Advert for bus conductor backfires

A public transport operator has been accused of losing its way with words when advertising for a bus “passenger assistant”.

Go-Ahead London described the passenger assistant role as “brand new” and advertised for a “good face-to-face communicator” who had “customer-facing experience”, a “natural flair for going “the extra mile” and was fit enough to cope with standing for lengthy periods of time.

Candidates were told that passenger assistants would work on a “unique” new London double-decker bus which was “accessible” and “convenient” and asked if they had “the kind of personality that made last year’s Olympic gamesmakers so successful”.

The Plain English Campaign — which promotes concise writing — described the advertisements as “gobbledegook”.

Officials suggested that a notice along the lines of “bus conductor wanted” would have been a better option.

Go-Ahead London bosses defended the language used in advertisements and said they were happy with the content.

An official with the Plain English Campaign said: “What seems like a great idea is certainly getting lost in translation here.”