Britain's youngest bus driver is taking to the roads after passing his test with no minors at the age of just 18. Teenager Luke Brown is now a qualified bus driver for National Express and says he "loves everything about driving".
He was inspired by his dad, Stuart, who has worked for the company for 20 years as a bus driver. After completing his driver training, Luke passed his Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence for the first time and with no minors.
He said working with his dad would be one of the best things about the new job, along with helping people get around. A full-time driver in Coventry, where he works, can earn £28,500 - even more with overtime.
Luke said: “I’m looking forward to spending more time on the road, helping more people get around and working alongside my dad, who has worked for the garage for the past 20 years - although now there is a bit of competition between me and dad for who’s the better driver!
“It feels great to have passed with no minors. I put a lot of time and effort into practising for the test so it’s very satisfying to know my hard work has paid off.
“Having a supportive team around me has helped a lot. During my training, no question was too silly and my instructor was calm and informative so I didn’t feel pressured at all, which I believe has really spurred on my development.”
Darren Dunbar, driver training officer at Luke's employer, National Express Coventry, said: “To pass a PCV licence at 18 years of age and with zero minors is a major achievement. Each year we have hundreds of drivers start training; out of these only about two or three pass their test without fault.
“We were not surprised by Luke’s result. He puts 100% into everything he does and that definitely shows in his driving. I’m really pleased for him, he’s a lovely guy and a great asset to the garage.”
