Occupational Health and Safety Officer (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 17 July 2018
Good place to work, lots of autonomy, great people, management are great, a hard working culture. I had lots of opportunity to move around within the organization.
Practicum Student (Former Employee) – Burnaby, BC – 31 May 2018
They are a great group of workers. They work very hard and are diligent, but still keep the atmosphere positive and inviting. I would recommend working here.
Acting Security Operation Coordinator (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 31 May 2018
This company is great. Best benefits, pay is good very good opportunity to move up in the company. Many different positions to work and good employees.
Stressful, weird hours, safe secure job, with good benefits
Public Transit Operator (Former Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 23 May 2018
Lots of split shifts and/or late nights. Management and drivers antagonistic. Decent pay and good benefits though. If having a good job is more important to you than having free time, or the energy to do anything, you'll probably like it better than I did.
Transit Operator (Former Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 17 April 2018
Terrible company to work for. Management seems to exist only to harass workers. General Public has little to no respect for the system, or employees of the system, resulting in plenty of abuse.
Very enjoyable ,especially working with regular passengers
Bus Driver, Richmond Depot (Former Employee) – Richmond, BC – 24 March 2018
Great coworkers, great passengers,wide variety of driving conditions, good vacation time. Pay rate was good. Benefits were not 100% covered(ie prescriptions, dental, etc.) Union is weak.
Pros
Ride transit for free
Cons
Supervisor had no experience driving bus, so no awareness of job stressors
City Transit Operator (Former Employee) – Lower Mainland, BC – 27 February 2018
The movement of the public on a wide variety of transit routes throughout the lower mainland in highly populated and heavy traffic areas.Dealing directly with the public in a professional manner and providing customer service throughout the day
Transit Operator (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 11 February 2018
It is a very difficult and stressful job. In an effort to increase service the job of Transit Operator has become increasingly difficult. Running time, the time it takes to complete a trip has been cut and Recovery time, the time between trips has been slashed leaving very little time to eat or go to the washroom between trips. This leads to service running late and passengers getting grumpy, angry or worse.
If you are considering this job be aware that you must be prepared to be verbally or physically assaulted by passengers. I am verbally assaulted on a weekly basis and in my 10+ year career I had a passenger spit in my face. The company has shown signs of becoming more proactive in protecting bus drivers but it is very slow in coming. More security is needed and barriers to protect drivers.
After all that if you are still interested I must say that the Transit Operators I work with are some of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. We all share a bond and consider ourselves brothers and sisters regardless of race or religion. It is a very challenging and stressful job, but a few minutes with another driver between trips can be an absolute joy.
We also have the opportunity to help people, in my career I have found several runaway children, lost seniors and one robbery suspect. If you like a challenge, diversity in your day, and the thrill of not knowing whats coming next, then this is your job. You also must like driving.
The salary is very good, training is paid, benefits are excellent. Starting vacation time can be five weeksmore... if you choose to bank your stat holidays, which is very nice. Be Aware - if you want to start with full time work DO NOT apply for Community Shuttle. Apply for Conventional (aka Big Buses). Conventional bus drivers are paid better and have more benefits (travel time, Sunday shift premium) than Shuttle drivers and receive full time hours right away. Shuttle drivers start on-call or part time.less
Pros
Salary, Vacation Time, flexible shift work, amazing bus driver co-workers
Cons
Stress and more stress, traffic, grumpy passengers, no breaks unless you have a split shift
Heavy Duty Mechanic (Current Employee) – Surrey, BC – 3 January 2018
Challenging work atmosphere. Training on new equipment always provided. Good health and retirement plan. Exercise facilities available. Transit travel passes for employees.
Transit Operator (bus driver) (Current Employee) – Surrey, BC – 19 December 2017
Over the last few years routes have been "streamlined" What this means is that you have to drive hard and fast to make it to your next terminal on time. Coffee breaks or lunch are a thing of the past. If you leave a minute early you will be called on it. Road supervisors will harass u over the smallest items. Middle management have no idea what it is like to drive a bus. They don't give a hoot about you, your life or your health. You are accountable for anything that happens in your bus and they will always try to find fault with the operator. You will be dealing with a lot of mentally ill people, being spit on or assualted will happen to you. Until you get a few years seniority you will get the worst hours, the worst routes, long split shifts. Forget about Sat or Sunday off for 10 or so years.
Pros
Routes, day's off and hours are all way's changing.
Confidential Assistant (Current Employee) – Surrey, BC – 7 November 2017
CMBC is a diverse and complicated business with many moving pieces. Everyday has a challenge and that's what I love! There are so many opportunities within the enterprise - unionized or exempt.
Operations Supervisor (Former Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 11 September 2017
I had Excellent job security, advancement, benefits. assistance with education, meeting people, teamwork. Did not like split shifts. Supervised drivers
Transit Operator (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 15 June 2017
Newcomers get stuck what's left in the schedule, split shifts, no designated lunch breaks, running time pressure if you get late because of traffic it consumes your break time.
Transit Operator (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 4 June 2017
Good job! Can be very difficult dealing with all sorts of situations that can cause passengers grief: problems with schedules, mechanical break downs, late or missing buses. Overall as a driver I have always tried to create a pleasant experience for my passengers. I try to give them a positive part to their day. As your seniority builds your choices and experience as a driver should improve.
Pros
Schedule and location choices
Cons
Slow to improve bus service/schedules for passengers
Temp Clerk - Materials Control Department (Former Employee) – Burnaby, BC – 1 June 2017
allows you to grow and be part of the team... you just need to be a member of the union so that you can join and apply within.. excellent work environment
1st Year Apprentice (Current Employee) – Vancouver, BC – 1 June 2017
no better place to do an commercial transport apprenticeship, pay is good, benefits are ok, people are great, and a 4 day work week is hard to beat. really happy to be working ther
Public Transit operation, shift work. Stressful daily environment.
Transit Operator (Former Employee) – Port Coquitlam, BC – 17 November 2016
Public transit in the Lower Mainland with its many facets ie. Bus, Skytrain, Seabus, West Coast Express is always a focus of intense public scrutiny and everyone has an opinion which is more often than not negative. As a front line worker dealing with the public in all its variance and differences can be at times streeful and difficult.
Pros
Good hours compensation and benefits
Cons
Ever changing management and public transportation policy
Customer Information Clerk (Former Employee) – 13700 108 Av, Surrey, BC – 2 July 2016
There was very little work functions to increase social involvement. It seems like the staff is there to put in their 7.5 hours per day and immediately leave.