Improving Attractiveness & Retention of Staff in Public Transport: Recommendations to the Sector

This policy brief addresses the urgent staff shortages within the public transport sector, presenting six recommendations to improve labour retention and attract new talent. As PT systems expand to meet growing green transport demands and reduce urban carbon footprints, the need for a stable, skilled workforce is critical. However, the scarcity of (qualified) personnel threatens the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of PT operations, making the sector increasingly vulnerable.

The brief explores the multifaceted challenges causing this labour shortage. With an aging workforce nearing retirement, PT is facing both an increased demand for replacements and a struggle to attract younger talent. The shortage is particularly severe among drivers and technical professionals, with competition from other industries drawing potential candidates away. A skills mismatch further complicates hiring, as the digital, automated, and sustainable transformations within PT demand specific skill sets that the sector has not yet fully cultivated. Compounding this issue are the often-challenging work conditions in PT jobs, limited benefits, and a need to improve diversity, as younger workers, women, and underrepresented groups are less represented in the sector.

To address these pressing issues, the policy brief emphasizes a strategic, people-centred approach that places employee needs at the core of PT policy development. Collaboration among government bodies, PT operators, educational institutions, and unions is essential to establishing structural solutions that support workforce satisfaction, safety, and inclusion. The brief’s recommendations, based on best practices and case studies from across Europe and beyond, seek to make PT careers more appealing, diverse, and sustainable.

Key Recommendations

Key recommendations include integrating employee well-being in PT tenders, enhancing working conditions, implementing data-driven HR decisions, investing in training, raising awareness of workforce challenges among policymakers, and strengthening industrial relations. These measures aim to address immediate staffing needs while creating a foundation for long-term sectoral growth, supporting the ongoing transformation in public transport.

1. Strengthen the human dimension in tenders: Tenders in public transport often fail to adequately consider workforce needs, impacting both service quality and employee satisfaction. This recommendation encourages tenders to include standards for workforce well-being, diversity, staffing, and training. By embedding these HR-focused criteria, tenders can contribute directly to the long-term stability and quality of the workforce.
2. Improve the employee experience in order to make public transport a sector of choice: Improving work conditions, benefits, and schedules makes public transport roles more attractive and sustainable.
3. Enable data-driven HR decision-making: A data-driven approach in HR enables organisations to anticipate workforce needs and address skill gaps. Collecting and analysing workforce data allows for proactive planning in recruitment, training, and retention, strengthening organisational resilience.
4. Empower the sector with a robust educational, learning and training capacity that strategically anticipates the demands of the business: Develop targeted training tailored to specific needs of PT professions to ensure a skilled, adaptable workforce ready to meet future demands.
5. Make authorities and regulators aware of the specificities and challenges of public transport: Foster ongoing dialogue with policymakers to raise awareness of the workforce challenges in public transport, and better align regulatory frameworks.
6. Enhance the positive contribution of industrial relations: Encourage collaboration with trade unions to advocate for fair wages, safe working conditions, and inclusive practices, fostering a supportive environment for both current and future public transport employees.