The States passed a new law last May which would allow people who hold a standard driving licence to drive a minibus for not-for-profit organisations.
But nearly a year on, charities are still waiting for the law to come into effect, meaning they are still having to rely on drivers who hold a D1 licence to drive larger minibuses.
‘If we can only fit fewer people on the bus, then there are not as many people coming here,’ said Cheryl Lowe, Jubilee Social Club manager and Guernsey Voluntary Service transport co-ordinator.
‘If they just wrote up the law it could help so many charities.’
Guernsey Voluntary Service currently only has 15 D1 drivers, and with many of them working and with other commitments, there are three runs out of 18 each week that Mrs Lowe does not have a driver for.
‘I worry because I don’t want certain drivers to be picking up too much and overdoing it, because then we could end up with fewer drivers,’ she said.
Mrs Lowe said that having volunteers obtain a D1 licence was costly for the charity as they have to fund multiple driving lessons, a theory test and the practical driving test.
Laura Oxburgh, head of on-island travel and transport implementation for the States, confirmed that the preparatory work had been done to help bring the law into effect.
‘Since the States agreed to simplify minibus licences to support the voluntary sector, work has been undertaken to help bring this to fruition,’ she said.
‘Initial proposals for how this law will come into effect have been drafted and will be reviewed in due course.’