Why this retired accountant is training to drive buses in the Bow Valley

Until last month, Alex Fuller had only ever driven cars and motorcycles. Today, the retired oil and gas accountant sits behind the wheel of a Roam Transit bus, learning to drive sightseers around the Bow Valley.

"Being a bus driver sounded really appealing to me," said Fuller, who applied as a driver after spotting an ad in the paper. "This is local, it's serving people, serving the community."

Training entry-level drivers like Fuller is part of Roam's plan to shore up staffing levels ahead of another busy summer season. While many public transit services have struggled to bring back riders in the wake of the pandemic, Roam has in some ways had the opposite problem: plenty of demand, not enough drivers.

Last year, the transit service achieved record-high levels of ridership but couldn't run certain routes as often as intended because there weren't enough drivers, said chief administrative officer Martin Bean. 

"It's critical to have enough staff," said Bean. 

So, Roam is attacking the problem from multiple angles. 

Training, housing opportunities

Faced with competition from nearby tour bus operators, Bean said it's often difficult to hire drivers who already have their bus operator's licence. 

To get around that problem, Roam Transit became a qualified training school in 2019 so it could instruct drivers with a Class 5 licence. Uptake for the program was slow during the peak of the pandemic, but Roam graduated five drivers in 2022 and expects to have 18 qualify this year, Bean said.

Housing is another persistent issue. Some drivers have declined job offers in the past because they couldn't find anywhere to live in the valley, said Bean.

So, the service is getting into the staff accommodation market. It leased one rental property earlier this year and is in the midst of purchasing another that, once complete, will be used as temporary housing for staff while they find a more permanent arrangement in town. 

"We're excited about that," said Bean. "I wish we had entered into the market a few years ago."

Roam is far from the only employer in the Bow Valley grappling with how to recruit and retain staff these days. Staffing shortages have long been a problem, especially in the high season, said Michel Dufresne, director of the Job Resource Centre for Canmore and Banff. 

But now it's happening all year and for all kinds of jobs.

"It's a struggle," said Dufresne, adding that some businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, have simply had to adjust to operating with about 30 per cent less staff.

"It's just a fact of life right now."

For this summer, at least, Bean hopes to be in good shape, with 35 new drivers expected to start in time for the busy summer season ahead.

Long-term, he's looking at other ways to attract new drivers and keep them around — such as by adding more year-round positions.

It will be all the more important as Roam Transit expands in the years ahead, he said. 

Another perk of the job that might help recruit drivers? 

"Driving buses is a hoot," said Fuller.