Miss Bridgetown

After thirty-six years as a school bus driver Greg Giblett has sold his beloved school bus run to a local, Ben Muir.

This was prompted by his 70th birthday milestone which was reached in November 2022 and a meeting he had with his accountant advising him it was now time for him to divest himself of some of his assets and responsibilities, the bus run was the easiest asset to sell.

Looking back over the years, Greg reminisces with us over that time. “The school bus in which I was collected when I was going to school was named ‘Miss Bridgetown’, so when I purchased my school bus run it only seemed fitting to call my bus by the same name. All the three buses I owned over those thirty-six years have been named the same.

“I have three school bus routes, Sunnyside, Kingston and the Yornup area. Whilst on that route I get to drive past my family farm each day. The other benefit I have had from the school bus run is that I needed to get up early which always makes a good start to the day ahead.

“I am now transporting the third generation of children from the school kids I first transported to school.

“I greet each student catching the bus with a good morning or good afternoon, and those alighting the bus with a farewell.

“I have always had respect for myself and the bus from the students, which has made my job a pleasant one to have.

“Over the years the students wants have changed; in the beginning it was the radio; as the years passed they liked to listen to their own music and would bring CDs for me to play; our buses then were fitted with TVs and the students would bring in their DVDs to be played; but lately they all seemed to be engrossed in their phones or I-pads. But whatever keeps them occupied, the sound I liked to hear is that happy, cheerful good noise you get when all is well.

Over the time there has only been a couple of incidents; one in Yornup near the 6BY radio station, a car backing out not looking hit the side of the bus, and one at Richfeeds many years later but almost the same, backing out and colliding with the middle of the bus. How they both missed seeing a bright orange school bus being there defies reason.

“I have of course had a few flat tyres and have hit the odd kangaroo, but those incidents are just par for the course when driving on country roads.

Because ‘Miss Bridgetown’ travels over a lot of gravel roads I have become a prolific letter writer to the Shire in regards to the poor conditions the roads are in, writing on average three to four a year.

The roads were so bad this year I have had the Shire President, Jenny Mountford travel with me to see the dreadful state the roads are in, and to feel and hear the rattling in the bus as I pick my way along the road.”

It’s not really a retirement for Greg, he still has a lot to keep himself busy with his other business interests, excavator, tip truck, skid steer loader and his hire business, and he has a general welding workshop, then there is also his fire break and paddock slashing contracts which are always a major job.