Mirsad Talic only came to the bus driver job in a roundabout way: The trained hotel specialist originally comes from Bosnia-Herzegovina. He came to Germany in 1992 and began retraining as a bus driver three years later. He has now been a bus driver for 27 years - and is passionate about it. What he likes most about his job is driving the large vehicle itself, but also meeting people. He can't name one particular experience - "it's the variety of events that particularly fascinates me about my job," says Talic. What is the biggest challenge for him when driving a bus? "Reconciling safety with keeping to the timetable - every day anew. Because every day is different," says the man from Ludwigsburg.
The 57-year-old is so passionate about his job and the contact with "his" passengers that he even turned down an appointment as a driver in order to continue pursuing his dream job. Mirsad Talic will therefore continue to take his passengers to their destinations in and around Ludwigsburg - and he will be traveling on all LVL lines. Ludwigsburg District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier thanks Mirsad Talic on behalf of all bus drivers who ensure the mobility of many people with their daily commitment. "Today we are paying tribute to the dedication of the drivers behind the wheel - but we are actually far too rarely aware of their achievements," says Allgaier. "They are the backbone and foundation of a functioning public transport system - without the bus drivers, the entire system would not be possible," Allgaier continues. "Mr. Talic and all his colleagues make an important contribution to society and have a great deal of responsibility in doing so."
Talic's boss Carry Buchholz is delighted that her employee took home the win: "Mr. Talic has a real passion for driving buses - and his passengers feel that every day. He is a real asset to our company - hard work, friendliness and a down-to-earth attitude characterize him, she praises her bus driver. Mr. Talic is an absolute prime example of successful integration. "Over the years, Mr. Talic has truly earned the title of "Bus Driver of the Year". We warmly congratulate him on this," continues Buchholz in praise.
"With this award, we would like to express our thanks to Mr. Talic and, on behalf of all bus drivers, our respect for the fact that they give their all every day for the mobility of the population," says VVS Managing Director Horst Stammler. "They are the ones who make it possible for people to meet their everyday needs, such as getting to work, into town or to the doctor," Stammler continues. Stammler's successor, Cornelia Christian, emphasizes that the bus driving profession will continue to play an important role in the future: "The bus service in the Ludwigsburg district, as in the entire VVS area, has been gradually expanded and extended in recent years. We want to continue this step of public transport expansion consistently in the coming years. However, we urgently need more qualified personnel for these improvements. I would therefore like to encourage people to choose a career as a bus driver - it is a truly versatile and varied profession," says Christian.
The "Bus Driver of the Year" competition has been held annually by the VVS since 2004 - this year for the 20th time. Passengers were able to submit their nominations for Bus Driver of the Year online. A jury then selected the "Bus Driver of the Year 2023" in each of the five network districts and the city of Stuttgart. It consists of representatives from the VVS, the network districts and the regional bus companies.
There are a total of 133 bus routes in the Ludwigsburg district, which are operated by a total of nine different transport companies. They serve over 1,100 stops. Over 29 million passengers use the buses in the Ludwigsburg district every year. The bus services in the Ludwigsburg district, as well as in the entire VVS network area, have been greatly expanded and made more attractive in the course of the award procedures.
