Article: Happy bus driver John Murdoch is the wheel deal

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Happy bus driver John Murdoch is the wheel deal

Happy bus driver John Murdoch is the wheel deal

    by: Tom Chamberlin and Lara Lauth
    From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
    June 10, 2012 12:00AM

HE has been referred to as Jesus, received a marriage proposal and has a fan base that grows daily.

Meet the "happy bus" driver who has so captured the imagination of his passengers that, to date, more than 2000 people "like" him on Facebook.

"I love the job," John Murdoch, 42, of Brisbane, told The Sunday Mail.

"I say 'Good morning ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard the happy bus'.

"I tell people a smile costs nothing to create and, when you have it, you look priceless," he said.

Mr Murdoch's determination to put a smile on each passenger's face has brought him a nomination for a 2012 Pride of Australia Community Spirit Award.

On any typical day, the driver of four years greets his passengers with positive messages. And he says it rubs off.

The proud, married father of two has received 87 commendations from commuters who contacted TransLink and a Lord Mayor award since he took on the role.

On Facebook dozens of people have thanked the driver, commonly seen on the routes 385, 412, 444 and 598, with requests his bus be specially labelled.

"I tell passengers there is so much doom and gloom around these days, what's wrong with feeling happy for a while?" Mr Murdoch said.

"There are days when I come to work not overly happy, but as soon as I open up those doors it's automatic."

The former high school teacher and employment consultant said he had a new lease of life after he almost died in 1994 in a head-on collision on the Warrego Highway, on the way to Ballymore after he was picked to be in an A-grade rugby union referee squad.

"My heart stopped three times on the way to Royal Brisbane (and Women's) Hospital," Mr Murdoch said. "The priest who had been there for 14 years said I was the only one to survive his final rites ritual."

He said his attitude had spread to other bus drivers from the Toowong depot.

"People are seeing buses differently now than they used to ... they find the drivers are more pleasant, less scary. It has a rub-off effect."