Lincoln launches hiring campaign to help fill bus driver openings

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The City of Lincoln launched Wednesday a new three-month hiring initiative in hopes of filling 17 open StarTran bus driver positions.

In August, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced a $23.6 million federal grant to help StarTran build a multimodal transportation center near 9th and K Streets.

The “Next Stop, Get Hired” initiative comes after officials announced that the bus system would no longer be free for passengers, for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

StarTran will be holding a hiring event on Oct. 12 inside the County-City Building from 3 to 7 p.m. to attract applicants.

Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliot said the event is the first of its kind for Lincoln.

“We’re doing a one-stop shop where people can come in, do a very simple application, go right into an interview and potentially walk out with a job offer right then and there,” she said.

Applicants do not need bus or semi driving experience to apply.

A valid driver’s license is required, but a commercial driver’s license is not. StarTran will cover expenses required to get your CDL.

The transportation service provides up to 10,000 rides to passengers per day and has more than 800 bus stops.

Elliot said if the positions cannot be filled, StarTran will look at modifying routes to help alleviate any problems.

Officials say hourly pay ranges from $19.45 to nearly $26.