Meet Anna-Rose, rhythm guitarist, poet and Metlink bus driver

Staff & Operators

ā€œI have my work rhythms," is an apt choice of words for Anna-Rose Carpenter, a 28-year-old rhythm guitarist, poet, songwriter, and recently employed Metlink bus driver in Wellington. 

She starts each shift by tying a small bouquet of artificial flowers to the driver console, a simple touch to add a splash of colour but as Anna-Rose recalls, it also adds smiles to passengersā€™ faces.  

ā€œSince I started around seven months ago, Iā€™ve received a few hundred compliments already. For only six dollars, itā€™s really shown its value!ā€ 

From Anna-Roseā€™s hometown of Pukekohe to Pōneke, itā€™s working with people that has drawn Anna-Rose to bus driving.  

ā€œIā€™m a self- diagnosed extrovert,ā€ she declares. ā€œI love meeting new people.ā€ 

ā€œIt can be a little lonely if the bus is quiet so it makes my day if one of my passengers will sit up the front and chat away with me.ā€ 

Her sociable nature has been lifelong, but it was Anna-Roseā€™s role in conservation earlier this year where she discovered a fondness for driving large vehicles. 

ā€œI loved the challenge of handling four-wheel drives, but Iā€™d wanted to move back to Wellington for a long time. So when I began looking for work here, I thought ā€˜well, where else can you combine driving bigger vehicles and interacting with so many different people than on the cityā€™s bus network?ā€™ 

ā€œOnce I started, it became my mission to give each passenger on my bus a positive experience, whether thatā€™s offering my arm to help someone on or off or simply giving them a smile. 

ā€œSome days I can really feel the mood of the bus shift - I like to think that this positivity is carried through to their friends and family and encourages more people to choose the bus as a transport option, or even to consider applying to be a driver themselves! 

ā€œFor me, getting a heavy vehicle licence is a life skill Iā€™m grateful to have and something Iā€™m really proud of. I donā€™t know where my life will take me, but I will always be able to tell people that I drove buses in a city with some pretty difficult turns, narrow streets, and steep hillsā€. 

Anna-Rose says sheā€™s still learning when it comes to driving buses, sheā€™s currently going for her class four licence which will allow her to drive double deckers. With each lesson taken on board, however, there continues to be a common denominator, her passengers. 

ā€œIn the driversā€™ seat, Iā€™m braced for the next bump or corner ahead. Theyā€™re not, theyā€™re simply focused on their day ahead, be it a first date, job interview or just heading home to make dinner. Theyā€™re in my care and I want them to be as comfortable as possible.ā€  

When not behind the wheel of a 12-tonne vehicle, Anna-Roseā€™s trusty green acoustic guitar quickly becomes the vehicle for her connection with people.  

ā€œI used to travel by bus all the time as a student, and it was often the place where Iā€™d start to write poetry. Iā€™ve always found the motion of the bus and the time to look at landscapes out the window a calming and inspiring thing. Even now, as the driver, it gives me to time to be mindful and reflect on lyrics in my head.ā€  

Using her grandmotherā€™s name, Rosina, as her stage name, Anna-Rose sings and plays guitar in the band, Rosina & The Weavers.  

With the band preparing to record an album early next year, Anna-Rose jokes sheā€™s the perfect bandmate, able to perform and also drive the tour bus. 

In the meantime, itā€™s the work rhythms that Anna is focusing on, employment she regrets not taking up during her student days. 

ā€œFor current students, Iā€™d tell them that I wish Iā€™d thought to work as a driver when I was at Massey.ā€Æ Being able to drive a few mornings during the week and then enjoy a free weekend would have been much preferable to dragging myself out of bed for a whole day of work in hospitality every Saturday.  

Itā€™s help that is needed. The national bus driver shortage has left Metlink shy of about 120 drivers to operate its full timetable. The resulting cancellations are a source of aggravation for passengers but true to form, Anna-Rose remains positive.  

ā€œPeople are rightly frustrated when their bus is cancelled, and I absolutely understand that. Iā€™m confident there are people out there willing to give driving a go and that we will be able to recruit more drivers. 

ā€œIn the meantime, Iā€™m going to continue to try and make as many peopleā€™s trips on my bus a positive one. 

ā€œItā€™s my work rhythm and I enjoy it, why would I change it?ā€  

To check out Anna-Roseā€™s music and follow her bandā€™s journey, head to Spotify(external link) or Instagram(external link)

Anna-Rose in the driver's seat of the bus with her bouquet of flowers Anna-Rose in the back seat of a bus with her guitar