Yorkshire bus company's youngest driver takes wheel at 18

Kraish Symes said bus driving is the job he always wanted to do

An 18-year-old has become the youngest ever qualified bus driver for a transport company in West Yorkshire.

Kraish Symes, from Bradford, said he saw the Transdev job advertised, and liked driving so decided to apply.

"I'd worked in a discount store for almost two years when I decided to make this change into bus driving, and I've never looked back since," he said.

The teenager said if he had a pound for every time someone had commented on his age, he would be "fairly rich".

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He added: "I enjoy driving, plus the customer service skills I learned behind the till are helping me now to look after people on my bus.

"I'm usually on the Otley Dash route - we're the local bus in and around Otley and already I'm getting to know my regular customers every day.

"The people I meet are all happy and friendly and I'm just glad to be here for them. This is the job I always wanted to do."

Kraish had passed his driving test two months before deciding to apply for the job. He said once he got his provisional licence, it took about three more months to train and get a test date set up through the DVSA.

"I would say if you enjoy driving and customer service then it could be the career for you," he said.

He now works at The Keighley Bus Company, where general manager Alan Isherwood is hoping to welcome more recruits.

"Kraish did it - and so can you," he said.

"Our drivers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and they all have one thing in common - they all care passionately about giving amazing customer service."