In the driving seat

As bus operators in the region struggle to recruit drivers, particularly women, Nicole Wooton-Cane finds out what's like to drive one

GREATER Manchester has a bus driver shortage, which will not surprise anyone who is a frequent passenger.

As a result, Go North West are on a huge recruitment drive and are particularly interested in encouraging women to get behind the wheel all of which has led to me being here today, sitting in the driver's seat of a bus, ready to lurch my way into a brand new career for the morning.

Fewer than one in ten of Go North West's drivers are currently women - something managing director Nigel Featham tells me they are keen to change. He says shift work and perceptions around manoeuvring a large such vehicle are common barriers for women, but that bus driving is a career for anyone.

I stare at the colossal vehicle in front of me and wonder whether any learner has managed to destroy a bus before.

For someone who found learning to drive as stressful as me (think tears at roundabouts and a tendency to slow down to a sedate crawl when worried), the thought of manoeuvring a bus is alarming. Don't get me wrong, I can drive well enough now - but speeding around Greater Manchester in my little red hatchback seems somewhat more realistic than trundling along in an 11-tonne bus.