Beaudesert Bus Driver Stuart Kneeves has been nominated as a finalist for the 2023 Queensland School Bus Driver of the Year for keeping a busload of school children safe and entertained during the Kooralbyn bushfires in November 2023.
The Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards is a public voting competition that recognises and celebrates the individuals who go the extra mile every day.
Stuart was nominated for going beyond his duty of care and choosing to stay and help look after the children after the roads were cut off during the uproar of bushfires at Kooralbyn.
When Stuart was face to face with this challenge, he planned to divert the bus to Tamrookum State School as a safe location for the children to be able to use the facilities and be cared for.
“It was going to be hours and hours – we couldn’t keep the children on a bus for five hours in the heat,” he said.
“We spent some time playing with them and it got them through the night. They had a great time and it kept their mind off what was going on.”
Stuart has been a bus driver for the past three years and strives to make the children’s safety his top priority when driving them to and from school.
“I’ve only been at it three years and it’s hard for me to see kids leave their school years,” Stuart said.
“We love getting them to school, and we love getting them home.”
Stuart finds his work to be full of opportunities and appreciates the recognition his job deserves.
“The word I would use to describe being a bus driver would be interesting; it’s a great opportunity to meet people and learn things about different people,” he said.
“It was great sometimes acknowledging what we do – we do love getting our kids home.”
The public voting phase of the Queensland Bus Driver of the Year Awards closes at 11:59pm March 14 and the winner of each category will be announced April 6.
If you would like to cast your vote, head to https://translink.com.au/news-and-media/competitions-and-offers/bus-driver-awards/vote
