While bus companies and the Chamber of Commerce’s Autobus department speak of a successful reform, the union warns of a “horrendous safety risk” and is mobilizing against a possible relaxation of driving and rest times. According to a provisional agreement between the EU Parliament, the Council and the European Commission, it will be possible in the future for drivers’ right to a consecutive daily break of 45 minutes to be split into three breaks of 15 minutes each.
The new regulation has consequences for incidental and tourist traffic. The federal secretary of the road department of the vida union, Karl Delfs, appealed in a message to EU representatives on Tuesday not to agree to this arrangement in parliament, which would mean a deterioration of working conditions. “The profit needs of the tourism industry and the bus lobby should not be placed above the safety of people.”
Trade union: Persistent staff shortages cannot be solved in this way
“Fatigue and safety risks can only be reduced with good working conditions, fair pay and protection through good rules,” Delfs emphasizes. The ongoing workforce shortage among professional drivers cannot be brought under control by deteriorating working conditions.
According to Delfs, the threatened application of the so-called 12-day rule at national level also means that drivers may drive domestically for twelve days during this period with only a rest period of 24 hours. Until now, this was only possible in cross-border traffic, the trade unionist criticized.
Research into the fatigue of professional drivers would have produced frightening results as early as 2021. According to a survey by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), up to two-thirds of truck and bus drivers have to drive with chronic fatigue. 60 percent of truck drivers and 66 percent of the approximately 2,900 bus drivers surveyed said they regularly had to drive while tired. According to the research, poor working conditions such as irregular and long working hours and insufficient rest and break times are the main causes of fatigue behind the wheel, Delfs said.
Survey: 80 percent of bus drivers are at risk of quitting
In a 2023 survey of bus drivers across Europe, around 80 percent of respondents said they would look for another job if driving and rest times were relaxed in this way.
For Martin Horvath, chairman of the bus professional group of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, the relaxation of strict regulations means an adjustment to the different work rhythms in the coach industry. “The result of more flexible distribution of breaks and rest times and equal treatment of cross-border and domestic bus tourism gives drivers more options to meet customer requests,” says Horvath.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
