COMMENT
This month, once again there are reports of service reductions blamed on the national shortage of bus drivers. This is a problem which is clearly not going away in a hurry, and in many areas is giving the bus industry a bad look.
Many of the driving factors behind this shortfall are out of the industry’s hands. There have been unacceptable delays in licencing from government, causing a major slowdown on new driver training. Claims have also been made that the haulage industry has been ‘poaching’ bus drivers because it has the means to offer them higher pay for a similar job, while comments about Brexit making the UK less attractive to foreign workers, who may previously have filled the gaps, can also be heard.
Other factors certainly are within the industry’s control. While Arriva Yorkshire drivers were taking part in a strike lasting more than four weeks, the minimum hourly rate of £9.79 was just 29p per hour over minimum wage. Though many drivers at the company were better paid, it’s a weak base rate of compensation for a job with a lot of responsibility and requiring the skill to drive a large vehicle. Such a rate will persuade few that a career in the bus industry is worthwhile, nor…
