Community rallies to keep people moving during bus strike

People on the Isle of Man have rallied to help those left without transport due to a bus driver strike, offering car shares to schools and workplaces, alongside lifts to shops and hospital appointments.

Bus Vannin drivers have reached the half-way point in a 10-day walk-out in a dispute over pay and entitlements, leading to significantly reduced services.

Ever since it began, social media has been awash with dozens of offers of assistance to those left stranded.

The first round of strike action is set to last until 3 March, with four further rounds planned for next month.

Donald McColgan, who lives in Douglas, has been helping people to get to and from hospital to save them having to wait for a rescheduled appointment.

He said he had decided to offer help as he was on annual leave after seeing others do the same.

"Anybody who cannot attend a hospital appointment, the next appointment could be months away if it's cancelled," he said.

"And it's nice to be nice, that's what I always say."

Katie Fyfe, who lives in Jurby, has been helping other parents get their children to and from Ramsey Grammar School.

She said some parents who did not drive were "struggling at the minute" trying to get children to the local primary school as well as the northern high school.

She said some parents had decided to keep their children off "because you've got to worry about them getting home from the grammar as well because there's no buses home".

"Luckily I work from home so I can be really flexible but it would be a problem for people who don't," she said.

She said people were keen to help each other out because "it is a small place out there, so everybody knows everybody".

Nadine Lewis, who lives in the south of the island, said she was lending a helping hand because she knew "what it was like to be stuck".

Nadine, so runs her own business, said she had been posting the trips she planned to make in case anyone else needed to go in the same direction, offering transport to Port Erin and Douglas from Castletown.

"I'm happy to drop off people on my way on the route because obviously on the Isle of Man it's not too far out of your way anyway," she said.

"Obviously we live in a small community, so for me, I know quite a lot of people because I run my own business - I just thought, you know, it's just nice to help out."

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