New tuk tuk tours are proving to be a huge hit with locals and visitors alike, according the people behind the business.

It took about 30 months to get permission to get the vehicles on the roads and driver Shaun Franks said: “Having to deal with the red tape can certainly be stressful and lengthy and you have to have patience, especially when you are dealing with something new.”

Mr Franks works for Kevin Burrows, who owns the business, which is now in its fourth week of operation.

Despite all of the previous obstacles, Mr Burrows told The Royal Gazettethat his fleet of three vehicles is expected to grow into eight by the end of this month.

Both Mr Burrows and Mr Franks have received positive feedback from happy customers. Mr Burrows conducted his first sunset tour last week for a couple who were celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary.

The tuk tuk drivers will pick people up from wherever they wish and nowhere on the island’s roads is off-limits for the three-wheelers.

“If I came from The White Horse in King’s Square right now and people want to go to Tucker’s Point, I would give them a guided tour along the way,” Mr Franks said.

“By the time that I get tourists to their destination, they will know much more about the island than if it was just a straight line from point A to B.”

Mr Franks said: “For most people, it is something new and people are usually receptive to new things. People have all sorts of ideas and just want to explore in it.”