencies call them bus operators? Thanks. 

Probably based on formal job descriptions and union contracts, both of which have to define the scope pf duties to avoid discrimination and employment disputes. Interestingly, the Pace job description has never said anything about driving a bus. At least the CTA one includes "drives bus."

School bus job descriptions are not that different, as they include assisting students and pretrip maintenance checks.

 

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Probably based on formal job descriptions and union contracts, both of which have to define the scope pf duties to avoid discrimination and employment disputes. Interestingly, the Pace job description has never said anything about driving a bus. At least the CTA one includes "drives bus."

School bus job descriptions are not that different, as they include assisting students and pretrip maintenance checks.

 

To add to that there can be stigmas attached to certain descriptions.  Bus drivers may denote "unskilled" labor to some while "operator" can denote some skill level.

We know some of the changes in our lifetime.  Stewardesses are now flight attendants, motormen are now rail operators, janitors are now custodians, and so on.  You know its bad when Spell Check tries to autocorrect " motormen."

[Smolensk]

36 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

 You know its bad when Spell Check tries to autocorrect " motormen."

https://kinnikuman.fandom.com/wiki/Motorman?file=Kin_Motorman.png

[Busjack]

52 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

motormen are now rail operators

Combination of that there are now "motorwomen," and the operators have had to assume some duties formerly performed by conductors, such as operating doors.

[artthouwill]

6 hours ago, Busjack said:

Combination of that there are now "motorwomen," and the operators have had to assume some duties formerly performed by conductors, such as operating doors.

Some if the "reclassifications" are gettingway our if hand.  Community Guidelines prohibited me from giving examples. I remember riding with a female bus operator for the first time ever on the 9 Ashland in the mid 1970s.  There were few and far between.   While I'm sure there was increase, it seems in the 2000s, female bus and rail operators exploded on the scene.   So that reclassification makes sense.  

As for commuter service, I know there are some female engineers on Metra, but the only female engineer I ever rode with was on the South Shore.   I can't recall any female conductors on Metra or the South Shore.   

BACK to bus drivers, I still don't think school bus operators are highly regarded.  Are they still called school bus companies or are they now known as Student Transportation Services?

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

Are they still called school bus companies or are they now known as Student Transportation Services?

Most are the latter. Big ones are "First Student" (not saying what), "Durham School Services" (National Express, also not saying what services), "Septran" (also National Express), and "Positive Connections." Cook-Illinois has "school bus" in about half of its  companies' names.