Equipment News Capital Area Transit (CAT) also known as the Cumberland-Dauphin-Harrisburg Transit Authority, is a regional public transportation agency that operates bus and shared ride/paratransit services in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. CAT's shared ride/paratransit operations serve residents throughout Dauphin County. New IRU Survey Shows Driver Shortages to Soar in 2021 IRU’s annual driver shortage survey has revealed that, despite reduced demand due to COVID-19, there is still an alarming shortage of drivers. Surveying 800 road transport companies from more than 20 countries, IRU found that driver shortage was most acute in Eurasia, where last year 20 percent of driver positions were not filled. China was the least affected country in 2020 with only four percent of jobs open. Elsewhere, driver shortage was less serious in 2020 than 2019 due to the pandemic. In Europe, unfilled driver positions fell by around three quarters, from 20 percent to five percent for bus and coach drivers and from 24 percent to seven percent for truck drivers. Transport companies, however, forecast driver shortages to intensify again in 2021 as economies recover and demand for transport services increases. European companies are expecting a 17 percent shortfall in drivers this year. This shortfall is expected to reach 18 percent in Mexico, 20 percent in Turkey, 24 percent in Russia and almost one third in Uzbekistan.
The IRU in Europe recently completed a survey on the driver shortage in more than 20 countries. While the driver shortage was less serious in 2020 because of the pandemic, it is expected to become worse in 2021. It was noted that the percentage of female bus and coach drivers increased in 2020.
“Driver shortage threatens the functioning of road transport, supply chains, trade, the economy and ultimately employment and citizens’ welfare. This is not an issue that can wait, action needs to be taken now,” said IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto. The IRU survey also investigated the reasons for driver shortage, finding that a lack of trained drivers was the main cause in all regions (38 percent of respondents). Challenging working conditions, further exacerbated by the pandemic, and difficulties attracting women and young people to the profession were also cited as issues. The
Complete Coach Works recently delivered two rehabbed buses to Capital Area Transit in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Two buses were rehabbed for about half of the price of a new bus. The 60-foot buses provide more space for riders and allow for greater social distancing.
survey points to mixed results in the industry’s quest to attract more women across all parts of the sector. Only two percent of truck drivers globally are women and all countries surveyed saw the percentage of women truck drivers fall. However, there were encouraging signs in Europe with the share of female bus and coach drivers climbing from 10 percent to 16 percent of the total workforce in 2020. The percentage of truck drivers under 25 fell nearly everywhere in 2020, from already low levels down to five percent in Europe and Russia, six percent in Mexico and seven percent in Turkey. With the average age of professional truck drivers globally now close to 50 and steadily growing older each year, this demographic time bomb will only get worse without action to reduce minimum driver age. With youth unemployment well more than 30 percent in some countries, attracting young people to the sector should be simple. However, the minimum age for professional drivers is 21 or higher in many places, creating a large gap between leaving school and taking the wheel. Governments should set the minimum age for trained drivers at 18, with training starting from 17, in order to unlock the full potential of the profession as a global job engine. More investment in safe and secure truck parking areas to fix the current massive global shortfall would make long-haul driver conditions safer and get more people behind the wheel, especially women.
6 • National Bus Trader / April, 2021
Training and certification remain vital to attract and develop skilled drivers, especially with new technology, safety expecta-
