In Latvia, the problem of a shortage of regional bus drivers is intensifying. According to Ivo Ošenieks, president of the Latvian Passenger Transport Association (LAPPA), about two-thirds of drivers are currently at pre-retirement or retirement age. He stated that one of the main reasons for the staffing shortage remains the level of wages. Salaries stipulated in long-term contracts with the state no longer correspond to the market situation, which is why carriers are losing experienced employees and are struggling to attract young specialists. "Moreover, two-thirds of drivers are at pre-retirement or retirement age. This is already affecting the ability to carry out routes in full," noted Ošenieks. According to the head of the association, the shortage of personnel is already impacting the operation of regional public transport. In some cases, carriers cannot ensure the fulfillment of all scheduled routes. LAPPA believes that the fines imposed by the Road Transport Directorate for canceled trips do not solve the problem. Carriers are convinced that without increasing salaries and changing funding conditions, the situation will continue to worsen. One of the proposed solutions by the association is to expand the circle of people who can obtain a driver's license to operate buses. In particular, it is suggested to allow students of technical schools to take the relevant exams. According to carriers, the industry is currently facing several problems simultaneously: high inflation, rising fuel costs, increasing maintenance expenses, a shortage of drivers, and insufficient wage levels. The association calls for a review of the indexing mechanism for long-term contracts for servicing regional bus routes. In LAPPA's opinion, it should annually take into account changes in fuel costs, wages, buses, spare parts, and other expenses, as well as automatically compensate for sharp cost spikes. The statements from carriers came a week after a large-scale protest action "Day Without Regional Public Transport," which took place on September 16. At that time, preliminary data indicated that about 3,250 regional bus trips were not carried out. Eight carriers participated in the protest. After the results for September are tallied, the Road Transport Directorate intends to impose contractual penalties on them. Carriers, for their part, continue to insist on an urgent review of the conditions of long-term contracts and compensation for expenses related to rising fuel prices following the escalation of the situation in the Middle East.
