Staff shortages: Long wait times for public transportation

“Our son has a hard time getting to school on time almost every day. Wait times sometimes reach 20 minutes and the crowded tram that he can’t ride makes it almost impossible to get to school on time.” Such complaints have increased recently.

Wiener Lenin is aware of the problem, says Katharina Steinwidtner, a spokeswoman for Wiener Lenin, “We deeply regret it and are working hard to find solutions.” The problems are mainly due to the current shortage of tram and bus drivers.

160 training positions are still available

Short-term employee absences often cannot be filled in fast enough due to low staffing levels. The result: one of the 400 sets of trams running in Vienna in the morning is canceled in a short time and there are longer periods of time and irregularities on the line.

According to Wiener Lenin, the main reason for the shortage of personnel is the change of generations. Despite the successive expansion of the training program in recent years, it is still difficult to find a sufficient number of employees at present.

There are currently 160 training positions available in the Bus and Tram Driving Service Area and can be filled immediately. Driver training lasts three months and charges just over €1,900 per month. After that, the starting salary including allowances is around €2,300 per month.

Part-time is also possible

In order to accommodate applicants, positions at Wiener Linien are offered not only full-time, but also part-time. “We are currently working on a training concept in which we specifically support future drivers whose mother tongue is not German with German courses,” said Steinwinter.

In addition, Wiener Linien is also trying to recruit personnel for the transportation service in its area. The company also offers retired tram and bus drivers the opportunity to renew their driver’s license and return to work.