Numerous passenger and freight transport companies have put part of their fleet on the ships due to the inability to provide services, especially in the Balearic Islands and other tourist areas
The pandemic caused by Covid-19, the early retirement of many drivers who under normal circumstances would have developed their working lives in the sector, or the rise in the price of renting housing in the Balearic Islands are some of the factors that have led to a lack of drivers, especially in tourist destinations, which has raised the alarm among professional transport employers before the holiday season.
The Balearic Transport Business Federation, FEBT, member of CONFEBUS, addresses the worrying and desperate situation that road transport is experiencing in the Balearic Islands due to the lack of drivers, both passengers and goods, leading to alarming situations in companies when we the beginning of the high summer season. A situation that also occurs in other Autonomous Communities, especially in the main tourist destinations in our country.
The situation is reported to have led to an aggravating and significant shortage of drivers, so that many passenger and freight forwarding companies have had part of their fleets halted on ships due to the inability to provide services.
In this sense, there are already some schools in Palma that have seen their schedule of trips unexpectedly change in recent weeks. The centers cannot operate the excursions because the discretionary transport companies have informed them that they do not have drivers to perform these services.
Likewise, the islands’ transport companies are showing concern as the Balearic Islands are at the start of the tourist season and more than 30,000 students will arrive on study trips in June next year and will also be affected by the same problem. The excursions planned for these dates will be affected as it will not be possible to meet the high demand.
The FEBT has requested urgent action from the administration so that a solution can be found to this serious situation occurring in the Balearic Islands by proposing a temporary exception for the weekly rest period and reducing it to 24 hours a week, instead of the 45 hours per week. hours regulated in Regulation CE no. 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006.
For example, over the course of a week, the driver would take a break of at least 24 hours, which would give the companies a small margin to adapt the needs of demand to the services they could provide.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
