![Award winning bus driver Sue Bishop is a great favourite with her passengers. Award winning bus driver Sue Bishop is a great favourite with her passengers.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zFAiTDuEg3GdzaaJJ3MGNK/865a092b-3e86-48cf-a1fe-97f543a6fdb1.jpg/r0_172_1280_1166_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Queensland bus driver Sue Bishop has been behind the wheel for most of her adult life and at 75 she still loves keeping the big wheels rolling.
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Many of the passengers she picks up on her routes around the Redland and Brisbane area have been travelling with her for years and over time she's got to know their stories, achievements and losses.
It's an extraordinary career story which has led to Sue being named the Translink 2023 South East QLD Bus Driver of the Year.
Sue who works for Transdev lives on Macleay Island and a morning shift involves catching the 4am ferry to the mainland to start driving at 5.50am or 6.20am. Her favourite route to drive is the 250 which services the Redlands Marina where she drops off and picks up passengers from the islands, many of whom she knows personally - they are always assured of a smile and some welcoming words.
Driving is obviously in Sue's blood. She's been driving professionally since she was 20, including taxis and limos for celebrities, being a courier driver and driving buses in Logan before moving to her current job with Transdev 11 years ago.
Sue could have retired but she loves her job and hopes to keep going for a couple of years yet.
"It's the interaction with the public I enjoy. At least 99 per cent of them are terrific. But it's also the interaction with the staff, the other drivers and management and the cleaners," said Sue.
"You've got to be able to get on with everyone, communicate with everyone and try and find the good in everyone."
And when she's not driving she still can't stop moving. Sue runs a pet mini hyderobath on Macleay Island and volunteers at a pet resort on the mainland. She also writes children's books and books about dogs in her "spare" time as well as looking after her own border collie.
Sue received her award at the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) annual gala dinner in Cairns.
Now in its fifth year, the awards highlight drivers who have excelled in customer service.
"Sue is consistently providing customer service beyond expectations and is held in very high regard with passengers and her fellow colleagues, especially within the Redland island communities," said managing director of Transdev QLD, Mark McKenzie.
"Many drivers go above and beyond to look after and deliver a great service for customers and these awards are an opportunity for the community to recognise and thank them for their efforts."