On the Buses

Stan Butler frets that overtime pay will dry up as Town & District plans to hire more workers. His family uses the money to buy appliances, so the prospect hits hard at home. The looming policy shift signals the first major change to his comfortable routine.

The company announces the removal of the long-standing ban on women drivers, sparking mixed reactions among the crew. Stan and his friend Jack grumble about losing their easygoing lifestyle. Olive is encouraged to seek work in the canteen, providing a fresh source of income.

Olive discovers she and Arthur are expecting, complicating the family's finances. She loses her job in the canteen, forcing the Butlers to rethink what they can afford. The revelation and financial squeeze set the stage for big changes at home.

While trying to retrieve something from a woman he had been seeing, Stan accidentally demolishes a telephone kiosk and a bus shelter to avoid the jealous husband. The accidental damage draws Blakey's notice and emboldens him to press Stan for answers. Stan's attempt to lie only deepens his trouble.

Blakey informs Stan that he must undertake a driving test on a bus skid pan to keep his job. Stan manages to turn the situation to his advantage by starting the test while Blakey is still aboard the bus. The test becomes a tense showdown between procedure and prankster ingenuity.

Stan successfully completes the skid pan test, earning a renewed lease on his employment. The win relieves some immediate financial pressure, but the underlying issue of women drivers remains a threat to his laid-back lifestyle. He remains wary of the possible changes to his routine.

Stan and Jack decide to sabotage the new women's drivers to preserve their carefree routine. They start with a few minor pranks to make the newcomers look bad. The plan marks the beginning of a longer, escalating campaign of mischief.

Olive's fear of spiders becomes fodder for their schemes as Stan and Jack hatch a plan to plant spiders in the women's cab areas. They also learn about diuretic tea and lace the women's tea, forcing more frequent toilet stops. The sabotage grows bolder and more disruptive.

As Olive nears delivery, Arthur asks Stan to help fix springs on his motorcycle sidecar for a hospital trip. While at the depot, Stan and Jack discover the company has ordered diversion signs to reroute buses around roadworks. They copy and plant the signs for their own benefit, disrupting the women’s routes.

A false diversion sends a woman driver onto a motorway, drawing police attention with Blakey aboard. The incident creates more chaos for the women drivers and the inspectors. The consequences highlight the havoc wrought by Stan and Jack's sabotage.

A mishap with the bike and sidecar breaks during the hospital run, but Olive still makes it to the hospital and gives birth to a baby boy. The new arrival brings joy and a fresh set of household disruptions to the Butler clan. The family adjusts to add a new member amid the ongoing chaos.

The company announces it will no longer employ women bus drivers, a knock to Stan and Jack's sabotage plan. Blakey rehires the women as Inspectors, separating the two on different routes. The resulting dynamic leaves the pair uneasy but still employed at the company.

Stan is twinned with Sandra, a new attractive female clippie on his route. The pairing introduces a fresh dynamic and potential for more trouble with Blakey. They quickly set a tone of playful mischief together in the workplace.

Stan and Sandra orchestrate a final prank by knocking down a sign onto Blakey and the inspectors, delivering a cheeky win for the duo. Stan heads off on his route with a smug sense of control, while the film closes on their ongoing, lighthearted defiance. The duo remains in place, ready for more mischief.