Thank You Driver
This Sunday, 16 November, is Bus Driver Appreciation Day – a chance to celebrate the dedicated Baybus drivers who keep the Bay of Plenty moving.
From Tauranga and Rotorua to the Eastern Bay, our Baybus drivers connect communities – helping people get to work, school, appointments and home again. But beyond the timetables and routes, it’s the drivers who bring kindness, care and heart to every journey.
Dave: From the chalkboard to drivers seat
For Dave, driving isn’t just a job – it’s a lifelong passion. One of Rotorua’s familiar Cityride drivers, he’s been behind the wheel for more than 50 years and he’s still smiling.
His love of buses began early, growing up in Devonport, Auckland, where even a simple trip to town was an adventure.
“I’ve been into buses all my life – since I was a little fella,” he says, remembering the days when he’d ride to the ferry terminal and on into Auckland city. “Those days were fascinating to me. You had the old Bedfords and half-cab Daimlers. That’s when buses were BUSES!”
Dave’s first career was in teaching, but after three years in the classroom, the lure to the road proved too strong. He left his teaching job to get his bus licence, dreaming of one day driving Contiki tours through Europe.
“I just loved buses and loved driving – that was all there was to it,” he laughs.
One afternoon, after only three months in his new role as a bus driver, his former school principal pulled up in front of his bus and convinced him to return to teaching. Dave agreed on one condition: He wouldn’t give up driving.
From then, his days were full. He’d teach during school hours, then drive commuter routes before and after class.
“It worked perfectly,” he says. “I got to do both things I loved.”
His two careers came together well during the annual school trip to the Bay of Islands.
“I loved driving the kids up there,” Dave recalls. “It would keep me calm. If I wasn’t driving, I’d be grizzling at the kids, but when you’re driving the bus, you’re happy. And, if the kids are having a good time in the back seat, then it’s all right.”
In 2015, Dave and his family moved to Rotorua and he started driving the Cityride buses. Today, his passengers know him not just for his skill behind the wheel, but for his easy conversation and good humour.
When asked what he loves the most about being a bus driver after all these years, he simply says, “It’s the people.”
“I’ve met so many interesting people over the years. You learn a lot just by talking to your passengers – they become your friends.”
And even after half a century behind the wheel, Dave still takes pride in every smooth stop and gentle turn.
“When someone hops off and says, ‘That’s the smoothest drive I’ve had in a long time,’ I just grin and say – after 51 years, you know how to feather the brakes.”
Daisy: A friendly face behind the wheel
In the Eastern Bay, Daisy has made a name for herself as the kind of driver who brightens everyone’s day.
She started driving buses in 2018, but her experience behind the wheel goes back much further. She’s held her heavy traffic licence since her twenties and has always loved being on the road.
“Driving doesn’t seem like a job,” she says. “I like driving and meeting new people.”
It’s clear her passengers feel the same way. Regulars greet her by name and always make her feel appreciated. “It’s the little gestures that make your day,” Daisy says.
One of those moments still sticks with her: The day a passenger ran across to a nearby grocer and came back with a packet of shumai to say thank you.
“You could be having a dumb day, and someone goes and does something beautiful like that, and it just turns it around,” she says with a smile.
Another time, a passenger handed her a handwritten card thanking her for being “awesome” – something Daisy says was priceless. “Those little things mean the world. You don’t forget them.”
For Daisy, driving a bus is more than just steering through the streets of the Eastern Bay; it’s about making people feel welcome and safe. She still carries with her a piece of advice she was given before her very first shift.
“Someone told me, ‘Our job is to take people around, look after them, and get them from A to B safely.’ I do that and I love it. People appreciate it and they thank me daily.”
When she’s not behind the wheel, Daisy enjoys taking time to unwind – though she admits slowing down isn’t easy after being on the go all week. Still, she wouldn’t trade her job for anything.
“You get to meet all sorts of people, have a laugh and make someone’s day a little better,” she says. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Lester: Slowing down to enjoy the ride
For Lester, every day behind the wheel brings something new and that’s exactly how he likes it.
“I just love being a bus driver – the people, the freedom, the variety. It’s the little things that make your day worthwhile,” he says with a grin.
Originally from Bedfordshire, near London, Lester moved to New Zealand with his family in 2018 after falling in love with the country during several holiday visits. Before taking up bus driving, he spent years working in horticulture and the building trade, even running his own gardening business in Hamilton. But after a hip operation, he decided it was time for a new direction and a slower pace of life.
“I thought it was time to do what I want to do – slow down, kick back a bit and enjoy life,” he says. “I love driving, so I thought, why not become a bus driver?”
That decision turned out to be a perfect fit. These days, you’ll find Lester behind the wheel around the Western Bay of Plenty.
“Some days I’m doing the school run. Other days I’m driving the Katikati and Ōmokoroa routes – no two days are the same,” he says. “That’s what keeps it interesting.”
But what really makes the job special for Lester isn’t the variety, it’s the people.
“The people I meet on the bus, the people I work with, are all so friendly,” he says. “It’s all about the people.”
That caring attitude shines through in the way he goes about his day. He still remembers the time he noticed a group of women struggling with heavy shopping bags in Bethlehem. Without a second thought, he jumped out of his seat to lend a hand.
“They were so grateful,” he says. “They even wrote in a commendation. It’s those small things that make your day. It’s nice to be appreciated.”
For Lester, driving a bus isn’t just about getting from stop to stop; it’s about the connections made along the way.
“You meet so many good people,” he says. “That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
Join us in saying thanks
Every day, drivers like Dave, Daisy and Lester help people across the motu (region) get where they need to go with professionalism, patience and care.
This Bus Driver Appreciation Day, and any time you’re on the bus, be sure to take a moment to say thanks. Whether it’s a smile, a wave or a simple “thank you driver,” those gestures mean the world to the people who keep our region moving.