Bus driver staffing numbers will soon return to 2023 levels

95 full-time equivalent drivers this year, with nine going through recruitment process

The Department of Infrastructure has recently appointed nine new bus drivers, in addition to five drivers who started in the job this year.

The figures have been released as part of a Tynwald written question.

Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse asked the DoI Minister Michelle Haywood: 'How many full-time equivalent bus drivers were employed by Bus Vannin on 1 August 2023, 2024, and 2025; and how many new full-time equivalent drivers joined and how many left in each of the last three years."

As has been well publicised, Bus Vannin has routinely struggled with staff shortages in recent years, but it was particularly an issue late last year, with widespread disruption across the network.

The answer reveals that in 2023, there were 104 full-time equivalent (FTE) bus drivers - a figure which dropped to 85 in 2024 and has risen to 95 this year.

In 2023, four drivers started whilst four left; in 2024 that rose to 13 starting and 14 leaving.

Meanwhile, this year, there have been five new starters whilst nine have left.

You can find the answer in full here.