Alan Doak is one of Marsden’s bus drivers and brings a diverse professional background to his role.

Alan has worked as an award-winning illustrative photographer, co-owned a digital agency specialising in websites, and later held the role of General Manager of Marketing at Sharesies. Alongside bus driving, he continues to illustrate houses for clients in Wellington and internationally, with commissions completed in the UK, Ireland, the USA and Australia. His work can be viewed at www.alandoak.com/

Alan’s love of driving buses began in February 2023 when he started driving Wellington city buses based in Karori. He spent 18 months in the role and says he loved navigating the narrow Wellington streets, but what he enjoyed most was the people. For Alan, bus driving is a service role, and making sure passengers feel safe and enjoy the journey is what matters most.

In addition to his role at Marsden, Alan also drives the Karori Community Bus through the Karori Community Centre, taking local groups on weekly outings to Johnsonville Mall, Queensgate and North City Plaza — another way he enjoys staying connected with and supporting the community.

Outside of work, Alan has an impressive (and eclectic!) range of hobbies. He is a long-distance motorcycle rider and a member of the Iron Butt Association in the USA, where the minimum ride is 1,600km in under 24 hours, a challenge he has completed many times over the past 15 years. He is also restoring a 1976 Glastron GT150 boat (famously featured in the James Bond film Live and Let Die), teaching himself oil painting, and enjoys knitting and crocheting, recently completing a full temperature blanket. His twin sons (aged 24) like to say he has too many hobbies… and he tends to agree.

Alan’s fun fact? He was once a country singer known as Skinny La Veal. In the 1990s he enjoyed moderate success in Wellington and was even featured in a 60 Minutes documentary when Skinny La Veal and his Fat Band attempted to win the Gold Guitar Awards in Gore.

Families can expect a friendly, caring presence from Alan and above all, a safe and reliable journey to and from school each day.