Arvinder Singh wins NZ’s prestigious bus driver award

Christchurch’s Arvinder Singh can now claim that he is one of the best bus drivers in New Zealand.

Go Bus Runner-up Driver of the Year – Arvinder Singh, Christchurch Source: Supplied

Go Bus is New Zealand’s biggest and most diverse bus operator, with 27 depots spanning the North and South Island.

The company operates a fleet over 1,700 vehicles, including over 440 dedicated urban service buses, and employs over 1,900 staff.

For the title of ‘Go Bus Driver of the Year’, 11 finalists were selected from a nationwide pool of 2,200 employees.

In this year’s Go Bus Awards, Raymund Llamas was named ‘Driver of the Year’ and Arvinder Singh was declared the Runner-up.

Mr. Singh told SBS that he was humbled to be recognised among some of the company’s best drivers.

Listen to Arvinder Singh's full interview with
SBS Punjabi
's
Preetinder Singh Grewal
(In Punjabi):

The award was decided based on the driver capabilities in four different disciplines – theory, vehicle inspection, customer service and driving skills at the bi-annual event.

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Mr. Singh told SBS that he was humbled to be recognised among some of the company’s best drivers.

“I received all my training from Go Bus and I am grateful to the team in Christchurch for all their support," he says.

"I started driving buses in September 2015, and to be recognised among drivers with far more experience is very special."

Go Bus Managing Director Calum Haslop says all the competitors should be proud of their performance at Saturday’s competition – displaying all the skills Go Bus expects of its drivers.

“The Bus Roadeo is a celebration of the exceptional driving and customer service skills we strive to have all our drivers demonstrate,” Mr. Haslop says. “Both Raymund and Arvinder are outstanding drivers and we are very proud to have them as part of the Go Bus team.”

Arvinder Singh with the Runner-up Driver of Year award and certificate Source: Supplied

Winners received a range of prizes, including the top prize of a $2000 travel voucher won by Mr. Llamas. Other awards went to Dunedin driver Willy Uelese for Top Customer Service; and Invercargill driver Anoop Kumar for Top Theory Test Result.

The bus roadeo concept started in the United States 40 years ago, and Go Bus has been running its own version in New Zealand for a number of years.