mechanic

operator

director of people & culture

project manager

dispatcher

BC Transit

Driving for Handydart was a gift for myself who had had some experience with people with disabilities, who enjoyed driving, and who appreciated the regular physical movement involved in getting out of a seat to assist people, both ambulatory and those in a wheelchair.  Tieing down a chair properly involves lots of bending and stretching, and this can prove healthier over time than just sitting in the seat all day. 

I am not the only driver who will tell you that if you like people, this is a great job for developing relationships, as drivers have repeated and regular contact with the same clientele. You get to know about their lives and their history, and they get to know about you.

I cannot speak for the present management, but after experiencing a number of management styles, I deeply appreciated the progressive approach to employer/employee relations that I experienced in the period before my retirement. 
Opportunities to move up the ladder in the company developed during that period and produced managers who had been in your shoes, so empathy and fairness came more naturally, and there was on top of this a more creative approach to solving problems that was noticeable. I can't speak for others, but my morale was high during this period.

I would like to say that the folk I worked with were a bunch of shmucks, but I only do that to show the kind of humor that freely flowed in the employees' room.  Handydart attracts people-oriented people, so I really enjoyed the folk I worked with. 

Dispatch, and later the computer, kept you accountable on the road, and I was impressed with the efficiencies developed over the decades in the desire to maximize the number of people we were able to carry in a day, as well as the appreciation that it was acknowledged that we were in a business where safety is supposed to trump productivity, the tendency towards the latter being naturally present. You needed to focus to maintain schedules, and that always gave me an adrenaline rush to the day,  and I kind of liked it.  In the pre-computer days, I knew the city well, so I  enjoyed the challenge of routing, within the dispatch guidelines, and even after the introduction of GPS it was unwise to fully trust the computer, so again, you had to stay attentive.  The job was not boring. 

You deal with challenging driveways with Handydart, and the buses, which were originally vans, are now larger and present more precise driving challenges. I mention that as a condition of the job.

I gained an appreciation for the dispatchers, who did an incredible job of putting runs together and keeping things running smoothly in a potentially stressful small room with 2 to 3 other people, all of whom were strong personalities. In contrast, you, as a driver, are out there on your own. So if you are difficult to get along with like I am, ")  you are better off on the road. 

As noted, we had unionized, and that gave necessary improvement to the levels of wages and benefits, which weren't bad towards the end.  We are in the same Union as the regular city drivers, however, and there was always the feeling present that we were the less important brother.  

I have learned recently, however, that there is somewhat of a flow from the Downtown Transit to Handydart,  a slow flow that used to be the other way around.  The wages are a bit closer now (not so much with the benefits... you HAVE to put your own retirement money aside.  There is no pension), and Victoria, being a growing city with a growing street population, makes customer relations on the big buses rougher, and this contrasts to the better ones I noted were available with Handydart.

With Handydart, you are dealing with people whose bodies have lost their normal mobility, and you will run into those who are bitter about it, so be prepared for some socially tense moments and complaints that are not in reality about you or the service. But on the flip side, clients generally appreciate the Handydart service, and that gets expressed, and you will meet people who have done an amazing job of learning to accept and deal with their situation, giving you the opportunity to absorb tremendous lessons about the human spirit, alongside the fact that it is not our circumstances that determine our happiness.  It is our attitude toward them. So be prepared for some great conversations, (keep moving while you are talking!), and lots of  humor.

So again, I consider Handydart to have been a God-given gift to my life given an awareness that people are so often in jobs in which they feel trapped and unhappy.  I notice that drivers, (and dispatchers), outside the slow leak to the regular buses, (not dispatchers) tend to stay if they get past the training, so I know I am not alone in my view of the job.  

So if you like driving and you like people, Dart can be a good fit.

A good sense of humor is an asset.

Driving for BC Transit was an excellent career.  I don't think its a job for everyone as you are the front doors to the public, good or bad.  
I enjoyed the interaction with people and it taught me how to deal with personalities of every walk of life.  Knowing the streets was an asset as I was able to send people off to their destinations the quickest way possible.  
Working for BC Transit offered a variety in working shift hours.  From early morning straights, split shifts and night shift,  there were many options to choose from.  
My "office" atmosphere changed every moment and quite different from that 9 to 5 stuck in one place feeling.  Being a responsible driver is like being the captain of your ship.  There is no supervision for the most part.  No one to look over your shoulder as you drive the city limits loading and unloading your passengers to and from their destinations.  I found mostly that by caring for your passengers, it comes back to you through their appreciation and other small various ways.  The hardest part of the job was to deal with traffic and problematic people who get onto your bus.  Diffusing situations is the best way to deal any problem and something that is learned through experience.  Impatient car drivers on the road is part of the job but the six week accident preventative training program does an excellent job to ensure the drivers know how to prevent accidents.  The road supervisors are there to ensure the buses running smoothly and on time and to assist any driver who may need their help.  As long as a driver maintains the safety regulations and keeping the bus on time within reason, there is no issue with management.  I was honoured to learning the trolley system.
Driving a trolley bus requires attention to the wires above and roadway ahead.  I enjoyed it and not many people have the opportunity to learn it.

