New bus driver recruits include a 20-year-old

But there are hopes the situation will improve, as new drivers start in November.

The company has been working hard to recruit, after suffering a tough year.

Cancellations have been reducing, but there are still about 30 per day on weekdays.

‘Brexit and the pandemic have made it difficult,’ said operations director Kevin Hart .

‘We can’t look overseas any more and only have the UK to recruit from and there are massive shortages of drivers in the UK. It’s hard to attract people here when they can only get short-term licences.’

CT Plus, which is still trading under that name after its sale last month, has become the latest company to reach out to those affected by the closure of Guernsey manufacturer Intersurgical

on Tuesday.

‘We’ve contacted the Intersurgical UK office to make sure our details are passed on to the staff affected,’ Mr Hart said. ‘We really want to employ more local people. We need home-grown talent who are here for the long haul.

‘We pay our new staff while they train. When that training is complete, they will be out as a professional driver. You just need a 12-month driving licence and like dealing with the public. We currently have four drivers in training who hopefully will be on the road soon.’

CT Plus was bought by Australian transport provider Tower Transit. Mr Hart said the purchase had helped with recruitment.

‘We’ve been able to utilise their experience and knowledge which has given us access to new recruiters, that has led to us employing three new drivers who will be starting soon.’

And he believes these new recruits will help reduce the number of cancellations.

‘The service is still reduced, but it's better than it was in July. By mid-November, with these new drivers starting, it should improve even more.’

One of the new recruits, Harrison Cruwys, could be Guernsey’s youngest-ever bus driver.

The reduction in the minimum age to 18 from 21 has slightly eased some recruitment problems.

Mr Cruwys, 20, was one of the first people to take advantage of the new law.

He was only 19 when he moved to Guernsey from the Isle of Wight in May.

'The first time I applied I got a no,’ he said.

‘But then they changed the laws and CT contacted me and gave me an interview. I’d been to Jersey before and liked it there.

'I was really attracted by the history here, especially all the World War Two buildings.’

And Mr Cruwys has enjoyed the scenery on his routes and had not been daunted by the narrowness of the island's roads.

‘I don’t think the roads are that bad, you soon get use to the width of the vehicle.

'It’s not that different from the Isle of Wight.’

Mr Cruwys is here on a five-year licence, and the bus operator said the length of licences was just one of the factors that made recruiting difficult.