BUSMAN'S HOLIDAY? Maltese drivers swap beaches for Burges.

Byline: By SIMON DUDMAN

TEN bus drivers have swapped their sun-kissed island in the Mediterranean to transport passengers around the north of Coventry.

Instead of travelling sunlit lanes with a backdrop of an azure sea, they will be trundling up commuter blocked roads to the site of the old Foleshill gasworks.

The drivers started work yesterday on five new bus routes serving the new Jaguar Arena and Tesco shopping complex.

Bus and coach operator Mike de Courcey Travel was forced to look abroad for staff after it was unable to fill job vacancies for new drivers locally.

It spent more than pounds 9,000 advertising the vacancies but had little response. So after two months of trying to fill the posts, bosses placed an advert in a newspaper on the island of Malta, which has the highest sunshine records in Europe.

Within weeks the firm had recruited 10 experienced Maltese coach drivers.

And the drivers say that despite the gloomy Coventry weather they are already feeling at home in their new city.

New driver George Pace, aged 46, from Birkirkara in Malta, said: "The weather is not as good over here and it is taking a while to get used to. It just seems to rain all the time at the moment but I am enjoying being in Coventry and everyone is being very kind to us.

"The roads are much easier in England. In Malta people drive all over the place so it is a pleasant change."

He added: "It is a good job and good money, so I am pleased to have moved."

His colleague Charlie Zammitt, aged 37, also of Birkirkara, said: "We have been training for four weeks and getting to know Coventry. In Malta I know every road like the back of my hand and it will take a while before I can say the same about Coventry."

Bob Wildman, general manager of Mike de Courcey Travel, said: "Nationally there is a real shortage of drivers. In this country the road haulage industry is looking at something like a shortage of 85,000 drivers.

"There is a bus firm up north that recently employed 1,000 Polish drivers.

"Last month we had spent pounds 6,500 on advertising, and about half that much the month before, and we just we not getting any response.

"We did manage to start about 10 local drivers and just put a speculative advert in the Maltese newspaper and was really pleased with the response."

How they compare...

MALTA

Population 370,000

The island is 19 miles long by 12 miles wide

Last week's average temperature was 28C

Hollywood movie Troy was filmed there.

They drive on the left, have red pillar boxes and pay in pounds.

COVENTRY

Population 315,000

The city is 7 miles long by 8 miles wide.

Last week's average temperature was 11.2C

Comedy Keeping Up Appearances was filmed in Binley Woods.

We drive on the left, also have red pillar boxes and use pounds.

CAPTION(S):

D22896_3. HAPPY TO BE HERE: Maltese driver George Pace says he's glad to be in Coventry - though he's having difficulty getting used to the chilly weather. Picture: LISA CAREY; FROM THIS... TO THIS: Travel de Courcey's recruits have turned their backs on the Malta sun for Coventry's Burges (right)