Bus company Hermes trains students to become bus drivers in order to address staff shortages. A recruitment campaign in the Eindhoven region has yielded sixty ‘student drivers’, announces Hermes.
First drivers deployed.
Hermes has been struggling with a shortage of drivers for some time. As a result, rides were canceled and Hermes was forced to use a holiday schedule last year. Management also threatened to temporarily not allow additional leave.
In order to be able to offer a full timetable as quickly as possible, Hermes placed its hope on students. They are a good addition to the bus driver corps, because they often have varying lesson times and can be deployed flexibly, a spokesperson explains.
Bus line back in use
After a recruitment campaign, the company received more than a hundred registrations last summer. More than sixty students have started the training program. Fifteen have now completed the process and are now working as bus drivers.
The reduction in the timetable at Hermes started last October due to the shortage of drivers. This was especially true in cities, admits the public transport company. For example, one of the city lines in Eindhoven was completely lost. “Partly due to the arrival of students, Hermes put this line back into use last month,” a spokesperson said.
The students work an average of ten to fifteen hours per week for the company, which means that Hermes needs four of those newcomers to fill the shifts of a full-time bus driver. The bus company therefore continues to recruit new student drivers, indicates the spokesperson.
Driving around your own city
Martijn Mentink, Southeast regional director: “It’s very cool to see both the enthusiasm and that we have reached so many students in such a short time. We have plenty of places to fill. If they want to work, they can. A real win-win, because it is fun riding around by bus in your own city!”
Hermes buses operate in our province under the name Bravo in Eindhoven and the immediate surroundings. The company is also active in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region and part of the Veluwe.
Source: Hermes
For Eindhoven News: Beena Arunraj
