Favorite bus driver wanted
19.03.2026 – Stadtwerke Offenbach's bus drivers work in shifts seven days a week from early in the morning until late at night. Every day, they take more than 40,000 passengers safely and reliably to their destinations. They steer their vehicles confidently through dense city traffic, react flexibly to roadworks and traffic jams and are also the first point of contact for passengers. They are often the first to help when questions arise or support is needed. With the nationwide "Favourite Bus Driver" campaign, passengers can now pay tribute to this commitment and nominate their personal favorite with immediate effect.
"Interpersonal contact is important"
Stephan Adam is a bus driver for Stadtwerke Offenbach. He drives regular and school bus services, and also runs the children's bus school for primary school children and trains new drivers. "When passengers recognize me and say hello or wave, it makes me happy. Some people even notice if I haven't been on a regular service for a few weeks. Interpersonal contact is particularly important for older people. They like to have a chat and I try to take the time to do so. You can tell some passengers are in a bad mood when they get on, but when they buy a ticket and I smile at them, most of them smile back."
"It's great that I was able to help"
Volkan Yabanli has been driving city buses through Offenbach for eight years. "Traffic is often very heavy, so you always have to stay alert. I enjoy my work, especially the contact with the passengers. Recently, a young man collapsed on the bus during the journey. I immediately administered first aid and called the ambulance. In situations like that, it's important to stay calm and act. By the time the ambulance arrived, the man was responsive again and thanked me. It was nice that I was able to help."
"No two days are the same"
"At the moment, I'm mainly driving rail replacement services," says bus driver Rosa Cosentino. "No two days are the same and I often bump into people who already know me. On rail replacement services, passengers are simply grateful that we take them to their destination. Many have questions about connections and I help as best I can. I have never simply done my job by the book. As a bus driver, it's important to put yourself in the passengers' shoes and respond to people."
Appreciation for commitment and dedication
"Our drivers are the backbone of public transport - without them, local public transport would not work," says Anja Georgi, Managing Director of Stadtwerke's Geschäftsfeld Mobilität division. "Every day, they master challenging situations with passengers, maintain calm and professionalism and strive to ensure a good atmosphere on the bus. We are therefore delighted when our passengers take part in the "Favourite Bus Driver" campaign and pay tribute to the great commitment of our drivers."
The "Favorite Bus Driver" campaign offers passengers the opportunity to describe special experiences and express their thanks publicly. Whether it's helpful behavior, a friendly word or confident action in difficult situations - every story makes it clear how important the personal commitment of the driver is.
About the Favorite Bus Driver competition
The annual competition is a joint initiative of the passenger association PRO BAHN e.V., DB Regio and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV). The aim of the competition is to recognize the work of drivers. Stadtwerke Offenbach supports the initiative and is calling on passengers on Offenbach city bus services to take part and share their positive experiences and nominate their favorite driver using the online form. Stadtwerke Offenbach is looking forward to receiving numerous contributions from Offenbach and to making the drivers' achievements visible.