Jaime Rodríguez, Director of IRU member CONFEBUS, says the shortage of bus and coach drivers is becoming increasingly visible. While the challenges vary across different segments, addressing them will require smarter policies, better promoting the profession, and measures that help attract and retain drivers.
Spain’s bus and coach sector is struggling to recruit enough drivers. An ageing workforce, regulatory barriers and changing work expectations are putting significant pressure on operators.
The challenge is not solely one of workforce size. The sector must both meet growing mobility demand and prepare for a significant generational renewal, at a time when demographic trends are reducing the number of potential new entrants.
“The average age of bus and coach drivers in Spain is 49,” highlighted Jaime Rodríguez. “As a significant proportion of the workforce approaches retirement, the sector is likely to face increasing recruitment challenges in the coming years.”
For Jaime Rodríguez, one of the biggest barriers is access to the profession. Many people assume that driving a bus or coach only requires a licence. But the reality is more complex.
To work as a driver, you need to have your driving licence as well as the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). As the CPC is an EU-specific qualification, additional training and certification processes are required for drivers recruited from third countries, which can make international recruitment more complex.
Training capacity is itself a challenge. Practical driver instruction requires one-on-one training in a vehicle, which limits the speed at which new drivers can be trained and integrated into the workforce.
Passenger transport also places additional service and communication responsibilities on drivers. That makes experience even more important.
“This creates a challenge for new entrants. Passenger transport services often require a combination of driving skills, customer interaction and operational responsibility,” stressed Jaime Rodríguez. “As a result, some services place particular value on prior experience, making the transition of new entrants into the profession more gradual.”
Shifting expectations
Like many essential services, bus and coach operations require coverage beyond standard office hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays. This is one of several factors that can influence recruitment.
“Labour market expectations have evolved in recent years. Many candidates place greater emphasis on work-life balance, flexibility and schedule predictability,” said Jaime Rodríguez. “This can create challenges in sectors like ours that must provide services based on passenger demand and require a physical presence to deliver those services.”
The impact of driver shortages varies across segments. Urban and regular scheduled services typically offer more predictable operating patterns, while other segments must adapt to greater fluctuations in passenger demand.
Rural operations face additional recruitment challenges due to demographic trends and the gradual reduction of the available labour pool in much of rural Spain.
Advance schedule visibility can also be challenging in certain market segments, particularly where demand fluctuates or bookings are confirmed at short notice.
Companies are responding through a range of measures, including competitive remuneration, better working conditions, greater consideration of driver preferences when organising shifts, and support for training and qualification costs.
“Local, regional and national authorities sometimes support the cost of obtaining the required licences and CPC qualifications,” said Jaime Rodríguez. “Such programmes can play an important role in attracting new entrants when they are aligned with the sector’s workforce needs.”
Linguistic ties
International recruitment is becoming one of the avenues being explored to help address workforce shortages. Several initiatives focus on attracting qualified drivers from countries with cultural and linguistic ties to Spain, while supporting them in obtaining the qualifications required.
However, international recruitment presents specific challenges in passenger transport.
Beyond driving skills, drivers perform a highly customer-facing role that involves passenger assistance, communication and service responsibilities.
Attracting younger generations is also a challenge, as regulatory requirements, minimum age thresholds and the cost of obtaining the necessary licences and qualifications tend to delay entry into the profession.
“According to Spanish traffic authority statistics, the average age at which people obtain a bus or coach driving licence is around 40,” said Jaime Rodríguez. “As a result, the sector often attracts professionals who bring valuable experience from previous occupations.”
Spread the word
Despite these challenges, the profession offers a number of attractive features, including stable employment, competitive remuneration and, in many operations, the possibility of returning home regularly.
Furthermore, in many public transport services, employment is linked to essential local mobility needs and cannot be relocated.
In addition, workforce continuity is often protected when service contracts change operators, helping provide long-term career stability. Certain tourism services also offer operational variety, with routes, destinations and service requirements that may differ throughout the year.
“Awareness of the profession and the career opportunities it offers remains limited among many potential candidates,” concluded Jaime Rodríguez. “Improving the visibility and attractiveness of the sector will therefore be an important part of addressing future workforce needs.”