Why you might want your bus driver to be rested – beyond the obvious reason

By the EESC Workers' Group

The European Commission is working on amending the rules on the organisation of minimum breaks and rest periods in the occasional passenger transport sector.

As most of us strive to reach our destination safe and sound, having a driver on the wheel of the bus that is well rested sounds like an intuitive idea. However, this is not always the case. Despite the term 'occasional', the work there is often neither seasonal nor occasional, but rather continuous. The proposed change would allow non-international passenger transport drivers to work for 12 consecutive days without rest, as is now the case in international transport – another sector suffering from chronic staff shortages.

This flexible approach to resting times, supposedly designed to tackle driver shortages, not only jeopardises road safety – and given that most drivers in the sector are in their 50s or older, the increased stress poses a great risk - but also most likely will worsen the very problem it is trying to solve. Making working conditions worse will certainly decrease the attractiveness of the job, as drivers in these positions often perform other tasks related to group handling.

Maybe we should consider improving working conditions, and support people wishing to enter the sector in terms of licences and permits, providing for safe infrastructure including resting facilities, and we might attract more drivers.