A plea to give overseas bus drivers an easier ride into the country.

More than 1800 bus trips were cancelled in the Wellington region last week - largely because of driver shortages.

Metlink General Manager, Samantha Gain, says the Government could make helpful changes.

She says loosening immigration settings would really help with the current shortage of about 120 drivers.

LISTEN ABOVE

• Metlink: It will take time to fix Wellington's bus network
• Auckland Transport is hit hard by a bus driver shortage
• 'Thanks driver': Govt to spend $6.1m lifting bus driver wages