”10年後に3割が消える”衝撃の試算が明らかに　バス会社が始めた近未来を変える取り組み

Buses are an essential form of public transportation in our daily lives. However, estimates suggest that more than 30% of buses will disappear from cities in 10 years. To prevent this prediction from becoming a reality, the bus industry is embarking on various initiatives. Is it possible to avoid the "near future" predicted by these estimates? "I ride them every day, they're so convenient." Buses, crisscrossing the city, are an essential mode of transportation for Fukuoka residents. A resident said, "I ride about four buses a day. I ride them quite often, for shopping, to the hospital, etc." "I use them every day, they're so convenient." The nationwide shortage of bus drivers is becoming a serious problem. Long wait times... are buses becoming less frequent? "I think the number of buses is decreasing. I feel like the next bus isn't coming, and the wait times are getting really long," said RKB reporter Shimohama Miyu. "There are a lot of buses running in Fukuoka City, and people are constantly waiting at bus stops. If we don't take measures, the situation is expected to become even more serious in 10 years." "We're 100 people short," complains the Nishitetsu Group, which operates bus services primarily in Fukuoka Prefecture. Yuko Suwaki, manager of the Human Resources Strategy Promotion Office at Nishitetsu's Automotive Business Headquarters, said, "The schedule change on March 16th this year reduced workloads to a certain extent, so the situation is improving compared to last year, but the Nishitetsu Bus Group is still short by about 100 people. The current staffing situation is still very severe." By 2035, 35% of drivers will be gone. To date, measures to address the driver shortage have included "advancing the last bus" and "large-scale reductions in service." However, Nishitetsu's calculations reveal that if no measures are taken to address the driver shortage, "the number of drivers will decrease by 35% by 2035." Serious Aging Population Leads to Competition for Labor The underlying issue is the aging of bus drivers. At Nishitetsu Bus, which employs approximately 2,000 drivers, approximately 60% are over 50 years old. Drivers retire at age 60 and can work up to age 69 through reemployment or other means. However, the number of retirees exceeds the number of rehires and new hires, resulting in a chronic driver shortage that cannot be stopped. Yuko Suwaki, Section Chief, said, "Regarding the shortage of candidates, I think there's a tendency to shy away from irregular work schedules. Since there's a labor shortage across all industries, I think each industry is competing for workers." The "2024 Problem" Adds to the Problem Furthermore, the so-called "2024 Problem," which restricts overtime work in the transportation industry, has made the labor shortage in the bus industry even more serious. High School Graduates Join the Company as "Training Drivers" In light of this situation, Nishitetsu has begun recruiting new high school graduates aspiring to become drivers in order to secure talent for the medium to long term. Masaya Matsuo (19) and Yume Oishi (18) joined the company in April of this year. This year, seven new graduates, including these two, joined the company. These seven are "training bus drivers," aiming to become bus drivers in the future. Until they obtain the Class 2 heavy vehicle driver's license required for bus drivers, they work at bus terminals, gaining customer service experience by working at the counter and guiding customers. Half of the trainee drivers have made their debut. Approximately 30 employees joined the company through this program, which was launched in 2015, and half of them have now made their debut as Nishitetsu Bus drivers. In addition, while the requirements for obtaining a Class 2 heavy vehicle driver's license previously required employees to be 21 years of age or older and have at least three years of driving experience, last year these requirements were revised to allow drivers to obtain a license one year after obtaining their driver's license, at the earliest age of 19, provided they take special training. This has also been a favorable factor. Trainee driver Masaya Matsuo said, "I actually decided I wanted to become a driver after I entered high school. I think hearing about the upcoming legal changes was a big factor. I'd like to drive around Momochihama, where we have a lot of passengers, including many from overseas, at places like PayPay Dome." Trainee driver Yume Oishi said, "There are fewer female drivers than males, so I'll strive to be a kind, cheerful driver with a smile, and one who can inspire dreams for young children and women." The bus industry continues to face a difficult situation, with buses being canceled and service cuts being made nationwide. We continue to explore ways to resolve this serious labor shortage. For more details, check out NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rk...