Tennis may have arrived in Melbourne, Australia but cricket fans still wanting to get their fix of the sport should take a closer look at their bus driver, because there is a very good chance, they may find a former international cricketer behind the wheel.
Transdev Melbourne recently discovered not one, but three international cricketers in its midst – Suraj Randiv and Chinthaka Jayasinghe who both represented Sri Lanka and Waddington Mwayenga who represented Zimbabwe.
We have a huge diversity of professional backgrounds among our than 1200 bus drivers. Next time you get on the bus you may be driven by a former cricketer, a former pastry chef, or a former social worker just to name a few examples.
Despite the diversity of backgrounds, our drivers share a united passion for customer service and ensuring we continue to provide Victorians with a safe, reliable and comfortable journey.
Ian Craig, Managing Director, Transdev Melbourne
Randiv and Mwayenga were recruited via Transdev’s Journey Maker Academy, an initiative developed to help people from outside the transportation industry to become a bus driver.
The program is particularly targeted people with car licenses and strong customer service backgrounds who are supported in gaining a heavy vehicle license required to drive a bus.
Since 2018, Transdev Melbourne has recruited 200 bus drivers via its Journey Maker Academy program.
Transdev also offers dedicated recruitment programs for experienced bus and truck drivers. Jayasinghe was recruited through the bus to bus program which helps experienced bus drivers transition into a new role via tailored training program which includes driving evaluation and tailored training in customer service. In 2020, Transdev recruited a number of experienced drivers from the tourism industry due to the impact of COVID-19.
While playing cricket and driving a bus may seem worlds apart, the drivers say they draw on traits such as patience, teamwork and discipline developed during their professional sporting careers in their current bus driving roles as they help Victorians get to where they need to go.
While wearing masks during COVID-19 has helped conceal their notoriety some avid cricket fans still have managed to recognize Randiv and Jayasinghe.
Chinthaka Jayasinghe (CJ)
- Member of the Sri Lankan cricket team for the 2010 ICC World T20 played in the West Indies and has represented Sri Lanka at Asian Games
- Been with Transdev 2 years based at North Fitzroy depot
- CJ moved the Australia in 2012 and played for the Greenvale Cricket Club until 2017
- Has currently plays for Westmeadows and has been awarded the “Best Cricketer” in the league for the last two years
- CJ joined Transdev already having experience driving buses, in Sri Lanka his father owned three buses and if he had time he would drive them
- CJ is father to two daughters aged 14 and 11 who like dancing and swimming
Suraj Randiv
- Off-spinner who made his first-class debut in 2004, one-day international debut in late 2009 and a Test debut against India six months later
- Suraj says he was inspired to play cricket when Sri Lanka won the 1996 World Cup
- Currently playing with Dandenong Panthers
- Started with Transdev in July 2020 based at our North Fitzroy depot
- When in Sri Lanka and he wasn’t playing cricket Suraj travelled frequently and loved to drive which is one of the reasons he applied to become a bus driver
- Suraj has an 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son who love cricket, basketball and soccer