Arriva officially took over the suburban bus transport in Bratislava Region. (source: TASR)
The new operator of suburban buses in Bratislava Region, the company Arriva, will provide a €4,000 sign-up bonus to everybody who attains a job as a bus driver in the region before November 26, 2021.
“The sign-up bonus will also be provided to employees, including drivers, dispatchers, and mechanics who have been securing suburban bus transport since November 15,” the company said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
In addition, based on a decision made by the Bratislava Self-Governing Region, bus drivers in the region should see a 5-percent annual increase in their salary.
Apart from the sign-up bonus, the carrier promises suburban bus drivers a salary of €1,500 and a referral bonus of €600 for everybody who motivates others to get the job. Moreover, the overall hourly wage should amount to €7.37, and bus drivers should also receive surpluses for night, weekend and holiday shifts.
About 100 drivers missing
Currently, Arriva is lacking drivers for around 50 connections, particularly those travelling to destinations in the districts of Pezinok and Senec.
“We are intensively working on getting drivers behind the wheels,” said László Ivan, head of Arriva, as quoted by SITA. “As soon as we have drivers for these lines, transport will return to normal.”
The representatives of the self-governing region estimate that the carrier is currently lacking about 100 drivers. The carrier says that suburban transport in the region should be secured by some 400 people, mostly drivers.
According to its timetables, the carrier is supposed to operate over 60 lines of bus transport in Bratislava Region around Bratislava, Malacky, Pezinok, Senec and Šamorín. The company has over 220 buses, of which 120 are brand new.
Juraj Droba, governor of Bratislava Region, said that about 70 people are currently interested in becoming bus drivers in Arriva, adding that this might significantly solve the current situation.
The carrier is subcontracting the private transporters as well, claiming that they don’t have enough work because of the pandemic, he noted.
