The public transport sector is in crisis, and the IRU (International Road Transport Union) has highlighted a worrying situation. During 2023, the European driver shortage increased by 54%, with 105,000 vacancies, 10,000 of which are in Italy (an increase of 11% compared to 2022). Forecasts indicate that Europe will have a serious emergency by 2028, with a shortfall of 275,000 drivers. ANAV has presented its study “The driver shortage in bus passenger transport: a global emergency. Proposals to contain the phenomenon”, raising the alarm once again. The driver shortage has become a crucial issue, to the extent that 14 of the 28 EU member states consider it a “severe” problem, according to the 2022 EURES report on professional shortages. Italian public transport, vital for collective mobility and decarbonisation, is in a critical situation.

With 900 companies in operation, 41,000 buses in service and approximately 90,000 employees, ANAV examined the sector and found a shortage of 9.1 per cent. The numbers speak for themselves: 67% of companies report a staff shortage, with the north experiencing the greatest (11.9%), followed by the centre (9.2%), while the shortfall is 5% in the south and the islands. 70% of the companies call this shortage “significant”, with 39% of them indicating “very great” difficulties. The survey also highlights problems of gender balance and a high average driver age (49 for men, 43 for women). Only 6% of drivers are women, and initiatives to tackle the crisis must also take the high cost of obtaining a licence and professional qualification into consideration. ANAV proposes concrete solutions, calling for a revision of the driving licence directives to reduce the minimum age of attainment, to support companies’ initiatives to train new drivers, and to reduce the financial burden of obtaining the necessary qualifications. The driver emergency is an alarm bell calling for immediate action to ensure the continuity and quality of public transport service, a key component of sustainable mobility and addressing the challenges of climate change.