A major shortage of drivers and increasing traffic on the road are causing problems for regional taxis in Brabant. “I cannot rule out that people sometimes have to wait longer than an hour,” says Transdev NL spokesperson Laura Steur.
The umbrella organization for, among other things, Regiotransport Midden-Brabant and Deeltaxi West-Brabant has lost many drivers in corona time. Steur: “During the pandemic, people had fewer outings and activities, so we could deploy fewer drivers. As a result, quite a few people left and unfortunately they do not come back.”
To wait long
The carrier tries to find solutions in consultation with clients and customers. “We ask people to shift social, recreational activities, for example,” explains Steur. “This creates space for others during rush hours.”
But that solution is not ideal. “You can’t just move all appointments just like that.” If a driver ends up in a traffic jam, it is possible that someone has to wait longer than an hour for a taxi. “We find that extremely annoying.”
And those files are more and more frequent. Steur: “Traffic is also busier than before the corona pandemic. Our drivers are regularly stuck. Then we no longer have an alternative.” There are simply no other drivers.
No solution
Because the labor market is tight and as a result it is difficult to hire new people. “We are doing what we can, with more recruiters and we are at job fairs. Our employees who provide a new driver receive a referral bonus.”
It is clear: applications from all quarters are very welcome. “A lot of people can do this work. People who want something different, for example in the last years of their career, or returners.”