Until now, the bus industry in Germany had assumed that around 76,000 bus drivers would be missing by 2030. The German Bus Operators Association (BDO) published new figures again on Sunday. According to them, 87,000 bus drivers will be missing in Germany.

According to the research, bus operators are currently lacking almost 7,800 people, writes Fenix Magazin.

“As part of the shift in the transport industry, we must be prepared to double the number of passengers,” says Patrick Orschulko, legal affairs and tourism officer at BDO.

Many transport companies had to switch to short-time work during the coronavirus pandemic, because long-distance bus travel was not possible.

Many drivers therefore left the transport industry and worsened the already chronic labor shortage. As a result, many companies were forced to reject certain trips or participation in tenders.

The association is calling for the simplification of regulations and a reduction in bureaucracy in the training of bus drivers.

In Germany, training is divided into two parts: on the one hand, future drivers must have a bus driving license. On the other hand, they must complete the so-called professional driver training that allows them to transport passengers.

BDO therefore demands that these two training programs be combined. With “2 in 1” training, bus drivers would be ready for action after the theory and practical exam,” the association's position states.

Bus driver salaries

In Baden-Württemberg, as a bus driver you can expect the highest monthly income of around 3,122 euros. The lowest salary is earned by a bus driver in Saxony, with average gross monthly earnings of 2,736 euros.

Salaries therefore differ depending on which federal state you live in, but also on the tax bracket, as well as the length of service.

According to information from specialized salary portals, a bus driver has a gross monthly salary of 2,535.72 euros. Therefore, the hourly wage amounts to 15.82 euros, and the average annual income is 30,428.60 euros.

It is very important to state that drivers in Germany can expect higher salaries in the future. If the unions' demands are met, in many cities in Germany bus drivers can expect salaries up to 500 euros higher in the coming period, writes Fenix Magazin.

Source: poslovni.hr