Community transport passenger assistant Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Community transport passenger assistant

Hours

38 per week
Starting salary

£11,000 + per year

The work

Community transport is a local service for people who are unable to use other forms of transport, for example the elderly or disabled.

As a community transport passenger assistant, it would be your job to accompany passengers on journeys in the vehicle (usually a minibus). Typical duties include:

helping passengers get on and off the vehicle
securing wheelchairs and baggage before a journey begins
assisting passengers while the vehicle is moving
accompanying passengers after their journey, where necessary
keeping the vehicle tidy between journeys.

You would work together with the driver of the vehicle, and possibly other passenger assistants.

Hours

In a full-time job you would work around 38 hours a week. You may need to be flexible as passengers can require transport from early in the morning to late in the evening. Part-time work may be available.

Most of your time would be spent on the move, picking up and dropping off passengers. Some lifting and handling may be required. Your employer may provide you with a uniform.

Income

Full-time passenger assistants earn from around £11,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry qualifications for this job, although employers usually want people with some relevant experience. Working as a volunteer assistant is a good way to get this experience.

You may have an advantage when looking for work if you have a social care or customer service background. You may also need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

For more general information about careers in community transport, see the Careers in Passenger Transport website.

Careers in Passenger Transport

Training and development

You would usually receive on-the-job training, which would include first aid, disability awareness, contracts and the law and duty of care. Some passenger assistants are also trained in specialist areas such as autism awareness or signing for the deaf.

You could work towards NVQ Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport Operations, which has options in providing support to passengers who require assistance.

Your employer may also put you on the Passenger Assistant Training Scheme (PATS). The scheme, administered by the Community Transport Association (CTAUK), would provide you with a nationally recognised standard of training. See the CTAUK website for more details.

Community Transport Association (CTAUK)

Skills and knowledge

good ‘people’ skills
patience and empathy with passengers
a reasonable level of fitness
good communication skills
the ability to work well as part of a team
good organisational skills
an awareness of disability needs
a willingness to work flexibly.

More information

People 1st (Opens new window)
2nd Floor
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 01895 817 000
www.people1st.co.uk

Community Transport Association (Opens new window)
Highbank
Halton Street
Hyde
Cheshire
SK14 2NY
Tel: 0845 130 6195
www.ctauk.org

Careers in Passenger Transport (Opens new window)
www.careersinpassengertransport.org

Opportunities

You can find opportunities in most areas of the country, with public, private and voluntary organisations. Many community transport organisations are run by local authorities, therefore jobs may be advertised on your local council or community transport association websites.

With experience and the right skills, you could move into community transport driving or vehicle maintenance, or be promoted to service operations administrator or manager.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The community transport industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector includes a wide variety of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.

The community transport industry in the UK provides a vital service to people who are unable to easily access other forms of public transport. Services include driving, passenger assistance and service coordination and planning, which are provided through cars, minibuses and coaches. A significant percentage of community transport operations are based in rural locations in order to supply better services in areas where other public transport services do not exist. Community transport work is undertaken by local authorities or by specialist organisations. Some private coach and bus operators also provide community transport services.

Key facts:

There are around 10,000 people working in the community transport industry.
There are hundreds of organisations of varying sizes; some have large numbers of employees whilst others have lots of volunteers.
Many positions in the industry are voluntary or part‐time.
94% of companies employ at least one part‐time person.
Opportunities for progression within the industry can be limited.

Jobs in the industry fall into the following areas:

Driving – such as car, minibus and coach driver
Passenger support – such as passenger assistant
Operations management – such as operations assistant, operations manager

National and regional data

[N.B. Regional data presented are for the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]

East Midlands – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.

East of England – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

London – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26‐49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.

North East – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.

North West – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26‐49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

South East – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.

South West – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

West Midlands – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26‐49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.

Yorkshire and the Humber – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.

Northern Ireland – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26‐49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.

Scotland – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.

Wales – In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26‐49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.