Spyros Kounouslis, a Greek bus driver who lives in Germany, recently won the prestigious ”Bus Driver of the Year 2024″ award in his adopted city, Esslingen in Baten Wurttemberg.
This significant achievement for a Greek bus driver in Germany shows clearly not just the great abilities of Kounouslis himself, but also his commitment to giving excellent service to his thousands of passengers every day.
Kounouslis is originally from Greece and has lived in Germany for approximately twelve years, where he has managed to establish for himself a reputation for professionalism and dedication to public service.
The life journey of Germany’s acclaimed Greek bus driver
Kounouslis was born and raised in Mytilene, Greece, before moving to Athens at the age of nine.
In 2012, at the peak of the financial crisis in Greece, he decided to leave for Germany because work was not going well in his home country.
Initially, he worked as a baker for a year before returning to his earlier profession of bus driver—a job he had briefly held in Greece after obtaining his bus driver’s license around 1990.
In 2016, he applied to a company in Esslingen, a small city of approximately 95,000 inhabitants, and was hired. He has since become a popular figure in the public transport community because of his outstanding quality of service.
The “Bus Driver of the Year” award is given each year to those who display exceptional driving skills, customer service and a strong dedication to the safety of commuters. The distinction of this Greek bus driver shows clearly his commitment to and enthusiasm for his job. “I gave my soul to this job,” he said passionately, speaking exclusively to Greek Reporter, when reflecting on his efforts.
Kounouslis’ enthusiasm for his job is clear when he talks about it. He explained that driving buses allows him to interact with people from all walks of life while guaranteeing their safe and punctual arrival at their destinations—a humble task and yet important to the everyday life of so many people.
His attention to detail has given him the accolade of Esslingen’s best bus driver from both passengers and coworkers. “The drivers are polite, and driving is a pleasure,” he said about his experience working in Germany.
While Kounouslis has established a life with his wife and two daughters in Germany, he remains firmly rooted in Greece. He spoke to Greek Reporter from Athens during a short break from his busy working life in Germany.
The Greek driver returns to his motherland on a regular basis and has closely monitored the progress of the country’s public transit system. Kounouslis mentioned that he has noticed improvements lately in Greece’s urban transport networks, particularly in places such as Athens and Thessaloniki, which are introducing new electric buses and metro systems.
However, there are still issues to be addressed. When asked about his thoughts on Greek drivers and the state of transportation in Greece, Kounouslis said: “I see that people suffer. My fellow drivers do not have priority; they face problems due to illegal parking.”
His perspective as someone who has worked for public transport in a country famous for the quality of their services is especially useful as Greece is trying to modernize its public transportation system and offer better services to locals and tourists alike.
Understandably, such an accomplishment of a Greek driver is not just a personal achievement but also a source of pride for the Greek communities of Germany. It demonstrates how Greeks can flourish in numerous industries around the world while remaining deeply connected to their roots.
As he continues his work in Germany, Kounouslis explained that his retirement plans will hopefully come to fruition in a couple of years. When asked if he will return to Greece, he explained that he doesn’t know yet, as it will all depend on his family’s plans for the future.
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