Nearly 500 talented women are working hard at bus operator Metroline to keep London moving
Laura Darbon recently completed her engineering apprenticeship with Metroline
Women have always played an important role in the bus industry, and that is especially true at leading bus operator Metroline, where nearly 500 talented women work hard to keep London moving. From drivers to engineers, service delivery supervisors to garage and operations managers, many have built their careers at Metroline.
Bus driver Kim Melling is one of the longest serving women drivers at Metroline, joining Uxbridge Bus Garage in January 1989 aged 18. “I passed my test when I was 17 and I do enjoy driving. When I was 18 my mum saw the advert in the paper and I didn’t even really think ‘oh my god, I’ll be driving a great big bus’…” she recalls. Now a part-time driver, Kim’s seen a lot of change. “I think they’ve taken on board childcare a lot more now, they are doing more for that. When I first started, there were two other women, they were full time, and one of them was the first in a long time, maybe even the first in this garage to get pregnant…” Even so, Kim’s always felt welcome in the garage. “Nobody has ever made me feel ‘oh you can’t do that, you’re a woman.’ I think there’s room to do whatever you want to do,” she says.
This open-minded approach and ability to adapt with the changing times has allowed Metroline to be a great place for women to develop their careers. Interim head of recruitment and training Jacqui Carter’s career at Metroline has spanned more than 25 years, spending much of her time in leading roles having most recently been the full-time garage manager at Willesden Junction and Willesden before her current role. “I saw an advertisement on the back of a bus in Enfield and thought I would give the number a call,” Jacqui recalls. Jacqui has always been a mentor for female members of staff, encouraging them to go further. “We play our part in keeping London moving,” she says.
Working alongside managers like Jacqui and seeing how they have been able to progress is also empowering for other women across the business. Susan Adel Villaverde started with Metroline as a bus driver in 2015 and quickly progressed to garage administration supervisor, before herself becoming an operations manager. Susan’s career in the bus industry started with an application form originally meant for her partner. “I thought why not?” she recalls, “…I really can see myself driving a bus.”
It’s a supportive company. If you want a different position, they are always open to helping you
Motivated by a desire to help people, Susan has thrived at Metroline and she would like to see more women around the business. Her message to her female colleagues is simple, “Don’t give up! We can do anything, any role here. There are so many opportunities in Metroline and when they do come up,
take them.”
With women making around 10% of Metroline’s workforce, there is still much to be done, but real progress is being made. There have been significant advances with women in senior leadership positions, following the appointment of Grace Babawale as the new chief human resources officer for ComfortDelGro Europe, Metroline’s parent company, and Hayley Ramsay as director of safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) for Metroline in 2024.
Aiming to support and attract more women to the industry is why Metroline is proud to support the Women in Bus and Coach Initiative. Internally, a regular working group is held to discuss activities to support the initiative which is led by women in Metroline. One of the positive outcomes to come out of their involvement in the initiative is the provision of free sanitary products in every female bathroom across all Metroline garages following a successful trial at the end of 2023.
Engineering is another area where attracting more women is a priority. Leading the way is the young engineer Laura Darbon, who has recently completed her apprenticeship. Working at Metroline for three years, Laura was looking for a role where she could do something practical, and discovered Metroline’s engineering apprenticeship. “It’s a supportive company. If you want a different position, they are always open to helping you with whatever you need, whatever you want to do, career progression especially,” Laura says.
Her willingness to learn made her the perfect candidate for the 2024 IRTE Skills Challenge, where she became Metroline’s first female winner, receiving the DVSA Inspection Apprentice Award. “It’s really nice to be recognised, for the hard work and the effort that we put in,” Laura says. “We don’t necessarily have to prove ourselves all the time, but I think there are certain people that we have to prove ourselves to in order to be recognised that, yes actually we can do this.”
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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