Seven new bus operators strode into the Palm Beach County Commission Chambers eager to receive their certificates to become one of Palm Tran’s latest bus operator graduates. Dressed flawlessly in freshly pressed uniforms, the bus operators wore masks and socially distanced.
The ceremony featured Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1577 President Dwight Mattingly and keynote speaker Palm Beach County Commissioner Maria Sachs.
“Today, you join an elite group of professionals who are authorized to transport our citizens north to Jupiter, south to Boca Raton, east to Palm Beach and west to the Glades,” said Commissioner Sachs.
Sachs described the bus operators as “angels” to residents unable to drive.
“You are that important to the 1.5 million people here in Palm Beach County,” she said. “It is because of you that we are the great county that we are today.”
Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes elaborated on the importance of safety and customer service in maintaining a long career in transit.
“Through the pandemic, we’ve worked to provide the stability that so many families rely on,” he said.
Bus operators were trained on a curriculum covering topics such as maintaining and operating the buses, communicating with riders and, due to COVID-19, ensuring the conditions on board the vehicles is hygienic and safe.
Several graduates expressed gratitude regarding their accomplishment including Gary Khan, class valedictorian.
“We learned how to handle different situations,” Khan said. “It was a good experience learning how the bus operates and customer service, which is very important.”
When asked, Alberto Acevedo said his brother Joey was the one who encouraged him to get behind the wheel for Palm Tran.
“He told me about the benefits, how it was a better job, and how I am getting older not younger,” Acevedo said. “All my life has been working with customers.”
When asked about the training, Acevedo said it was quite an experience and he “learned a lot.”
Palm Tran’s bus operator graduation ceremony was held on April 14, 2021. For more information on Palm Tran, visit: www.palmtran.org.
