The Grimsby Telegraph is to join forces with Stagecoach to offer free bus travel to readers.
So reporter Trevor Green took a driving lesson in one of the company's 52-seater coaches - and found out just how difficult a job it can be.

The job of a bus driver is never an easy one. Dealing with awkward customers and negotiating tight mini-roundabouts and roadworks are part and parcel of the job - but even getting to a high enough standard to be allowed behind the wheel is a major challenge in itself.

Driving instructor Steve Deakins has been helping candidates through their tests for the past seven years. As well as teaching drivers to negotiate Grimsby-area roads, he also works for other depots around the region.

And despite numerous nerve-racking escapades, he has guided more than 200 people to professional driver status.

The first thing I realised as he showed me into the driver's seat was the sheer scale of the controls.

The unfamiliar dashboard comprised several large buttons, switches and dials, with a huge steering wheel positioned in front of them.

While several controls were the same as the average car, there were also special air pressure gauges and secondary braking systems to master.

There is also an isolation switch which cuts off all electrical controls in an emergency.

After a run down of all the vital instruments, I was allowed to make my way around a large course on the former Binbrook airfield.

The seven-speed manual gearbox was tricky to get to grips with, as were the huge foot pedals.

But remembering my mirror-signal-manoeuvre rule, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the large mirrors gave excellent visibility.

After trundling along at 20mph for a few minutes, Steve offered me some advice.

"Get off the clutch, it is not a foot rest!

"You asked me before if I had any funny stories - if you don't be careful you'll end up being one of them!"

I soon discovered just how difficult it is to drive a large vehicle around tight corners.

After I was told to take a sharp left turn, I found myself steering the coach over an imaginary curb.

And if it was a challenge guiding a 39ft long, 8ft 3in wide vehicle around a large expanse of empty land, I dread to think of the problems rookie bus drivers face outside Freshney Place.

There is a plethora of controls to master on a Stagecoach bus, from a speed retarding system for travelling down steep hills to internal lights enabling passengers to read their Telegraph at night.

But the real skill comes from negotiating the vehicle around Grimsby's narrow and increasingly congested streets.

Steve added: "The satisfaction comes from getting people through their tests, I pride myself on first-time passes.

"I also share in the disappointment of those who fail.

"A lot of failed tests are down to nerves, I have seen many grown men reduced to tears."

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