Metro Transit is giving job seekers a behind-the-wheel look at what a job as a bus driver would be like during a hiring event on Saturday.
The first-of-its-kind event puts individuals in the driver's seat of a bus at Metro Transit's new garage in the North Loop.
"This is one of those things, as someone who has been here for more than 20 years, we've never done before," said Metro Transit chief operating officer Brian Funk. "We got the idea from our partners in the industry over in Akron, Ohio. They worked on this over the fall and said it was just a fantastic event."
The drive-a-bus event, which runs from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday at 600 8th Ave N, Minneapolis, is part of Metro Transit's ongoing effort to hire 200 bus operators. Funk believes the hiring push will allow them to offer more service as ridership numbers climb.
Back in November Metro Transit announced it would suspend local service from Mound to downtown Minneapolis.
"I'm an optimist and believe we are going to be increasing our service," Funk said. "We're working on a plan to formalize what we're going to look like now that commuting patterns have changed. In the short term, we'll be adding service back in key areas that are currently operating, but we could use some more capacity. Many of our express buses are starting to fill up and we want to be able to add second and third buses on those trips."
New bus operators with Metro Transit start at $26.16 an hour and are eligible for hiring bonuses up to $5,000.
Funk says they're trying to tap into the job market and find people who may be underemployed.
"We are hearing significant interest in the bus driving event and a different approach. We've been doing this sort of get your application in, get interviewed, and get an update very quickly for the last year and a half. This event is taking it to another level," added Funk. "Coming here to Metro Transit you're able to work for us and we'll be your primary job. You won't need to have a second or third job. We have opportunities that pay well from the start, have great benefits, and a long term future with a retirement plan. There's also career growth opportunities."
Metro Transit currently employs about 1,000 bus operators.