Thames Travel pays staff 10% more

Thames Travel has awarded its bus drivers and office workers an additional pay rise in response to rising inflation.

The pay award comes five months after the Go-Ahead-owned operator last increased wages as part of its regular annual review and means that overall wages have now increased by more than 10% this year. It means Monday to Friday hourly driving rates have increased by 80p to £14.90, weekend shifts by 85p to £15.45 and unsocial hours by £1, taking it to £19.

“With the rising cost of living we wanted to do more to support our colleagues and to thank them” – Luke Marion, Thames Travel Interim Managing Director

Luke Marion, Thames Travel Interim Managing Director, said: “Our thanks go to all our colleagues for the hard work they are continuing to put into improving the company’s performance and delivering a great service for our customers.

“With the rising cost of living we wanted to do more to support our colleagues and to thank them. We had awarded colleagues an annual pay rise earlier in the year but felt it right to review this considering the further increase in inflation, which was not anticipated when we made that award.

“We hope this additional pay rise will help give our colleagues peace of mind during the current cost of living situation in addition to rewarding them for their hard work.”

Thames Travel has also increased its driver signing on bonus as part of its ongoing recruitment campaign. It has also increased its trainee bus driver rates of pay, so these are now only £1 below the standard rate of pay for fully qualified drivers, making it easier for people to switch to a career in bus driving.

Thames Travel, along with its sister company Oxford Bus Company, increased its bonus scheme by £1,000 to take it to £3,000 in a bid to further encourage jobseekers to become bus drivers.