Public Transit Driver

I. JOB SUMMARY

Main Topic: Places and Regions
Secondary Topic: Human Geography

Overview:  Public transit drivers transport people from Point A to Point B. Some work for a city’s public transit authority and drive the same routes every day, while others make long-distance trips across states. While getting their passengers from one place to another is their main responsibility, they are also responsible for assisting passengers, following all traffic laws, and keeping their vehicle clean and maintained. An obvious geographic skill that a driver would need to possess is the ability to read a map of their designated route, but also the entire transit system as whole. However, they would also benefit from a very basic understanding of how urban geography, regional planning, and transportation systems may impact their job if any changes were to come from local decision makers.

Geographers at work: Urban geographers, human geographers, transportation geographers

Recommended College Courses:  Community and Regional Planning, Maps and Map Making, Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, Introduction to Cultural Geography, Transportation Systems, Geography of a Specific Region or Country

Skills: Map reading, urban geography, transportation systems, regional geography

Occupation Group: Transportation and Material Moving

Learn more about Public Transit Drivers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/passenger-vehicle-drivers.htm#tab-2