When you give most of your adult working life to a place like this, get consistent positive feedback and even get promoted, but then realize it’s the most toxic and soul draining environment you’ve ever been in, it’s certainly a surprise!
Desperate for more operators and mechanics, management does what it does best!  Hires more managers!  They need to look busy so they bother you while you try to work pretending to be concerned, or friendly with a smile on their face.  The minute you need a bit of support, the whole culture changes, they all talk about you, everyone knows everyone’s business. I mean if you can not get involved with anything personal, don’t trust anyone until you’re sure, and behave as if you are a robot for 5 years you’ll get to top wage.  Then you just have to be a robot for around 25 more years for the pension.  The people and culture department is a running joke, overpaid unkind people.    Even with a top notch fitness routine outside of work your body will suffer from the long shifts and lack of time out of the seat, most gain weight.  100% you might not even realize it but your mental health will suffer because you don’t realize you’re stressed until you’re not doing it anymore.   My advice, DONT do it. 20 years  ago, yes for sure. Today, honestly, you will suffer and get trapped.

I find that the work environment is ok if you are an older employee. But it is hard to fit in otherwise. The employees are given a performance review annually or every six months. It is no different then getting your report card in which makes you feel like a child. I think they can come up with a different and more productive ways to reviews and effectively criticize employees.  Like training there managers in effective managing. Some managers are very old school and do not look at the process but point fingers at employees regarding processes and performance instead. So managers do not even care to effectively eveluate there employees. These processed are not changing anything but stressing there employees out and not effective criticizing them. Executives do not have to go through this process either. Employee should be able to give constructive performance reviews to Executives IMO.
I do have to say that the Stay On Board is a positive program that they have started.

A very hard job in regards to your mental health!
It starts with a 7-week training which covers mostly company policies, rules, and regulations. Nobody tells you the "real life". Learning routes? Only the basics - be prepared to better do that on your own. You can theoretically make up to 120 000 a year... Yes, maybe but only with a 60-hour workweek and with top seniority and top wage!
Very cliquey, seniority excuses everything. Management is totally disconnected, dispatch is stressed out and arrogant (you always feel that you bother them). Many buses are still old, loud, and only maintained to the bare minimum (the new ones are OK so far). Support - don't expect much from control or a supervisor. They want to have a relaxed job and try to blame or put things mostly on the driver. The union is no help - expensive, bloated and useless.
Have fun dealing with "really interesting" people all day long, verbal assaults and total ignorance included!
On top: Low wage for the first years, many "interesting" shifts, and a lot of "carefully edited truth"...

As an operator, you're just a (seniority) number! Disposable, unappreciated, and treated like an idiot, even with many years of experience in this field. You are a stupid "junior" for years! Management is only there for pointing out your mistakes (they call it "support"). Teamwork is non-existent, some drivers won't even talk to you. With no "inside connections" you'll have no chance to get another position in this organization. The training is long and the focus is on their manuals and procedures, not on "real life" out on the road (route training is way too short, and be prepared to deal with very special people all day long). The pay is not enough to live on the island until you reach the top after 4 years. Lots of newbies are gone after training or within the first 18 months. No job security, they'll fire you for small mistakes!

Unfortunately the management of this operation is full of self-serving management executives only interested in complete stability in their positions and only offering an overworked and under paid environment for subordinates.

My experience is there is no commitment to employee personal growth and I witnessed a continuous revolving door of new hires and long term employees.

Many circles with spin in your head with improper guidance on objectives and there will be no commendation when you do a good job.

Don't let this organization pull you in with "Best Pension plan", "good work/life Balance" promises.

If you take a job here...... Keep looking and consider only transition employment

Be Careful

The HR function lacks transparency and professionalism and is highly mis-aligned with their corporate values and goals.  For example management has placed importance on diversity in the workplace and has offered several online learning opportunities.  This is similar to all their programs and policies which give lip service to a progressive modern day organization which is in reality far from the real environment.   Employees are encouraged to bring concerns forward however if management feels attacked in any why they retaliate towards employees.   In summary, BC Transit management encourage a culture of doing the right thing, however when put to the test they error on the side of self-preservation.  

I was trained by highly skilled operators which helped equipped me on my first day of driving the bus on my own. There are support teams that are always there to talk to and help if you have any concerns regarding your work. Overall benefits are great and you get them in full right away starting in training. Other operators are friendly and always there to give you helpful advice. Overall, its a great company to work, and driving around Victoria and the surrounding areas is what I like to do quite a lot so, getting paid to do it is a bonus for me. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
I enjoy the driving. Almost everyday is different. So it doesn't get monotonous. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Dealing with the general public now. I used to love talking to people. But covid changed that for me. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I am a lone wolf if I may. Also the only First Nation worker there. There are so many East Indian workers. So they celebrate their holidays. Mine weren't even recognized. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Do thorough pretrip on bus before leaving yard. Doing my runs as safely as possible while keeping on time as best as I can. No real breaks unless on split shift.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Mechanic 17 salaries reported	$48.74 per hour
Operator 20 salaries reported	$28.56 per hour
Director of people & culture 5 salaries reported	$123,660 per year
Project manager 4 salaries reported	$92,400 per year
Dispatcher 5 salaries reported	$7,085 per month

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