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Spain’s bus driver shortage: What can be done?

12 Mar 2025 · People

From tourist hotspots to rural areas, everyone is feeling the strain of Spain’s bus and coach driver shortage. Action is needed to turn things around – solutions are already on the table.

In this interview, Jaime Rodríguez, the Director of IRU member CONFEBUS, provides a full overview of Spain’s bus and coach driver shortage – from the causes and consequences to the solutions.

Is Spain facing a shortage of drivers?

Spain is one of the three EU countries with the highest number of jobs in the road passenger transport sector.

The Spanish bus and coach transport sector offers stable, high-quality employment. Salaries in the sector are above average, with pay rises in collective agreements traditionally exceeding those in the wider service industry and across all economic sectors.

However, the shortage of drivers is a significant and growing issue. It is limiting business growth and negatively impacting mobility networks, as well as the people, regions and economies that rely on them. In Spain, around 4,000 bus and coach drivers are urgently needed, particularly in tourist hotspots and rural areas.

Why is there a shortage?

The average age of bus and coach drivers is high, and there is little generational renewal.

Additionally, the average age for obtaining a bus or coach driving licence is 39 in Spain. The cost of obtaining the necessary licences and certificates is also very high.

Furthermore, we are unable to develop training programmes to bring young people into the profession due to regulatory age restrictions and jurisdictional issues between different authorities. All these factors limit access to the profession.

What are the consequences?

The shortage of drivers hinders business growth, reducing competitiveness.

It also affects transport services, leading to reduced or even suspended operations. This in turn limits access to education, healthcare, and employment for those who depend on public and collective transport. It also impacts tourism and overall quality of life. As a result, the economy and regions reliant on the bus and coach sector may suffer.

What can be done to better attract drivers?

Some regulatory changes have already been introduced. For example, Spain has adopted a more flexible minimum age for bus and coach drivers, in line with the EU Driving Licence Directive. The requirement for a third-country driver attestation, previously needed for foreign drivers, has also been removed.

However, more action is needed. We have proposed several additional measures, including modifying EU regulations on driving licences and the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) to introduce greater flexibility.

We have also suggested subsidising part of the costs of obtaining licences and certificates. Another key measure would be making it easier for qualified drivers from outside the EU to access the profession.

Beyond regulatory changes, the sector needs to improve its image and appeal. The profession should be added to the list of occupations that are difficult to fill. Public awareness campaigns and training programmes could also help attract more people to the industry.

How can governments help?

Governments have a crucial role to play in tackling driver shortages. Many of the current barriers to recruitment come from administrative and legal obstacles, making it difficult to hire new drivers.

Authorities can take action by reaching agreements with third countries to recognise their driving licences. Spain has already made some progress in this area. We have agreements with 31 third countries.

Spain has also launched a campaign to promote driving careers, ease or remove certain legal requirements, and develop a protocol to clarify the recruitment process for companies hiring third-country drivers.

Another important step would be encouraging new drivers through promotional campaigns and subsidies for obtaining licences and certificates. Governments should also support training programmes to help young people transition from school into professional driving.

These are positive steps, but more needs to be done. Without decisive action, the shortage of drivers will continue to worsen as the workforce ages.

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