ALBUM (Association of Local Bus Managers) has identified a growing crisis within the industry that has been developing post pandemic.
Bus Driver recruitment and retention is becoming a problem for almost every operator in England. This is a mixture of multiple factors; backlogs in getting provisional PCV licences back, delays in getting driving tests and work-life balance post COVID.
The backlog in DVLA providing provisional PCV licences is causing some operators to be unable to train new employees. Ben Wakerley, Managing Director at Warrington’s Own Buses said “It is taking about two months and people are getting other jobs while they are waiting. Sadly, we have not been able to employ unemployed people because they are still awaiting licences.”
The delays getting driving tests from DVSA has meant that many ALBUM companies don’t have their own Delegated Driving Examiners and so rely on DVSA for tests – if they were able to utilise the DDEs for companies that do have them it would really help, but this needs a temporary change to the law.
ALBUM operators have also seen a shift in how people want to work now that they have spent more time with their families. Many bus drivers work shifts and often work beyond the national retirement age, but Post COVID this pattern has shifted, and many are leaving for this improved balance. Operators are working hard to replace people retiring with new recruits (the delays in licence are not helping) and almost every English ALBUM operator is running extensive recruitment campaigns.
Operators are also looking at their shift duties and working with drivers to make these more balanced. For example, Jane Cole, Managing Director of Blackpool Transport said “We are also losing staff at a higher rate than normal. We speak to staff at exit interviews and are finding that work-life balance feature high in the list of reasons for leaving. Staff are moving to new positions which offer better hours even if the pay is not as good. We are now in the process of looking at our rostering systems to see if we can make any adjustments to support a better work life balance for our staff.”
But this is not the case for operators elsewhere in the Country, David Squire, Managing Director of Bournemouth’s Yellow Buses said: “We already have every possible type of rota – locally the staff shortages continue to affect things as diverse as taxis, hospitality and even retail. Something that started with the BREXIT effect and has only worsened with COVID.”
Bill Hiron, Chair of ALBUM said: “Whilst we appreciate some of the support provided to our members and have as a group tried to support one another with best practice – including our operators guide to successful recruitment campaigns, our lobbying to the Head of DVSA to seek their support and regular discussions with Government, we know that, at our fortnightly MD meetings, the situation only seems to be getting worse. As we work to welcome customers back on board, this is the worst possible time for them to lose faith in us because our driver shortages are leaving us unable to operate services, therefore cutting journeys that customers need.”