ANTROP wants to lower the minimum age for bus drivers to 18

The National Association of Passenger Transport (ANTHROP) says bus drivers can become a bus driver at 18, up from the current 23, in a move that would help combat a serious shortage of professionals in the field.

“Today the general rule is 23 years. We know that there are several countries in Europe that already accept people aged 18 and over. This is our request for legislative changes that allow for community directives, so that it is possible to hire drivers from 18 years of age,” Luis Cabaçu Martins told Lusa.

The head of an association of about 80 public road passenger transport companies said that lowering the age for working as a public passenger transport driver is being analyzed by the Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMT), which is expected to submit a proposal to the government.

However, he acknowledges that there may be additional requirements for young drivers, such as distance restrictions or increased training.

When asked if the solution to the shortage of specialists was related to increasing wages to make the sector attractive, Cabaçu Martins replied that changes had been made to collective labor agreements to increase remuneration and that there was an agreement with trade unions so that by 2025 there would be ” guaranteed wage growth at least in line with inflation.”

Regarding the number of drivers missing in Portugal, the president of ANTROP said that at the moment he does not know. According to him, at the beginning of the year between 2,000 and 3,000 drivers were absent, but more than half have already been employed. However, he added, it is necessary to continue recruiting, especially as many begin to reach retirement age.

Several operators, especially in the Lisbon region, have hired drivers abroad, especially in Portuguese-speaking Africa (PALOP).