Thursday, March 18 is Thank Your Driver Day!

Most customers thank their transit operators on a regular basis, which is great (there aren’t many jobs where you get thanked for your service multiple times a day!). But on Thursday, March 18, Calgary Transit is celebrating a special day dedicated to appreciating the hard-working bus, CTrain, shuttle and Calgary Transit Access operators.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to postpone the recognition for 2020 and it also means we are taking a pandemic safe approach to this year’s celebration.  While ridership has gone down over the last year, we still have drivers working hard every day to help Calgarians reach their destinations. COVID-19 has meant that the job they do every day in our communities has been especially challenging over the last year. 

The importance of our front-line staff is apparent now more than ever, with their commitment through this pandemic and helping to keep our customers calm and reassured, while continuing to deliver critical service that our communities rely on.

Transit operators do so much more than drive. They answer customer questions and give directions, steer through unpredictable traffic, navigate detours, drive in severe weather, maintain a timed scheduled and keep customers safe through it all. But they make it look easy and do it with a smile!

“Each year, Thank Your Driver Day is a great way to recognize the role of Calgary Transit and Calgary Transit Access operators,” says Calgary Transit Acting Director Russell Davies. “This year, because of COVID-19 more than ever, it’s so meaningful to have customers share the ways their driver has helped them to keep moving.  Our operators have worked so hard over the last year to make life better for Calgarians.  Thank you to all of our operators for your commitment to our customers, your commitment to safety and the hard work you do each day.”

If you’d like to give your driver a shout-out on Thank Your Driver Day, here’s how you can do it:

• Share your thanks on Twitter or Instagram @CalgaryTransit using the hashtag #thanksCT
• A (physically distanced!) friendly word, smile or wave is all it takes to show your appreciation
• Submit a commendation for your favourite transit operator online. Click here and select “Employee Conduct” from the list of feedback options. (It’s ok if you don’t know their name – the route number, time and location you catch the bus or train is enough).

Did you know?

• Thank Your Driver Day is March 18, because on that day in 1662, bus service debuted in Paris with horse-drawn carriages. ­The Five-Penny Coaches were called the  Carosses à Cinq Sous.
• Calgary Transit employs just over 2,000 shuttle, bus and CTrain operators, and 88 Accessible Service Operators.