Refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine are being urged to help solve Bristol's bus driver shortage. The metro mayor of the West of England, Dan Norris, launched a special recruitment day aimed at encouraging the thousands of Ukrainians who have settled in the region to sign up to be bus drivers.
He said they would get a specially-tailored training programme to join what Mr Norris said was the 'most thanked profession in the country'. Drivers at the open day had the chance to try out driving a bus and meet current drivers to find out more about the job, in a special day hosted by Bristol's second biggest bus company Stagecoach.
Bristol's biggest company, First West of England, has a shortage of around 150 drivers and had to cut 1,450 individual bus journeys a week because its lack of drivers meant it couldn't meet the timetable. Stagecoach is thought to be another 50 drivers short of being fully-staffed, and regularly lists the routes and specific bus journeys that aren't happening on a daily basis because of its driver shortage.
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Much of the driver shortage is down to Brexit - companies like First and Stagecoach used to employ hundreds of bus drivers from the continent and many of those have now returned since 2016 and since Britain left the EU in 2019.
Now, with more driver shortages, bus companies are unable to recruit drivers en masse from EU-based driver agencies as they had previously. And the Brexit-based driver shortages in HGV industry is having a knock-on effect on bus driver recruitment and retention - First Bus boss Doug Claringbold told Bristol Live earlier this year that HGV driver agencies were actively recruiting Bristol's bus drivers from outside depots at the ends of their shifts, with the promise of huge pay rises if they switched from driving buses to driving lorries instead.
Mr Norris welcomed the move by Stagecoach to turn to the influx of Ukrainians who are making Bristol and the West of England their home. He said the driver shortage was the 'major issue driving service reductions'. "Many bus drivers were lured away from the industry to become lorry drivers last year during the empty shelves crisis when the government wrote to them and suggested they become HGV drivers," said a spokesperson for the West of England Authority.
"We are supporting operators with bus driver recruitment. Mr Norris has funded a four-person bus driver recruitment team helping bus companies target new would-be drivers. This is being backed by tailored careers support and training from the West of England Authority with a single access point for people interested in becoming a bus driver."
Mr Norris said he hoped Ukrainian drivers could be a part of the solution for Bristol's bus crisis. "Driving a bus is a really great job," he said. "I’m really pleased to support Stagecoach with their Ukrainian refugees recruitment open day. I’ve always said we need innovative ideas if we’re going to fix the number one challenge for buses right now - the severe bus driver shortage.
"I’ve launched a big bus driver recruitment campaign as I’m determined to get more bus drivers trained up to help fix the cancellations and delays, so people get a bus service they need and deserve. I hope Ukrainian drivers can be part of the solution and that while they are staying here, they enjoy a rewarding career," he added.
"Stagecoach have recently increased their hourly rates to £13.75 per hour (Monday to Friday), £14 per hour on Saturdays and £15.70 per hour on Sundays, meaning there has never been a better time to get behind the wheel," Mr Norris added.
Under the special terms the UK Government created to allow Ukrainian refugees to flee their wartorn country and settle in Britain, Ukrainians are permitted to work - unlike people from other war-torn countries in the Middle East or East Africa, who aren't allowed to work while their applications to be granted asylum status in this country are ongoing.
Instead, those unable to work and seeking asylum are made to live in centres and hotels, including places like the Bristol Airport Holiday Inn. Last month, Stagecoach South West said it was launching an 'urgent investigation' into reports from those asylum seekers and from local residents living nearby that its bus drivers had refused to allow people living at the hotel to board its South West Falcon bus service into Bristol, amid claims of racial discrimination.
Speaking about the special recruitment day, Rachel Geliamassi, Stagecoach West's managing director said the company welcomes 'applications from all'. She added: “We’re delighted to be a part of this initiative which not only supports Ukrainians but could very well help us find some much-needed team members. We pride ourselves on a friendly, inclusive working environment and welcome applications from all."
Read next:
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- MP blasts Bristol 'bus chaos' and says public transport is 'collapsing' in the city
- First Bus cancellations in Bristol causing school run chaos says mum
- Student president says First Bus cuts 'absolutely disastrous' for UWE students
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